Molly F. Gordon is a Senior Research Scientist at NORC at the University of Chicago. In her past role at the UChicago Consortium, she studied the impact of closing schools on students, staff, and families, focusing on the lived experiences of those directly impacted by school closings. As a qualitative researcher, she also investigated how principals and other school leaders organize their schools to produce positive school cultures and improve student learning. Furthermore, she studied preschool attendance policies and practices, as well as the five essential organizational supports in Illinois schools. Molly has presented her work to a variety of research, practice, and policy audiences. Her research interests include how educators interpret and enact policies into practice, the role of district and school leaders in school improvement and student learning, and family and community engagement. In her career, she has also studied state educational policy contexts, outside stakeholder influences in education, and has conducted numerous policy and program evaluations.
