Rolf Grafwallner, Ph.D., is an early education consultant with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), a membership organization representing state education chiefs across the U.S. and its territories. In this role, he supports various early education initiatives, focusing on high-quality instructional materials and the alignment of state, district, and school policies to promote evidence-based classroom practices. He also advises the Council’s Early Childhood Education Collaborative, working with early learning leaders from more than 20 states.
From 2016 to 2021, Dr. Grafwallner served as the Program Director for Early Childhood Education at CCSSO, leading multiple state consortia on education policies related to publicly funded pre-kindergarten, the early childhood education workforce, early learning system transformation, and family engagement.
Before joining CCSSO, Dr. Grafwallner worked at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) for 22 years, including 11 years as the Assistant State Superintendent for Early Childhood. In this role, he spearheaded numerous early education reform efforts in Maryland.
Dr. Grafwallner holds a master’s degree in political science from the Ludwig Maximilian Universität in Munich, a Master’s in Education from Millersville University in Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in Education Policy, Planning, and Administration from the University of Maryland. He is also the author and co-author of several publications and articles.