Melissa Fincher, Ph.D.

Melissa Fincher, Ph.D., is a Managing Associate at edCount, LLC. Dr. Fincher guides edCount’s work in the assessment and accountability arena, including the alignment team. She serves as project director for edCount’s work with the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University, where she leads curriculum and professional development projects and compliance with assessment and accountability regulations.

Dr. Fincher has worked in the field of assessment for over 30 years in both university and K–12 settings. She has developed and managed several large-scale, high-stakes state assessment programs. Dr. Fincher has served as the Principal Investigator in several grants and research projects, has presented at numerous professional conferences, and served on several national committees. Dr. Fincher continues to serve on the technical advisory committee for Puerto Rico and on the technical work and stakeholder groups for the National Center for Educational Outcomes, as well as serve as a federal peer reviewer for state assessment systems for the US Department of Education.

Prior to joining edCount, Dr. Fincher retired from the Georgia Department of Education, where she served as the Deputy Superintendent for Assessment and Accountability. In that capacity, she oversaw the development of the Georgia assessment and accountability programs, ensuring that these programs met high standards for technical defensibility. Some of her accomplishments included managing the redevelopment of criterion-referenced assessments, including the state’s alternate assessment, in response to multiple state curriculum revisions. Dr. Fincher earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, and her M.S. degree is in Educational Research from Georgia State University.