Nicola Alexander Associate professor E-mail: nalexand@umn.edu Phone: 612-624-1507 Fax: 612-624-3377 Office: 430A Wulling Hall Mailing address: Dept. of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development University of Minnesota 330 Wulling Hall 86 Pleasant Street SE Minneapolis, MN 55455-0221

Current Research Interests

• Education finance
• Policy studies

Profile

My formal educational background is in public administration and policy. I am particularly interested in issues of adequacy, equity, and productivity as they relate to PK-12 education. My overriding concern revolves around notions of fairness, and I’m always cognizant of the potentially differential impact of educational policies on different groups. We as policy makers and analysts need to ensure that student failure is not policy related. [See An equal opportunity education?]

I look at policies in terms of their impact on society as a whole, entire student populations, and specified student groups. The nice thing about using large data sets is that the information can be generalized to a broader community, and can provide useful insights to policy makers. It is essential for me to feel as if I have made a difference and that my research is being used to help children.

I’m originally from Jamaica, so I was initially wary of facing those famous Minnesotan winters. However, moving to the University of Minnesota has enabled me to align my research interests more closely with my teaching. I enjoy the interaction of teaching and seeing students become excited about learning and gaining a new perspective.

Selected Publications

Alexander, N. A. (2003). Considering equity and adequacy: An examination of the distribution of student class time as an educational resource in New York State, 1975-1995. Journal of Education Finance, 28(3), 357-381.

Alexander, N. A. (2002). Race, poverty, and the student curriculum: Implications for standards policy. American Educational Research Journal, 39(3), 675-694.

Alexander, N. A. (2000). The missing link: An econometric analysis on the impact of curriculum standards on student achievement. Economics of Education Review, 19, 351-361.

Alexander, N. A. (1997). The growth of education revenues from 1982-83 to 1991-92: What accounts for differences among states? Journal of Education Finance 22(4).

Alexander, N. A. (1996). Race, poverty, and the student curriculum, 1975-1995: Implications for public policy. In W. J. Fowler, Jr. (Ed.), Developments in school finance. National Center for Education Statistics: Washington, DC.

Alexander, N. A. (1995). The growth of education revenues from 1982-83 to 1991-92: What accounts for differences among states? In W. J. Fowler, Jr. (Ed.), Selected papers in school finance. National Center for Education Statistics: Washington, DC.

Education

• Ph.D., public administration
  Concentration: public finance, Graduate School of Public Affairs, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. University at Albany. State University of New York.
  Dissertation: The Impact of Curriculum Standards on Student Achievement: Implications for Public Policy
• Master of arts in public policy. May 1992. GPA 3.9. Certificate in Latin American and Caribbean studies
  Graduate School of Public Affairs, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. University at Albany. State University of New York.
  Thesis: A Question of Choice—Education Reform in the United States.
• Bachelor of arts in international relations. May 1988. Concentration: Latin America and the Caribbean. Minors: French and Spanish. magna cum laude.
  College at New Paltz, State University of New York.
• Besançon Centre de la Langue Appliquée. Fall 1987. Besançon, France. Studies in liberal arts.

Professional Affiliations

• Fiscal Issues, Policy, and Education Finance Special Interest Group, American Education Research Association
• American Education Finance Association
• Midwest Political Science Association

Revised September 2009