Debra Pacchiano, Ph.D., is an applied researcher focused on leveraging instructional leadership and organizational development to catalyze innovation and quality improvement in early education settings. She leads the development of the Start Early’s (formerly known as the Ounce) Essential 0-5 Survey, a system to measure organizational conditions essential to continuous improvement in early childhood education (formerly known as the Early Education Essentials).

Previously, she was co-principal investigator of an Investing in Innovation (i3) development grant, which focused on developing early childhood instructional leadership competencies and systems to improve teacher-child interactions and children’s learning outcomes. She has also held positions as a research analyst and special education administrator in a large, public school system; co-directed local, state and federal special education capacity-building grants; and developed and refined training curricula and implementation protocols for educators to improve performance and impact.

Debra holds a doctorate from Indiana University in educational psychology with an emphasis in early childhood special education.