Jennifer McMurrer

Jennifer McMurrer is a Senior Research Specialist with RME at SMU. She has more than 20 years of experience conducting practical research that informs policy and evaluates the effectiveness of educational programs, having worked for education associations, universities, school districts, and consulting firms. Her research interests focus primarily on K-12 federal education policy and program implementation in persistently low-achieving schools. Currently, Dr. McMurrer provides research support for the Measuring Early Mathematical Reasoning Skills (MMaRS) project funded by the National Science Foundation and the Scalability, Capacity, and Learning Engagement (SCALE) for Fraction Face-Off study funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

Prior to joining SMU, Dr. McMurrer worked as a research analyst for 2M Research and was the Director of Research at the Center on Education Policy at The George Washington University. She has authored and co-authored numerous publications, including articles appearing in journals such as the Peabody Journal of Education and Studying Teacher Education. She is an active volunteer in the public schools, serving on various district committees in her children’s school district. Dr. McMurrer earned her Ph.D. in education policy and research methodology from George Mason University, where she also earned a Master of Public Policy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Foreign Languages and International Affairs from James Madison University.