Neal Finkelstein is an education researcher who works with school districts, state educational agencies, and community partners to build research studies supported by primary data collection. With the goal of supporting changes in instructional practice, he has focused on efficiency in the research process and looks to increase options for valid and reliable measurement at a reasonable cost. Finkelstein has directed a wide range of research and evaluation projects that feature experimental and descriptive analytic approaches; several of his studies are in the What Works Clearinghouse. As Deputy Director of the Regional Educational Laboratory, West (2012–2016), Finkelstein led and managed the implementation of research-practitioner partnerships that resulted in rigorous research products around algebra completion. Finkelstein 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. In 2024, Finkelstein led a systematic review of the public’s perspectives on the mayoral control of the New York City public schools.
Finkelstein received a BA in economics and psychology from Swarthmore College and a MPP, MA, and PhD in education policy and management from the University of California, Berkeley.
- Grades K–2
- Grades 3–5
- Grades 6–8
- Grades 9–12
- Post-secondary
- Research, Data, and Assessments
- School Districts/LEAs