Sherri Lauver, Ph.D.

Dr. Lauver has over 25 years of experience as a researcher, evaluator, project director, and technical assistance (TA) provider at the local, state, and federal levels. Her work spans leading initiatives for the U.S. Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CLCC) Program; youth development and out-of-school-time learning programs, including serving families and students with disabilities; and teacher professional development in literacy, mathematics, and science. Additional areas of specialization include culturally responsive research and evaluation studies involving quantitative and qualitative methods. A subject matter expert in P-12 education policy, she has produced extensive bodies of knowledge used by thousands of educators at state education agencies, local education agencies, and charter schools.

Dr. Lauver will lead efforts around Abt's education portfolio, particularly in areas such as wraparound services, safe and healthy schools, and college readiness, access, and success. She will play a key role in leading education TA and evaluation efforts with the U.S. Department of Education.

Prior to her work at Abt, Dr. Lauver was Senior Principal for Research, Evaluation, and Technical Assistance at Synergy Enterprises, a woman-owned small business. Her work included serving as co-principal investigator on the National Study of Continuous Quality Improvement to Inform the 21st CCLC Program, where, as an education policy expert, she provided critical recommendations for the implementation study. For the You for Youth program, she co-directed a large TA Center for educators in learning recovery, out-of-school time, and summer learning programs, including conducting professional development workshops and leading annual needs assessments. She designed the Office of Indian Education’s Native American Literacy Resource Center to share best practices, highlight effective programs, and provide resources to educators and communities who wish to revitalize and support Native language learning. She also provided TA, publication and editorial support for state and local agencies serving high school students who receive Title I and Title III services. 

Expertise

• Subject matter expertise in education policy, equitable learning opportunities, and out-of-school time programs and youth development
• Culturally-responsive and rigorous research and evaluation design and execution to support continuous improvement and implementation science
• Content creation for high-quality technical assistance, professional development and e-learning
• Strategic planning and project management

Key Projects

• Leads strategy on PRESTO Category 1 evaluation and survey work (2023-Present).
• Co-led a large TA center, the Next Generation Professional Development Portal (You for Youth: Online Professional Learning and Technical Assistance for 21st CCLC).
• Led design and implementation of the Office of Indian Education’s Native American Literacy Resource Center.

Publications

• Scher, L., & Lauver, S. (2021, Fall/Winter). Teacher Home Visits: Examining the Implementation and Impacts of a Program for Low-Income Families in St. Louis. School Community Journal. Available at https://www.adi.org/journal/2021fw/ScherLauverFW21.pdf
• Stonehill, R.M., Lauver, S., Donahue, T., Naftzger, N., McElvain, C.K., & Stephanidis, J. (2011, Fall). From Afterschool to Expanded Learning: A Decade of Progress. New Directions for Youth Development, 131, 29-41.
• Lauver, S., Balow, B., Benard, B., Hipps, J., McManus, J., Montgomery, R., Truebridge, S., Vitale, A., & Walker, R. (2010, April). Right Time, Right Place: Building an Online Learning Community for Afterschool Practitioners. Afterschool Matters, 10, 6-12.
• Lauver, S., & Little, P.M. (2005, Spring). Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Out-of-School-Time Programs. New Directions in Youth Development, 105, pp. 71-89.
• Journal of Children’s Services, Randomized Controlled Trials. Co-editor with Gary Ritter, University of Arkansas. Lexington Books, 2009.