Education Policy Initiative

Staff

Lauren O'Hair

Research Analyst

Lauren O'Hair is a Research Analyst at the Education Policy Initiative. Her work at EPI has primarily focused on evaluating elementary education grants, education governance structures, and the implementation of early literacy curricula. Prior to…

Staff

Joseph Payovich

Web Developer, Office of Communications & Outreach

[email protected]

Joe Payovich is a web designer at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, where he supports the web and digital projects needs of the Education Policy Initiative, Program for Practical Policy Engagement, Poverty…

Staff

Stacey Rzeszut

Administrative Coordinator

Stacey Rzeszut is the administrative coordinator for EPI and provides fiscal, operational and administrative support to the EPI team and predoctoral candidates. Outside of work, Stacey enjoys traveling with her…

Staff

Anne Taylor

Senior Project Manager, Education Policy Initiative

Annie Taylor is a senior project manager focusing on early childhood with the Education Policy Initiative. Her work at EPI includes designing and implementing research agendas and studies for universal preschool programs around the county. She joined…

Staff

Qia Yang

Data Programmer

Qia Yang is the data programmer at the Education Policy Initiative. His primary work is to maintain the Michigan Education Data Center, import data from the State of Michigan and export data to MERI researchers. He also optimizes the code in MEDC to…

Staff

Paige Foster

Student Graphic Designer

Paige Foster is a senior pursuing a BFA in art and design at the University of Michigan’s Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design, concentrating on graphic design and visual communication, and a History of Art minor at LSA. Paige is interested in…

Staff

Luz Mayancela

Research Assistant

Luz Mayancela is an undergraduate student at the Gerald Ford School of Public Policy and a research assistant for the Education Policy Initiative. As a Chicago native and a product of public schools, she is passionate about early childhood education…

Affiliated faculty

Deborah Rivas-Drake

Professor, School of Education; Professor Psychology, College of Literature, Science and the Arts

Deborah Rivas-Drake, is a Professor of Education and Psychology at the University of Michigan. Together with the Contexts of Academic + Socioemotional Adjustment (CASA) Lab, she examines how school, peer, family, and community settings can support…

State & Hill

Greater than its sum: an update on the Kohn Collaborative

Dec 17, 2024

Six years ago, Harold and Carol Kohn approached the Ford School with a vision. Their goal was to help build a vibrant research community dedicated to promoting social equity and inclusion. Today, the Kohn Collaborative for Social Policy is poised to...

Greater than its sum: an update on the Kohn Collaborative

News

Sarah Cohodes testifies before New Jersey Senate

Dec 17, 2024

On December 16, 2024, Ford School Associate Professor Sarah Cohodes testified before the New Jersey Senate Higher Education Committee. She was called on to speak at a public hearing to assist lawmakers in evaluating the status of charter schools...

In the Media

Cohodes on disparate school of choice system in Michigan

Nov 22, 2024 Bridge Michigan

In Michigan, 1 in 4 K-12 students attend either a charter school or a school of choice district. Nearly all of Michigan's 532 public school districts participate in school choice. The Trump administration is shown to be an advocate for school of...

News

Cohodes receives funding to dig deeper into charter school impact

Oct 10, 2024

With a $275,000 grant from MIT Blueprint Labs, two University of Michigan professors will tease out why some schools better prepare students for college than others.The project is led by Sarah Cohodes, associate professor at the Ford School of...

Cohodes receives funding to dig deeper into charter school impact

In the Media

With Michigan school bond proposals on the ballot, Jacob stresses funding challenges within districts

Oct 7, 2024 Bridge Michigan

Nearly 1 in 10 Michigan school districts have bond proposals on the ballot in the upcoming November elections. Raising awareness of the lack of funding for Michigan schools, the Ford School's Brian Jacob stated, "There is no state funding for school...

News

Stange receives federal grant to classify college courses at scale

Oct 4, 2024

Research on college course taking, and what students learn while attending college have historically been hampered by inconsistent course titles and numbers across multiple institutions. Education economist Kevin Stange and a research team from the...

Stange receives federal grant to classify college courses at scale

News

Katherine Michelmore wins the 24th David N. Kershaw Award and Prize

Sep 25, 2024

Katherine Michelmore, associate professor of public policy at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy has been awarded the 2024 David N. Kershaw Award and Prize for her contributions as a leading scholar and educator on...

Katherine Michelmore wins the 24th David N. Kershaw Award and Prize

In the Media

Cohodes research on Massachusetts charter schools shows positive outcomes

Sep 16, 2024 Education Next

Research conducted by Sarah Cohodes on Massachusetts charter schools shows that "charter schools in urban areas, including Boston, do a great job boosting test scores, and the ones outside of those urban areas, tended to have no impact on test...

Cohodes research on Massachusetts charter schools shows positive outcomes

News

U-M Ford School welcomes renowned scholars and former city leaders

Aug 22, 2024

The Ford School successfully grew our faculty in 2024, bringing in experts to deepen our focus on early childhood education, health and aging, better government, and criminal justice policy. Additionally, we welcomed distinguished policymakers in...

U-M Ford School welcomes renowned scholars and former city leaders

Publication

Transitional kindergarten programs expand early education access, boost academic gain

Aug 16, 2024

Children enrolled in transitional kindergarten programs in Michigan did better in math and English by the time they reached 3rd grade, with higher test scores than other kids who didn't go through the program, according to a new policy brief from...

Transitional kindergarten programs expand early education access, boost academic gain

Publication

One size doesn't fit all: U-M study reveals different educational models can lead to college success

Aug 9, 2024

Student test scores are not the only indicator of future college success.New research led by University of Michigan education economist Sarah Cohodes provides insights into how different K-12 educational environments shape college preparation,...

One size doesn't fit all: U-M study reveals different educational models can lead to college success

News

Weiland named inaugural Karl and Martha Kohn Professor of Social Policy

Jul 18, 2024

Today the Regents of the University of Michigan approved Christina Weiland’s appointment as the inaugural Karl and Martha Kohn Professor of Social Policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.With a gift from Hal and Carol Kohn and the Kohn...

Weiland named inaugural Karl and Martha Kohn Professor of Social Policy

News

Micah Baum wins the 2024 Peter Eckstein Prize

Jul 10, 2024

Ford School PhD candidate Micah Baum is the 2024 winner of the Peter Eckstein Prize for Interdisciplinary Research, a competitive student award that celebrates the value of interdisciplinary research in public policy.Baums’s research paper,...

Micah Baum wins the 2024 Peter Eckstein Prize

Publication

Higher education responds to changing labor markets

Jul 8, 2024

Do universities respond to the changing needs of industry by offering curriculums that provide students skills they need on the job? That’s the central question of a multi-year research project headed up by Kevin Stange, co-director of the...

Higher education responds to changing labor markets

News

Stange and Weiland promoted to full professors

May 16, 2024

On May 16, the Regents of the University of Michigan approved promotions for Kevin Stange and Christina Weiland. Stange was promoted to professor of public policy, with tenure, and professor of education. Weiland was promoted to professor of...

Stange and Weiland promoted to full professors

News

Ford School researchers to study Michigan’s education governance

May 1, 2024

In partnership with the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), a team of researchers from the Ford School will conduct a study into how Michigan’s education governance system can be improved for the benefit of public school students.“An effective...

Ford School researchers to study Michigan’s education governance

News

OVPR awards 3 Ford School staff members for research, leadership

Apr 26, 2024

The Office of the Vice President for Research will recognize three of the Ford School's research center staff—Jasmina Camo-Biogradlija (Education Policy Initiative), Molly Kleinman (Science, Technology and Public Policy program), and Kyle S. Kwaiser...

OVPR awards 3 Ford School staff members for research, leadership

Publication

U-M researchers partner with District of Columbia Public Schools for Pre-K curriculum implementation study

Apr 24, 2024

University of Michigan researchers from the Education Policy Initiative (EPI) at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the Marsal Family School of Education have partnered with MDRC, District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), and the Urban...

U-M researchers partner with District of Columbia Public Schools for Pre-K curriculum implementation study

State & Hill

Katherine Michelmore and Natasha Pilkauskas on policy rooted in evidence and facts

Apr 24, 2024

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Katherine Michelmore and Natasha Pilkauskas on policy rooted in evidence and facts

State & Hill

Faculty Findings, spring 2024

Apr 24, 2024

Innovation that benefits societyInclusive innovation—the idea of introducing technologies designed for and by the poor to boost economic growth in impoverished communities—often misses the real problems facing these communities and champions...

Publication

NASEM committee including EPI’s Christina Weiland urges changes to preschool curricula to improve equity and support high-quality early education in the U.S.

Apr 18, 2024

A new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) lays out a new vision for high-quality preschool curricula that support equitable early education for all children. The report recommends that in the next five...

NASEM committee including EPI’s Christina Weiland urges changes to preschool curricula to improve equity and support high-quality early education in the U.S.

News

Education research in service of others

Apr 11, 2024

2022 Gerald R. Ford Presidential Fellow and Education Policy Initiative (EPI) Research Assistant Katie Hyland (MPP ‘24) is set to graduate this spring following the completion of her Master’s in Public Policy. She takes with her two years of...