Ron Zimmer

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Off Site Office

Education

Ph.D. in public policy, Martin School of Public Policy, University of Kentucky; M.S. in economics, University of Kentucky; B.S. in economics and business, Illinois Wesleyan University

Overview

Biography

Ron Zimmer is a policy analyst at the RAND Corporation. His research focuses on educational finance and school choice, areas in which he has published numerous articles and reports. Zimmer recently led a team of researchers that examined California charter schools; is currently leading two other projects examining California nonclassroom-based charter schools and the competitive effects of charter schools; and is also working on evaluations of the for-profit Edison schools and comprehensive school reform models. Zimmer received his Ph.D. in public policy from the Martin School of Public Policy, University of Kentucky.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

  • Examination of charter schools
  • Edison schools
  • The effects of No Child Left Behind

Selected Publications

Brian Gill et al., State Takeover, School Restructuring, Private Management, and Student Achievement in Philadelphia, RAND Corporation, 2007

Ron Zimmer et al., Evaluation of Two Out-of-School Programs in Pittsburgh Public Schools: No Child Left Behind's Supplemental Educational Services and State of Pennsylvania's Educational Assistance Program, RAND Corporation, 2006

Ron Zimmer and Richard Buddin, Making Sense of Charter Schools: Evidence from California, RAND Corporation, 2006

Richard Buddin and Ron Zimmer, "A Closer Look at Charter School Student Achievement," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 24(2), 2005

Ron Zimmer and John Jones, "The Impact of Michigan's Move Towards Centralized Funding on Local Bond Referenda," Southern Economic Journal, 71(3), 2005

Education

Biography

Ron Zimmer is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Education in the Peabody College at Vanderbilt University and is currently serving as an associate editor of Economics of Education Review. Prior to coming to Vanderbilt University, Dr. Zimmer was a faculty member at Michigan State University and spent a number years at the RAND Corporation. Dr. Zimmers research focuses on school choice and school finance which has led to a number of scholarly articles, book chapters, and monographs. Much of this research has been funded by an array of foundations, state governments, and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The findings from some of this research have been highlighted in major media outlets including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Education Week, and CNN. In addition, Dr. Zimmer has also briefed some of his findings to congressional staffers. Currently, Dr. Zimmer is co-leading an IES funded study of reform efforts and programs in a major urban district. He is also co-leading an evaluation of the impact Chicagos charter schools are having on long-term educational attainment.

Recent Projects

  • Charter Schools in Eight States
  • Evaluation of Reforms in an Urban District
  • Research Methods
  • Chicago Charter Schools

Selected Publications

Ron Zimmer, Brian Gill, Kevin Booker, Stephane Lavertu, Tim Sass, and John Witte, Charter Schools in Eight States: Effects on Achievement, Attainment, Integration, and Competition, RAND (MG-869), 2009

Richard Buddin and Ron Zimmer, "Is Charter School Competition in California Improving the Performance of Traditional Public Schools?" Public Administration Review, 2009

Ron Zimmer and Richard Buddin, "Charter School Performance in Urban Districts," Journal of Urban Economics, 2006

Richard Buddin and Ron Zimmer, "A Closer Look at Charter School Student Achievement," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2005

Ron Zimmer and John Jones, "The Impact of Michigan's Move Towards Centralized Funding on Local Bond Referenda," Southern Economic Journal, 2005

Ron Zimmer, "A New Twist in the Tracking Debate," Economics of Education Review, 2003

Ron Zimmer and Eugenia F. Toma, "Peer Effects in Private and Public Schools," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2000

Kevin Booker, Tim Sass, Brian Gill, and Ron Zimmer, "The Effects of Charter High Schools on Educational Attainment," Fortcoming Journal of Labor Economics

Honors & Awards

  • AEFA/NCES New Scholar Award, National Center for Education Statistics

Commentary

Navigating Research on Alternative Schools — Sep 19, 2004

  • San Diego Union-Tribune

Publications

Closing Schools in a Shrinking District: Do Student Outcomes Depend on Which Schools Are Closed? - 2012

Evaluating the Gifted Program of an Urban School District: Using a Modified Regression Discontinuity Design - 2010

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.: Effectiveness of Two Programs in the Pittsburgh Public Schools - 2010

Achievement and Attainment in Chicago Charter Schools - 2009

Are Charter Schools Making a Difference? A Study of Student Outcomes in Eight States - 2009

Charter Schools in Eight States: Effects on Achievement, Attainment, Integration, and Competition - 2009

Estimation of Causal Effects in Experiments with Multiple Sources of Noncompliance - 2009

Perspectives on Educational Management Organizations - 2009

Achievement and Attainment in Chicago Charter Schools: A Summary - 2008

Evaluating the Performance of Philadelphia's Charter Schools - 2008

Going Beyond Test Scores: Evaluating Charter School Impact on Educational Attainment in Chicago and Florida - 2008

School Attendance and District and School Size - 2008

Charter Schools in California - 2007

Do Title I School Choice and Supplemental Educational Services Affect Student Achievement? - 2007

Evaluation of Two Out-of-School Programs in Pittsburgh Public Schools: No Child Left Behind’s Supplemental Educational Services and State of Pennsylvania’s Educational Assistance Program - 2007

Getting Inside the Black Box: Examining How the Operation of Charter Schools Affects Performance - 2007

RAND Review: Vol. 31, No. 3, Fall 2007 - 2007

State Takeover, School Restructuring, Private Management, and Student Achievement in Philadelphia - 2007

State and Local Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act: Volume I -- Title I School Choice, Supplemental Educational Services, and Student Achievement - 2007

Student Achievement in Privately Managed and District-Managed Schools in Philadelphia Since the State Takeover - 2007

Beyond Achievement: Enrollment Consequences of Charter Schools in Michigan - 2006

Charter School Performance in Two Large Urban Districts - 2006

Making Sense of Charter Schools: Evidence from California - 2006

Charter School Performance in Urban Districts: Are They Closing the Achievement Gap? - 2005

Charter School Type Matters When Examining Funding and Facilities: Evidence from California - 2005

Getting Inside the Black Box: Examining how the Operations of Charter Schools Affect Performance - 2005

Inspiration, Perspiration, and Time: Operations and Achievement in Edison Schools - 2005

Is Charter School Competition in California Improving the Performance of Traditional Public Schools? - 2005

Nonclassroom-Based Charter Schools in California and the Impact of SB 740 - 2005

Student Achievement in Charter Schools: A Complex Picture - 2005

The Effects of Charter Schools on School Peer Composition - 2005

The Role of Districts in Fostering Instructional Improvement: Lessons from Three Urban Districts Partnered with the Institute for Learning - 2005

Unintended Consequence of Centralized Public School Funding in Michigan Education - 2005

A Decade of Entrepreneurship in Education: A Look at Edison Schools’ Improvement Strategies and Their Effects on Student Achievement - 2004

Advancing Systemwide Instructional Reform: Lessons from Three Urban Districts Partnered with the Institute for Learning - 2004

Examining Federal Impact Aid's Reimbursement for Local School Districts - 2004

A New Twist in the Educational Tracking Debate - 2003

Charter School Operations and Performance: Evidence from California - 2003

Distributional Effects and Distorted Incentives: Funding Policy Under the Federal Impact Aid Program - 2003

Examining the Impact of Capital on Academic Achievement - 2003

How California Charter Schools Operate and Perform - 2003

The Labor Market for Attorneys in the State of California: Past, Present, and Future - 2003

Improving the Quality of DoD’s Civilian Workforce: Guidance for the Office of the Chancellor for Education and Professional Development - 2002

Ensuring the Quality and Productivity of Education and Professional Development Activities: A Review of Approaches and Lessons for DoD - 2001

Impact Aid: Fair and Effective? - 2001

Impact Aid and the Education of Military Children - 2001

Private Giving to Public Schools and Districts in Los Angeles County: A Pilot Study - 2001

Strategic and Performance Planning for the Office of the Chancellor for Education and Professional Development in the Department of Defense - 2001

Peer Effects in Private and Public Schools Across Countries - 2000

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