Dr. Lale Khorramdel
Research Director, Digital Assessment Development and Special Projects

Dr. Lale Khorramdel is the Research Director for Digital Assessment Development and Special Projects at the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center.

Dr. Khorramdel has long-standing expertise in the areas of psychometrics, applied statistics, large-scale assessments and cross-cultural studies. Before joining the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center in 2020, Dr. Khorramdel led psychometrics research and operational analysis for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) at the Educational Testing Service. There, her research topics included psychometric modeling of cognitive and non-cognitive data, the improvement of test designs, the establishment of measurement invariance and score comparability, and computer-based innovations in large-scale assessments. Dr. Khorramdel’s research experience also includes two years working for the National Board of Medical Examiners and several years with the University of Vienna (Austria).

At the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Dr. Khorramdel is responsible for leading the development and research for digital assessments and special projects, including the development of new content and interactive item formats and the application of innovative psychometric modeling and data science for advancing digital TIMSS and PIRLS. Using log and process data, Dr. Khorramdel conducts research on task performance and validity as well as students’ test-taking behavior, strategies, and motivation. She also oversees special projects such as LaNA and Rosetta Stone, which aim to assess the literacy and numeracy skills of students in low- and middle-income countries, as well as longitudinal studies to extend the reach of TIMSS and PIRLS.

Dr. Khorramdel earned both her M.Sc. and her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Vienna, specializing in Psychological Assessment and Applied Psychometrics.