Kendall LaParo
Research Associate
Pronouns: She/Her
Degrees
- Ph.D. in Sociology: Temple University
- M.A. in Sociology: Temple University
- M.S.Ed. in Urban Education: University of Pennsylvania
- B.A. in English: Rutgers University
About Kendall LaParo
Dr. Kendall LaParo currently serves on the team conducting a randomized-controlled trial to estimate the impact of the Children’s Literacy Initiative’s Blueprint for Early Learning pre-K curriculum. She also provides project management and quantitative analysis support to the evaluation of out-of-school time programs, including RFA’s evaluation of 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
LaParo has extensive experience in classroom settings as both a teacher and an evaluator. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in Camden, NJ. She worked on evaluations of Juvenile Justice and Career and Technical Education programs as a Research Assistant at the School District of Philadelphia, and on a longitudinal study of postsecondary outcomes as a Graduate Researcher at Temple University’s Public Policy Lab. In her most recent full time role before joining RFA, LaParo served as the Director of Analytics at Springboard Collaborative where she oversaw the evaluation of two national out-of-school time early literacy programs and three pilot programs. Much of her research focuses on inequitable access to educational opportunities, and she is committed to working with education leaders to use data to promote equitable outcomes for all students. She is co-author of the book Equity in Data: A Framework for What Counts in Schools (ASCD, 2022), a handbook that helps educators apply an equity lens to their data practices.
