Pedro Noguera - Executive Director and Principal Investigator

Edward Fergus - Project Director
Expertise in the theory and practice of youth development programming, out-of-school time opportunities, program evaluation and needs assessment, community and school partnerships, academic resilience, adaptation processes of immigrant youth, race/ethnic identity formation, and qualitative research methods.

Charlotte Gray - Senior Project Associate
Ms. Gray works closely with Cheektowaga, Haverstraw and Utica School Districts and their respective regions. She is highly adept with visionary educational expertise and has over ten years experience in education.  Charlotte has demonstrated those skills as an alternative middle school teacher and assistant principal, an after-school enrichment program manager, a staff developer, and an educational research analyst.  She has a strong background in at-risk educational strategies, experience in inclusion pilot programs, and a working knowledge of NCLB and IDEA legislation. Charlotte holds a MBA from Long Island University and a Master's in Education from Fordham University.

Keisha Oxford - Project Associate
Ms. Oxford works closely with Uniondale Union Free School District. She analyzes school achievement data and conducts research in school districts. Keisha developed a special interest in the education of underprivileged children while traveling for an urban television program.  She has a B.A. in media studies and M.A. in media, culture, and communications both from New York University. Her research interests are media education and the impact of racial and cultural representations among youth through transnational borders.

Chemay Morales-James- Project Associate
Chemay Morales-James works with Huntington and Port Chester-Rye Union Free School Districts. She has a B.S. in Special Education and received an Ed.M. in Supervision of Special Education Programs from Teachers College, Columbia University.  Her direct work with at risk youth and students with special needs began in 1996 and continued until her last day as a middle school special education teacher in 2007.  Chemay’s interest in working with TAC-D was inspired by her desire to take part in creating systemic change in the way all children are appropriately educated, especially those who have slipped through the cracks of the educational system.

Roey Ahram- Project Associate
Mr. Ahram works closely with Beekmantown and Westhampton Beach School Districts. He is a second year doctoral student at NYU’s Steinhardt School in the department of teaching and learning. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and his Master of Arts in Teaching at Clark University in Worcester, MA. He has taught high school mathematics in Worcester as well as served as the Chairman of the Worcester Public Schools Mathematics Curriculum Revision Committee (7th-12th grade) before coming to NYU.  For the past year, Roey has been working with the Equity Assistance Center, examining disproportionality in public elementary schools.  Roey’s research interests focus on equity issues in education, school reform, and urban education.

Nicholas L. Handville -Research Associate
Mr. Handville works closely with New York City and Patchogue-Medford School Districts and regional teams. He is an educational sociologist whose research focuses on stratification and the schooling process.  He has spent his career working in education as a teacher, mentor, program coordinator, and researcher. His previous work at Metro involved achievement gap analyses of schools and school districts that identify causes and possible solutions to low student achievement. He also conducts participatory action research projects aimed at empowering high school students to participate in local school reform efforts.