Lauren Amos

(202) 484-3298

About

Lauren Amos co-leads the partnership focused on using measurement and evidence to promote racial equity. Dr. Amos has 20 years of experience in program evaluation, technical assistance, and design research to support federal, state, and local education agency efforts to improve disparities and disproportionality in the public education, juvenile justice, and child welfare systems. Dr. Amos specializes in designing interactive decision support tools for practitioners, such as a discipline disparities risk assessment tool to help schools and districts visualize and make evidence-informed decisions. Dr. Amos can be contacted at RELMidAtlantic@mathematica.org.

Associated IES Content

Blog

Building Evidence to Strengthen Computer Science Education

Building Evidence to Strengthen Computer Science Education
Date published:
May 19, 2026
Blog

Tools for Tracking the Progress of Equity Initiatives in School Districts

Across the country, pervasive inequities persist in students' academic opportunities and outcomes. To promote more equitable learning environments, districts and schools are investing in professional learning, instructional materials, policy and procedural changes, and student programming. But measuring and monitoring the progress of these equity-related investments can be daunting for several reasons.
Date published:
Jun 25, 2024
Blog

How RELs are Using Research-Practice Partnerships to Foster Equitable Learning Environments

The work of the Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs) takes place within structured, collaborative partnerships with state, Tribal, and local education agencies, addressing high-priority challenges through applied research...
Date published:
Sep 15, 2022
Blog

Eliminating School Discipline Disparities: What We Know and Don't Know About the Effectiveness of Alternatives to Suspension and Expulsion

Research on school discipline disparities has demonstrated three key trends across the country: Black students are more likely than White students to be referred for disciplinary action for subjective infractions such as disruption or defiance compared to objective infractions such as tardiness or truancy.1 Black students are more likely than White students to receive harsher consequences for disciplinary infractions, even when committing similar offenses.2 Discipline disparities a...
Date published:
Nov 18, 2021
resource Training Material

Eliminating Disproportionate Impact: Evidence-based and promising alternatives to exclusionary discipline

REL Mid-Atlantic provided the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) with coaching and consultation to support the implementation of local education agency (LEA) school discipline disproportionality action plans. This presentation sought to help build MSDE's capacity to infuse their ongoing technical assistance to LEAs with new and emerging knowledge of evidence-based approaches and promising practices in place in demographically similar school systems nationwide.
Jun 23, 2021
resource Training Material

Development of Pennsylvania Department of Education School Climate Index Summary

This project explores the properties of Pennsylvania Department of Education school climate surveys with the aim of developing a summary index of school climate that could be calculated for each school using the surveys. Data to develop measures of school climate were gathered from surveys of students, teachers, other staff, parents, and community members. Survey results are intended to provide Pennsylvania schools and educators with information that can be used for needs assessments, program...
Jun 01, 2021
Blog

Trauma-informed strategies to support students' transition back to school in the COVID era

With the 2019-2020 school year in the rearview mirror, school leaders and staff have an opportunity to shift some of their attention from crisis response to crisis recovery. For many students, especially the most vulnerable such as those experiencing chronic homelessness and food insecurity, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a considerable social and emotional toll. From grieving the passing of loved ones to dealing with escalating incidences of domestic violence and economic recession, many st...
Date published:
Aug 12, 2020
Blog

Using Data to Identify and Address Inequities in School Discipline

Equitable access to education is the first step in ensuring that all students can succeed, but school discipline practices sometimes exacerbate academic disparities. Across the country, Black students and students with disabilities experience exclusionary discipline--that is, they are suspended and expelled from school--at higher rates than other students. As the first state to join the new REL Mid-Atlantic addressing disproportionality in discipline alliance, Maryland is working with REL M...
Date published:
Oct 09, 2019