How Dr. Nicole Alioto Turns Data Into Impact and Built a Career in Education Consulting

Dr. Nicole Alioto, PhD
Alla Breve Consulting

What does it really mean to measure the things that matter most in a school?

For Dr. Nicole Alioto, PhD, social psychologist, founder of Alla Breve Consulting, two-time TEDx speaker, podcast host, and author, the answer starts with a simple belief: if you can define it, you can measure it.

In Episode 24 of What She Does, we speak with Nicole on a wide-ranging and genuinely energizing conversation about data-driven decision making in education, the challenges facing small and rural school districts, why student voice is one of the most powerful and underused sources of insight, and how school leaders and parents can move from frustration to real, evidence-based progress.

Nicole also takes on AI in the classroom, educator well-being post-pandemic, and her book Your School Sucks: Why Schools Fail to Measure Up and What to Do About It — which is as direct and useful as its title suggests.

Whether you’re a teacher, a school administrator, a parent advocate, or simply someone who believes good data should lead to good decisions, this conversation will leave you inspired and equipped.

In this episode:

✦  Why Nicole named her company Alla Breve and what a musical term for “cut time” has to do with helping schools work smarter
✦  How she went from a PhD social psychologist to one of education’s most sought-after data consultants
✦  The “bad teacher” problem and why one test score should never define a student
✦  What it really means to measure the things that matter most, even when they feel impossible to quantify
✦  AI in the classroom: what it means for critical thinking, and why asking the right questions matters more than ever
✦ The parent’s guide to advocating for your child using data, without going to social media first
✦ Her new book, You Can Measure Anything, and the belief behind it that has driven her entire career

MBTI vibe: INTJ / ENTJ / INFJ / ENTP / INTP
High tolerance for complexity • Systems thinking • Intrinsic motivation / autonomy • Long-horizon thinking • Mission-orientation • Strong analytical foundation

Listen to the full episode

Need to Know Facts*

* ZipRecruiter
** Warner Pacific University

About Dr. Nicole Alioto, PhD
Dr. Nicole Alioto is an international presenter, two-time TEDx speaker, author, and podcast host dedicated to helping schools turn measurement into momentum. As the founder of Alla Breve Consulting, she helps school districts turn complex data into clear, actionable strategies that drive meaningful outcomes. Dr. Alioto is known for making analytics accessible, relevant, and even fun!

For nearly 30 years, her engaging sessions have empowered educators to move beyond passive practices and align measurement with real results. Her career included roles as Director of Institutional Research and Planning in the SUNY system, Coordinator of Data Analysis in the K12 space, Solutions Architect for IBM Analytics – Public Sector, and as an adjunct faculty member at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, teaching courses in statistics, research methods, predictive analytics, and assessment.

She is the author of Your School Sucks: Why Schools Fail to Measure Up and What to Do About It and her new book, You Can Measure Anything.

Dr. Alioto holds a Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Connecticut. Originally from New Jersey, she now resides in western New York, where, in her spare time, she enjoys the outdoors with her “lab assistants” and playing bassoon with a local wind ensemble.