Elisabeth L. Woody

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Elisabeth L. Woody
Former Principal Research Scientist, School of Education,
University of California, Berkeley

Elisabeth L. Woody was a principal research scientist in the School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley, where she focused on education policy and research. She also served as an instructor at UC Berkeley, a research associate at Johns Hopkins University and the Carnegie Foundation, and the research director of Child Development Projects at Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). She is now the owner of 11Stories, where she creates books celebrating life and career milestones through corporate and personal histories. She also serves as chair of the Equity and Inclusion Board of Trustees at The Berkeley School. Woody earned her EdM in education from Harvard University and her PhD in education from the University of California, Berkeley.

updated 2025

Publications by Elisabeth L. Woody
Rekindling Reform
This report discusses key education policy challenges in California, including funding, teacher quality, achievement gaps, and school accountability. The report highlights the need for equitable funding and effective teacher training and retention…
District Efforts to Raise Achievement across Diverse Communities in California
This paper examines the effectiveness of California's class-size reduction policy in elementary schools, finding that it improved student achievement in reading and math, particularly for low-income and minority students. However, it also concludes…
Successes, Challenges, and Opportunities for Improvement
California's accountability system, PSAA, has been examined by three independent studies, revealing five key issues. The system established specific performance targets, rewards, and sanctions for schools, but budget constraints and differences with…
Educators Respond to Accountability
The Educator Responses to Accountability Project (ERAP) explores the impact of public school accountability on California teachers' and administrators' classroom practices and professionalism. State and federal policymakers support accountability,…