Elaine Lin Wang

Photo of Elaine Wang
Associate Policy Researcher
Pittsburgh Office

Education

Ph.D. in learning sciences and policy, University of Pittsburgh; M.A. in curriculum, teaching, and learning, University of Toronto; B.Ed. in Secondary English and French Education, University of British Columbia; B.A. in English and French, University of British Columbia

Overview

Elaine Wang is an associate policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. Her research focuses on the measurement of the quality of literacy instruction and learning, and teachers' and principals' sensemaking of policy initiatives and how that influences their practice. She specializes in using qualitative and case study methods to examine relationships between instruction and student learning outcomes, and to understand factors that facilitate or pose challenges for policy or program implementation. Wang is also interested in the impact of school climate on students' academic and socioemotional development. She received her Ph.D. in the learning sciences and policy program, with a minor in research methodology, from the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to pursuing her graduate studies, Wang taught high school English for nine years. 

Research Focus

Recent Projects

  • Characteristics of Coherent Instructional Systems and Their Relationship to Outcomes for Black, Latino, English learner-Designated and Low-Income Students
  • Evaluation of the University Principal Preparation Initiative
  • Evaluation of National Institute for School Leadership (NISL)'s Advanced Certification System for Highly Effective Principals
  • Response-to-Text Tasks to Assess Students’ Use of Evidence and Organization in Writing: Using Natural Language Processing for Scoring Writing and Providing Feedback At-Scale
  • Evaluation of Restorative Justice Practices in a a Mid-Sized Urban School District

Selected Publications

Wang, E., Gates, S., Herman, R., Mean, M., Perera, R., Tsai, T., Whipkey, K., & Andrew, M. , Launching a redesign of university principal preparation programs: Partners collaborate for change , RAND Corporation (RR-2612-WF), 2018

Augustine, C.H., Engberg, J., Grimm, G., Lee, E., & Wang, E., Christianson, K., Joseph, A.A. , Can Restorative Practices improve school climate and curb suspensions? An evaluation of the impact of Restorative Practices in a mid-sized urban school district , RAND Corporation (RR-2840-DOJ), 2018

Wang, E., Matsumura, L.C., & Correnti, R., , "Student Writing Accepted as High-Quality Responses to Analytic Text-Based Writing Tasks," Elementary School Journal, 118(3), 2018

Kaufman, J.H., Wang, E., Hamilton, L.S., Thompson, L., & Hunter, G. , U.S. Teachers' Support of their State Standards and Assessments: Findings from the American Teacher Panel, RAND Corporation (RR-2136), 2017

Miller, T., Kosciewicz, H., Wang, E., Marwah, E., Delhommer, S., & Daugherty, L. , Dual credit education in Texas: interim report, RAND Corporation (RR-2043-CFAT), 2017

Kaufman, J.H., Davis, J., Wang, E., Thompson, L., Pane, J., Pfrommer, K., & Harris, M. , Use of open-educational resources in an era of common standards, RAND Corporation (RR-1773-BMGF), 2017

Matsumura, L.C., Correnti, R., & Wang, E., "Classroom writing tasks and students’ analytic text-based writing skills," Reading Research Quarterly, 50(4), 2015

Matsumura, L.C., & Wang, E., "Principals’ sensemaking of coaching for ambitious reading instruction in a high-stakes accountability policy environment," Education Policy Analysis Archives, 22, 2014

Languages

French; Mandarin

Publications