Niki Cooper, Central and Eastern NC, Niki.C@smarttesting.net, 919.426.2984
Niki is native to Wake County, and though she has traveled extensively and lived abroad, she now resides in her hometown of Wake Forest with her husband, Thomas, and three children. She earned consecutive undergraduate and graduate degrees in Education from East Carolina University, specializing in Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) learners. University accolades include being named the College of Education’s Outstanding Senior, being awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award, and being asked to deliver the commencement speech for the College of Education’s ceremony.
Dedicated to advocating for all learners, Niki began her teaching career as a Math Intervention teacher in Wake County where she won the Diane Kent-Parker First Year Teacher Award. Following that initial year, she lived abroad, teaching and collaborating with the Board of Education in Kobe, Japan to improve elementary English Education. She returned home and went straight back to the classrooms of Wake County serving the needs of Title 1 and magnet schools. She progressed from classroom teacher and Teacher of the Year at different schools to Instructional Resource Teacher (IRT) and AIG teacher/Administration team member who developed and delivered professional development training to staff. She left Wake County to serve as the Student Services Director at a local Montessori school where she developed and implemented inclusive programs to meet the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students while spearheading recruitment efforts that resulted in increased program enrollment. She has also taught with North Carolina Virtual Public Schools (NCVPS) for years teaching and leading the Middle School Creative Writing course.
With over a decade of diverse instructional and leadership experience, Niki is committed to fostering academic excellence and personal growth in learners, regardless of age, but she values data and reflection as a means for guiding instruction. She has a proven track record of driving positive change within educational institutions, and her impact has transcended geographical boundaries and instructional landscapes as highlighted by her experience and accolades. Teaching virtually in the remote work environment was the perfect transition to allow for her kiddos to get the best education possible - at home.
Though trained in public education, Niki learned early on that education is not a one-size-fits-all (or even most) approach. Niki believes education requires a holistic approach, connection, and relationship in order to facilitate true learning and lasting change. Having the opportunity to learn from the Montessori Method truly opened her eyes to the idea that the environment plays a huge role in the learner’s ability to succeed, and the significance of following the child (i.e., ensuring the experience is student-led and self paced). Homeschooling now allows her love of teaching to meet her kids where they are and provide everything they need to succeed through play, exploration, and fun learning experiences.
Learning for Niki never ends, and she is passionate about serving homeschooling families as a resource for personalized support and guidance. The value of the Woodcock-Johnson IV (WJIV) Achievement test is the clarity and specificity of the data it offers parents, painting a detailed picture of their child’s strengths and weaknesses, which can be used to help shape future learning experiences. She is excited to join the SMART testing team and can’t wait to help families in the Triangle and beyond!
Service Areas: Raleigh, Wake Forest, Rolesville, Knightdale, Zebulon, Apex, Morrisville, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, Garner, Wake County, Chapel Hill, Durham, Durham County, Youngsville, Louisburg, Franklinton, Franklin County, Creedmoor, Oxford, Granville County, Henderson, Vance County, Sanford, Clayton, Johnston County, Warrenton, Warren County, Goldsboro, Wayne County, Wilson County, Greenville, Pitt County. If you do not see an area listed, please feel free to reach out, as Niki may be able to travel to your area.
TESTIMONIALS
Niki was absolutely wonderful. She made our first smart testing such a positive experience. My daughter felt confident and safe with her, which is HUGE! She broke down everything for me, and she gave great resources and ideas for adding to our teaching and learning at home. She was patient, accommodating, and kind. We will use her for years to come.
~Katie P.
Niki was incredible. I found the Woodcock-Johnson Test SO helpful! Niki was very quick to respond and provided great details on how it all worked. She was so kind, patient, and knew when to push her and when to back off. Incredibly helpful!!!
~Sara W.
It was perfect! Niki kept in touch through email, and she didn't make it seem like I was bothering her. She answered all of my questions and made me feel at ease. She communicated very well what was happening, and our son felt very comfortable with her. This is the first time he has ever said "I had fun" after taking a test. 10 out of 10!!! She gave a detailed report on how our son was doing. She made us feel welcomed, and most of all, gave encouragement!!! We loved having Niki as our test administrator this year, and I plan on booking her again for our other 3 children!!
~Crystal V.
Niki was incredibly responsive, kind, compassionate, patient, and thorough with my questions! This was my child's first testing experience, and she was absolutely wonderful with him. He said, "I look forward to doing it again!". It just doesn't get better than that! She was so generous with her time by thoroughly explaining the results and giving me insights gained through her astute observations of my son during the testing. She even gave me encouragement about my homeschooling approach and helped me feel better about our unique struggles with my son. I hope we can have Niki every year because we both love her and completely trust her!
~Heather C.
Thank you for having team members like Niki. She is a lifesaver! She was very patient, calm, and caring. It was as if my daughter didn't even know she was being tested. My daughter came out happy and feeling great! I was expecting her to be stressed, but not at all. I have more info than I could have imagined! Niki had so many ways to tackle learning, and the ideas she provided are individual to the child, not an umbrella response, which is much needed in this world today! Every child learns in a different manner, and she broke the code in 2.5 hours of being with my daughter! I am so thankful for her. This was the most helpful tool, process, and experience for homeschooling! Highly recommend!!!
~Kristal W.
Niki was phenomenal! She was warm and easy to talk with, like we already had known each other. Going over the testing with her, I felt seen and understood with the challenges and joys that my kid has with learning. It was super helpful! It’s taken me some time to process all of the information, but after a few weeks of making changes based on what I learned, our schooling is more peaceful, and he has grown!
~Karissa W.
Niki was very knowledgeable and communicative. She’s creative, stress-free, and brings such a calm energy. The kids felt safe, happy, and had so much fun. Niki was also very clear and thorough; she went above and beyond explaining every detail of the test results and gave us helpful suggestions on how we can improve for next year. We’re so grateful for her guidance and care!
~Harhonny N.
I’m so grateful I found Niki Cooper on my homeschool journey! She exceeded my expectations!! She did a great job explaining to me all the details about my testing appointment. My kids were very happy and confident to have the test with Niki. She is a wonderful person who really cares about helping my family.
~Keity R.
Niki was great with the kids, and I really appreciated how she worked with them to help understand any questions they were struggling with. Also, she had a great lively personality, which I thought helped as the kids were taking a long test. ~Dave S.
A lot of my friends recommended SMART to me. I found it very helpful for our family. I love Niki. She is an excellent person and instructor. She explained everything very clearly. I cannot find words to describe her. She exceeded my expectations.
~Evelyn S.