Melissa Fincher, Ph.D.

Melissa Fincher, Ph.D., is a Managing Associate and Director of Assessment Analytics at edCount. Dr. Fincher has worked in the field of assessment for over 30 years with experience in both university and K-12 settings. Dr. Fincher leads edCount’s work on curriculum and professional development projects, alignment and validity evaluations, and compliance with assessment and accountability regulations.

As the Deputy Superintendent for Assessment and Accountability at the Georgia Department of Education, Dr. Fincher provided oversight for all statewide assessments including grades 3 through 8 summative, alternate assessments, high school end of course assessments, and English language proficiency assessments (including the alternate). She was directly responsible for ensuring that these programs met high standards for technical defensibility and that her vendors provided on-time and quality deliverables. Some of her accomplishments included envisioning and managing the redevelopment of all criterion-referenced assessments, including the state’s alternate assessment, in response to multiple state curriculum revisions. Dr. Fincher envisioned and led the conceptualization and initial development of Keenville, an award-winning innovative game-based formative assessment for first and second grade students. Dr. Fincher has served as the Principal Investigator in several grants and research projects, has presented at numerous professional conferences, and served on several national committees. Dr. Fincher serves on the technical advisory committee for Puerto Rico and on the technical work and stakeholder groups for the National Center for Educational Outcomes, as well as a federal peer reviewer for state assessment systems for the US Department of Education.

Dr. Fincher received her M.S. in Educational Research and her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Georgia State University.