2026 Alumni Hall of Fame Spotlight | Dr. Rachel Previs Ball

Rachel Previs Ball, Ed.D., currently serves as the Vice President of Research and Innovation for Stronge & Associates Educational Consulting. Stronge & Associates is a consulting firm that focuses on teacher and leader effectiveness and supports 8,100 schools in the U.S. and international schools in over 30 countries. Prior to her role at S&A, Rachel has fifteen years of K-12 experience in Virginia. She previously served as the first alumna director of the Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School. She has also served as a principal, assistant principal, and teacher in King William County Public Schools.

Rachel has taught at the elementary and graduate levels. She received her undergraduate, master’s, and doctorate degrees from The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. 

Her dissertation addressed Virginia principals’ knowledge of classroom assessment and support of assessment for learning practices. She is a graduate of the School University Research Network’s Principal Academy, where she completed a two-year action research project that focused on providing formative observation feedback to teachers regarding student engagement. She has presented at various national, state, and local conferences, including the National Association of Elementary School Principals, ASCD, ESEA, and Visible Learning. Currently, her research interest focuses on leadership practices to support teacher retention. As an educator, she values lifelong learning and bridging research to practice for teachers and Administrators.

Rachel attended CBGS (Bowling Green Campus) from 2002-2004 while also attending King William High School. In 2004, Rachel presented and completed her senior research project at CBGS with her now husband Carter Ball (Warsaw Campus). Together they examined the impact of varying salinities on the densities of zooplankton in the Mattaponi River. They were the inaugural class to complete and present their senior research. In 2004, Rachel completed CBGS and was the Valedictorian of her graduating class at KWHS.

Presently, Rachel resides near Tappahannock, VA with her husband Carter. Carter and Rachel have twin seven-year-olds, Mary Elizabeth and Warner. In her free time, Rachel enjoys being outdoors with her family, long walks, gardening, spending time on the Rappahannock River, reading, and watching sunrises at the beach.

Join us in celebrating our incredible alumni at Linden Manor!

Date: November 14th, 2026
Time: 5:00 - 9:00
Location: Linden Manor: 11770 Tidewater Trail, Champlain, Va

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