Xin Wei

Principal Research Scientist, SRI Education

Xin Wei, PhD, has extensive expertise in applying her experimental design, statistical and machine learning techniques to evaluate and improve assessments, policies, and interventions. She is an expert in analyzing computer log, facial tracking, and speech data collected during students’ interaction with a digital assessment or learning environment. Currently she is the principal investigator (PI) of an Institute of Education Sciences’ (IES) project that uses statistical and machine learning techniques to understand the differences in NAEP test-taking processes for learners with and without disabilities. Wei also directs the design and quantitative analysis on three U.S. Department of Education Investing in Innovation (i3) grants:

Further, Wei directs the analysis of three Institute of Education Sciences (IES)’s funded studies:

In prior work, Wei completed seven ED Innovation grant (i3)-funded evaluation studies and the Michigan Striving Readers project funded by ED, all of which received a WWC rating of “meet standards with or without reservation.” She was a co-PI on secondary data analysis grants funded by the National Science Foundation and IES to explore factors that contribute to success for students with disabilities. Her work on STEM and autism received national attention and has been reported by CBS News and Science.com and other media. She also worked as a statistician on a National Institute of Health-funded study linking stress and gene expression for youth.

Wei is a reviewer for the What Works Clearinghouse, using her knowledge of experimental design and statistical modeling to evaluate various educational intervention studies. She is also the lead author of numerous papers on various topics related to improving outcomes of disadvantaged students. Wei’s work can be found in peer-reviewed journals such as AERA open, Exceptional Children, Educational Policy, Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, Frontier in Education, Maternal and Child Health Journal, Psychoneuroendocrinology, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, Journal of Special Education, Remedial and Special Education, School Mental Health, Science Education, and others.

Wei received her PhD in educational psychology with a focus on statistics and measurement and an MS degree in statistics from Stanford University, where she was a recipient of the prestigious Stanford Graduate Fellowship. She also holds an MS degree in human development from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BA in child development from Nanjing Normal University in China.

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