The team behind every study.
Dr. Rachel Schechter leads LXD Research’s day-to-day study work alongside two Directors of Research who anchor the firm’s methodology: Dr. Sofia Jimenez, whose expertise is user research, and Dr. Paul Chase, whose expertise is quantitative methodology and measures development. Together, they help make sure every engagement — whether it’s a usability study or a full ESSA efficacy design — holds up to the same standard of rigor.
B.S., Cognitive Science, UC San Diego
Lecturer, Psychology, Cal State San Marcos
Director of Research
User Research · LXD ResearchSofia’s research career began in a developmental psychology lab, running studies on how young children learn language and concepts — work that gave her an early, hands-on education in how to ask questions that actually reveal what a child understands. That grounding in rigorous, child-centered methods has shaped everything she’s built since.
After completing her doctoral training at Vanderbilt, Sofia spent five years teaching research methods and statistics at Cal State San Marcos, a Hispanic Serving Institution, before moving into applied EdTech research at Noggin by Nickelodeon, where she led a multi-week impact study on early childhood learning. She joined LXD Research in 2024 and quickly took on a growing slate of client projects — usability studies, feasibility studies, and efficacy research across literacy and math products.
Today, Sofia oversees LXD Research’s user research practice firm-wide, setting the standard for study design and client-facing strategy. She has co-authored several of the firm’s published studies, including work on Scholastic’s Literacy Pro, Just Right Reader’s Take-Everywhere Literacy Packs, and research on decodable books with Latine students.
Contributed to the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development
Director of Research
Quantitative Methodology & Efficacy Research · LXD ResearchPaul leads quantitative methodology and measures development at LXD Research — the work that determines whether a study’s numbers can actually support the claims a client wants to make. It’s a natural extension of a career built around getting measurement right for kids and families, not just producing a defensible statistic.
As a Research Assistant Professor at Tufts University, Paul worked on the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development, researching how young people and families fare across a wide range of community contexts. He went on to direct the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s Measures and Methods Across the Developmental Continuum project, a $2.9 million effort to build validated assessments for K–12 students — work that required the same rigor LXD Research now applies to ESSA-aligned efficacy studies.
His background also includes program evaluation for City Year, Inc. and Scouting BSA, and he brings more than 50 publications’ worth of experience in advanced statistical analysis to every project he oversees. At LXD Research, he works closely with the quantitative team to make sure each study’s design and analysis can stand up to Evidence for ESSA and Digital Promise review.
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Whether you’re pursuing your first ESSA certification or your fifth approval, our team brings the same rigor, empathy, and classroom-grounded approach to every study we conduct. Start with a free 30-minute consultation.
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