Mark Olofson

As Executive Director of Educator Data, Research, and Strategy at the Texas Education Agency. Mark leads a highly skilled team that manages the collection, analysis, and reporting of data about educators, preparation programs, and initiatives that support Texas schools. He joined the agency in 2018, initially leading a team with one other member to update educator preparation accountability policy and overhaul several related reports. Since that time the team has grown to over 15 members with a similar increase in the scope of projects, dashboards, applications, and initiatives that they oversee. They now support program areas across the Office of Educator Support with data, analysis, and policy-guiding research about the educator workforce, preparation, compensation, and the impact of various initiatives and grant programs. He has also positioned the team to collaborate with external researchers and funders to increase the use of Texas data in research settings. Mark and his family live in Austin, Texas.