Dr. Jobi Lawrence has almost three decades of experience working across all levels in the field of education. From her early career at the local level as a classroom teacher, to serving as the Title III Director at a state education agency, to her role at the national level as a senior researcher for the National Clearinghouse of English Language Acquisition (NCELA) and the MSO Manager for ELPA21, she has been able to support a focus on meeting the needs of underserved student populations. In her work with NCELA, Dr. Lawrence led the planning and development of the Family Toolkit for English learner families in collaboration with the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA). She is a recognized leader in the field of English learner education and has a wealth of experience providing technical assistance to State Educational Agencies (SEAs) and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs). Dr. Lawrence currently serves as the Member Services and Outreach Manager for ELPA21 at UCLA CRESST.
She is recognized as a subject matter expert in the areas of language acquisition, family engagement, literacy, special education research and assessment, and school improvement. She has experience as a program evaluator and has served as a tenured faculty member in higher education, where she served as the Director of multiple discretionary grant programs funded by the United States Department of Education. One of the key priorities for each of the grant programs focused on engaging and serving underserved student populations. Dr. Lawrence has written and produced professional development, publications, guidance documents, and toolkits for use with a variety of education stakeholders to meet the needs of diverse students and their families.