Announcements from the Research Alliance

Learning from NYC’s Expansive CS4All Initiative

Between 2016 and 2024, the Research Alliance conducted an in-depth evaluation of New York City’s Computer Science for All (CS4All) initiative. The study highlighted both successes and challenges, providing crucial information that district leaders used to refine the initiative over time. Read more.

Weaving Stronger Networks of Support

On June 26th, 2025, the Research Alliance convened a diverse group of educators, scholars, City and district leaders and nonprofit partners to discuss strategies for collaborating more effectively on behalf of NYC youth. The event highlighted two initiatives, Every Child and Family is Known and CUNY CARES, and surfaced important challenges, opportunities, and new directions for both policy and research.

Position Available: Data Manager

The Research Alliance is seeking a highly motivated and entrepreneurial Data Manager to join our team. The Data Manager will play a central role in managing complex data systems that support high-quality education research and evaluation. This position combines technical data management expertise with strategic partnership development responsibilities.

Spreading the Word: Education in New York Summit (8/14)

The Education in New York Summit brings together top education leaders—including NYC Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos and NYS Commissioner Dr. Betty Rosa—for a day of timely dialogue on equity, innovation, and student success.

Affiliate Highlight: New Book from Richard Welsh on Transforming School Discipline

Explore the latest work from Dr. Richard Welsh, whose new book, Suspended Futures, offers insights into racial disparities in school discipline and potential solutions. Drawing on evidence from NYC public schools, Welsh outlines a framework for reform aimed at improving school climate and creating more inclusive learning environments.

New Blog Post Highlights Research Alliance Analyses of Pandemic’s Effects on NYC Students

How did COVID-19 impact NYC high school students’ academic trajectories—and why did some groups face deeper disruptions than others?

New Work from Research Alliance Affiliates

These studies from Research Alliance affiliates offer critical insights into families’ perceptions of school safety, police intervention in schools, teacher retention, the role of racial attitudes in school choice, and factors that shape school disciplinary practices. Explore how these studies are informing conversations around educational equity and improving student outcomes in New York City and beyond.

New Work Highlights the Importance of Measuring Educational Equity

Two new spotlights emphasize the critical need to measure equity in public education. The analyses reveal disparities in key high school outcomes and opportunities, and provide insights that can inform a more effective and equitable educational landscape for all students.

Research Alliance 2024 Year in Review

2024 at the Research Alliance saw ongoing and growing collaboration, findings that actively informed education policy and practice, and the launch of critically important new lines of work. Here are a few highlights from our year.

Dr. Cheri Fancsali Featured in CSforALL Article on Broadening Participation in Computer Science

Hear how the Research Alliance’s work is informing more inclusive computer science education. In this new article, Dr. Fancsali shares strategies for fostering school-wide support, empowering teachers, and implementing culturally responsive practices to broaden participation in computing.

New Assessment Tool Available to Measure Computational Thinking for Elementary Students

As K-12 computer science education expands, so does the need for tools to assess students' computational thinking (CT) skills. The Computational Thinking Assessment for Elementary Students (CTAES) was developed to evaluate CT abilities in elementary students. This new tool is available for educators, students, and practitioners to use!

Upcoming Conference on NYC High School Admissions featuring Research Alliance Affiliates

Hear from Research Alliance affiliates on November 18 as they explore the history and impact of NYC’s high school admissions process, with discussions on equity and potential reforms at an upcoming conference.

From the Vault: ESI Practice Guides

The Expanded Success Initiative (ESI) was aimed at improving college and career readiness among Black and Latino male students in 40 NYC high schools. As part of our larger evaluation, the Research Alliance developed a set of practice guides that provided concrete examples of how ESI schools were attempting to better support their young men of color, including resources, discussion questions for educators, and insights from students and teachers that remain highly relevant today.

Urban Institute Essay: Moving the Needle on Equity in Computer Science Education

The Research Alliance's Cheri Fancsali and Janice Lee published this essay as part of the Urban Institute's Learning Curve series. The essay highlights findings from our CS4All evaluation and considers implications for CS education policy and practice.

Research Alliance Team Presents at AERA 2024

Members of the Research Alliance team are participating in a variety of sessions at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), April 11-14.

Research Alliance 2023 Year in Review

2023 saw transitions in leadership at the Research Alliance, ongoing collaboration, and the dissemination of important findings from some of our major projects. Here are a few highlights from our year.

Jim Kemple Closes Out Tenure as Executive Director of Research Alliance for NYC Schools

Kemple helmed the independent educational research organization from its founding in 2008 until 2023.

Dr. Kathryn Hill Named Research Director

The Research Alliance is excited to announce that Dr. Kathryn Hill has been promoted to Research Director.

Research Alliance Launches New Studies Focused on CS Education

The Research Alliance is pleased to announce several new projects that complement and build on our ongoing study of NYC’s CS4All initiative.

Research Alliance Contributes to New Article on Persisting Students

Research Alliance Affiliate Zitsi Mirakhur and Senior Research Associate Kathryn Hill co-authored a new article in the journal Children & Schools that draws on our work on persisting students in NYC.

Research Alliance Presents at AERA 2023 Virtual Symposium

On May 4th, Deputy Director Cheri Fancsali will serve as Chair of the AERA virtual symposium, The Multiple Dimensions of Equity: Exploring a Computer Science for All Initiative Through Different Lenses, alongside June Mark from the Education Development Center.

The 2023 NYC School Survey is Live

The 2023 New York City School Survey is open until March 31, 2023. Learn about the Research Alliance's work on the Survey.

The Research Alliance Year in Review 2022

2022 has been a busy, challenging, exciting year for the Research Alliance for New York City Schools. Here are a few highlights from our year.

Research Alliance Contributes to New CTE Research Network Framework

Research Associate Clare Buckley Flack and Research Analyst John Sludden contributed to the Career and Technical Education Network's new Equity Framework for Career and Technical Education Research.

Research Alliance Work Presented at SREE 2022; Dr. James Kemple Named Incoming President of SREE

Research Alliance (and Research Alliance-affiliated) work will be presented at the fall SREE conference held on September 21st through September 24th; Executive Director Jim Kemple will serve as the next president of SREE.

Research Alliance Teams Present at AERA 2022

Join Alexandra Adair, Cheri Fancsali, Edgar Rivera-Cash, James Kemple, Kathryn Hill, Kristin Black, and various Research Alliance partners and affiliates at AERA 2022.

New Report From #DegreesNYC

#DegreesNYC published a new report on January 17th, 2022, Changing the Odds, that builds on data analysis provided by the Research Alliance for NYC Schools.

2021 Year in Review

2021: A year in review at the Research Alliance

Dr. James Kemple Presents on CTE at SREE 2021

On Wednesday, September 29, 2021, Research Alliance Executive Director James Kemple presented at the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) 2021 conference.

New Article Highlights Findings from Research Alliance and Metro Center Study on How High Schools Can Better Serve Immigrant Youth

A new article in the Harvard Educational Review, co-authored by former Research Alliance Deputy Director Adriana Villaviencio, draws on findings from our study of the Internationals Network for Public Schools.

Voices in Urban Education: Research Alliance Team Reflects on the Potential of CR-SE in Computer Science Education

Deputy Director Cheri Fancsali, Research Associate Kathryn Hill, and former Research Associate Zitsi Mirakhur are featured in the 50th Volume of Voices in Urban Education (VUE).

James Kemple Presents to NYC Racial Justice Commission

On Friday, July 23, 2021, Research Alliance Executive Director James Kemple spoke on eradicating education inequity at a meeting of the NYC Racial Justice Commission.

New Book Highlights Key Lessons from NYC’s Expanded Success Initiative

Adriana Villavicencio’s new book, Am I My Brother’s Keeper?, offers powerful insights into the challenges of implementing large-scale educational change. Drawing on the Research Alliance’s four-year study of the Expanded Success Initiative (ESI), which aimed to improve the educational outcomes of 15,000 Black and Latinx males in NYC public high schools, the book examines what worked, what didn’t, and what we can learn from the experience.

Dr. Cheri Fancsali Moderates National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Webinar

This Wednesday, June 9th at 3pm, Dr. Cheri Fancsali is moderating the Webinar on Engaging Policymakers in Cultivating Interest and Competencies in Computing, hosted by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Research Alliance Co-Sponsors Forum on Reimagining the Role of Schools in Society

The Research Alliance is co-sponsoring the May 26 “Reimagining the Role of Schools in Society” forum, aimed at challenging the pre-pandemic status quo and identifying ways for schools to "build back better."

Maker Partnership Featured in STEM for All Video Showcase

This week, the Maker Partnership project is being featured as part of the Stem for All video showcase highlighting efforts across the country to improve STEM and CS education.

Research Alliance Teams Present at AERA 2021

Join James Kemple, Cheri Fancsali, and Zitsi Mirakhur later this week at the 2021 American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting.

Research Alliance Teams Present Findings at AEFP and SIGCSE

This week, Research Alliance staff will be sharing findings from our work at the 46th Annual Conference of the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) and at the 2021 SIGCSE Technical Symposium.

Dr. Jim Kemple Presents on Pathbreaking Career and Technical Education Study

In his presentation, Dr. Kemple provides an overview of the CTE policy context, describes the scale and diversity of CTE options available in NYC, and explores the characteristics of students who chose CTE.

Dr. Cheri Fancsali Contributes to NAS Report on Authentic Computing Experiences

She served on the NAS Committee on the Role of Authentic STEM Learning Experiences in Developing Interest and Competencies for Computing, which developed the report.

Reflecting on 2020 at the Research Alliance

This has been a year like no other for schools and communities in New York City and across the country. Amid the most devastating pandemic in recent history, our nation also struggled to heal wounds from a painful and oppressive legacy of racism. At the Research Alliance for New York City Schools, as in many organizations, these events motivated us to reflect more deeply on our mission, our capacities, and our role in advancing a more just society.

Research Alliance Alumni Author New Article on Teacher Collaboration

Former Research Alliance Deputy Director Adriana Villavicencio and former Research Associate Sarah Klevan, together with Montclair State University’s Reva Jaffe-Walter, authored a new paper, “You can’t close your door here: Leveraging Teacher Collaboration to Improve Outcomes for Immigrant English Learners," in the January 2021 issue of Teaching and Teacher Education. In their paper, they examine teacher collaboration and its role in improving outcomes for English Learners (ELs).

Drs. Cheri Fancsali and Wendy Castillo to Participate in SREE Virtual Session

On June 17 from 1:00-2:15pm EST, Deputy Director Cheri Fancsali and Research Associate Wendy Castillo will participate in a SREE virtual session, “Afterschool Strategies to Strengthen the STEM Pipeline in Grades 4-12.”

Supporting Racial Justice and the Black Lives Matter Movement at the Research Alliance for New York City Schools

This year, the United States has witnessed the crushing toll of systemic racism on Black communities. The brutal murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd at the hands of police, alongside an ongoing pandemic that disproportionately devastates Black and Brown communities, tragically illuminates the continued racism and inequity that Black Americans face every day.

NYU's Social Science for Impact Forum and Research Competition

On May 11, the Research Alliance joined the Institute of Human Development and Social Change (IHDSC) in a forum exploring how large, local datasets can inform new approaches to reducing inequality and expanding opportunity in NYC.

The Research Alliance Mourns the Passing of Brooklyn Principal Dez-Ann Romain

The Research Alliance team was devastated to learn of the passing of Dez-Ann Romain, Principal of Brooklyn Democracy Academy, due to complications from the coronavirus. In 2018, we had the privilege of working with Principal Romain on an event that explored the experiences of students who struggle to graduate but remain enrolled in school.

A Covid-19 Update from the Research Alliance for NYC Schools

As Covid-19 disrupts the lives of 57 million students around the United States—1.1 million of whom live in New York City—the Research Alliance is working to balance the demands of our ongoing projects with changes that are necessary to protect public health.

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