Michelle LaPointe

Michelle LaPointe is a national expert whose research focuses on education policies to support authentic learning experiences across the lifespan and the role of school leaders in creating high quality school programs. Dr. LaPointe has evaluated programs for federal and state agencies, non-profit organizations, and school districts. She has worked with organizations across the US: from the deep South to the Northeast to California. These projects have taken Dr. LaPointe to such diverse settings as the Caribbean, New York City, small towns in New England, urban centers in the Southeast and California, and Native American reservations. While most of her work focuses on education, she also participated in the national evaluation of the Head Start program, the evaluation of the welfare-to-work program in Louisiana, and alcohol and other drug prevention programs for youth.Dr. LaPointe has served as the Research Director at both Stanford’s Education Leadership Institute and Lesley University’s Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative. She was also a research manager at the Regional Educational Laboratory for the Northeast & Island and an education specialist at the U.S. Department of Education’s Planning and Evaluation Service. Through these roles, Dr. LaPointe gained extensive experience translating research to decision-makers and practitioners to support the implementation of effective programs.Dr. LaPointe is co-author, with Jason Wingard, of Learning for Life: How Continuous Education Will Keep Us Competitive in the Global Knowledge Economy. She is also an author of Preparing School Leaders for a Changing World: Lessons from Effective School Leadership Development Programs, with Linda Darling Hammond. Michelle LaPointe brings a passion for improving the lives of children to her research in support of schools. Her work is shaped by her childhood experiences living in Africa and the Caribbean.