Kara Finnigan joined the Warner School in 2003. She teaches in the educational leadership program and is currently the director of the doctoral program in educational policy and theory. Her courses focus on educational policy, politics, and research methods.
Finnigan began her work in education as a substitute teacher in Anchorage, Alaska. She has conducted research and evaluations of K-12 educational policies and programs at the local, state, and federal level for more than 10 years through her work at several prominent national research organizations, including SRI International and the George Lucas Educational Foundation. She has written extensively on the topics of low-performing schools and high-stakes accountability, principal leadership, teacher motivation, and charter schools. Her past work focused on school-linked services and technology integration in schools. In addition, she has examined how educational policies affect students with disabilities. Finnigan’s research blends perspectives in education, sociology, and political science; employs both qualitative and quantitative methods; and focuses on urban school districts.
Finnigan’s current research focuses on the role of districts and states in school improvement; accountability policies targeting low performing schools; charter schools and the role of authorizers; and policies to recruit and retain teachers in urban schools.
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