Dr. Francesca Lopez

My research program aims to inform policymakers, school leaders, and teacher educators about policies and classroom practices that can mitigate inequities.  I have carried out several studies using large-scale National Center for Education Statistics restricted-license data sets to examine relationships among state policies focused on language instruction education for students who speak English as a second language, teacher preparation, and Latinx students’ outcomes. In addition to using large-scale data sets, I have conducted research in classrooms to examine how teacher behaviors promote achievement and identity outcomes for Latinx youth in various educational settings. My current research is examining multilingual students’ outcomes in dual-language classrooms.