Stephanie Levin

Stephanie Levin is a senior researcher within AIR’s Human Services division. An expert in educational leadership and school finance, Levin is dedicated to improving outcomes for public K–12 students and educators. At AIR, she directs a multi-year formative study and impact evaluation of UnboundEd’s Adolescent Literacy Planning & Implementation Collaborative program. Using resources from a Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grant, Levin is leading a team of experts to study how and the extent to which the professional development, coaching, and support provided by the program helps to build the capacity of schools and educators to improve middle grade literacy outcomes. She is also contributing new evidence on learning recovery in Illinois by leading the cost study for AIR’s evaluation of the state’s Learning Renewal-Social Emotional Learning Programs for Supporting Pandemic Recovery.

Levin has more than 18 years of experience in mixed-methods research and project management focused on school leadership, educator learning, educational equity, school finance, and economic evaluation. She recently joined AIR after serving as a research manager at Learning Policy Institute where she co-led the Equitable Resources and Access team and led research efforts focused on principal turnover and principal professional learning. Levin is a contributing author to Developing Expert Principals – Professional Learning That Matters, published in 2024. Along with her work at AIR, Levin is an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania where she teaches applied research to mid-career doctoral students studying educational leadership.

Prior to her work in education research, Levin was a consultant, policy analyst, and budget analyst addressing issues shaping the experiences of children and families in urban settings.