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Professor of Public Policy and Sociology
Faculty Fellow, Carolina Population Center
Research Fellow, Educational Policy Initiative at Carolina
My research examines the effectiveness of educational policies, school types, and interventions on students and how these effects vary for traditionally underserved populations. I examine the heterogeneity of effects across socially, economically, and educationally disadvantaged student subgroups because a key to reducing inequality in important adult outcomes is reducing educational inequality among children and youth. I have worked on examining the effects of policies, practices, and school types on short and long run student and young adult outcomes using longitudinal administrative data and often in partnership with state and local practitioners.
My research areas include school and classroom contextual effects, educational accountability, school choice (charter school effects, mostly), early college effects. I am currently engaged in three projects: 1) a study of whether charter school enrollment blunts the negative effects of residential mobility on student outcomes 2) a statewide study of learning recovery programs such as summer school, 3) an evaluation of high dosage tutoring in Union County, NC.
I currently teach courses in school reform, education policy, and applied quantitative methods. I received a Ph.D. in Sociology and a Master in Public Policy (MPP) from the University of Chicago.