Elena Rocha

Senior Education Analyst

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Elena Rocha is a Senior Education Analyst at American Progress. She has been instrumental in the development of American Progress's education agenda to close academic achievement gaps and improve the quality of public education. Her work focuses on the expansion of learning time and other strategies to improve the education of low-income and minority children. Elena is a principal partner in American Progress's work with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and helped to develop “Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Effectiveness.” She frequently travels with the Chamber to address an array of audiences on the performance of their state’s education system. Elena also played a primary role in development of “Getting Smarter, Becoming Fairer: A Progressive Education Agenda for a Stronger Nation,” the final report of the Center’s Renewing Our Schools, Securing Our Future National Task Force on Public Education.

Elena holds a master’s degree in Public Service and Administration from Texas A&M University and a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology and Mexican-American Studies from the University of Arizona. Prior to joining the Center, Elena held positions with KEI Pearson, Centro Alameda, Inc., and the National Association for Bilingual Education. She is a member of the Young Women Leaders Board at American University's Women and Politics Institute.

Areas of expertise: expanded learning time; education of English language learners, low-income, and minority students; early childhood education; standards-based education.