Sean Tanner

Sean Tanner is senior research manager in resource planning at WestEd, where he oversees large, multisite studies on the impact of education policies on student achievement. His expertise includes research design, machine learning, education policy, and causal inference methods. He has conducted natural experimental research on large-scale education policies, including Title I’s Schoolwide Program and California’s accountability system, as well as methodological studies on predictive performance in machine learning algorithms. His work involves consulting with states and districts to determine rigorous and feasible study designs, leading teams of researchers using advanced statistical methods, surveys, and qualitative interviews, and disseminating findings to policymakers, education leaders, and academic audiences. Tanner earned his PhD in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley.

updated 2025