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Sarah Ryan, PhD, is an education researcher who specializes in college and career readiness and success, English learner education, and group-level disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes.
Ryan has applied her expertise in policy research and program evaluation, including specific expertise in research design and quantitative methodology, to collaborations with the U.S. Department of Education, state and local education agencies, and community colleges. She is the principal investigator on a multi-year study investigating variability in student exposure to key principles of student-centered learning, with funding from Jobs for the Future. She is also the principal investigator for several studies with the REL Northeast & Islands research alliances, including the Northeast College and Career Readiness Alliance.
A former teacher and school administrator, Ryan is also a certified reviewer for the What Works Clearinghouse. She received a BA in education and Spanish from Edgewood College, an MS in English language acquisition and bilingual education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a PhD in education policy from the University of California-Riverside.
"Preparing each and every youth for success is one of the foremost responsibilities—and challenges—we face as a society. We must work with practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders to meet this challenge."
Speaking Highlights
The Competency-Based Learning Survey for Students: Collaborative Survey Development at REL Northeast & Islands
Competency-Based Education and College Admissions
Engaging Families of English Language Learners with Disabilities
Media
Articles
"Schools and Communities Can Use the Social Networks of Hispanic Parents to Help Get Their Children into College"
Child and Family Blog, October 21, 2016
Blog Posts
“To Close the Bachelor’s Degree Gap among Hispanic Youth, Policymakers Must Consider How Parent Networks Matter”
Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) blog
Selected Publications
Ryan, S., & Cox, J. (2017, March). Investigating student exposure to competency-based education. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 25(24).
Ryan, S. (2017). The role of parent social capital and college-aligned actions in explaining differences in intergenerational resource transfer among Hispanic and white youth on the path to college. Teachers College Record, 119(10).
Ryan, S., & Junker, B.J. (2016). The development and testing of an instrument to measure youth social capital in the domain of postsecondary transitions. Youth & Society.
Ryan, S., & Cox, J. (2016). Guide to the competency-based learning survey for students. (REL 2016–165). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands.
Ryan, S., Kaufman, J., Greenhouse, J., She, R., & Shi, J. (2016). The effectiveness of blended online learning courses at the community college level. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 40(4), 285–298.
Ryan, S., & Ream, R.K. (2016). Variation Across Hispanic Immigrant Generations in Parent Social Capital, College-Aligned Actions, and Four-Year College Enrollment. American Educational Research Journal, 53(4), 953–986.