From Rural West Texas Roots to Data Strategy Expert
Meet Dr. Laura McReavy Hearnsberger, a seasoned data strategist who's transformed her upbringing in rural West Texas into a successful career as a data expert. Her journey reflects a unique blend of small-town values, academic excellence, and a relentless passion for making data approachable.
Born and raised in Big Lake to parents who dedicated their lives to education, Dr. Hearnsberger was instilled with the values of hard work, learning, and community. These core principles laid the foundation for her transformative academic pursuits. It was while earning her doctorate at Pepperdine University and working as a data and accountability director for a school district that Laura realized the need to democratize analytics.
With a belief that data doesn't have to be daunting, Laura founded Reflect Plan Do, a cutting-edge consulting firm. She excels at bridging the gap between raw data and actionable insights, providing clients with the tools and strategies they need to thrive in an increasingly data-driven world.
As a trusted advisor, Laura is committed to helping organizations of all sizes unlock their data potential, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and growth. Whether you're a small business seeking clarity or a large organization in need of advanced data solutions, Laura is your go-to partner for transforming data into a valuable asset. With Laura at your side, you'll discover that making data approachable is not just a possibility; it's your key to success.
Professional Summary
Dynamic and results-driven leader with a versatile background in education, research, and business intelligence. Proven track record in dramatically reducing time to answer—the vital period it takes to obtain actionable insights—to under five minutes. Expertise in driving continuous improvement across diverse sectors. Known for my curiosity, tenacity, outgoing personality, and ability to deliver creative solutions.
Experience
Founder, ReflectPlanDo Consulting
New Braunfels, TX, 2019Consistently improve time to answer for organizations across diverse sectors, including a startup during a period of fast growth following their IPO, public education stakeholders, policymakers, and a presidential campaign.
Senior Manager of Data & Accountability
San Marcos CISD, San Marcos, TX, 2017Reduced T2A from weeks to seconds for various accountability systems by building custom Operational Data Store (ODS) to support ad hoc and evergreen reporting.
Director of Innovative Programs, Data & Accountability
San Marcos CISD, San Marcos, TX, 2016Generated significant cost savings for the district, preserving valuable budgetary resources that could be redirected toward supporting educational programs and personnel.
Principal Intern, New Braunfels High School
New Braunfels ISD, New Braunfels, TX, 2015Designed and implemented district-wide training programs, including Tech Fest and NBISD New Teacher Academy.
Technology Curriculum Integration Specialist
New Braunfels ISD, New Braunfels, TX, 2010Spearheaded 1:1, district-wide adoption of devices for students and teachers.
Skills
Time to Answer Acceleration
Expertise in speeding up the data-driven decision-making process by supporting KPI development, creating bespoke datasets aligned to measurable objectives, streamlining data collection systems, and building intuitive dashboards and interactive reports for easy access to actionable insights that drive growth.
Business Intelligence
Cross-program capability in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), SPSS, and Tableau to analyze extensive datasets, enabling independent, in-depth research and analysis for data-driven decision-making.
Research Design & Implementation
Conduct research to identify effective practices, organizational structures, and public policies. Strong ability to merge theoretical concepts and constructs with empirical data, enhancing the depth and applicability of research findings to real-world policy issues.
Reporting
Excellent communication and presentation skills, with a proven ability to convey complex ideas to diverse audiences.
IRB
Review research protocols to provide guidance on procedures, address ethical concerns, and ensure the protection of research participants.
Project Management
Successful leadership and management of multiple projects, ensuring on-time and on-budget delivery by collaborating with cross-functional teams, resulting in the timely achievement of project objectives. Demonstrated ability to coordinate departmental activities and budgeting and supervise and evaluate staff performance.
Software Development
Invented and led the development of a comprehensive grade book platform through three rounds of agile development, including project initiation, requirements gathering, and quality assurance.
Program Evaluation
Skilled in designing and implementing program evaluation methodologies to assess the impact and effectiveness of educational initiatives and conveying complex findings to diverse audiences through effective communication and presentation skills.
Policy Expertise
Deep understanding of education law and policy development processes enhances my ability to make policy recommendations, support governmental relations, and monitor the impact of key proposals.
Adjunct Projects
Officer and Board Member, Custom Coastal Outreach since 2024
Peer Reviewer for AERA Annual Meeting, 2024
Founder of Engagement Culture Center, 2021
Co-founder of Gold Standard Grades, 2020
Member of Texas State University Institutional Review Board (IRB) since 2016
Education & Certifications
Doctor of Education
Organizational Leadership, Pepperdine University, Los Angeles, CA, 2021, GPA: 4.0
Master of Education
Educational Technology Leadership, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, 2011, GPA: 4.0
Bachelor of Arts
English with Journalism Minor, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 1999
Studied Spanish Abroad—Intensa, Barrio Escalante, San Jose, Costa RicaCertified Principal and Teacher
Select Conferences & Publications
Everitt, P., Carney, D. & Hearnsberger, L. M. (2023, October 28-29). Countering false charter narratives [Conference panel]. Network for Public Education Action Conference, Washington, DC, United States. https://networkforpubliceducation.org/2023-conference/
Hearnsberger, L. M. (2021). Does culture eat poverty for breakfast? Exploring the role of engagement for achievement in U.S. schools. (Doctoral dissertation, Pepperdine University). https://www.proquest.com/openview/2b0ad6850dd601b2450bb33ef4cd4bfe/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
Hearnsberger, L. M. (2024, March 18-22). Engagement culture. [New Measures and Metrics in Education Workshop]. The 14th International Conference on Learning Analytics & Knowledge, Kyoto, Japan. https://charles-lang.github.io/measures-metrics-LAK24/
Hearnsberger, L. M. & Hyatt, L. (2023, May 4-5). Engagement culture: Driving growth in high-poverty school environments by shaping assumptions that constitute truth [Conference presentation]. 2023 AERA Annual Meeting. https://doi.org/10.3102/2008069
Neal, D. & Hearnsberger, L. M. (2022, June 16-18). The truth will set us free: Epistemology to combat democratic backsliding [Poster presentation, accepted]. American Political Science Association (APSA) Teaching & Learning Symposium: Teaching Economic Inequality & Social Class, Washington, DC, United States. https://educate.apsanet.org/call-for-proposals-teaching-economic-inequality-and-social-class