Education and Social Policy Initiative
Education and Social Policy Initiative
The Education and Social Policy Initiative at Boston College鈥檚 Lynch School of Education and Human Development is advancing the university as a national leader in ethically grounded, methodologically rigorous, and socially impactful policy. Our work is enhanced by emerging AI technologies that inform research, policy development, and practical application.
Education policy does not operate in isolation
The future of policy formation requires an integrated approach鈥攃ombining rigorous methods, interdisciplinary perspectives, and technological innovation鈥攖o better understand and influence complex social systems.
Educational opportunity is shaped by many interconnected factors: law, housing, labor markets, immigration, health, and technology. Our initiative brings these systems into clear focus, equipping students, scholars, and partners to design policies that expand access and equity across these areas.
Meet our Policy Experts
听Interested in a research partnership or collaboration? Connect with the initiative's world-renowned faculty leads and advisory board members to learn more about their unique and extensive expertise in education and social policy.
Henry Braun
Boisi Professor of Education, Public Policy, and Education Research
Faculty Lead
henry.braun@bc.edu
Boisi Professor of Education, Public Policy, and Education Research
Faculty Lead
henry.braun@bc.edu
Our Intellectual Committments
Educational opportunity is shaped by interconnected systems rather than isolated institutions. Today's policy questions require collaboration across disciplines and sectors.
Policy development and implementation occur through complex, evolving networks rather than linear processes. Traditional casual models remain essential, but are not sufficient alone for understanding modern policy environments.
Success extends beyond narrow policy outcomes to long-term opportunity, agency, belonging, mobility, and well-being.
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Connecting with the Northeast & Beyond
The initiative will work with associates to lead an interconnected ecosystem of experts.
On-Campus
Boston College boasts an interdisciplinary foundation in education and social policy expertise. This initiative amplifies that work, integrating research, teaching, and policy engagement while providing extensive campus resources and a strong network of peers, mentors, and collaborators.
City of Boston
As a premiere hub for innovation and connection, Boston serves as a laboratory for expanding education and social policy experience while developing a diverse product portfolio. The initiative will work closely with local and state government, nonprofits, and surrounding universities.
Global Reach
Through partnerships and leveraging world-renowned research centers, the initiative provides opportunities to expand policy across industries. From corporate and consulting to philanthropy and EdTech spaces, dedicated changemakers are impacting global policy.
Developing Capabilities
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Grounded in research, this initiative drives the advancement of competencies through tangible experiences.听
Ecosystem Intelligence
Mapping complex education systems
Complexity Analysis
Understanding policy implementation across multiple actors
Opportunity Leadership
Designing policies that expand educational opportunity
Evidence in Practice
Translating research into products for public decision-making
On the Road
Want to learn more about the initiative and upcoming program? Connect with us at a conference! Our faculty experts take research to the next level by actively engaging in committees, contributing to groundbreaking research and innovation, and delivering impactful presentations at conferences around the world.听
AERA-NCME Annual Meeting
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APPAM Annual Conference
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ASHE Annual Conference
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AEFP Annual Conference
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About the Initiative
Our Distinct Advantage
- Education situated within a broader social policy context
- AI as a governance and leadership competency (not a technical specialization)
- Rigorous methodological training across quantitative and qualitative traditions
- A Jesuit mission centered on ethical leadership and the common good
The Education and Social Policy Initiative advances four strategic aims:
Build a Next-Generation Policy Program
Develop an interdisciplinary degree program that integrates education policy, advanced, multi-method social policy analysis AI and data-informed decision-making ethical leadership grounded in the Jesuit mission
Advance Research Across Systems and Life Trajectories
Support research that examines how intersecting systems鈥攅ducation, labor, immigration, health, and technology鈥攕hape educational outcomes and long-term life trajectories.
Translate Research into Policy and Practice
Develop accessible, high-impact outputs, including internships and apprenticeship opportunities, collaborative white papers with policy intermediaries, multilingual policy briefs for diverse audiences, convenings, and multimedia dissemination.
Develop Cross-School and Global Partnerships
Leverage Boston College鈥檚 interdisciplinary strengths and global Jesuit network to foster collaboration across departments, schools, and policy contexts. This includes engagement with alumni in policy-relevant roles and highlighting pathways to leadership.听
The initiative focuses on research at the intersection of education and broader social policy systems.
Education Within Social Policy Systems
- Education and labor market outcomes
- Housing, segregation, and school leadership
- Higher education access, success, and institutional governance
- Immigration policy and educational access
- Health and educational attainment
Policy Design and Evaluation
- Causal inference and policy impact analysis
- Program evaluation and institutional effectiveness
- Legal and governance structures shaping education
- Qualitative and mixed-method approaches, including case studies and community-based research
Data, AI, and Policy Infrastructure
- AI as a tool for research synthesis and policy translation
- Ethical governance of algorithmic decision-making
- Data integration across systems
- Cross-methodological approaches to analysis and decision-making
Equity, Access, and Opportunity
- Educational inequality and stratification
- Underrepresented and historically excluded populations
- Structural barriers to access and attainment
- Partnership-based approaches to policy design and implementation
Global and Comparative Policy
- International education systems (pre-K through higher education)
- Migration and global mobility
- International data systems
- Jesuit network collaborations
The initiative will collaborate with centers and programs across Boston College and beyond, including:
- Center for International Higher Education (CIHE)
- Center for the Study of Testing, Evaluation, and Educational Policy
- Campus School and community-based research initiatives
- IEA鈥檚 TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center
- Transformative Education Lab
- Additional Lynch School and cross-school partnerships
The initiative will serve as a hub for:
- Policy convenings and scholarly collaboration
- Brookings-style policy briefs and research translation
- AI-supported synthesis of research and public-facing outputs
- Multilingual dissemination to reach broader communities
Recent convenings, including听The New Frontier of Equity Research: Data Disruption and AI Acceleration, reflect the initiative鈥檚 commitment to developing new models of research collaboration and dissemination.
This initiative uniquely combines elements that are rarely brought together in one program:
Together, these elements position Boston College to develop a program that is both intellectually rigorous and socially consequential.