Laura Hamilton conducts work on education policy, assessment, youth development, and civic learning, providing evidence-based guidance for practitioners and policymakers to ensure that all young people are prepared to succeed and thrive. She has led several large, mixed-method research and evaluation studies funded by federal and state agencies, philanthropic foundations, and other nonprofit entities. Much of her work aims to help state and local education agencies support schools in advancing a broad set of learning outcomes and high-quality conditions for learning.
Before joining the Center for Assessment, Hamilton served as a senior director at American Institutes for Research, where she led the Center on Advancing Measurement and Assessment and contributed to research and technical assistance in education and workforce development. She also held roles as associate vice president of the Research Centers in the Research and Measurement Sciences area at ETS, distinguished chair in learning and assessment at RAND, and co-director of RAND’s nationally representative educator survey panels.
Hamilton has served on numerous expert committees and panels including the Joint Committee to develop the AERA/APA/NCME Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (both the 2014 version and the forthcoming version), the Urban Institute’s Student Upward Mobility Initiative (SUMI) Advisory Council, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committees equity indicators and NAEP achievement levels, and technical advisory committees for multiple state assessment programs. She’s also held editorial roles with academic journals and book series and is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council on Measurement in Education.
Hamilton is a fellow of the American Educational Research Association and received the Joseph A. Zins Distinguished Scholar Award for her work on whole-child development. She received a Ph.D. in educational psychology and an M.S. in statistics from Stanford University.
Recent & relevant publications
Soland, J., & Hamilton, L.S. (2026). Measuring social and emotional competencies. In Harris, D. (Ed.), Live handbook of education policy research. Association for Education Finance and Policy.
Hamilton, L.S., & Brandt., W.C. (2026). Testing democracy: How large-scale assessment systems can support civic learning. Center for Assessment.
Hamilton, L.S., Rikoon, S.H., & Kidd, D. (Eds., 2026). Promoting K-12 civic learning and engagement through assessment. Volume published as part of the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) book series. Routledge.
Hamilton, L.S. (2026, January 16). Civic learning provides a pathway to upward mobility. Urban Institute, Student Upward Mobility Initiative Blog.
Castellano, K.E., McCaffrey; D.M., Xi, N., Yue, J., & Hamilton, L.S. (2025). Exploring differential change in student performance during the COVID-19 pandemic across the United States. Large-scale Assessments in Education, 13(11).
Hamilton, L.S., Olivera-Aguilar, M., & Rikoon, S.H. (2024). How SEL Can Support Civic Learning and Engagement. In Durlak, J., Domitrovich, C., & Mahoney, J. (Eds.), Handbook of social and emotional learning theory, research, and practice: The evolution of a field, 2nd edition (pp.260-272). Guilford.
Hamilton, L.S., & Martinez, J.F. (2024). Policy influences on ambitious classroom instruction, assessment, and learning. In Marion, S.F., Pellegrino, J.W., & Berman, A.I. (Eds.) Implementation and use of balanced assessment systems (pp. 274-308). National Academy of Education.
Middlebrook, K., Hamilton, L.S., & Walker, M.E. (2024). How research and testing companies can support early-career measurement professionals. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice.
Gross, B., & Hamilton, L.S. (2023). Student mental health and well-being: A review of evidence and emerging solutions. Center on Reinventing Public Education.
Hamilton, L.S., & Kaufman, J.H. (2022). Indicators of equitable civic learning in U.S. public schools. Educational Assessment, 27, 187-196
Hamilton, L.S. (2022). Cross-cutting methodological considerations for measuring and assessing noncognitive skills. In S.M. Jones, N.K. Lesaux, & S.P. Barnes (Eds.), Measuring noncognitive skills in school settings: Assessments of executive function and social-emotional competencies (pp.285-303). Guilford.
Hamilton, L.S., & Parsi, A. (2022). Monitoring civic learning opportunities and outcomes: Lessons from a symposium sponsored by ETS and Educating for American Democracy. ETS.
Before joining the Center for Assessment, Hamilton served as a senior director at American Institutes for Research, where she led the Center on Advancing Measurement and Assessment and contributed to research and technical assistance in education and workforce development. She also held roles as associate vice president of the Research Centers in the Research and Measurement Sciences area at ETS, distinguished chair in learning and assessment at RAND, and co-director of RAND’s nationally representative educator survey panels.
Hamilton has served on numerous expert committees and panels including the Joint Committee to develop the AERA/APA/NCME Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (both the 2014 version and the forthcoming version), the Urban Institute’s Student Upward Mobility Initiative (SUMI) Advisory Council, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committees equity indicators and NAEP achievement levels, and technical advisory committees for multiple state assessment programs. She’s also held editorial roles with academic journals and book series and is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council on Measurement in Education.
Hamilton is a fellow of the American Educational Research Association and received the Joseph A. Zins Distinguished Scholar Award for her work on whole-child development. She received a Ph.D. in educational psychology and an M.S. in statistics from Stanford University.
Recent & relevant publications
Soland, J., & Hamilton, L.S. (2026). Measuring social and emotional competencies. In Harris, D. (Ed.), Live handbook of education policy research. Association for Education Finance and Policy.
Hamilton, L.S., & Brandt., W.C. (2026). Testing democracy: How large-scale assessment systems can support civic learning. Center for Assessment.
Hamilton, L.S., Rikoon, S.H., & Kidd, D. (Eds., 2026). Promoting K-12 civic learning and engagement through assessment. Volume published as part of the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) book series. Routledge.
Hamilton, L.S. (2026, January 16). Civic learning provides a pathway to upward mobility. Urban Institute, Student Upward Mobility Initiative Blog.
Castellano, K.E., McCaffrey; D.M., Xi, N., Yue, J., & Hamilton, L.S. (2025). Exploring differential change in student performance during the COVID-19 pandemic across the United States. Large-scale Assessments in Education, 13(11).
Hamilton, L.S., Olivera-Aguilar, M., & Rikoon, S.H. (2024). How SEL Can Support Civic Learning and Engagement. In Durlak, J., Domitrovich, C., & Mahoney, J. (Eds.), Handbook of social and emotional learning theory, research, and practice: The evolution of a field, 2nd edition (pp.260-272). Guilford.
Hamilton, L.S., & Martinez, J.F. (2024). Policy influences on ambitious classroom instruction, assessment, and learning. In Marion, S.F., Pellegrino, J.W., & Berman, A.I. (Eds.) Implementation and use of balanced assessment systems (pp. 274-308). National Academy of Education.
Middlebrook, K., Hamilton, L.S., & Walker, M.E. (2024). How research and testing companies can support early-career measurement professionals. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice.
Gross, B., & Hamilton, L.S. (2023). Student mental health and well-being: A review of evidence and emerging solutions. Center on Reinventing Public Education.
Hamilton, L.S., & Kaufman, J.H. (2022). Indicators of equitable civic learning in U.S. public schools. Educational Assessment, 27, 187-196
Hamilton, L.S. (2022). Cross-cutting methodological considerations for measuring and assessing noncognitive skills. In S.M. Jones, N.K. Lesaux, & S.P. Barnes (Eds.), Measuring noncognitive skills in school settings: Assessments of executive function and social-emotional competencies (pp.285-303). Guilford.
Hamilton, L.S., & Parsi, A. (2022). Monitoring civic learning opportunities and outcomes: Lessons from a symposium sponsored by ETS and Educating for American Democracy. ETS.
