She received her PhD from Arizona State University – Tempe in 2002 from the Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in the College of Education. Her research interests include education policy, research methods, and educational assessments. Her current research focuses on high-stakes testing policies and their effects on academic achievement, schools, and students from racial minority and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Specifically, her research focuses on how high-stakes testing policies impact multiple indicators of academic achievement and school quality in the states that have attached severe consequences to student, teacher, school, and district performance on tests. Her teaching interests include research methodology, assessment, and education policy.