The Alvo Institute

Helping Educators Build Strong Data Cultures Where Student Achievement Thrives
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Why We Do What We Do With Data
 
The Alvo Institute’s practices are grounded in a unique combination of traditional project management, cutting edge educational pedagogy, and technology expertise essential to assessing, planning and implementing sustainable data culture change.
 
The co-founders, Rebecca Tomasini and Russ Ballati have developed the organization with the following guiding principle:

We believe that public education is the pathway to social justice and equity.  All children, regardless of language proficiency, socio-economic status or learning style, are entitled to a rigorous, holistic educational experience to thrive.  We believe strong data cultures are essential to ensure this belief becomes reality.

Together Rebecca and Russ have shared their expertise and experiences at numerous conferences, committees and organizations across the United States.

    Rebecca Tomasini, MA, MA                       

Rebecca is a true innovator in the education reform movement. As Sr. Director of Instruction & Evaluation for KC Distance Learning, she recently led a ground-breaking effort to define measures of student achievement in online education.  Prior to KCDL, Rebecca worked with the CA Charter Schools Association as the Director of ZOOM! Data Source.  Funded by numerous foundations, including The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, the program was the first student achievement management and culture program of its kind in the nation, serving hundreds of CA charters.  Rebecca has taught secondary English and ELD in California at Bell Gardens High School where she was awarded the CABE Teacher of the Year, and in Athens, Greece at Athens College.  Rebecca builds strong data practice in new educators as an adjunct professor and lecturer in the graduate schools of education at Claremont University, Lewis and Clark and Portland State.  Prior to her work in education, Rebecca lived in New York City working in banking, marketing and mergers and acquisitions with Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, an internet start up, and Cushman & Wakefield.  Rebecca earned a BA in English Language and Literature from Smith College, a MA in Renaissance Studies from Queen Mary & Westfield College, The University of London and a MA, The MACET Program in Education & Community Development from Claremont Graduate University.

 

   Russ Ballati, PMP                                         

Russ is among the top industry leaders in project management, systems design, development and integration for K-12 performance management initiatives.  A strong team leader, former management consultant in the private sector and a PMP certified project manager, he brings deep technology and project management experience to K-12 public education.  Among the many initiatives Russ has support, he led the state-wide implementation of ZOOM! Data Source, a program of the the California Charter Schools Association, serving over 250 schools.  He managed the creation of the acclaimed performance management data warehouse, analysis and reporting system, funded by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, for the Oakland Unified School District.  Russ has managed numerous large scale application development and systems integration project over 15 years with Accenture, fortune 500 companies, .com and global organizations.  Russ earned a BA in Business and Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.  He has been a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) since 2002.