Michelle Hodara leads research and evaluation projects related to postsecondary access and success and a Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northwest research-practice partnership that brings together stakeholders from across sectors to focus on high school graduation and postsecondary success. Michelle is also the applied research lead for the REL, helping to support authors with conceptualizing and conducting their research studies. As a What Works Clearinghouse certified reviewer, Michelle is trained in quantitative methods for program evaluation and has extensive experience in linking and analyzing disparate data sources to study what supports and hinders students as they transition from high school to college and beyond.

She is the lead author of many peer-reviewed studies focused on postsecondary readiness and key issues affecting community colleges, including:

• “Exploring credit mobility and major-specific pathways: A policy analysis and student perspective on community college to university transfer,” published in Community College Review
• “Does developmental education improve labor market outcomes? Evidence from two states,” published in American Educational Research Journal
• “An examination of the impact of accelerating community college students’ progression through developmental education,” published in Journal of Higher Education
• “The effects of English as a second language courses on language minority community college students,” published in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis

Michelle holds a Ph.D. in Economics and Education from Columbia University, Teachers College. Prior to earning her doctorate, she was a special education teacher in Zuni, New Mexico, and a developmental education instructor at the University of New Mexico-Gallup. As a former classroom teacher, Michelle is passionate about conducting practitioner-oriented research that supports efforts to improve the educational outcomes of all students.