My dissertation maps the role of the Common Core State Standards in student writing development in the transition from secondary school to higher education. Using a multiple case study methodology to compare four distinct schools, I interviewed teachers and administrators to learn about the teaching practices and philosophies of different secondary schools, contextualizing the role that standards and tests have on teaching practice. The project features discourse-based interviews with a student from each of these schools, attending to the concepts of writing, strategies, and emotional relationships to writing that students developed there (as well as in their earlier years). With a focus on non-textual writing knowledge, I demonstrate that our current system of standard-based reform does not actively contribute to the writing practices and experiences that define school writing for these students.

My work attempts to take a good-faith approach toward education policy, understanding that the management of a massive school infrastructure, while attempting to ensure equitable learning experiences, is an incredible challenge. Through my forthcoming chapter Improvisations: Methods and Methodologies in Lifespan Writing Research, I propose frameworks through which writing researchers can approach the fundamental concerns of education policy in the United States --  such as intergovernmental relations, evidence, and equity -- while still attending to the nuances and complexities of writing.

My other focus is on defining and refining visions of equity in writing. A recent enculturation article (co-written with Elena Kalodner-Martin) explores the role of language politics in college admission essays, arguing that the imperative for self-monitoring in the composition of this genre is not equally distributed among diverse language. 

After the dissertation, I will explore how Writing Studies' vivid conversations of equity can be extrapolated to policy contexts. My goal is to approach the question of what equitable writing educations look like, and how such equity could be assessed at scale.