Karen Castellano is a data analyst/computational research specialist in the ETS Research Institute. She received a B.A. in mathematical sciences from Kean University in 1998 and completed the necessary prerequisites for a master’s of statistics program in 2006 at Rutgers University.
When she first came to ETS, Karen primarily worked on the College Board’s Admitted Class Evaluation System: an internet-based program that helps colleges determine which measures used in admission or placement decisions offer the best prediction of a student’s college performance.
Following that, she performed data management tasks for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and provided support for national participants. In addition, she was involved with coder reliability for both PISA and the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) and was responsible for the maintenance and support of the International Data Explorers for PISA and PIAAC.
Currently, she primarily works on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), helping to transform the decades-old system that used Fortran programs and flat files into a streamlined SQL database.
Prior to joining ETS in November 2000, Karen worked in the testing office of Middlesex County College. Additionally, she tutored students in mathematics, statistics, and computer science.
Last updated: 1/30/2026