Assistant Professor of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis Lam Pham Receives Early Career Scholar Award from AERA School Effectiveness and School Improvement SIG

Lam Pham, an assistant professor of educational evaluation and policy analysis in the NC State College of Education, has received an Early Career Scholar Award from the American Educational Research Association (AERA) School Effectiveness and School Improvement (SESI) Special Interest Group. 

“This recognition from more senior scholars is meaningful to me because it indicates that my work is influencing the field,” Pham said. “I started my career teaching in low-performing schools and improving support for these high-need schools is one of my main professional motivators. Receiving this award is a great affirmation of this work.” 

Pham’s research examines policies aimed at building and maintaining an equitable distribution of diverse and effective teachers in chronically low-performing schools. The Early Career Scholar Award specifically recognized three of Pham’s ongoing projects, including North Carolina’s School Restart model and his role in statewide school turnaround policies in Tennessee. 

The third project recognized is Pham’s ongoing partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Begun in 2022, the grant-funded project aims to recruit, develop and retain teachers in order to improve the district’s 10 lowest-performing schools and inform interventions that can improve outcomes for more than 6,000 students, many of whom are from low-income backgrounds and are students of color.

“I think my research really highlights how policies targeting school improvement rely on recruiting and retaining effective teachers and principals. I’ve published some studies examining these complex issues and while there isn’t a silver bullet, it’s become clear to me that effective school improvement policies require effective educators,” Pham said. “I feel very lucky to be at an institution that has supported my research, and I am very grateful to be able to do work that tangibly improves schooling outcomes for students in North Carolina.”