Laura S. Hamilton
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Education
Overview
Biography
Laura Hamilton is a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation, a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, and an adjunct associate professor in the University of Pittsburgh's Learning Sciences and Policy program. Her research focuses on educational assessment, accountability, and the measurement and evaluation of instruction and school leadership. Recent projects include an evaluation of teacher and principal evaluation and compensation reforms in several districts and a study of educators' responses to state standards-based accountability policies. She has expertise in psychometrics; survey research methodology; and measurement of instructional practices, leadership, and reform implementation. She has served as an advisor to states and districts on the development of improved teacher and principal evaluation systems and currently serves on several state and national panels including the APA/AERA/NCME Joint Committee to Revise the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. She is also an editor of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, and she recently chaired a panel on data-driven decision making for the What Works Clearinghouse. She received a Ph.D. in educational psychology and an M.S. in statistics from Stanford University.
Research Focus
Recent Projects
- Study of responses to standards-based accountability
- Teacher and principal evaluation
- Measurement of instruction and school leadership practices
- Design of accountability systems
- Evaluation of principal leadership development program
Selected Publications
Hamilton, L.S., Engberg, J., Steiner, E.D., Nelson, C.A., Yuan, K., Improving School Leadership Through Support, Evaluation, and Incentives: The Pittsburgh Principal Incentive Program, RAND Corporation (MG-1223-PPS), 2012
Hamilton, L.S., Stecher, B.M., & Yuan, K., "Standards-based accountability in the United States: Lessons learned and future directions," Education Inquiry, 3:149-170, 2012
Hamilton, L.S., "Testing what has been taught: Helpful, high-quality assessments start with a strong curriculum," American Educator, 34(4):47-52, 2011
Hamilton, L.S. "Measuring teaching quality using student achievement tests: Lessons from educators' responses to No Child Left Behind.," in Kelly, S., Understanding Teacher Effects, Teachers College Press, 2011
Schwartz, H. Hamilton, L.S., Stecher, B.M., & Steele, J.L., Expanded Measures of School Performance, RAND Corporation (TR-968), 2010
Hamilton, L.S., Halverson, R., Jackson, S., Mandinach, E., Supovitz, J., & Wayman, J., Using student achievement data to support instructional decision making, U.S. Department of Education, 2009
Hamilton, L.S., Stecher, B.M., Russell, J.L., Marsh, J.A., & Miles, J., "Accountability and teaching practices: School-level actions and teacher responses," Research in Sociology of Education, 16:31-66, 2008
Hamilton, L.S., "Assessment as a Policy Tool," Review of Research in Education, 27(25-68), 2003
Honors & Awards
- President's Award, RAND Corporation
- Outstanding Reviewer Award, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis
- Merit Bonus Award, RAND Corporation
Recent Media Appearances
Interviews: Education Daily; Education Week; Los Angeles Times; NEA Today; Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; San Antonio Express-News; United Press International; New York Times
Commentary: Philadelphia Inquirer; Pittsburgh Business Times; Education Week; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Commentary
The Limits of Average Test Scores — May 11, 2007
Think It Through on Tests — Mar 28, 2007
Parents of Schoolchildren: Start Your Information Engines — Oct 10, 2004
Test-Based Accountability: Making It Work Better — Feb 20, 2002
Publications
Team Pay for Performance: Experimental Evidence from the Round Rock Pilot Project on Team Incentives - 2012
Teacher Pay For Performance: Experimental Evidence from the Project on Incentives in Teaching - 2010
Testing What Has Been Taught: Helpful, High-Quality Assessments Start with a Strong Curriculum - 2010
Toward a Culture of Consequences: Performance-Based Accountability Systems for Public Services - 2010
Evaluation - 2009
Assistance and Accountability in Externally Managed Schools: The Case of Edison Schools, Inc. - 2008
What Can TIMSS Surveys Tell Us About Mathematics Reforms in the United States During the 1990s? - 2007
Validating Achievement Gains in Cohort-To-Cohort and Individual Growth-Based Modeling Contexts - 2006
Assessment as a Policy Tool - 2004
External Audiences for Test-Based Accountability: The Perspectives of Journalists and Foundations - 2004
Assessment of Students with Disabilities in Kentucky: Inclusion, Student Performance, and Validity - 2003
Multimedia
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Conference Call on 11th Anniversary of 'No Child Left Behind' Act and Initiatives Undertaken by States
Jan 4, 2013
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The Elementary and Secondary Education Act: Maintaining Accountability and Nurturing Innovation Through a Reauthorized ESEA
May 22, 2012
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No Child Left Behind: Ten Years Later
Jan 5, 2012
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Are High-Stakes Tests Counterproductive? — Apr 21, 2013