Member Since 2018

Brian A. Jacob


Brian Jacob is the Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Education Policy, Professor of Economics, and Director of the Center on Local, State and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. He is also a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and an Executive Committee Member of the National Poverty Center. He has previously served as a policy analyst in the NYC Mayor's Office and taught middle school in East Harlem. His primary fields of interest are labor economics, program evaluation, and the economics of education. His current research focuses on urban school reform and teacher labor markets. In recent work, he has examined school choice, education accountability programs, housing vouchers, and teacher labor markets.

Published Articles & Media

New Evidence on the Benefits of Small Group Math Instruction for Young Children

Small group instruction is ubiquitous in elementary schools when it comes to reading, but not for math. This study provides some preliminary evidence that small group instruction may be a promising approach for math instruction as well.

How Life Outside of School Affects Student Performance in School

Approximately 18 percent of Michigan third graders have been formally investigated by Child Protective Services for possible exposure to abuse or neglect.

Building Knowledge to Improve Degree Completion in Community Colleges

Policymakers should take steps to encourage colleges to adopt successful models such as ASAP and the Detroit Promise Path.

What We Know About Career and Technical Education in High School

States have been very active in passing laws about CTE. They now need to step up and support research that can help ensure these new initiatives are successful.

Chronic Absenteeism: An Old Problem in Search of New Answers

Roughly 14 percent of students nationwide miss at least 18 days of school.

Measuring Up

Assessing instructor effectiveness in higher education

The Evolution of the Charter School Market and the Next Generation of Charter School Research

A number of new research studies are beginning to investigate some more nuanced questions with regard to charters.

How the U.S. Department of Education Can Foster Education Reform in the Era of Trump and ESSA

By shining a spotlight on states with particularly low student performance, the department can bring attention to the struggles facing public education in these states.

The Wisdom of Mandatory Grade Retention

Mandatory grade retention is clearly popular, at least among many state legislators. But is it good policy?

Principled Principals

New evidence from Chicago shows they fire the least effective teachers

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