Jennifer O'Day

Jennifer O'Day
Jennifer O'Day
Institute Fellow,
American Institutes for Research

Jennifer O’Day is an institute fellow at the American Institutes for Research (AIR). Over the past 25 years, she has completed research, advised national and state policy makers, and written extensively in the areas of systemic standards-based reform, educational equity, accountability, and capacity-building strategies. Her work has focused on strategies for intervening in low-performing, high-poverty schools identified under systems of local, state, and federal accountability. O’Day is the founder and chair of the California Collaborative on District Reform. In 2019, she and Marshall (Mike) Smith co-authored the book Opportunity for All: A Framework for Quality and Equality in Education. O'Day received her PhD in education administration and policy analysis from Stanford University.

updated 2025

Publications by Jennifer O'Day
The Local Control Funding Formula in Year 3
The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) gives districts funding authority and requires input from stakeholders to create Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs) for equitable resource allocation and improved student outcomes. This report…
Rekindling Reform
This report discusses key education policy challenges in California, including funding, teacher quality, achievement gaps, and school accountability. The report highlights the need for equitable funding and effective teacher training and retention…
Successes, Challenges, and Opportunities for Improvement
California's accountability system, PSAA, has been examined by three independent studies, revealing five key issues. The system established specific performance targets, rewards, and sanctions for schools, but budget constraints and differences with…