Kathryn Rooney has more than six years of experience in education research and evaluation.  Prior to her work at APA, Kathryn worked as a lead researcher at the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) in Eugene, Oregon.  At EPIC, she led several large projects including a multi-method study to determine adequate school funding in the state of Washington. Kathryn also managed a research study of 38 high schools nationwide that effectively prepare their students for college.  This project involved multiple interviews, focus groups, surveys at each high school, as well as extensive qualitative analysis.  During this study, she gained a deep understanding of the high-school-to-college transition process.  She also has experience conducting statistical analysis through previous employment with MPR Associates Inc., where she was responsible for performing and interpreting a variety of statistical tests.  Kathryn has authored several publications on educational policy topics during her career.  She earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill and a bachelor's degree in public policy from Pomona College in Claremont, California.