Overview
Noman Khanani is an applied quantitative methodologist experienced in designing and leading rigorous evaluations of education programs, interventions, and policies. He specializes in experimental and quasi-experimental research, along with applied psychometrics, with a focus on early literacy, math education, and educator labor markets. As a Senior Research Associate in WestEd’s Center for Teaching and Learning, Khanani helps states and districts produce and use high-quality evidence to inform policy and practice.
Khanani serves as the Applied Research Lead for the Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest, for which he oversees descriptive, correlational, and impact studies across various content areas, including early literacy screening and intervention and secondary math pathways. His recent work includes leading impact and implementation evaluations of high-quality math curricula and products. These projects support states, districts, and program developers in using rigorous evidence to inform instructional improvement, program adoption, and policy decisions, with findings designed to be directly applicable to practice and future evaluation efforts.
Before joining WestEd, Khanani worked at the Boston College Center for Thriving Children, where he led federally funded studies estimating the causal impact of integrated student support programs on student academic and behavioral outcomes. Prior to that, he worked at the Education Development Center, where he supported research and technical assistance efforts for state and regional education agencies through the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands. Across these roles, Khanani’s work reflects a commitment to using rigorous, policy-relevant evidence to help education systems better support students facing academic and structural barriers.
Education
- PhD in educational measurement and evaluation, Boston College
- EdM in educational leadership and policy, Boston University
- BA in economics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Select Publications
Khanani, N., Zabala, D., Stackhouse, S., Gu, J., & Walters, K. (2025). Impact of the Illustrative Math Curriculum on math achievement. WestEd.
Lawson, J. L., O’Dwyer, L. M., Dearing, E., Raczek, A. E., Foley, C., Khanani, N., & Leigh, Y. R. (2024). Estimating the impact of integrated student support on elementary school achievement: A natural experiment. AERA Open, 10. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584241292072
Jiang, H., Khanani, N., Leigh, Y., & Walsh, M. (2023). Integrated student support intervention mitigates the adverse impact of school mobility on middle school students’ achievement and behavior (EdWorkingPaper No. 23-784). Annenberg Institute at Brown University.
Khanani, N., Raczek, A., Leigh, Y., Foley, C., Walsh, M., & Dearing, E. (2023). Integrated student support and student achievement: A replication study (EdWorkingPaper No. 23-706). Annenberg Institute at Brown University. https://doi.org/10.26300/my8q-wm38
Caven, M., Khanani, N., & Zhang, X. (2021). Center- and program-level factors associated with early childhood workforce turnover (REL 2021–015). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands. http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs
Bailey, J., Khanani, N., Lacireno-Paquet, N., & Bock, G. (2020). From Pre-service to persistence: Educator preparation and outcomes (REL 2020–015). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands. http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs
Hanita, M., Bailey, J., Khanani, N., & Bocala, C. (2020). Connecticut Teacher Education and Mentoring Program (TEAM): Fidelity of implementation and teacher retention (REL 2020–015). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands. http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs
Honors, Awards, and Affiliations
What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Certified Reviewer—Group design studies v.5.1, 2025
What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Certified Reviewer—Advanced group design studies v.5.1, 2025