Her book, “Applying Depth of Knowledge and Cognitive Rigor: An Educator’s Guide to Supporting Deeper Learning,” builds upon her earlier research and development of the Hess Cognitive Rigor Matrices.
UNDERHILL, VT, October 11, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ — Karin K. Hess, EdD, has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
With over 40 years of experience to her credit, Dr. Hess has garnered a reputation for her work in developing performance-based learning systems and assessments that better support an educational environment and fosters greater engagement among students. Working directly with teachers as a consultant via her own company, Educational Research in Action LLC, Dr. Hess is well-regarded for the depths of her scholarly rigor, through which she has developed research-based models that draw from her long tenure in content creation, assessment design, and extensive background working with students at all levels of capability, including those with cognitive disabilities.
For nearly 15 years prior to forming her company, Dr. Hess served as a senior associate at the Center for Assessment in Dover, New Hampshire, during which time she contributed extensively to the state’s structuring requirements for graduation exhibitions and spearheaded the development of various model academic competency initiatives. Defining herself as a multidisciplinary expert throughout this period, she notably provided in-depth guidance to many states for the development of their own competency-based educational systems.
Outside of these endeavors, Dr. Hess availed herself for several years in various other positions, including as the state director for gifted education in New Jersey, a K-12 curriculum director, a building principal, and a classroom teacher. She has also collaborated with the Vermont Mathematics Project, edited Science Exemplars, and served as a content specialist for many state and regional assessment blueprints.
Adjacent to her primary efforts, Dr. Hess is a recognized international speaker on her area of expertise, and has authored or co-authored more than a dozen books, book chapters, numerous articles and white papers related to instructional practices and assessment. Her upcoming book, “Applying Depth of Knowledge and Cognitive Rigor: An Educator’s Guide to Supporting Deeper Learning,” builds upon her earlier research and development of the Hess Cognitive Rigor Matrices – a method for assisting teachers in determining the cognitive demands of their classroom and guiding them in developing test items and tasks that best suit the needs of their students. This invaluable resource has been widely adopted across more than 120 countries and translated into multiple languages, serving as an essential tool for evaluating educational content.
Dr. Hess’ work has been cited and referenced in numerous educational resources, including works published by Harvard Education Press, the International Center for Leadership in Education, Routledge, and the Center for Collaborative Education, to name only a few. Aside from her aforementioned work on “Applying Depth of Knowledge and Cognitive Rigor,” she previously authored “Rigor by Design, Not Chance,” which was chosen in 2024 by MAC Reads, a state-wide engagement that encourages Michigan educators to read and engage with a particular work. Dr. Hess also appeared on a 2024 episode of “Instructional Coaching with Ms. B,” a podcast that seeks to aid teachers in their professional development.
Before embarking on her professional journey, Dr. Hess studied at East Stroudsburg University, where she earned a Bachelor of Education. Following this accomplishment, she went on to the College of New Rochelle, from which she received a Master of Education, and the University of Vermont, where she attained a Doctor of Education in educational leadership and policy studies in 2000. To remain aware of developments in the field, she has maintained her affiliation with such organizations as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Michigan Assessment Consortium, the Aurora Institute, the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
In accounting for her success, Dr. Hess largely credits her commitment to championing the best practices in child-centered learning, thereby ensuring that more students could gain access to a quality education. Looking toward the future, she is committed to providing ongoing support to schools, new teachers and administrators. She also hopes to continue writing on the subject of cognitive rigor, with several manuscripts slated for completion in the years to come.
About Marquis Who’s Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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