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Julia H. Kaufman

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Policy Researcher
Pittsburgh Office

Education

B.A. in English literature, University of Pittsburgh; M.A. in teaching, University of Pittsburgh; Ph.D. in international education, New York University

Media Resources

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Overview

Julia Kaufman is a policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. Her primary areas of interest are the measurement of teacher instruction and how policies and programs can best support high-quality instruction and student learning. Her expertise includes gathering and analyzing data from observations, interviews, and surveys to understand the complex factors influencing teaching and learning. Her current projects include investigations of how Louisiana state policies are implemented and connected to educational improvement; how the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are understood and implemented in schools; costs associated with strong school principal pipelines; and implementation and outcomes associated with alternative pipelines for preparing, selecting and hiring new teachers. Kaufman has also led several projects to develop innovative measures of instructional practice, including measures of instruction intended to support student-centered learning and teachers' mathematics instruction. Prior to coming to RAND, Kaufman's research focused on the main factors that support teachers' use of inquiry-based mathematics curricula and the extent to which survey measures can accurately capture teachers' instruction. She holds a Ph.D. in international education from New York University and an M.A. in teaching from the University of Pittsburgh.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

  • Developing innovative teacher survey methods to measure teachers' instruction
  • Investigating the resources and expenditures associated with strong principal pipelines
  • Evaluating new and improved pipelines for preparing, selecting and hiring first-year teachers
  • Developing measures of student-centered learning in classrooms and schools
  • An investigation of Louisiana Department of Education strategies and outcomes

Selected Publications

Kaufman, JH; Karam, R; Pane, J & Junker, BJ, "How curriculum and students' algebra readiness influence time teachers spend on traditional and reform-oriented mathematics activities," Journal of Mathematics Education at Teachers College, 0, 2012

Coburn, CE; Russell, JL; Kaufman, JH & Stein, MK, "How teacher social capital shapes the implementation of innovative standards-based mathematics curricula," American Journal of Education, 119(1), 2012

Kaufman, JH & Schunn, CD, "Students' perceptions about peer assessment for writing: Their origin and impact on revision work," Instructional Science, 39(3), 2011

Stein, MK & Kaufman, JH, "Selecting and supporting the use of mathematics curricula at scale," American Educational Research Journal, 47(3), 2010

Kaufman, JH & Stein, MK, "Teacher learning in a shifting policy environment for instruction," Educational Policy, 24(4), 2010

Kaufman, JH, "The interplay between social and cultural determinants of school effort and success," Social Science Quarterly, 85(5), 2004

Kaufman, J.H., Stein, M.K. & Junker, B.J., "Factors associated with alignment between teacher survey reports and classroom observation ratings of mathematics instruction," Elementary School Journal, 0, 0 (forthcoming)

Ryan, S., Kaufman, J.H., Greenhouse, J.B., She, R. and Shi, J., "The effectiveness of blended online learning courses at the community college level," Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 0, 0 (forthcoming)

Honors & Awards

  • 2018 RAND Bronze Medal Award
  • Outstanding Dissertation Award, New York University

Commentary

Publications