Leigh Parise
Leigh Parise
Director
Program Development

As director of program development, Parise plays a key role in supporting the development of new projects and strategic initiatives across MDRC’s policy areas and centers and oversees MDRC’s grants management and funder relations. Parise is an education research and policy expert, a mixed-methods researcher, and host of MDRC’s Evidence First podcast. Since joining MDRC in 2011, Parise has been a lead researcher on numerous MDRC projects, including large-scale randomized controlled trials, non-experimental studies, and descriptive studies. Most recently, Parise led the implementation research on MDRC’s Evaluation of the P-TECH 9-14 high school model, a career pathway model that begins in high schools and extends into postsecondary education and the workforce. Before joining MDRC, Parise began her career as an elementary school teacher, and she is also the co-founder of Classroom Champions, a nonprofit organization that empowers children to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally through the mentorship and mindset of world-class athletes. Parise holds a B.A. in history and sociology from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. in teaching from Pace University; she received her Ph.D. in human development and social policy from Northwestern University.

Products

Report

Implementation, Impact, and Cost Findings from the New York City P-TECH 9-14 Schools Evaluation

Brief

Learning from the Communities In Schools Reengagement Coordinator Initiative

Toolkit

Lessons from Employers and Schools in NYC's Original P-TECH Grades 9-14 Schools

Report

Interim Implementation and Impact Findings from New York City’s P-TECH 9-14 Schools

Issue Focus

Interviews or Focus Groups?

Issue Focus

A Case Study of Communities In Schools

Report

Final Findings from the Communities In Schools Random Assignment Evaluation

Brief

Are School Districts Ready to Meet New Federal Goals?

Brief

Teachers’ Voices on Professional Development

Report

Implementation and Interim Impact Findings from the Communities In Schools Evaluation

Other Publications

Spillane, James. P., Leigh M. Parise, and Jennifer Z. Sherer. 2011. “Organizational Routines as Coupling Mechanisms: Policy, School Administration, and the Technical Core.” American Educational Research Journal 48, 3: 586-619.

Parise, Leigh M., and James P. Spillane. 2010. “Teacher Learning and Instructional Change: How Formal and On-the-Job Learning Opportunities Predict Change in Elementary School Teachers’ Practice.” The Elementary School Journal 110, 3: 323-346.

Spillane, James P., Kaleen Healey, and Leigh M. Parise. 2009. “School Leaders’ Formal and Informal Opportunities-to-Learn: A Descriptive Analysis.” Educational Review 61, 4: 407-432.

Mesler, Leigh. 2009. “The Power of Peer Tutoring: Success for a Retained Student.” Teachers College Record 111, 8: 1,894-1,915.

Spillane, James P., Louis Gomez, and Leigh Mesler. 2009. “Notes on Reframing the Role of Organizations in Policy Implementation: Resources for Practice, In Practice.” In Gary Sykes, Barbara Schneider, and David N. Plank (eds.), Handbook of Education Policy. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.