Leadership

Dr. Marilynn Kulieke, Executive Director

Marilynn Kulieke, PhD has had many years of experience in K-8, 9-12, and university education. After graduating from the University of Illinois with a BA, she spent four years in medical education research. Later, she worked with Northwestern University as an evaluator of innovative programs. She received her doctorate from Northwestern in Educational Psychology with expertise in psychometrics, evaluation methodology, and statistics. In addition to numerous presentations at AERA, she worked on a project funded by the Spencer Foundation which resulted in a book entitled “Crossing the Class and Color Lines: From Public Housing to White Suburbia.”

During her fifteen year tenure as Director of Research and Evaluation in Township High School District 214, a high school district of approximately 13,000 students, she coordinated a standards-based assessment program using state, district, and ACT college readiness standards. Course-based assessments were developed, scored, and reported from a data-management system created by the Research and Evaluation department.

As the Vice President of Research and Development at the National Study of School Evaluation, research and development arm of AdvancED, Marilynn’s primary responsibilities were in the area of school improvement. She co-authored a book entitled Breakthrough School Improvement Additionally, she developed survey tools and customized school improvement products for schools and districts seeking accreditation.

Through her involvement with New Leaders for New Schools in Chicago, she worked on the “High School Interim Assessment Project in Chicago Public Schools 2008-09.” This project provided interim assessments, professional development, and consultations to a number of Chicago high schools. As a part of this initiative, data-driven instruction, an improvement model developed by New Leaders, was used by participating schools to enhance student achievement.

In addition to her work experience, she is an experienced consultant in the areas of school improvement; data use; and assessment design, scoring, and reporting. The Pathways’ Map to Success suggests an improvement framework that supports schools in their efforts towards excellence for all.

Gerrie Aulisa, Director of Assessment and Reporting

Upon completion of a B.A. in communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Gerrie Aulisa pursued an M.S. in Education from Northern Illinois University. Ms. Aulisa recently completed her second M.S. in Education Administration.

Since 2006, she has been teaching art, technology and business at Addison Trail High School. She has taught ACT Preparation classes for four years in Math and Science and her students have seen an average improvement of four points in these areas. She also created an Advanced Placement Art course and was an active member of DuPage District 88’s Curriculum Council for four years.

Lauren J. Lawshe, Vice President of Sales

Lauren received her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois in Communications. She has worked in a variety of sales capacities. Throughout her career, she has received a number of awards for her outstanding efforts.

She has had much experience in sales in the education market, working with elementary, secondary, and higher level institutions. Her project management skills will support staff with a successful implementation of their Pathways project.

David Kulieke, Director of Instruction

After earning his B.A. in English literature from the University of Illinois, David Kulieke returned to add a teaching certificate. While teaching English, he earned an M.S. in Education at Northwestern University.

He taught fifth through ninth grade English at Lake Forest Country Day School, a private independent school, from 1981 to 2009. He chaired the English department from 1988 to 2009. During this time he created and administered curricula covering every aspect of the English program, including composition and literature as well as grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and speech. He also inaugurated and led several interdisciplinary initiatives as well as special projects and events within the English department.

Additionally, for 16 summers he taught literary analysis to gifted high school students as well as creating the curriculum for this course at Northwestern University's Center for Talent Development. In addition to his duties with Pathways, he now tutors English, test-preparation, and music as well as consulting with educational companies and serving as an editing consultant for a grammar publishing firm and others.

Brian Kulieke, Director of Data and Technology

With a background in information technology and computer science, Brian has completed his degree for Associates of Applied Sciences for Network Administration and Security. Brian has experience working with educational institutions and their technical departments. Brian is Pathways' web designer and administrator, and maintains the company's servers and communication to a high standard of security.

Brian also administers the scanning, scoring and reporting system. The confidentiality and security of assessment data is Brian's top priority.