ABOUT DR. MATT RHOADS
Dr. Matt Rhoads connects research, instruction, systems, and technology.
Dr. Rhoads works at the intersection of cognitive science, instructional leadership, and AI—translating research on how people learn into strategies educators can use in real classrooms and education systems.
CURRENT WORK
Education systems, higher education, consulting, and EdTech partnerships
Current work includes leadership with the Education to Career Network of North San Diego County (ETCN), teaching and teacher-candidate supervision at San Diego State University, doctoral chair and supervision work at Concordia University Irvine, WASC and Array Global accreditation service, consulting across the United States, and partnerships with EdTech companies.
Current work spans education-system leadership, higher education, consulting, and educator-centered EdTech partnerships. Detailed roles and prior work appear below.
SELECTED SYSTEMS-BUILDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Documented improvements in access, infrastructure, professional learning, and implementation.
These accomplishments come from Dr. Rhoads’s education-system leadership work and are presented separately from consulting-partner feedback.
01
Developed the first single sign-on system for an Adult Education consortium in California
02
Expanded LMS adoption from 50% to more than 90% of consortium programs
03
Distributed more than 5,000 digital badges in ESL and CTE from 2022 to 2025
04
Integrated North Star Digital Literacy curriculum across multiple Adult Education ESL programs
05
Built a systematic instructional and EdTech coaching program with observation, coaching cycles, and embedded support
06
Established a consortium-wide professional learning program and resource repository
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
A career spanning classrooms, leadership teams, universities, and education systems.
12+ years across K–12, Adult Education, and Higher Education, with more than 75 presentations for educators and education leaders.
ETCN instructional and technology leadership
Leads instructional technology, coaching, professional development, accountability support, digital learning systems, and school improvement work across a multi-school Adult Education consortium.
San Diego State University
Lecturer and teacher-candidate supervisor in Dual Language and English Learner and Special Education programs, with work spanning instructional design, assistive technology, AI, assessment, and coaching.
Concordia University Irvine
Doctoral chair and supervisor guiding research design, implementation, analysis, writing, and defense; the Vita documents two doctoral graduates and dissertation publications under his supervision.
National consulting and EdTech partnerships
Supports schools, districts, universities, professional learning organizations, and EdTech companies with AI and EdTech integration, co-teaching and inclusion, data literacy, assessment, product design, and professional learning systems.
Accreditation & systems improvement
Serves as a WASC chair and committee member and as an Array Global committee member, supporting self-study, evidence alignment, stakeholder engagement, accreditation review, and continuous improvement.
Research & field contribution
Published researcher in the COABE Journal and presenter of original research at the Ethnographic and Qualitative Research Conference and ACSA.
Selected prior work and service
- Education Specialist teacher at San Marcos High School, 2015–2021
- Co-lead, Digital Promise PowerUp Instructional Coaching group, 2021–2023
- Board member, San Diego CUE, 2022–2025
- Former chief financial officer and co-founder of Intuidata Education, an education data software company, 2016–2017
RESEARCH AGENDA
Data use, instructional improvement, and professional learning.
Dr. Rhoads’s research focuses on data-driven decision-making and data literacy, assessment use, leadership efficacy, sustainable improvement cultures, instructional coaching and professional learning, and the alignment of cognitive science and evidence-based instruction with EdTech and AI.
Selected research records
- Policy-Driven Innovations: Case Study of Instructional and Technological Innovation at the Adult Education Consortium Level — COABE Journal, 2025
- Doctoral dissertation examining the relationship between data use, leadership efficacy, and student achievement — Concordia University Irvine, 2019
RECOGNITION
Awards and professional recognition.
2025–26
APSM Poway Manager Award of Excellence in Student Support
2025
CCAE Excellence in Support Services
2020
San Diego CUE Technology Innovator Award
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