Associate Professor of Education and Economics

John Papay joined Brown and the PSTC in January of 2012. His research focuses on the U.S. K-12 education system, particularly on evaluating the effects of policies that affect teachers and their work.

He has published on teacher preparation, hiring, evaluation, retention, and career development. Much of his recent research centers on how schools and school systems can improve teacher effectiveness, with a focus on supporting teacher development over the course of their careers. With Professor Matt Kraft, he has explored how organizational capacity affects teacher satisfaction, teacher career decisions, student achievement growth, and teacher development over the course of their careers. 

Papay is currently engaged in a multi-year study with Professor John Tyler and a collaborator at Stanford University to examine how teacher evaluation data can be used to support instructional improvement. This work is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

Selected Publications

Kraft, M.A., & Papay, J.P. (forthcoming). Can Professional Environments in Schools Promote Teacher Development? Explaining Heterogeneity in Returns to Teaching Experience. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis.

Papay, J.P., Murnane, R.J., & Willett, J.B. (2014). High-School Exit Examinations and the Schooling Decisions of Teenagers: A Multi-Dimensional Regression-Discontinuity Analysis. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 7(1), 1-27.

Papay, J.P., West, M.R., Fullerton, J.B., & Kane, T.J. (2012). Does Practice-Based Teacher Preparation Increase Student Achievement? Early Evidence from the Boston Teacher Residency. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 34(4), 413-434.

Scholarly Interests

Consequences of state tests, Postsecondary education choices, Teacher career growth, Teacher hiring and evaluation practices

Affiliated Departments

Department of Education