Karen Johnston is the Student Opportunity Act Coordinator for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Effective Practices within the Center for School and District Partnerships. Her primary role entails planning and coordinating the implementation of key elements of the Commonwealth’s 2019 Student Opportunity Act (SOA).  Along with ensuring a more equitable distribution of state education aid to LEAs, the Act requires the state’s 386 districts to: 1) analyze data to identify gaps in learning experiences and academic and postsecondary outcomes for the student groups they serve, and 2) develop and implement 3-year gap-closing plans to substantially narrow those gaps.  Plans are expected to incorporate evidence-based strategies, practices, and programs.  Prior to joining MA-DESE, Karen spent 20 years engaged in education research and evaluation, most recently as a Research Associate at Abt Associates, Inc.  Much of her work focused on district and whole school reform, k-12 and postsecondary education policy, mathematics and science education, program implementation and organizational change.  Most projects incorporated an explicit focus on equity for students of color, women, and low-income populations.  Karen earned a Master of Public Administration degree from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service.