Abigail Francis

I am Abigail Francis, a doctoral student in Educational Policy Studies at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, and a research assistant at the Wheelock Educational Policy Center (WEPC).

​

I study K–12 education policy in the United States, focusing on how families respond to changes in school choice policies and how these decisions reshape the composition and functioning of public schools. My work examines trends in public school disenrollment, the growth of private and alternative schooling options, and the implications of these shifts for educational stratification, accountability, and the measurement of school performance.

 

Prior to my Ph.D., I served as a team lead and research assistant at the College Crisis Initiative and a research assistant for John M. Braxton. I also served as a servant leader at Freedom School Partners. I hold a B.A. from Davidson College in Educational Studies and an M.Ed. in Human Development Studies from Vanderbilt University.