Office of School Improvement

Jason Adair is the program director for Literacy and Mathematics in the instructional programs division. He leads a team of content coaches as they develop and deliver high quality professional development to teachers, instructional coaches, and school and district leaders. Jason joined SREB’s school improvement team in 2011, bringing more than 10 years of experience in the public education sector. He was a middle school and high school mathematics teacher and instructional coach in Florida for eight years before leading K-12 mathematics in Gaston County, North Carolina.

Ivy Alford is the director of state and district partnerships with the Southern Regional Education Board, where she leads the work in effective implementation of the High Schools That Work and Technology Centers That Work initiatives in Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

As director of the Southern Regional Education Board’s Go Alliance, Alice Anne Bailey helps states develop and implement policies, support programs and communications techniques to increase the number of students who would be the first in their families to attend college. She also directs the Go Alliance Academy, which provides rigorous professional development and education for in-service and pre-service school counselors and educators. At SREB, she has managed many multi-state education projects and authored numerous reports that range from middle grades to adult education.

Jim Berto joined the Southern Region Education Board in 2005 as project manager for the Delaware Curriculum and Instructional Review project. Since then, Jim has held several positions, including administrative specialist, TAV coordinator, pathway designer, and research associate.  Currently, Jim provides research and marketing support for SREB’s Advanced Career (AC) initiative. Prior to SREB, Jim was a school career and technical education (CTE) director, systemwide CTE coordinator and marketing teacher with Atlanta Public Schools.

Steve Broome is executive director for school improvement. He joined the Southern Regional Education Board in 2006 as the director of state development for high schools and middle grades for High Schools That Work, He brought more than 15 years of experience working on issues of education policy and practice in the public education sector. Steve has worked with state and local leaders in 32 states through HSTW.

Clara Clark is a senior school improvement leadership coach. She joined the Southern Regional Education Board in 2011 as a school improvement consultant. She brings more than 37 years of experience working on issues of education policy and practice in public education. She has worked as a school coach throughout New Mexico. 

Leslie Eaves leads the project-based learning program at SREB, where she designs professional learning experiences for teachers to implement PBL. She joined SREB in 2016, bringing more than 16 years of experience in the public education sector. She holds both a technology education and 9-12 math license. Prior to SREB, Leslie taught high school engineering courses in North Carolina. She joined North Carolina New Schools in 2011 as a math content coach and a general instructional coach, where she implemented school-centered learning strategies and STEM practices.