Shira Hillyer

Shira Hillyer is the founder of Elevating Standards and a seasoned leader in education, bringing over two decades of experience. With a master’s degree in elementary literacy and deep expertise in the science of reading, she partners with state education agencies, districts, nonprofits, and national organizations to evaluate instructional materials, design standards frameworks, and support large-scale implementation of evidence-aligned literacy initiatives. Shira has extensive experience designing and delivering high-quality professional learning, implementation guidance, and research-based tools for teachers, instructional leaders, school administrators, and SEA staff. Her work has included leading curriculum evaluation initiatives for the Delaware Department of Education, supporting HQIM implementation efforts across Massachusetts, designing research-based evaluation tools for Rivet Education, and facilitating professional learning and implementation support across multiple states and regions.

Throughout her career, Shira has been recognized for her ability to bridge research, policy, and practice to create meaningful instructional change. She has led complex cross-functional initiatives involving diverse stakeholder groups, managed multimillion-dollar research projects, and designed professional learning experiences that build educator and system capacity. Her work is grounded in the belief that sustainable instructional improvement begins with empowering educators and strengthening systems to support excellent teaching and learning.