Andrew Avitabile
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andrewavit.bsky.social
Andrew Avitabile
@andrewavit.bsky.social
350 followers 340 following 130 posts
Education Policy PhD student at UVA

Evaluating education policies, with a particular focus on teachers, in the US and LMICs

https://www.andrew-avitabile.com
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andrewavit.bsky.social
Just putting eststo: in front of a command and hoping that saves 🤞
November 21, 2025 at 2:21 PM
andrewavit.bsky.social
If we’re gonna destroy ED can we at least get linked data from K-12 -> postsecondary -> employment nationwide?

www.ed.gov/about/news/p...
U.S. Department of Education Announces Six New Agency Partnerships to Break Up Federal Bureaucracy
ED announced six new interagency agreements to break up the federal education bureaucracy, ensure efficient delivery of funded programs, activities, and move closer to fulfilling the President Trump's...
www.ed.gov
November 18, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Reposted by Andrew Avitabile
aristofontes.bsky.social
Resolution calling for resignations of Rector & Vice Rector passes, 41 – 17 – 2.
November 14, 2025 at 8:22 PM
andrewavit.bsky.social
Again, as much as I want to hate Stata, it just rocks
November 7, 2025 at 2:56 PM
andrewavit.bsky.social
I’m using data from a server that shuts down internet access to write my dissertation and have been enjoying programming SO MUCH more without access to ChatGPT
October 29, 2025 at 9:18 PM
andrewavit.bsky.social
Check it out!

Lots of other cool analyses in the paper. For example, what are the intended majors of people most demographically and academically similar to those intending to teach?
October 29, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Reposted by Andrew Avitabile
bakerdphd.bsky.social
Some choice sections from the letter
Screenshot of article which reads: It takes empathy to feel for the faculty and students who, by standing up for their values and deeply felt principles, have suffered from Columbia’s reactions to their demonstrations. We have been through a lot over the past 24 months. I could not be prouder of our students and faculty for modeling what this courage can look like. Time has shown that the encampments and sit-ins put on by our students and faculty were in support of a just cause—an attempt to halt the inhuman treatment of the Palestinian people by the government of Israel. Organizations from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Israeli human rights groups, to the International Association of Genocide Scholars—as well as many nations across the world—agree that the killing of tens of thousands and the starvation of thousands of others in Gaza is immoral and unjust; it is consistent with the definition of genocide. Of course, some will disagree with this position, but surely this is not a matter of antisemitism, but of legitimate protest against a government’s actions. Screenshot of the article which reads: Are we cowardly Lions who cower in front of a false prophet or in the face of a blustering, empty wizard in Washington who is trying to destroy our autonomous universities? President Trump has an insatiable appetite for bullying individuals and institutions, particularly great educational institutions. This is what would-be authoritarians do. Columbia’s leadership must act with courage rather than capitulation. The future of the University is not a matter of federal negotiation. Making “deals” with this federal administration will not save us. There will always be another ask, even if it has no support in law or fact. Columbia is better than what we have demonstrated over the past couple of years, so let’s recommit to acting with empathy and courage. I urge our administrative leaders and the board of trustees at Columbia to act now. We will be a better place for it.
October 16, 2025 at 3:26 AM
Reposted by Andrew Avitabile
paul-bruno.com
I appreciate the preregistration here.
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Oct 9
RFK Jr on Tylenol and autism: "It is not proof. We're doing the studies to make the proof."
October 9, 2025 at 5:43 PM
andrewavit.bsky.social
Working on some slides for a brown bag lunch 🤗
October 9, 2025 at 5:59 PM
andrewavit.bsky.social
It’s nice to look back on a paper after a few months and think: this actually doesn’t suck
October 7, 2025 at 5:18 PM
andrewavit.bsky.social
The interim president of UVA sent out an email asking for input on this “compact”. I’d strongly encourage anyone at UVA to read this op ed before responding and firmly oppose any response to the “offer”
October 6, 2025 at 11:45 PM
andrewavit.bsky.social
Reminiscing on when I was an undergrad and cold emailed Alberto Abadie to tell him I was using synthetic controls in my thesis lol
September 29, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Reposted by Andrew Avitabile
paulgp.com
This is a pretty remarkable paper and seems to suggest "grit" is not necessarily the driving force behind student achievement:

www.nber.org/papers/w3427...
Why Don’t Struggling Students Do Their Homework? Disentangling Motivation and Study Productivity as Drivers of Human Capital Formation
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...
www.nber.org
September 28, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Reposted by Andrew Avitabile
gzamarro.bsky.social
🚨New Working Paper🚨 Check out our new working paper "Trajectories into Teaching of Arkansas Educator Preparation Programs Enrollees", together with @taylornwilson.bsky.social @andrewmcamp.com, and @jbmcgee.bsky.social. Taylor is in the job market this year. Keep her in mind as you build your team
September 26, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Reposted by Andrew Avitabile
paul-bruno.com
"for-profit-trained teachers have higher turnover and lower value-added...But the policy significantly increased the supply of certified teachers...lower licensing requirements improved access to teaching and reduced training costs without harming
students" evanriehl.github.io/papers/dr_fo...
September 8, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Reposted by Andrew Avitabile
singhabhi.bsky.social
Many interventions “work” in small trials but fail at scale

Also, EdTech often promises much, but delivers little

In a new paper (bit.ly/3JKLgVn)
@karthik-econ.bsky.social
& I show how personalized adaptive learning (PAL) software can sharply improve learning outcomes at scale🧵1/16
September 5, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Reposted by Andrew Avitabile
jeffdenning.com
If you know of a student who is looking for a education post doc (now, odd timing I know), I may have an opportunity for them. They would be working Texas admin data so experience with that would be a big plus.
September 4, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Reposted by Andrew Avitabile
wesleytmorris.bsky.social
🚨 New working paper!

I examine how universities and students use federal TEACH Grants, how these grants change recipients’ financial aid packages and out-of-pocket costs, and their relationship to students’ decisions to pursue teaching degrees.

Read it here: edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1278
Financial Aid For Future Educators: Assessing A Federal Grant's Impact On Students' Postsecondary Decisions
Created in 2007, the federal TEACH grant program is a large federal financial aid program that seeks to attract postsecondary students to the teaching profession by providing financial assistance to h...
edworkingpapers.com
September 4, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Reposted by Andrew Avitabile
paulgp.com
(Z’X)^{-1}Z’Y
pengzell.bsky.social Per Engzell @pengzell.bsky.social · Aug 27
Every academic has one core theory they don't actually believe in, but can't stop using because it’s so **neat**
August 27, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Reposted by Andrew Avitabile
robertkelchen.com
My department is searching for two tenure-line positions to start in August 2026. Come join our growing team and make a difference in building the future!

Assistant professor of higher education: apply.interfolio.com/172680

Associate/full professor of education policy: apply.interfolio.com/172632
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
August 26, 2025 at 4:32 PM
andrewavit.bsky.social
Weapons is an Education Policy film
August 23, 2025 at 2:41 AM
andrewavit.bsky.social
All that work for some standard errors 😭
August 19, 2025 at 7:19 PM
andrewavit.bsky.social
Why do some journals make you submit word documents 😭
August 4, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Reposted by Andrew Avitabile
paul-bruno.com
FYI: I've updated my list of Useful Data Resources, primarily with a bunch of (20-ish?) new links to state-specific public school datasets and data repositories.

go.illinois.edu/UsefulDataRe...

Suggestions/corrections are always welcome.
useful_data_resources
go.illinois.edu
July 26, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Reposted by Andrew Avitabile
andrewmcamp.com
New working paper from me and a great group of coauthors: The Effects of the Four-Day School Week on Teacher Recruitment and Retention

caldercenter.org/publications...

Read on to see what's different about this vs. some of my prior work 🧵⬇️
June 9, 2025 at 2:44 PM