Aneesha Badrinarayan is Director of State Performance Assessment Initiatives at the Learning Policy Institute, where she leads projects related to state performance assessments. For the last decade, her work has focused on supporting states, districts, and educators to develop and implement student-centered systems of assessment that support all learners.

Her passion for coherent and balanced systems of assessment stems from a commitment to high-quality teaching and learning for all and a deep interest in helping practitioners and leaders navigate their systems to achieve that vision. Prior to LPI, she was the Director for Special Initiatives at Achieve, a museum professional, and a neuroscientist. Her portfolio includes leading several multi-state teams of leaders and experts to redefine "alignment" in the era of new state standards; developing criteria for innovative large-scale and classroom assessments; providing professional learning and strategic guidance for state leaders; and conducting analyses of state, local, and expert efforts to design and implement performance assessments and systems of assessment in science.

Badrinarayan earned a M.S. in Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, where she served as a research fellow for the National Institute of Mental Health, and a B.A. in biology from Cornell University.