Faculty Directory

Shaun M. Dougherty

Department Chair, Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment

Professor

Department

MESA Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics & Assessment

Selected Recent Publications

Dougherty's research evaluates the impact of educational policies and programs, with an emphasis on human capital development, public investments, and the economics of education.
  • Brunner, E.J., Dougherty, S.M., Ross, S.L., (In press) Do Career & Technical Education High Schools Improve Transition Outcomes for Students with Disabilities? Educational Researcher. Available as a working paper: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w32867/w32867.pdf  
  • Dougherty, S.M., Smith, M., & Kelly, B. Rural Early Childhood Programs & School Readiness: An Evaluation of the Early Steps to School Success Program. (2025), Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10824669.2025.2533741#abstract
  • Childs, J., Dougherty, S.M., Kistler, H., (2024), Can Career Academies Work as a School Turnaround Strategy? Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis
  • Carruthers, C., Dougherty, S.M., Goldring, T., Kreisman, D., Theobald, R., Urban, C., Villero, J.. (2024) Career and Technical Education Alignment Across Five States, AERA Open, https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584241276504
  • Donaldson, M.L., Mavrogordato, M., Dougherty, S.M., Al Ghanem, R., and Youngs, P., (2024) Principals’ Priorities, Teacher Evaluation, and Instructional Leadership, Educational Researcher, https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X241273903
  • Kistler, H., Dougherty, SM., Woods, S.C, (2024) Teacher Exit and Educational Opportunity: Lessons from Career & Technical Education, Educational Researcher, 53(3), 156-166. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X231223132
  • Dougherty, S.M. & Smith, M.M,. (2024) At What Cost? Is Career and Technical Education Worth the Investment? Education Finance & Policy. Prior version available as Annenberg Institute EdWorking Papershttps://www.edworkingpapers.com/ai22-640

Grants & Fellowships

  • Jabbari, J.F., Dougherty, S.M. (Co-PI), Russell,L., Can Corporate Work-Study Programs Increase Economic Mobility and Racial Equity? A Novel Examination of the Cristo Rey Network, Marion Ewing Kaufman Foundation (2025-2027, $500,000) 
  • Jabbari, J.F., Dougherty, S.M. (Co-PI), Russell,L., Increasing Opportunities for Social Mobility through Innovative High Schools: An Examination of the Cristo Rey Network, Smith Richardson Foundation (2025-2027, $350,000)
  • Jabbari, J.F., Dougherty, S.M. (Co-PI), Russell,L., Leveraging Professional Skills to Increase Economic Mobility and Racial Equity, Urban Institute, Student Upward Mobility Initiative (2024-2026, $100,000) 
  • Dougherty, S.M. (PI), Making Technical Education Work, Smith Richardson Foundation (2023-2025, $150,000) 
  • Hughes, K., Dougherty, S.M. (Co-PI). Extending the Reach of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Research Network—Research Network Lead 2.0, Institute of Education Sciences (2023-2028, $3.75 million) 
  • Kreisman, D. (PI), Carruthers, C. (Co-PI), & Dougherty, S.M. (Co-PI), Theobald, R., Goldring, T. CTE Teacher Labor Markets, Attributes, and Student Outcomes, Institute of Education Sciences (2022-2026, $1.7 million) 
  • Kreisman, D. (PI), Dougherty, S.M. (Co-PI), Theobald, R. (Co-PI), Urban, C. (Co-PI), A Multistate Lab for Evidence-based Career and Technical Education Policy, Smith Richardson Foundation (January 2021-December 2023, $90,000 subcontract on $400,000 total award) 
  • Dougherty, S.M. (PI), Brunner, E. (Co-PI), Ross, S.L. (Co-PI), The Causal Impact of Attending a Career Technical High School on Student Achievement, High School Graduation and College Enrollment, Institute for Education Sciences Extension Grant, (2020-2025, $647,499)

Honors & Awards

  • Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) 2025 
  • Outstanding Reviewer, Educational Evaluation & Policy Analysis 2017, 2020, 2023 
  • Outstanding Research Paper, Association for Career & Technical Education Research 2020 
  • Outstanding Policy/Paper Report Award, Education Policy Collaborative 2020 
  • Reviewer of the Year, Exceptional Children 2017 
  • Emerging Education Policy Scholar, Thomas B. Fordham Institute 2013-2014 
  • Early Career Scholar, Institute for Research on Poverty 2013-2014 
  • Taubman Center for State and Local Government Dissertation Fellow 2012
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