Committed to Every Student’s Success
We created SES SmartScore™ because we're passionate about making learning transparent, explicit, and accessible to all students!
Created by educators. Driven by teachers.
Katherine Holden (founder) taught high school for ten years and middle school for three years before becoming the Associate Principal at Ashland Middle School. In her role as AP for seven years she spearheaded a variety of change efforts and provided trainings and support to staff in the areas of grading reform and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Throughout this time Katherine was part of a collaborative coalition of teachers and administrators who planned, developed, and implemented schoolwide change transitioning her site to a standards-based grading and reporting system based on a framework of Essential Learning Rubrics. In recognition of this work, Katherine was named the 2022 National Assistant Principal of the Year.
Katherine has been sharing this work at conferences across the country in Maine, Texas, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Florida, Missouri, and Tennessee and has led professional development for over 1000 educators. She has presented for the Association for Middle Level Education, Learning Forward, the University of Southern Maine, the University of Southern Oregon, the Oregon School Board Association, and the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators, as well as others. She has led ongoing professional development focused on writing clear and explicit rubrics across all content areas and student habits at Ashland Middle School, Rogue River Elementary School, and Talent Middle School. Through this work she has created many tools including a “Rubric for Rubrics,” the “Rubrics Dos and Don’ts,” and the “Rubrics Facilitator’s Checklist.”
Katherine has also served on the Board of Directors for Madrone Trail Charter School, the John Muir Magnet School, and the Oregon Middle Level Association and was the principal of Talent Middle School. She is currently the Administrator at The Siskiyou School.
Steve Retzlaff (founder) began his career in education in 1994 as a Teach For America corps member in the South Bronx. As a student who once struggled in school, Steve developed a passion for finding strategies to engage, connect, and inspire students. Early on, he discovered that when students clearly understood his expectations, they became more engaged and invested in their learning.
Over the years, Steve has worn many hats in education—Special Education teacher, Language Arts and Social Studies teacher, counselor, Dean, Assistant Principal, interim Superintendent, and for the past 17 years, Principal of Ashland Middle School (AMS). His love for middle school students has guided his entire career, spanning four schools across three states.
For the past nine years, Steve has led the AMS community in a transformative journey from a culture of ambiguity and compliance to one of clarity and learning. By identifying standards-based Essential Learnings and their supporting skills, developing clear and effective rubrics, and implementing Standards-Based Grading and Reporting, Steve and his team have revolutionized the way students learn at AMS.
Steve is also a dedicated professional development leader, having shared his expertise with over 1,000 educators nationwide. He has presented his work at conferences hosted by organizations such as the Association for Middle Level Education, the University of Southern Maine, the University of Southern Oregon, the Oregon School Board Association, and the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators. His influence has reached states across the country, including Maine, Texas, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Florida.
Through his work, Steve continues to advocate for clear expectations, equitable practices, and a commitment to fostering a true culture of learning for every student.
Jim Westrick (founder and CEO) has been an educator for more than 31 years. He first started teaching in the Peace Corps in Kenya, East Africa. While primarily a high school science teacher, Jim has taught classes in every grade level, K-12, and served as a high school administrator. His work through a previous company, Collaborative Learning, Inc. sent him across the country to support dozens of schools and districts as they worked to map their curriculum and align to standards.
Most recently, Jim served for nine years on the Board of Education for the Ashland School District in Ashland, OR. He holds both teaching and administrative licenses in Oregon and earned a masters degree in education administration. In 2021, he was appointed by the governor to serve on the Fair Dismissals Appeal Board for the state of Oregon. Jim and his wife have three grown children and live in Ashland.
