Dona Meinders’ career has focused on the improvement of academic and behavioral outcomes for children and youth with disabilities and other special needs at both the systems level and the individual student level.
Meinders leads a team supporting improvement in special education school and district programs. The team provides direct support to state and local agencies to improve outcomes for students with disabilities through alignment and continuous improvement processes. She also supports state education agencies in her role as a state facilitator for the National Center for Systemic Improvement and leads the Systems Coherence Team which provides expert consultation, coaching, and development of tools for effective implementation.
Her expert knowledge includes understanding how to align multiple systems of support with other national and state initiatives. Meinders has expertise in leading efforts to analyze data, implement evidence-based practices, and provide technical assistance at state and local levels to assist with alignment and improvement of systemic supports for improved outcomes for children and youth with disabilities.