About Jessica
Jessica DeLisa is an educator, speaker, and author who helps schools rethink how they support students—especially those who face adversity.
Her work focuses on helping educators understand how data, relationships, and protective factors can work together to shape student outcomes. Through professional development, speaking engagements, and author visits, Jessica translates research and lived experience into practical strategies educators can apply in their classrooms and schools.
Jessica’s passion for this work is deeply personal.
As a child, she experienced instability and adversity that could easily have defined her academic future. At a time when expectations were low, one educator chose to see something more. That teacher looked past the circumstances surrounding Jessica and instead focused on her potential.
That belief—and the support that followed—changed the trajectory of her life.
The experience continues to guide Jessica’s work today. She understands firsthand that while data can reveal important information about students, it never tells the whole story. The decisions educators make when interpreting that data can either reinforce limitations or open doors of opportunity.
Today, Jessica works with schools and organizations to help educators strengthen their use of data to inform instruction and improve student learning. Through professional development and speaking engagements, she provides practical training on the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data so educators can make informed decisions in real time. Her sessions focus on helping teachers move from simply gathering data to using it intentionally to guide instructional practices, evaluate strategies, and support student growth. In addition to data-focused training, Jessica also provides professional development on effective classroom practices that help translate insights from data into meaningful action. Her presentations and workshops can also include a focus on how educators can recognize protective factors, support vulnerable students, and create environments where every learner has the opportunity to thrive.
Jessica is known for delivering specific, explicit, and detailed training sessions that help educators move beyond theory and into meaningful action. Participants leave her sessions with practical frameworks, tools, and strategies they can immediately apply in their work with students.
In addition to her work with educators, Jessica is the author of the children’s book A Different Book, an interactive reading experience that invites students to follow surprising directions as they turn the book upside down, open it from the back, and read in unexpected ways. The experience reinforces the book’s central message: it is fun to be different.
Jessica’s children’s book reflects the same idea that guides her work with educators: when we recognize and value differences, students are more likely to thrive. Through her speaking, training, and writing, Jessica works to help educators see students more fully—and to recognize the powerful role they play in shaping the trajectory of a child’s life.
Jessica holds a doctorate in education leadership and combines academic research, classroom experience, and lived perspective in her work with schools.