My Research

My current research has two broad areas of focus: Career and Technical Education (CTE) and standards-based education reform. The core of my work is an interest in the ways implementation of educational interventions mitigates and/or preserves social stratification via impacts on youth experiences and decision-making. I want to know: Can a society with a stratified occupational hierarchy equitably prepare youth for careers? If so, how? 

I employ mixed methods, including surveys, interviews, and ethnographic fieldwork. My research has been used to inform school district decisions, including Chicago’s Ogden-Jenner merger, and youth support services.