SERP Institute

Christine Dahnke is the Director of Organizational Development and Partnerships at the SERP Institute, where she leads efforts to strengthen research-practice partnerships and advance education research and development in K-12 schools. Drawing on her experience as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and district administrator, Christine approach to improvement work combines systems-level thinking with practical, student-centered problem solving. At SERP, she advances the institute’s mission of generating innovative, scalable solutions to schools’ most pressing problems through sustained collaborations among education researchers, practitioners, and designers. Her work emphasizes improving learning and engagement for all students while giving both teachers and students greater agency. Prior to joining SERP, Christine helped design resources such as the DSLN Multilingual Learner Summer Success Tool and the ELSF Benchmarks of Quality, which support educators in enhancing instructional quality and access for diverse learners. She applies iterative design, data analysis, and continuous improvement practices to help school and district leaders address complex educational challenges. For the past decade, Christine has also collaborated with Harvard’s Public Education Leadership Project (PELP), partnering with district leaders to drive systems-level improvement, strengthen leadership practice, and advance equitable outcomes for students. Christine’s work emphasizes inclusive collaboration, recognition of local strengths, and critical reflection on existing practices. She is committed to advancing improvement research by integrating evidence-informed practices into classrooms, districts, and policy contexts to produce tangible gains in student learning and opportunity. She holds a doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a master’s from Florida International University, and a bachelor’s from American University. Christine brings expertise in systems-level improvement, multilingual learner education, and equity-focused instructional practices, and she looks forward to contributing to the Improvement Scholars Network community.