Assistant Professor Edward Wiley (Photo/Casey A. Cass)

As the competitive global economy demands an increasingly educated and well-rounded workforce, many programs have sprouted to assess America's schools, students and teachers, including the federally mandated "No Child Left Behind" reform and Colorado's CSAP testing system.

Assistant Professor Edward Wiley of CU-Boulder's School of Education is an expert in school accountability, teacher quality and compensation, and school choice, putting him front-and-center in education research today.

Formerly a senior research scientist at the American Institute for Research and a statistician by training, Wiley chairs the School of Education's Research and Evaluation Methodology Program. Over the past few years, he has worked on evaluations of several state and federal educational initiatives.

"My research looks at the ways testing information is used to make major decisions regarding schools and teachers," Wiley said. "With many of these tests being used to reward or punish schools, we need to project their impact as accurately as possible."

Currently, Wiley is the lead investigator of a major project underway in Denver Public Schools that has drawn national attention for its effort to improve the school district through teacher and principal pay incentives. Partially funded by a new $22.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the program will reward teachers and principals for boosting student achievement.

"The theory behind the compensation plan is that it will improve the retention of good teachers and attract better candidates, which will lead to a better education for the kids." Wiley said. "My job is to determine whether it works."

Outside work, Wiley enjoys spending time with his family, and running and hiking in Boulder's foothills. He joined the CU-Boulder faculty in 2004.

For more information about the School of Education's Research and Evaluation Methodology Program visit the website.