Stephani L. Wrabel

Policy Researcher; Faculty, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Washington Office

Education

Ph.D. in urban education policy, University of Southern California; M.Ed. in student personnel in higher education, University of Florida; B.A. in psychology, Boston University

Overview

Stephani L. Wrabel (she/her) is a policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. She is interested in the design and effectiveness of federal and state policy and the ways policy varies across state and local contexts. Her research focuses on K-12 education and military-connected youth and families.

Wrabel has particular expertise in standards-based accountability policy, student mobility, and social emotional learning. Some of her ongoing work includes a multi-year study of social-emotional learning partnerships serving elementary school students in schools and out-of-school time programs and a multi-year investigation of a residential, quasi-military program for youth experiencing difficulty in traditional high schools.

She earned her Ph.D. in urban education policy from the University of Southern California. She also holds an M.Ed. from the University of Florida and a B.A. from Boston University.

Research Focus

Selected Publications

Meadows, Sarah O., Stephanie B. Holliday, Wing Chan, Stephani L. Wrabel, Margaret Tankard, Dana Schultz, Chris M. Busque, Felix Knutson, Leslie A. Payne, and Laura L. Miller, Air Force Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Programs and Services: Contributions to Airman and Family Resilience and Readiness, (RR-2670), 2019

Wrabel, Stephani L., Laura S. Hamilton, Anamarie A. Whitaker, and Sean Grant, Investing in Evidence-Based Social and Emotional Learning: Companion Guide to Social and Emotional Learning Interventions Under the Every Student Succeeds Act: Evidence Review, (RR-2739), 2018

Wrabel, Stephani L., Rebecca Herman, and Susan M. Gates., RAND School Leadership Intervention Evaluation Toolkit, (TL-239-WF), 2018

Grant, Sean, Laura S. Hamilton, Stephani L. Wrabel, Celia J. Gomez, Anamarie Whitaker, Jennifer T. Leschitz, Fatih Unlu, Emilio R. Chavez-Herrerias, Garrett Baker, Mark Barrett, Mark Harris, and Alyssa Ramos., Social and Emotional Learning Interventions Under the Every Student Succeeds Act: Evidence Review, (RR-2133), 2017

Wenger, Jennie W., Louay Constant, Linda Cottrell, Thomas E. Trail, Michael J. D. Vermeer, and Stephani L. Wrabel., National Guard Youth ChalleNGe: Program Progress in 2015–2016., (RR-1848), 2017

Herman, Rebecca, Susan M. Gates, Aziza Arifkhanova, Mark Barrett, Andriy Bega, Emilio R. Chavez-Herrerias, Eugeniu Han, Mark Harris, Katya Migacheva, Rachel Ross, Jennifer T. Leschitz, and Stephani L. Wrabel. , School Leadership Interventions Under the Every Student Succeeds Act: Evidence Review: Updated and Expanded, (RR-1550-3), 2017

Honors & Awards

Innovation Spotlight Award, RAND

Commentary

Choosing the Right Social and Emotional Learning Programs and Practices
Educators have become increasingly interested in supporting students to cultivate the inter- and intra-personal skills that are developed through the process of social and emotional learning. A new guide developed at RAND is meant to help educators adopt evidenced-based interventions that fit the needs of their students and communities.
Feb 5, 2019 The Wallace Foundation

Publications

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
National Guard Youth ChalleNGe: Program Progress in 2018–2019
In the fourth annual report on the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe, a residential, quasi-military program for youth struggling in traditional high school, researchers provide information on participants who entered the program in 2018.
Nov 6, 2020
Report
Early Lessons from Schools and Out-of-School Time Programs Implementing Social and Emotional Learning
In this report, RAND researchers describe the Partnerships for Social and Emotional Learning Initiative, as well as findings and early lessons from the first two years of implementation in the six participating communities.
Oct 20, 2020
Report
Early Lessons from Schools and Out-of-School Time Programs Implementing Social and Emotional Learning: Executive Summary
In this summary, RAND researchers describe the Partnerships for Social and Emotional Learning Initiative, as well as findings and early lessons from the first two years of implementation in the six participating communities.
Oct 20, 2020
Report
Air Force Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Programs and Services: Contribution to Airman and Family Resilience and Readiness
Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) programs are key to resilient and ready Airmen and families. The authors developed a resilience and readiness model and compared it with target outcomes of MWR services. Next steps are also provided.
Jul 31, 2019
Report
Investing in Evidence-Based Social and Emotional Learning: Companion Guide to Social and Emotional Learning Interventions Under the Every Student Succeeds Act: Evidence Review
How can schools, districts, and states assess their local needs and identify appropriate interventions for social and emotional learning (SEL)? This report provides insight for educators investing in evidence-based SEL interventions.
Dec 10, 2018
Tool
RAND School Leadership Intervention Evaluation Toolkit
This toolkit is a companion to School Leadership Interventions Under the Every Student Succeeds Act: An Evidence Review. The authors provide guidance and tools for designing and conducting evaluations of school leadership interventions.
Feb 7, 2018
Report
School Leadership Interventions Under the Every Student Succeeds Act: Evidence Review: Updated and Expanded
This updated report presents a synthesis of the evidence base on school leadership interventions and describes the opportunities for supporting such interventions under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Dec 14, 2017
Research Brief
How the Every Student Succeeds Act Can Support Social and Emotional Learning
This brief examines the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and evaluations of social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions to understand how states can use ESSA to support SEL and what SEL interventions meet ESSA evidence requirements.
Dec 5, 2017
Report
Social and Emotional Learning Interventions Under the Every Student Succeeds Act: Evidence Review
This report reviews recent evidence on U.S.-based social and emotional learning interventions for K--12 students to better inform the use of these interventions under the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Dec 5, 2017
Report
National Guard Youth ChalleNGe: Program Progress in 2015–2016
National Guard Youth ChalleNGe is a residential, quasi-military program for young people at risk of dropping out of high school. This report provides information on recent ChalleNGe participants and develops metrics of program success.
Nov 1, 2017