Kelly Reese is a senior researcher at AIR with sixteen years of experience conducting mixed-methods research, leading teams of researchers, and providing analytic support to clients. She focuses on career and technical education, work-based learning, career pathways, and college and career readiness. Reese supports state, local, and federal education entities and nonprofit organizations in their efforts to increase the quality of their career and technical education and work-based learning offerings. Reese leads tasks within the IES-funded
CTE Research Network, led by AIR to expand the evidence base for career and technical education, which has involved research of secondary and postsecondary CTE programs across the country. Reese led a cross-organization workgroup on research
to foster collection of high-quality work-based learning data at the district and state level, as well as co-led a systematic evidence review of
CTE research over the last 20 years and is currently co-leading a
systematic evidence review of work-based learning. In 2022, she completed
a study funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) to study grantee strategies to strengthen recruitment, preparation, and retention of CTE teachers. Reese has also led studies of college access and persistence initiatives. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy Studies.
