Allison Rose Socol, Ph.D. serves as EdTrust’s vice president of P-12 policy, practice, and research. In this role, Allison leads the P-12 team to highlight inequities, identify research-based solutions, and work with a wide range of equity advocates to push for change that will expand excellence and equity in the P-12 education system for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.
Allison has been with EdTrust since 2016. She previously served as EdTrust’s assistant director of P-12 Policy, where she led the development of the organization’s policy agenda on issues essential to promoting equity in the P-12 system and coordinated data and policy analyses to execute the organization’s growing state-level advocacy efforts. She started her career at EdTrust as a senior analyst, a role in which she developed and conducted data and policy analyses to highlight gaps in opportunity and achievement in our education system.
Before joining EdTrust, Allison was a research assistant at the Center for Scaling Up Effective Schools, where she focused on identifying programs, practices, and policies that make high schools in large urban districts effective for low-income students and students of color. She also worked as a literacy coach for kindergarten and first grade teachers in rural public schools in North Carolina and taught fifth and sixth grade at Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. She earned her teaching certification through the Inspired Teaching Certification Program.
Allison holds a Ph.D. in Education Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master’s degree in teaching from Trinity University, and a bachelor’s degree in public policy from UNC.
What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
Spend time with my two beautiful kids.
What drew you to education?
I loved school. I was fortunate to have many teachers in my public schools who encouraged me to read and write, to ask questions about how things work, and to want to make the world a better place. I wanted to become a teacher who inspired children in that same way.
Why are you passionate about working at EdTrust?
My goal is to strengthen American public education so that it is truly an equitable system for all students. At EdTrust, I get to work with smart and passionate colleagues who share the same vision and work hard every day to make it a reality.
Author Archives
Why Defunding AmeriCorps is a Mistake
The Trump Administration’s decision to eliminate nearly $400 million in AmeriCorps grants and place 85% of AmeriCorps staff on administrative leave is deeply misguided
An EdTrust Mom Reflects on Returning to Work
While navigating postpartum life and caring for her children during a rapidly changing America, EdTrust’s P-12 VP experiences heartbreak and hope
The Literacy Crisis in the U.S. is Deeply Concerning—and Totally Preventable
Literacy is one of the major civil rights issues of our time. Our children’s future—and our nation’s democracy—depends on us addressing this crisis now.
Florida Social Studies Standards Are a Slap in the Face of Honest American History
I was dismayed to learn that in my home state of Florida, the state board of education unanimously approved new social studies standards for K-12 students, which have sparked criticism…
Why Students Deserve a Rigorous AP African American Studies Curriculum
There are more than 3 million students enrolled in AP courses, many of whom — regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender — will be impacted by the decision by the…
NAEP Scores Are Out. Sure, Results Are Bad. But Now’s Not the Time for Handwringing
Today, the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) released national-, state-, and district-level scores for grades 4 and 8 in mathematics and reading. This data gives a comprehensive picture of…
NAEP Results Show Dismal Learning Loss Due to Pandemic. What Can Be Done?
Today, the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) long-term trend scores in reading and math were released — the first national assessment of student learning trends during the pandemic. And…
Why Are Black and Latino Students Shut Out of AP STEM Courses?
2 in 5 Black and Latino students say they really enjoy STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) courses and…
Is Your State Building An Intensive Tutoring System?
A six-year-old boy looked up at his teacher, searching for confirmation that the sounds emanating from his mouth matched the word she was pointing to. His face told his teacher…
Getting Latino Students Better Access to Non-Novice Teachers
Every year, thousands of individuals take on one of the most important jobs: TEACHING. While new teachers bring energy…
Getting Black Students Better Access to Non-Novice Teachers
Every year, thousands of individuals take on one of the most important jobs: TEACHING. While new teachers bring energy…
How The American Rescue Plan Can Help States Advance Educational Equity
The federal government has made an unprecedented investment in education. The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act provides almost $130 billion for education, and the amount of funding each state and…
Why Schools Should Consider Online Coaching for Teachers
“Rrrr – aaaa – t.” A five-year-old boy on my computer screen looked up at his teacher quizzically. He was unsure of what the word was, so his teacher patiently…
Inequities in Advanced Coursework
Black and Latino students across the country experience inequitable access to advanced coursework opportunities. They are locked out of…
Why School Shootings are an Education Issue
There have been less than 40 days in this school year, but already there’s been a slew of school shootings. Each one is horrific in its own way, but the…
Tackling Gaps in Access to Strong Teachers
Of the many inequities in our education system, gaps in access to strong teaching have proven to be among…
NBER Study Makes Assertions About Supergroups Without Proof
A recent paper touting gains in Kentucky’s Focus schools (schools with the lowest performance for student groups) is, on the surface, encouraging. We want to know more about what’s driving…
Trends in State ESSA Plans: Defining Away Low Performance for Groups of Students
When is performance for a group of students so low that it requires attention and action? This is one of the critical questions that states have to answer as they…
From Teacher Appreciation Day to Teacher Appreciation Every Day
When I was a teacher at a charter elementary school in Washington, D.C., there was usually a catered lunch for Teacher Appreciation Week, during which parent volunteers would give us…
Evidence-Based Strategies for Improvement: What Are They, and Where Can I Find Them?
Although the Every Student Succeeds Act leaves a lot of decisions about how to improve struggling schools to schools and districts, the law is quite clear that the strategies leaders…
For Equity-Oriented State Leaders: 9 Ideas for Stimulating School Improvement Under ESSA
s state education leaders redesign their school accountability systems under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), there’s been a…
In the Classroom, Experience Is Two-Fold
We already know that low-income children, children of color, and English learners are more likely to be assigned to a brand-new teacher than their wealthier and White peers. But a…