Caitlin Farrell

Caitlin Farrell is associate research professor of learning sciences and human development in the School of Education at the University of Colorado and director of the National Center of Research in Policy and Practice (NCRPP). Prior to joining NCRPP, Dr. Farrell served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Berkeley School of Education, where she studied research-practice partnerships between school districts and research organizations, and was formerly a researcher in the USC Center on Educational Policy, Equity, and Governance (CEPEG). She specializes in research on policy implementation and K–12 educational reform, with a particular focus on organizational theory. She uses qualitative methods to explore the links between educational policy and the conditions that foster successful reform—e.g., examining evidence use at the classroom, school, and system levels and the implementation and effects of alternate governance structures, such as charter schools and charter management organizations. Dr. Farrell holds a PhD in urban education policy from the University of Southern California, an MS in childhood education/teaching from Pace University, and a BA in psychology and government Dartmouth College. She was also an elementary school teacher in the New York and Washington, DC public school systems.

updated 2024