Colleen Riley currently serves as an Independent Consultant providing technical assistance to states on behalf of numerous organizations including the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE). Riley provides coaching and mentoring to state leaders in developing the infrastructure to align accountability systems to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.

Previously, Riley served as the Director of Early Childhood, Special Education and Title Services for the state of Kansas. As state director, Riley worked to align state and federal accountability and technical assistance systems to implement the Kansas Integrated Accountability System (KIAS) and the Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN). Riley’s responsibilities included providing and aligning resources for district teams to meet the requirements of multiple accountability systems including the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Kansas State Performance Plan (SPP), and the Kansas Education Accreditation System (KESA). During her tenure at KSDE, Riley served in various leadership positions of the NASDSE including President, and as a Member at Large in the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA). Over the course of her educational career, Riley held numerous positions in the public sector including principal of a year-round elementary school, local special education director and teacher.