Neal Finkelstein

Neal Finkelstein is vice president of applied research and postsecondary systems at WestEd, where he collaborates with school districts, state educational agencies, and community partners to develop research studies informed by primary data collection. His work emphasizes efficiency in the research process, focusing on cost-effective, valid, and reliable measurement tools to support instructional practice improvements. He has directed a range of research and evaluation projects using experimental and descriptive analytic approaches, with several of his studies included in the What Works Clearinghouse. As deputy director of the Regional Educational Laboratory, West, he led research-practitioner partnerships that produced rigorous studies on algebra completion. He has also served as an expert panelist for the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences practice guide on helping students navigate the path to college. He previously worked on large-scale program evaluations and policy analyses spanning K–12 and higher education as director of educational outreach research and evaluation for the University of California Office of the President and as a senior program officer for the National Research Council. Finkelstein earned his MPP with an emphasis in education policy, an MA in education policy and management, and a PhD in education policy and management from the University of California, Berkeley.

updated 2025