People

Betsy Wolf is an experienced education researcher and program evaluator with more than a decade of expertise in applied research across K–16 education. Her work centers on designing and interpreting rigorous research to inform evidence-based decision-making in education. 

She previously managed large-scale research contracts for the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), within the U.S. Department of Education. In this role, she led the development of practitioner-facing resources, including WWC practice guides and intervention reports, that synthesize evidence on effective practices in education. She also managed contracts providing technical assistance to evaluators of federally funded grant programs, supporting the design and execution of high-quality experimental and quasi-experimental studies. Across her roles at IES, she analyzed data and supported programs in using evidence to inform decision-making and program improvement. 

Prior to joining IES, she spent six years conducting mixed-methods program evaluations at the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), and earlier at SRI International. At JHU, she served as principal investigator or co–principal investigator on 18 program evaluations, partnering with states, districts, postsecondary institutions, foundations, and nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Her work included designing rigorous studies, analyzing large-scale and longitudinal datasets, and producing technical reports to guide program improvement and scale-up. Her methodological expertise spans causal research design, advanced statistical analysis, meta-analysis, survey development, data management and visualization, and qualitative data collection. Substantively, her research has addressed a wide range of K–16 issues, including STEM education, secondary education, the teacher workforce, literacy, school accountability systems, and resource equity. 

Her scholarly work focuses on how evidence from educational evaluations is interpreted and used, including questioning typical practices in program evaluation. For example, one of her publications— cited more than 50 times—contributed to changes in longstanding WWC practices by differentiating evidence standards based on outcome type, influencing how research findings are communicated to policymakers and practitioners. 

In addition to her research, she has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in statistics and program evaluation and has served on dissertation committees. She is committed to mentoring students and supporting the development of competencies for real-world policy and evaluation contexts. She also brings professional experience as a former mathematics teacher. 

She currently serves as a part-time evaluation consultant for JHU and as a grant reviewer for the U.S. Department of Education and private foundations. Locally, she is known as a public data analyst, creating visualizations and animations using open data to highlight inequities and build momentum for change. She has collaborated with a wide range of education-related organizations, and she is adept at translating complex findings into clear, actionable insights for diverse audiences. 

Across her career, she has maintained a deep commitment to public education and equity at both national and local levels. What unites her work is a strong belief in the power of public education and a sustained commitment to using evidence to improve outcomes and advance equity for all students.