Rachel Tripathy is a Senior Research Associate in Literacy at WestEd where she works to improve equity, access, and creativity in education, with a focus on research to inform policy-making decisions. She leads research studies and evaluations of educational programs, specializing in early literacy and supports for English learners. Tripathy has extensive experience working with state and local education agencies, and other partners to develop logic models and strategic plans to support program and evaluation goals.
Tripathy leads the evaluation of the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System Federal Magnet School Assistance Program (MSAP) grant. She also leads an IES Phase II SBIR study of an early literacy assessment that uses voice recognition to evaluate oral reading fluency and other foundational reading skills. Tripathy supports a comprehensive evaluation of Colorado’s READ Act, examining the use of state funding for literacy initiatives and the outcomes of per pupil expenditures. She also provides technical assistance and coaching services related to literacy as a part of WestEd’s REL Northwest work.
Before joining WestEd, Tripathy worked in education in rural India, where she supported a school run by farmers’ cooperative in teaching, curriculum planning, and resource development.
Tripathy earned her MA in International Comparative Education from Stanford University. She holds a BA in International Affairs with a focus on International Development from the George Washington University.