Sam Koshy

As Director of Data and Evaluation, Sam is committed to helping the Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders effectively use and grow data systems while guiding analyses to inform program design and evaluation. As an educator and immigrant, he always has gravitated to educational organizations focused on the academic success of all students. Professionally, Sam has over a decade of experience as an educator and administrator.

Before joining the Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders, Sam served as the Director of Assessment, Research & Evaluation at Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD). At SMMUSD, he helped guide the district’s comprehensive assessment plan and program evaluation efforts. Sam also supervised federal and state categorical programs, led data governance and analytical efforts, and regularly engaged with diverse stakeholder groups including the school board, parents, and staff.

Beginning his career teaching high school physics, Sam remains first and foremost a teacher at heart. His desire to make instruction engaging and relevant while maintaining rigor drove him to use hands-on labs and activities, videos, demonstrations, and small group sessions to supplement traditional lectures. This focus also led him to add computer programming into his course curricula and guide students in the building/launching of amateur high-power rockets in the California desert. Outside of the classroom, Sam also served as a vice principal and program coordinator.

Sam holds a Master of Science degree in Physics from California State University, Long Beach and a Bachelor of Science degree in Astrophysics from University of California, Los Angeles. Amongst other notable achievements, Sam was a recipient of the prestigious NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program Fellowship.