Education Researcher, sri education
With more than 15 years of experience in education research, Thomas Kelley-Kemple, PhD, specializes in quantitative analysis with a focus on understanding mediating and moderating effects of school contexts on the effectiveness of education policies and programs. His research to understand college and career pathways has included studies of students’ transitions to high school, students’ transitions to postsecondary education and the workforce, and high school teachers’ grading practices. He has also studied early grades literacy instruction. Throughout his career, Kelley-Kemple has worked closely with school and district personnel to shape and disseminate research findings, notably in Chicago as a researcher for the Consortium on Chicago School Research and as a data specialist for a Chicago high school.
At SRI, Kelley-Kemple is a co-principal investigator for a multiyear study of career and technical education offerings in Los Angeles Unified School District high schools. This study is a part of the CTE Research Network 2.0, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences. Kelley-Kemple is also a quantitative analyst for SRI’s evaluations of the National Teacher Center Coaching Initiative, as well as the evaluation of the Transcend coaching model for improving essential skill development and positive behavior for students who performed below state standards.
Kelley-Kemple earned his PhD in education policy and program evaluation from Harvard University, where he also served as a research assistant and teaching fellow. He also received master’s degrees in statistics and in education policy and management from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago. Kelley-Kemple is a certified reviewer in What Works Clearinghouse group design standards (Version 5.0).
Key projects
- Career Development Opportunities in Los Angeles Unified School District
- Transcend Student Well-Being Model Study
- National Teaching Center Coaching Initiative
