Sonya Stephens serves as the Chief Performance Officer for Guilford County Schools (GCS), located in Greensboro, North Carolina. In this capacity, she oversees state mandated and local assessments, data analytics and support, student information,  and research and evaluation. With a focus on programs aimed at enhancing student achievement, Sonya has played a pivotal role in designing and implementing major initiatives within the district. Currently, she is deeply involved in shaping the GCS BetterTogether Strategic Direction, particularly in the implementation of the growth and development model. She is helping to ensure outcome-based scorecards align seamlessly with strategic initiatives. Before joining GCS, Sonya spent 11 years in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she served as the Senior Director of the school accountability team. During her tenure, she provided leadership in managing the education value-added assessment system (EVAAS), facilitated professional development opportunities that enhanced data literacy among school and district staff and managed large scale data analysis projects. Notably, she also completed the Strategic Data Project Fellowship offered by the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. Prior to her role at WCPSS, Sonya served as the Executive Director of Educational Accountability at Kenosha Unified School District in Kenosha, Wisconsin. There, she supervised technology services, monitored district and school accountability and tracked enrollment trends. Sonya’s career in education spans over 25 years, beginning as a high school counselor and test coordinator. She continues to enjoy working closely with school teams to enhance their data literacy skills.

Sonya holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree from North Carolina A&T State University and a doctoral degree from Cardinal Stritch University in Leadership for the Advancement of Learning and Service with a concentration in educational leadership. Outside of her professional activities, Sonya and her husband have been happily married for 25 years and have one son. They enjoy attending a variety of sporting events together and spending time with their extended families.