Staff Bios

Strategic Analysis & Program Research Staff Biographies.

Aja Kleinert

Senior Director, Strategic Analysis & Program Research

As the Senior Director of Strategic Analysis and Program Research (SAPR), Aja Kleinert is dedicated to making data not just accessible, but actionable for the entire Albuquerque Public Schools community. With a BS and MS in Geography from Texas State University, Aja brings a "big picture" perspective to her work. Prior to joining APS, her career spanned consulting, transportation, and public health, but the common thread has always been a commitment to rigorous data analysis—a background that allows her to approach K-12 challenges with a unique, multi-dimensional lens.

At the heart of her work is a commitment to ensuring staff have the tools they need to succeed. She prioritizes collaboration, viewing data analysis as much an exercise in high-quality customer service as it is technical precision. For Aja, the goal is to empower data users at every level by making information easier to use. She welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues to make a difficult process just a little bit easier for everyone involved.

Beyond her strategic work, Aja is an advocate for work-life balance. When she isn’t crunching numbers or simplifying complex processes, she stays busy tending to her (too) many houseplants, camping under the New Mexico stars, or roller skating with her family.

Brenda Martinez-Papponi, PhD

Manager, Strategic Analysis & Program Research, Research & Analysis

Dr. Martinez-Papponi is a researcher at Albuquerque Public Schools. Her work supports multiple projects, including the Indian Education Department’s yearly reports, postsecondary enrollment trends, and the facilitation of external research projects. While at APS, Brenda also serves on the Albuquerque Public Schools Research Review Board, which reviews, approves, and oversees research studies conducted in the district. She received her B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of New Mexico. She also earned an M.A. from the College of Education at UNM. Before joining APS, Brenda worked on several grant-funded projects studying error and the effects of acute stress on cognitive processes.

Bryan Cockrell

Manager, Strategic Analysis & Program Research, Reporting Systems

Experienced Data System Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the primary/secondary education industry. Skilled in Computer Information Systems, Systems Integration, Educational Technology, Instructional Design, Curriculum Development, and Public Speaking. Strong information technology professional with a Associate of Applied Science focused in Networking Technology from Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute.

Bryan has worked for APS for fifteen years and has acquired wealth of knowledge in working with educational technology through his studies and experience on the job. His previous duties/positions held in APS include: Testing Services Technician, Reading First Technical Assistant, and System Administrator for the Assessment Team. His current assignment is Manager of Instructional Management and Data Systems in the Strategic Analysis and Program Research department.

Erin Ray

Senior Data Analyst, Strategic Analysis & Program Research

Erin is a data analyst with the Strategic Analysis & Program Research office. She is also an Archaeology PhD student at the University of New Mexico with extensive experience in qualitative and quantitative research. She received her masters degree from the University of California, Merced in 2016. Much of her research has focused on producing and analyzing complex isotopic and geochemical data to understand past human behavior. She brings these skills to the SAPR team along with over 10 years of GIS experience to help the team analyze and present data to district administrators and the public.

Karen Baehr

Manager, Performance Management, Strategic Analysis & Program Research

As Manager, Performance Management, Karen helps to support the educators evaluation systems for Albuquerque Public Schools (APS). In this role, Karen utilizes both her background as a teacher within APS and her previous experience in corporate information technology (IT). Having attained an undergraduate degree in Business Information Systems, Karen began her career with a large consulting firm and worked for many years in corporate IT. She decided to transition her work to be in the K-12 education setting. After gaining her teaching certification and gifted endorsement, Karen taught elementary gifted education within APS for eight years. Recognizing the increasing role of technology within education, Karen sought an opportunity to be able to support Albuquerque Public Schools in a capacity that enables her to combine both an understanding of education and of information systems. She began working with the SAPR department in 2019. Karen is a support contact within APS for the state teacher and site administrator evaluation systems.

Lili Dai

Senior Data Analyst, Strategic Analysis & Program Research

Lili has served as a Data Analyst in the Strategic Analysis & Program Research (SAPR) Department since 2025. She earned a Master of Arts in Educational Psychology from the University of New Mexico. Prior to joining APS, she held several roles in higher education focused on supporting student success.

Michelle Drummond, PhD

Manager, Strategic Analysis & Program Research, Research & Analysis

Michelle worked in residential mental health care, with adolescents and children, for the first 14 years of her career, most of which was spent working as a counselor or teacher in a classroom setting. In 2003 she enrolled in a Master’s program in Special Education and in 2014 she earned a PhD in Educational and Psychological Studies, with an emphasis in policy, at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Dr. Drummond’s areas of expertise include survey design and analysis, design-based implementation research (DBIR) methods, sociocultural theories of learning, and the intersection of learning theory, pedagogical practice, and learner identity development.

Michelle joined the research team at APS in September of 2014 and currently works specifically with the Title I department. In this role, she helps ensure that federal funds meant to support students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are distributed equitably, spent on effective interventions, and that major programmatic decisions are informed by accurate and thorough analyses of both qualitative and quantitative data. In 2015 she was asked to lead an ongoing effort to help Title I, as a department, move from using compliance as the primary metric of success to the more complex idea of demonstrating effectiveness. Toward this end, Michelle continues to work collaboratively with other Title I staff to create new analytical tools and facilitate professional development activities that emphasize the importance of continually evaluating the effectiveness of our educational programs and practices.

Rachel Korstvedt

Senior Data Analyst, Strategic Analysis & Program Research

Rachel is a senior data analyst with SAPR and a Biology PhD candidate at the University of New Mexico, where she works in the Center for Stable Isotopes and with the McMurdo LTER in Antarctica. Her research focuses on the effects of climate change on Antarctic food webs using compound-specific stable isotope ecology, and as part of her PhD program she has spent three years teaching anatomy and physiology to undergraduates. She earned her master's in Biology from UNM in 2025. Her experience in the classroom and with diverse data types, from medical systems to long-term ecological datasets, brings a unique skill set to her role as a data analyst for the school district.

Rachel is passionate about making data and data science accessible to people of all backgrounds. Prior to joining the SAPR team, she developed and implemented a series of workshops teaching high school students how to visualize data, giving the next generation hands-on experience with the tools and thinking behind data analysis.Whether in the classroom, the field, or the district office, she is committed to making data meaningful and approachable for everyone she works with.

Shelley Wang, PhD

Psychometrician, Strategic Analysis & Program Research

Dr. Wang is a psychometrician at Albuquerque Public Schools (APS). In this role, she conducts quantitative analyses of student assessment data to inform instruction and improve educational quality. Her work focuses on mathematics education research, Advanced Placement enrollment and exam performance analysis, and college readiness analysis.

Prior to joining APS in 2014, Dr. Wang conducted statistical evaluations of the Math Learning Lab at the University of New Mexico (UNM), where she applied a novel model she developed: Bayesian partially ordered multinomial probit/logit models. She also taught college-level statistics and mathematics at UNM for several years.

Dr. Wang holds a Ph.D. and an M.S. in statistics from UNM, as well as an M.S. in philosophy and a bachelor’s degree in education. Earlier in her career, she worked as an elementary school teacher and later taught high school before pursuing graduate studies.

Qing Wang, PhD

Senior Data Analyst, Strategic Analysis & Program Research

Qing has served as a Data Analyst in the Strategic Analysis & Program Research (SPAR) Department since 2024. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of New Mexico in 2026 and holds an M.S. in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Research, Measurement, and Statistics from Texas A&M University.

At APS, Qing uses analytical tools to analyze, visualize, and report district data such as assessment outcomes and survey results. Her expertise includes machine learning, multivariate analysis, and meta analysis, with a research focus on leveraging predictive modeling to help with student success and improve educational outcomes. She is passionate about translating complex data into actionable insights that inform decision-making and enhance student well-being across the district.