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Back to Our People Tara Rossi, Ed.D. Assistant Superintendent e : p : Download CV Education : Affiliations : Biographical Highlights

Back to Our People Tara Rossi, Ed.D. Assistant Superintendent e : p : Education :

OUR PEOPLE The Team at Rutgers CESP At Rutgers CESP, our strength lies within our people. In addition to a core team bringing decades of experience in research, evaluation, analytics, and project management, CESP has a rich network of collaborators to bring the right expertise to every area of our work. Dr. Cynthia L. Blitz, Ph.D. Executive Director & Research Professor Dr. Cynthia L. Blitz is the Executive Director of the Center for Effective School Practices (CESP) and a Research Professor at the Rutgers University Graduate School of Education (RU-GSE). A nationally recognized leader in applied research and evaluation, Dr. Blitz focuses on advancing evidence-based practices that bridge the gaps among research, practice, and policy. Her work centers on generating new knowledge through high-quality research and evaluation and facilitating its application to practice and policy. She is committed to building the capacity of professional and organizations within and beyond the traditional boundaries of education. Widely regarded for her expertise with research-practice partnerships (RPPs) and professional learning communities (PLCs), Dr. Blitz frequently works to forge and maintain productive partnerships and promote the institutionalization of informed decision-making routines. Under Dr. Blitz’s leadership, Rutgers CESP has emerged as a premier applied translational research and evaluation center. She leads an agile team and maintains a rich network of collaborators to grow and carry out a diverse, multi-million-dollar portfolio of federal, state, and philanthropic grants and contracts. Dr. Blitz holds a Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. in Applied Anthropology from American University. Her work has been featured in top academic journals and presented at national conferences, the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, the American Journal of Public Health, and Education Sciences. View Dr. Blitz's Profile The Rutgers CESP Team Shreya Adupa Research Assistant Taylor Clough Research Associate Solangel Troncoso Research Associate Vivian Allen Associate Director Anna Lasek Communications Assistant Robert Zywicki Superintendent in Residence David Amiel Research Analyst Sahar Sherwani Research Assistant Our Partners People Departments Organizations Districts Daryl Detrick CS Educator & Advocate Warren Hills Regional High School Maria Salinas Founder & CEO DES Group, LLC Teresa G. Duncan, Ph.D. President & Founder Deacon Hill Research Associates Fran P. Trees, D.P.S. Teaching Professor RU Department of Computer Science Danielle Morgenroth Asst. Principal, Curriculum & Learning Boonton Township Public Schools Nedim Yel, Ph.D. Senior Statistician/Researcher Data Analysis & Statistical Solutions Tara Rossi, Ed.D. Assistant Superintendent Sparta Township Public Schools Data Analysis and Statistical Solutions National Alliance on Mental Illness, NJ Deacon Hill Research Associates Problem Solutions Dissemination Engagement Strategy Group, LLC The Arc of Ocean County George Street Playhouse Click the icons to view partner spotlights! New Jersey Bayonne School District Belleville Public Schools Belvidere School District Bogota Public School District Bound Brook School District Branchburg School District Buenna Regional School District Burlington Township School District Butler Publics Schools Carteret Public Schools Cedar Grove Public Schools Delsea Regional School District Discovery Charter School Dover Public School District Dunellen Public School District Englewood Public School District Fairhaven School District Fairview Public School District Fort Lee Public Schools Franklin Township Public Schools Garfield School District Haddon Heights School District Hillside Public Schools Keyport Borough School District Long Branch Public Schools Mercer County Technical Schools Middlesex Vocational Schools County Millstone Township School District Monroe Township School District Montclair Public Schools Morris Plans School District Mount Olive School District Ogdensburg School District Palisades Park School District Passaic Public Schools Paterson Public Schools Perth Amboy School District Phillipsburg School District Ramsey School District Randolph Township Shool District Red Bank School District Riverside Township School District Roosevelt Public Schools Roselle Park Public School District Salem City School District Secaucus School District Somerset Hills School District South Bergen Jointure Commission South Hunterdon School District Sparta Township Public School District Spotswood Public Schools Sussex County Educational Service Commission Tinton Falls School District Wathung Hill Regional Schools Weehawken Township School District West Amwell School District Wharton Borough Public Schools White Township Consolidated School District Willingboro Township Public Schools Pennsylvania Altoona Area School District Coatesville School District Erie School District Everett Area School District Forest Hills School District Greater Johnstown School District Huntingdon Area School District Indiana Area School District Lower Merion School District Meyersdale Area School Distric t Mifflin County School District North Pocono School District Northern Tioga School District Philadelphia School District Pottstown School District Ridgway Area School District Southern Tioga School District Titusville Area School District Wallingford-Swarthmore School District West Chester Area School District Windber Area School District Other States Delaware Appoquinimink School District Maryland Baltimore County Public Schools Caroll County Public Schools

Back to Our People Danielle Morgenroth Asst. Principal, Curriculum & Learning e : p : Education :

Back to Our People Danielle Morgenroth Asst. Principal, Curriculum & Learning e : p : Download CV Education : Affiliations : Biographical Highlights

The BRIDGE Initiative at Rutgers CESP Return to CESP Home Resources Events Blog Support More Events & Trainings UPCOMING EVENTS Available On Request | Virtual on Zoom SEPAG Support Office Hours Parent leaders, district liaisons, and others are welcome to schedule time to connect, share ideas, ask questions, and explore next steps together. Make an Appointment February 24th, 2026 | 1:00 - 2:00pm | Virtual on Zoom From Framework to Front Door: Connecting Families with NJTSS What should families know about NJTSS? How can schools share that information? Join us to learn and explore family engagement strategies. Register Now February 25th, 2026 | 6:30 - 7:30pm | Virtual on Zoom SEPAG Leaders: Connect, Share, and Grow! Connect with other leaders for a conversation on growing membership, running effective meetings, and strengthening district connections. Register Now March 19th, 2026 | 3:30 - 4:30pm | Virtual on Zoom Partnering with Families Around Foundational Reading in Grades 4+ This webinar, designed for educators, focuses on how to engage parents and families as partners in supporting grade 4+ students who are developing foundational reading skills. Register Now April 25th, 2026 | 10:00am - 4:00pm | Rutgers University, New Brunswick Visit The BRIDGE Initiative at Rutgers Day 2026! Stop by our table to meet the team and pick up free resources (like a literacy at-home kit)! Rutgers Day has activities and entertainment for everyone! More Information PAST EVENTS Missed an event? No problem! Click on any of the events below to access recordings, recaps, and other resources. December 8, 2025 Parent Voices in Action: The SEPAG Experience The BRIDGE Initiative is funded by the NJ Department of Education Office of Special Education (Engagement of Parents of Students with Disabilities; Grant #26000007) through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA-B; 84.027A). Rutgers is an equal access/equal opportunity institution. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to direct suggestions, comments, or complaints concerning any accessibility issues with Rutgers websites to accessibility@rutgers.edu or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier / Provide Feedback Form . Copyright 2025 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

The BRIDGE Initiative offers a free, statewide portal with plain-language tools, training, and partnerships that help families and schools collaborate on IEPs, inclusion, literacy, and NJTSS. The BRIDGE Initiative at Rutgers CESP Return to CESP Home Resources Events Blog Support More The BRIDGE Initiative Helping Families and Schools Work Together ABOUT THE BRIDGE INITIATIVE Engagement of Parents of Students with Disabilities The Building Resources for Inclusive Development and Growth in Education (BRIDGE) Initiative is a new partnership between Rutgers University and the NJ Department of Education Office of Special Education. It promotes strong partnerships between families and schools to help students with disabilities make steady progress towards their learning goals. The BRIDGE Initiative's work is centered around: SEPAG Development, Improvement, and Sustainability Family and School Literacy Partnerships NJTSS Understanding and Home Support There are many resources about special education and family engagement, but it can be hard to know what you need, what to trust, and how to use it. BRIDGE brings the best materials together in one place. Our team curates, creates, and organizes high-quality resources so you can easily find what works and get support in putting it to practice. UPCOMING EVENTS Join us for upcoming webinars, workshops, and learning opportunities. BRIDGE events bring together families, educators, and district leaders to share strategies, build connections, and strengthen support for students across New Jersey. See All Events Feb 24, 2026 From Framework to Front Door: Connecting Families with NJTSS Feb 25, 2026 SEPAG Leaders: Connect, Share, and Grow! Mar 19, 2026 Partnering with Families Around Foundational Reading in Grades 4+ OUR MAJOR FOCUS AREAS SEPAG Development, Growth, and Sustainability Special Education Parent Advisory Groups (SEPAGs) give families a direct way to learn, connect, and collaborate around the programs, policies, and services that affect students with disabilities. The BRIDGE Initiative provides support to both district and parent group leaders and makes free resources available online. QUICK ACCESS Join Our Mailing List Follow us on X Book a SEPAG Office Hour See Upcoming Events Access Free Resources FEATURED RESOURCES Explore guides, toolkits, and strategies designed to support families and educators. Our resources provide practical information on special education, SEPAGs, literacy, NJTSS, and family engagement that you can use right away. Resource Library One-Pagers General SEPAG Informational Materials Templates SEPAG District Outreach: Grow Membership Guide SEPAG Development Parent Starter Kit FROM THE BLOG SEPAGs The Power of Partnership: Why SEPAGs Matter in Special Education NJTSS | A Guide for Parents How NJ Schools Support Students: What Parents Need to Know About the NJTSS Literacy There’s a Science to Reading. Here's What Parents Need to Know Literacy Raising Readers: How New Research Can Help At Home FEATURED OPPORTUNITIES For SEPAGs : Direct Support & Training The BRIDGE Initiative provides assistance to parent and district-affiliated SEPAG leaders including leadership training, meeting planning and facilitation, resource development, and strategies for growing membership. We also work to cultivate and support parent leadership opportunities within groups. The BRIDGE Initiative is funded by the NJ Department of Education Office of Special Education (Engagement of Parents of Students with Disabilities; Grant #26000007) through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA-B; 84.027A). Rutgers is an equal access/equal opportunity institution. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to direct suggestions, comments, or complaints concerning any accessibility issues with Rutgers websites to accessibility@rutgers.edu or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier / Provide Feedback Form . Copyright 2025 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

The BRIDGE Initiative at Rutgers CESP Return to CESP Home Resources Events Blog Support More Family Engagement in Literacy Connecting Families with At-Home Literacy Supports Thanks for visiting! This page is still under development, and more content will be available soon. THE BRIDGE INITIATIVE | MAJOR FOCUS AREA Special Education, Family Engagement, & Literacy Strong literacy skills are the foundation for success across all areas of learning. Reading development happens in stages, from early phonemic awareness and decoding to fluent reading and comprehension of complex texts. Effective literacy instruction is structured, systematic, and responsive to each student's needs, whether they're just beginning to read, building fluency, or developing advanced comprehension skills. Schools use various assessments and data to understand where students are in their reading development and what instruction or interventions will help them progress. Families play a critical role in literacy development. When families understand how reading is taught, what their child is working on, and what progress looks like, they can provide meaningful support at home through reading together, asking questions about texts, and reinforcing skills in everyday activities. Families also offer important perspectives on their child's interests, reading habits, and confidence as a reader: insights that help educators tailor instruction to be more engaging and effective. SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY Family Engagement in Literacy Partnerships The BRIDGE Initiative works directly with schools to advance family engagement at the intersection of literacy and special education. Partnerships look different depending on the school—we might work together on strengthening how your school communicates with families about reading, making progress data more accessible and useful for parents, or developing practices that make family engagement around literacy a routine part of your work. If your school is interested in exploring this kind of partnership, reach out to us to set up a conversation. We'll learn about your current practices and goals, and work together to figure out where we can be helpful. Request More Information The BRIDGE Initiative is funded by the NJ Department of Education Office of Special Education (Engagement of Parents of Students with Disabilities; Grant #26000007) through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA-B; 84.027A). Rutgers is an equal access/equal opportunity institution. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to direct suggestions, comments, or complaints concerning any accessibility issues with Rutgers websites to accessibility@rutgers.edu or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier / Provide Feedback Form . Copyright 2025 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

OUR SERVICES Your Trusted Partner for Work that Matters Rutgers CESP is dedicated to conducting high-quality research and evaluation work, connecting professionals with relevant, accurate and timely evidence-based insights, and supporting practitioners in a wide range of fields to put that information to use. At the same time, we are committed to building the capacity of all stakeholders to plan, implement, understand, and disseminate their work by providing meaningful development opportunities, professional learning, and technical assistance. Our services include: Research & Evaluation Educational Audits Planning & Implementation Development & Training Data & Analytics We understand that one size does not fit all . No matter the project, we are committed to crafting and delivering solutions that work in ways that work. For customized solutions, contact us . We're excited to learn about your work. Research & Evaluation Rutgers CESP is committed to generate understand, and disseminate new knowledge and insight through rigorous and thoughtful research and evaluation work. Since 2010, our team has secured over $22 million in research funding and is ready to share our successes and lessons learned. Our team has decades of experience across the research lifecycle: identifying research and evaluation needs, designing high-impact projects, implementing protocols and programs with fidelity, understanding results, and communicating findings to a breadth of stakeholders. Our Research & Evaluation services include: Grant Services Program Evaluation Research Project Partnerships Research & Evaluation Design Across every discipline, and at every level, exceptional insights lead to exceptional decisions. Rutgers CESP is ready to partner with you to plan new work, implement existing programs, understand the impacts of your work, make practical and informed recommendations, and much more. Let's Work Together Educational Audits Rutgers CESP provides comprehensive, objective evaluations of educational programs, including school-based programming, informal learning environments, adult education, professional development, and workforce training initiatives. Drawing on deep expertise in evaluation frameworks and methodologies, we conduct audit work that is thoughtfully designed to identify strengths, understand impacts, and drive positive change. Using a structured and data-driven methodology, we deliver reliable, actionable insights that inform strategic improvements. Our Educational Audit services include: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS & RTI) Program Audits Scheduling Graduation Rates & Pathways Curriculum Audits Our approach not only identifies areas for improvement but also partners with clients to develop practical, actionable plans for progress. Along with our expertise in education, evaluation, and improvement sciences, we regularly collaborate with domain-area experts (e.g., special education, adult learning, workforce development) to ensure that the expertise of our team matches the unique needs of your programs. Partner with us to understand your programs, their impacts, and ensure they are aligned with best practices. Let's Improve Together Planning & Implementation Rutgers CESP partners with individuals and organizations to design, carry out, sustain, and scale high-impact, meaningful work. Whether you are identifying needs, designing new initiatives, or implementing policies and programs, our team brings the expertise and collaborative spirit needed to make your efforts successful. We are committed to understanding your goals and contexts, providing support where it's needed, taking the lead where appropriate, and working with you to understand and communicate your successes effectively. Our Planning & Implementation services include: Needs Assessments Strategic Planning Grant Planning Program Conceptualization Policy Implementation Support Communication & Dissemination Strategy Project Management We approach every project with a commitment to quality, relevance, and partnership. Our team’s breadth of experience across educational and professional contexts ensures that our solutions are practical, responsive, and positioned to make a difference. Let’s work together to transform ideas into action and make your initiatives thrive. Let's Build Together Development & Training Rutgers CESP offers dynamic, customized professional development and training opportunities to educators, administrators, leaders, and professionals across fields. We work with you to identify training needs and opportunities, develop targeted content, and deliver it through modalities best suited for learners (e.g., virtual, a/synchronous, small group, seminars, etc.). Our team brings deep expertise and a forward-thinking approach to training and professional growth, ensuring participants gain practical skills and insights that are relevant and impactful. Our Development & Training services include: Professional Development Leadership Development Educator Learning PLC/Collaboration Facilitation Data-Use Capacity Evidence-based Decision Making Whether you’re looking to empower educators, develop leadership potential, or enhance workforce capabilities, we’re here to help you build capacity and thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape. Let's Grow Together New! Artificial Intelligence & Data Use Rutgers CESP can help your school or organization understand emerging technologies and use them to streamline processes and transform their work! Ask us about professional development opportunities related to utilizing AI or building data-use capacity! Data & Analytics At Rutgers CESP, data analysis is more than just crunching numbers; it’s about drawing meaningful insights that inform decisions and drive progress. As trained researchers at a leading research university, we bring unparalleled expertise and a commitment to rigor in every analysis we conduct. Our team is well-versed in research methodologies, statistical techniques, and data interpretation, ensuring that your data is analyzed with accuracy and precision. We don’t just deliver results ; we make sure it’s understandable, relevant, and accessible to the audiences that can use it. Our Data & Analytics services include: Case Studies Data Analysis Statistical Methods & Design Interpretation & Action In an era where data is everywhere, cutting through the hype to truly understand and interpret information is more important than ever. Rutgers CESP stands out from the crowd by emphasizing statistically sound, high-impact research practices. Our analytics center responsible and ethical research, transparency, and making complexity easily accessible, helping you understand what your analysis means, and just as importantly, what it doesn’t. Trust Rutgers CESP to provide the depth, accuracy, and clarity your data deserves. Let's Learn Together

The BRIDGE Initiative at Rutgers CESP Return to CESP Home Resources Events Blog Support More News & Blog FEATURED POST NJTSS | A Guide for Parents How NJ Schools Support Students: What Parents Need to Know About the NJTSS LATEST POSTS SEPAGs The Power of Partnership: Why SEPAGs Matter in Special Education Literacy There’s a Science to Reading. Here's What Parents Need to Know Literacy Raising Readers: How New Research Can Help At Home EXPLORE ALL POSTS SEPAGs The Power of Partnership: Why SEPAGs Matter in Special Education Literacy There’s a Science to Reading. Here's What Parents Need to Know Literacy Raising Readers: How New Research Can Help At Home The BRIDGE Initiative is funded by the NJ Department of Education Office of Special Education (Engagement of Parents of Students with Disabilities; Grant #26000007) through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA-B; 84.027A). Rutgers is an equal access/equal opportunity institution. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to direct suggestions, comments, or complaints concerning any accessibility issues with Rutgers websites to accessibility@rutgers.edu or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier / Provide Feedback Form . Copyright 2025 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey