About Us
We understand the field
We understand the unique challenges faced by educators, school leaders, and state education agency staff. Our supports are tailored to individual educational agencies based on their needs and circumstances, recognizing no one school district or state is the same. Our team's experience and expertise allow us to meet clients where they are and provide diverse support around education data. The current national staffing shortages in education can make it difficult to complete all the work that needs to be done to satisfy state and federal requirements and, most importantly, ensure student success. Our goal at Crescent Bend Consulting is to assist with filling in these gaps.
We are committed to education data
In education, we have a lot of data at our fingertips. Many of these data are necessary to meet state and federal reporting requirements that can be complex and overwhelming. Our team has in-depth knowledge of education data and reporting, in particular the extensive reporting requirements for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). We are committed to helping clients maintain compliance with reporting requirements, while also assisting them in using the data to guide decision-making about how to best serve students.
Our experience includes:
Collecting and reporting education data for state and federal reports, in particular IDEA Section 618 reports, the IDEA SPP/APR, local education agency determinations, and significant disproportionality
Conducting program evaluation to monitor effectiveness and outcomes of strategies and projects
Communicating education data to diverse stakeholders in accessible ways to increase knowledge and feedback
Using data to analyze trends, patterns, areas of success, and opportunities for improvement
Training and coaching of staff in areas related to federal reports, data analysis, using data to drive work, and strategy selection
Managing special education data systems used to retrieve data, including system oversight, vendor management, system rollout, and end-user support
Owner and education specialist
RACHEL WILKINSON, M.P.P.
Rachel Wilkinson is the co-owner and founder of Crescent Bend Consulting Company. She has expertise related to federal data submissions and reports required under IDEA and has extensive experience with educational program evaluation, data analysis, general supervision systems, data governance and sustainability, and utilizing data to guide decision-making.
Rachel's 18 years of diverse experience in education include working at the classroom and school district levels, serving as the Executive Director of Data Services at the Tennessee Department of Education, and serving a broader audience at the national level as technical assistance co-lead and state liaison for the IDEA Data Center and as a state lead for the Center for the Integration of IDEA Data. She has been a presenter and an invited speaker for numerous national conferences and webinars and has developed tools, resources, and guidance materials to promote the collection, reporting, and use of high-quality data to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.
Owner and education specialist
JOANNA BIVINS, Ed.S., NCSP
Joanna Bivins is the co-owner of Crescent Bend Consulting Company. She has expertise related to data collection, analysis, and reporting required under IDEA, general supervision systems, IDEA requirements, special education program evaluation, using data to inform decisions and impact student outcomes, root cause analysis, school psychology, behavior, and multi-tiered system of supports.
Ms. Bivins has at least 20 years of experience in the education field; the majority of which was in special education. She has worked at the district level as a school psychologist, at the state level as the director of school psychology and behavior services, and at the national level on state and federally funded projects. This includes work as a state-liaison and technical assistance specialist (TA) on the IDEA Data Center and the Target and Intensive TA Manager on the Data Center for Addressing Significant Disproportionality. Joanna has worked with states and their local education agencies (LEAs) on topics related to root causes analysis, policy/procedure/ practice reviews, identification of noncompliance of IDEA, and corrections of noncompliance. She has presented at international, national, and state level conferences on related topics, and has developed state and national level resources to support states and districts in the implementation of IDEA.