She received her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in Sociology. Her research interests are rooted in public education, the study of social problems, social inequality and qualitative research methods. Rubin is currently working with the National Center on Scaling Up Effective Schools, which reflects her commitment to investigating school improvement, particularly the role of institutional and organizational contexts in which reform efforts occur. More generally, her research explores how policies aimed at improving teaching, learning and school effectiveness more broadly shape the practice, effectiveness and identity of teachers and school leaders.