Katherine McKnight

Katherine McKnight is a member of RTI’s Center for Evaluation and Study of Educational Equity whose work emphasizes teaching and learning, school improvement, and educator effectiveness. Using the latest quantitative social science methods, Dr. McKnight develops studies for mission-driven organizations and collaborates with policymakers to turn research findings into practice.

Currently, Dr. McKnight is involved with a study of parent-teacher home visits in four districts across the United States. She is reviewing research on implicit biases related to race and culture that may affect the visits, and conducting focus groups of the educators and families involved. The study is funded by the Flamboyan Foundation. She is also leading a study funded by the Kellogg Foundation, investigating what expert teachers do to reduce or eliminate opportunity gaps for their students in under-resourced schools and communities.

Dr. McKnight joined RTI in 2016. Previously, she was principal director for research at Pearson Education’s Center for Educator Learning and Effectiveness. Her background also includes consulting work for public- and private-sector clients on topics in education, social services, and public health. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Educational Research Association and the American Evaluation Association.