Emily Morton, PhD
Research Scientist
Emily Morton specializes in using quantitative methodologies to examine academic and developmental impacts of myriad policies and programs on students. Her research interests center around estimating the effects of K-12 education policies and programs related to school schedules, instructional time, and learning environments on student achievement and youth development, and understanding the processes involved in promoting positive youth and human development across the lifespan. She uses applied econometrics and causal inference as well as qualitative methodologies to investigate these topics. She conducts much of her research in partnership with schools and districts, with the intention of producing actionable findings that will directly inform policy and practice and serve to reduce inequality. Most notably, her recent work focuses on examining impacts of the four-day school week on student outcomes.
Dr. Morton holds a PhD in education policy and an MPP from Stanford University.
Publications by Emily Morton
The pandemic’s toll on academic growth wasn’t uniform. Recovery efforts can’t be either
In this Education Week blog, AIR and NWEA researchers share insights from their collaborative research on academic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and what their work suggests about how much academic recovery students need .
Topics: COVID-19 & schools, Equity
Four-day school weeks have proliferated across the United States, but little is known about their implementation or their effects on students. This study uses district-level data from Oklahoma to provide estimates of the causal effect of the 4-day school week on high school students’ ACT scores, attendance, and disciplinary incidents during school.
The American Rescue Plan provides $122 billion for COVID recovery in schools. With more than 40 state plans approved, how are districts collecting, monitoring, reporting and learning from the unprecedented interventions? What can districts do now to design and implement data collection processes that will shape collective learning? In this webinar, you will hear how district leaders and researchers are approaching this opportunity to alter life outcomes for generations.
Topics: COVID-19 & schools, High-growth schools & practices, Informing instruction
Does four equal five? Implementation and outcomes of the four-day school week
The four-day school week (4dsw) is growing in popularity, especially in rural areas across the western United States. RAND researchers conducted a study of the implementation and outcomes of the 4dsw in numerous districts across Idaho, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, as well as administrative data from these and other states. The analyses resulted in mixed findings, with small cost savings and high satisfaction for teachers, families, and students, but lower test scores related to the 4dsw. Given these mixed findings, communities are likely to make different choices about the 4dsw depending on their goals and the local context.
Topics: Informing instruction
