As the Director of the Collaborative for Student Growth at NWEA, I spend the majority of my time managing a team of researchers and a portfolio of research projects. On this page, I describe the goals of the research in which I play a leading role. For more information about research across the Collaborative, please visit our website.
The unifying goal of my research is to help policy-makers and educators make informed decisions about the design and implementation of educational policies and programs. My research focuses on better understanding determinants of persistent educational inequities and inequalities, as well as evaluating policies and programs aimed at mitigating these inequities and inequalities. Examples of current programs of work include:
Examines disparities in educational outcomes related to race, socioeconomic status, and other demographic factors. Research in this area explores how policies, school environments, and instructional practices shape opportunity gaps and discipline disparities.
Barrett, N., McEachin, A., Mills, J., & Valant, J. (2021). Disparities in student discipline by race and family income. Journal of Human Resources, 56(3), 711–748. [DOI: 10.3368/jhr.56.3.0618-9538R1]
Media Mentions: Featured in discussions on educational equity in Chalkbeat and The 74 Million.
Domina, T., Carlson, D., Carter, J., Lenard, M., McEachin, A., & Perera, R. (2021). The kids on the bus: The academic consequences of diversity-driven school reassignments. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 40(4), 1197–1229. [DOI: 10.1002/pam.22304]
Media Mentions: Highlighted in The Washington Post for insights on school diversity initiatives.
Carlson, D., Bell, E., Lenard, M., Cowen, J. M., & McEachin, A. (2020). Socioeconomic-based school assignment policy and racial segregation levels: Evidence from Wake County. American Educational Research Journal, 57(1), 258–304. [DOI: 10.3102/0002831219851729]
Media Mentions: Covered in Education Week regarding school assignment policies.
Hamilton, L. S., & McEachin, A. (2019). Accountability and school choice. In M. Berends, A. Primus, & M. G. Springer (Eds.), Handbook of Research on School Choice (2nd ed., pp. 169–181). Routledge.
McEachin, A., & Atteberry, A. (2016). An endless summer: The role of summer learning loss in school accountability policies. In M. Gottfried & G. Conchas (Eds.), When School Policies Backfire. Harvard Education Press.