Biography
Sade Bonilla is an education policy scholar whose research examines how education policies and institutions shape students’ academic, economic, and civic outcomes. Drawing on economics of education and quantitative causal methods, her work focuses on transitions from K–12 education into college and the labor market, including career and technical education, workforce-aligned postsecondary programs, financial aid and college affordability, and other policies designed to expand educational opportunity for students from marginalized communities. Her research on ethnic studies and culturally relevant instruction examines how curriculum can shape students’ academic trajectories, educational attainment, and civic engagement.
Her research has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, American Educational Research Journal, Educational Finance and Policy, and Economics of Education Review. Dr. Bonilla frequently works with school districts, colleges, and state agencies to produce rigorous evidence that can inform policy and practice. Her work has been supported by funding from Arnold Ventures, Spencer Foundation, Lumina Foundation, and Neubauer Family Foundation.
Education
- Ph.D. (Economics of Education) Stanford University, 2019
- M.A. (Economics) Stanford University, 2017
- A.M. (Urban Education Policy) Brown University, 2010
- A.B. (Public Policy & Education Studies) Brown University, 2008
Areas of Expertise
- Economics of education
- Education policy evaluation
- Career and technical education
- Postsecondary education and financial aid
- College and workforce transitions
- Ethnic studies and culturally relevant education
- Civic engagement and education
- Quasi-experimental methods
Academic Programs
Education Policy, M.S.Ed. Education Policy, Ph.D.Research Interests and Current Projects
Professor Bonilla is principal investigator of the “Cost-of-living Grant Pilot on Community College Student Success,” a project funded by Arnold Ventures. This pathbreaking study examines the effects of financial aid on community college completion. Through a research partnership with two Massachusetts community colleges, the project will estimate the impact of financial aid on policy-relevant outcomes including educational attainment (e.g., persistence and on-time graduation rates) and examine potential mediators, including academic engagement (e.g., time usage spent studying), students’ engagement with college (e.g., use of campus resources, interactions with faculty and advisors), financial stress (e.g., housing and food insecurity), and mental wellbeing (e.g., anxiety, depression, and perceived stress).
She is also a collaborator on the multisite study “Centering Student Voice to Understand the Influence of Ethnic Studies Courses on Students Academic, Behavioral, and Social-Emotional Outcomes: A Cross-Case Mixed Methods Collaboration,” funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. In this study, Professor Bonilla and her collaborators are partnering across three Research Practice Partnerships (RPPs) to conduct a mixed method study of the relationship between ethnic studies and academic, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes. In addition to examining connections to student outcomes using longitudinal student-level data, this study centers participant voices, specifically uplifting student voices, and observes classroom practices in situ.
Publications
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