Carolyn Heinrich

University Distinguished Professor of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations Vanderbilt University

  • Nashville TN

An expert in k-12 education public policy, economics, healthcare and impact of opioids on families.

Contact

Vanderbilt University

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Multimedia

Biography

Carolyn J. Heinrich is a Professor of Public Policy and Education in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations at the Peabody College and a Professor of Economics in the College of Arts and Sciences. Heinrich’s research focuses on education, workforce development, social welfare policy, program evaluation, and public management and performance management. She works directly with federal, state and local governments in her research to improve policy design and program effectiveness and also collaborates with nongovernmental organizations (such as the World Bank, UNICEF and others) to improve the impacts of economic and social investments in middle-income and developing countries. She received the David N. Kershaw Award for distinguished contributions to the field of public policy analysis and management in 2004 and was elected to the National Academy of Public Administration in 2011.

Areas of Expertise

Public Policy Analysis
K-12 Education Policy
Nongovernmental Organizations
Social Welfare Policy
Opioids Impact on Families
Economics
Public Policy
Healthcare
Education
social investments
Workforce Development
Immigration

Accomplishments

Best of UNICEF Research Award

For The South African Child Support Grant Impact Assessment

Beryl Radin Award for best article

Published in Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory

Education

University of Chicago

Ph.D.

University of Chicago

M.A.

Beloit College

B.A.

Affiliations

  • President-elect, Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management
  • President, Public Management Research Association
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Selected Media Appearances

Anderson County grade fixing scandal takes down principal, football coach

Tennessee Lookout  online

2024-06-24

The online programs, purchased by county school boards, have been the subject of controversy in recent years for their lack of oversight by state education officials and the ease with which grades can be manipulated, according to Carolyn Heinrich, a professor of Public Policy and Education at Vanderbilt University.

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Tennessee should invest in students' mental health needs over expanding school vouchers

Tennessean  online

2024-05-03

The Tennessee state legislature has approved a state budget that includes $144 million to create a statewide school voucher program, which is no longer on the table for implementation this year.

Although Gov. Bill Lee intends to pursue education freedom scholarships again next year, some of those funds could be allocated to cope with a financial crisis that will be looming for many school districts across the state when the next school year begins.

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What are the top concerns parents have for their children in Tennessee?

NewsChannel 5  tv

2024-03-07

The results are in for the annual poll of Tennessee parents from the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy. What are the top concerns parents have for their children?

On this episode of MorningLine, Nick Beres is joined by Carolyn Heinrich, PhD, University Distinguished Professor of Public Policy and Education at Vanderbilt and Kelsey Gastineau, MD, MPH, Pediatric Hospitalist at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt to discuss their findings.

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Selected Articles

A Look Inside Online Educational Settings in High School: Promise and Pitfalls for Improving Educational Opportunities and Outcomes

American Educational Research Journal

Carolyn J Heinrich, Jennifer Darling-Aduana, Annalee Good, Huiping Cheng

2019

This research examines online course-taking in high schools, which is increasingly used by students falling behind in progress toward graduation. The study looks inside educational settings to observe how online courses are used and assess whether students gain academically through their use.

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The role of teacher capacity and instructional practice in the integration of educational technology for emergent bilingual students

Computers & Education

Jennifer Darling-Aduana, Carolyn J Heinrich

2018

This mixed methods study examines the extent to which the use, and intensity of use, of educational technology is associated with improved academic outcomes for English language learners (ELLs) in both English/Spanish bilingual and traditional English-only classrooms. We also explore the role of teacher capacity and practice in integrating educational technology by student population and instructional setting across six schools serving a student population of predominately low-income ELLs.

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Informed practice improvements: exploring linkages between school district use of research evidence and educational outcomes over time

School Effectiveness and School Improvement

Carolyn J Heinrich, Annalee Good

2018

The field of education is progressively building capacity and tools for producing rigorous research evidence to use in improving educational practice and outcomes. The knowledge base is lacking, however, in explicating the dynamics of research-based decision making and exploring connections between the work of research–practice partnerships and changes in educational outcomes.

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