Dr. Rebecca A. Stone-Danahy
Advancing Arts Education Through Research, Systems Leadership, and Institutional Innovation
Rebecca A. Stone-Danahy is a research-driven arts education leader and systems architect with more than 30 years of experience advancing curriculum, assessment, and institutional strategy across PreK–12 and national organizations.
As Director II for AP Art and Design at the College Board, she leads curriculum, assessment, and research translation for a global program serving more than 85,000 students annually. She oversees the evaluation of 82,000+ student portfolios each year in partnership with psychometricians to ensure validity, reliability, and equitable assessment practices. She also co-directs a fully digital national Reading of approximately 400 educators and has designed governance and performance frameworks that formalize accountability and continuous improvement at scale.
Her doctoral research in Education Systems Improvement Science examined systems-level strategies for expanding access to inquiry-based learning in Title I schools. This work continues to inform her leadership approach, which integrates methodological rigor, strategic planning, and sustainable program design.
Across independent schools and national organizations, Rebecca has:
Designed multi-year strategic growth plans
Directed large-scale assessment systems
Built distributed educator networks in digital environments
Developed governance and accountability frameworks
Stewarded financially sustainable, mission-aligned programs
She conceived and scaled the AP Art and Design Exhibit, transforming assessment into an internationally recognized public research and thought leadership initiative.
Rebecca’s work centers on aligning research, creative practice, and institutional systems to ensure that arts education is rigorous, equitable, and sustainable. She welcomes collaboration with institutions and organizations committed to advancing research-informed innovation in the field.