Jenna W. Kramer

@j_w_kramer on Twitter

Associate Policy Researcher

Washington Office

Education

Ph.D. in education policy, Vanderbilt University; B.A. in psychology, Colgate University

One Page Bio

Overview

Jenna W. Kramer (she/her) is an associate policy researcher at the RAND Corporation who specializes in education and workforce policy and practice. Her research interests and expertise span postsecondary readiness, access, and success; secondary and postsecondary career and technical education; basic needs insecurity and support; credit for prior learning initiatives; financial aid access and take-up; developmental education; decisionmaking and informational interventions; literacy and numeracy skills development in adults; and training and career transitions for military personnel, their spouses, and veterans. Kramer’s methodological expertise includes the design and implementation of experimental, quasi-experimental, and descriptive studies. Her work has examined and assessed the implementation and impacts of policies and programs in secondary and postsecondary education and workforce development. Her research has been funded by the ECMC Foundation, Lumina Foundation, National Science Foundation, RK Mellon Foundation, and the National Academy of Education and Spencer Foundation.

Kramer holds a Ph.D. in education leadership & policy from Vanderbilt University and a B.A. from Colgate University. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., Kramer was a college counselor at a public high school; she worked with students and their families as they explored options for education and career through coursework, extracurricular activities, summer learning and work, service, and travel. Kramer prioritizes doing research in close partnership with policymakers and practitioners.

Research Focus

Commentary

School Finance

Community College Enrollment Is Way Down. That Could Be Bad for Economic Recovery
Enrollment at America's community colleges is down by nearly 10 percent compared with before the pandemic, leaving community colleges in a perilous financial position. Without intervention, these institutions may not weather the storm.
Nov 17, 2020
The RAND Blog
Education Facilities

Schools Need to Be Planning for the Next 9 Months, Not the Next 9 Weeks
Schools cannot simply wait out this pandemic, nor will short-term planning and ad-hoc infrastructure get them successfully through this academic year. If schools are to minimize educational losses, large-scale investments should be made now.
Sep 8, 2020
The Hill

Publications

Report
National Guard Youth ChalleNGe: Program Progress in 2020–2021
The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program serves young people experiencing difficulty in traditional high school. This report documents program trends in 2020–2021 and presents analyses on the Job ChalleNGe program.

Aug 22, 2022
Report
Educating Newcomers: K–12 Public Schooling for Undocumented and Asylum-Seeking Children in the United States
This report models numbers of undocumented and asylum-seeking children crossing the U.S. southwest border, reviews the federal and state policy landscapes for their education, and provides case studies of how schools are managing education for them.
Sep 30, 2021
Research Brief
Undocumented and Asylum-Seeking Children from Central America and Mexico: Where They Are and How Schools Are Doing
RAND researchers assessed how the current increase in undocumented and asylum-seeking children across the U.S. southwest border may affect the K–12 school system and conducted case studies of how schools are managing education for these students.
Sep 30, 2021
Report
Building the Best Offensive and Defensive Cyber Workforce: Volume I, Improving U.S. Air Force Training and Development
RAND researchers held discussions with enlisted and civilian cyberwarfare personnel to gather insights into how the U.S. Air Force could revamp cyber training, recruiting, and retention. This volume of the report summarizes training-related findings.
Sep 29, 2021
Research Brief
Building Ohio's Workforce Through Stackable Credentials
Stackable credentials allow individuals with short-term credentials to build on them with additional credentials throughout their careers. This brief summarizes a report in which researchers examined earnings gains from stacking credentials in Ohio.
Jun 8, 2021
Report
National Guard Youth ChalleNGe: Program Progress in 2019–2020
The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program serves young people experiencing difficulty in traditional high school through a 5.5-month residential program. The authors of this report document the progress of program participants in 2019 and 2020.
Mar 15, 2021
Report
Stacking Educational Credentials in Ohio: Pathways Through Postsecondary Education in Health Care, Manufacturing and Engineering Technology, and Information Technology
RAND researchers examine students who earned postsecondary certificates in Ohio and went on to earn additional educational credentials. The researchers describe which types of credentials were earned and how students progressed through institutions.
May 11, 2020