Jason Snipes
About
Jason Snipes co-leads the Regional Educational Laboratory West (REL West) partnership with San Francisco Unified School District focused on reducing racial discipline disparities for Black students through coaching of district and school staff in continuous improvement processes and research to test policies and practices. He also leads the portfolio of Applied Research studies for REL West. His work has emphasized policies, programs, and practices intended to improve the outcomes of Black and Latinx students. He has designed, led, and analyzed data for cluster, student-level, longitudinal, and quick-turnaround RCTs for large- and small-scale education evaluations, including randomized control trials of Reading Apprenticeship program, Elevate, and Career Academies. He has also led studies that examined the relationships among risk factors, student academic mindsets, and the transition to middle and high schools. He received his PhD in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Jason Snipes: jsnipes@wested.org
Associated IES Content
About REL West
Regional Educational Lab (REL) West partners with key stakeholders in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah to develop evidence that can inform consequential decisions about policy, programs, and practice.
Blog
Understanding Academic Mindsets
Jason Snipes, Director of Applied Research at REL West, penned a letter on how academic mindsets impact behaviors and academic success. This blog post is included as part of our REL West Winter newsletter. Please refer back to that newsletter for additional content on the topics referenced below. If you are not signed up for the REL West newsletter, please click here to sign up.
Date published:
Jan 31, 2023
FY2022
FY2022 Single-Session Peer Review Panel
Grant
National Replication Study of the Effects of Self-Affirmation on Black and Latinx Students' Academic, Disciplinary, and Socio-Emotional Outcomes in Different School Settings
The research team will replicate a prior impact study of a self-affirmation (SA) intervention to counteract the harmful effects of negative racial stereotypes on the academic, disciplinary and socio-emotional outcomes of seventh grade Black and Latinx students. This study differs from the prior studies because it is specifically designed to provide new evidence concerning: (1) the impact of self-affirmation on Black and Latinx students in different schools with different demographic composi...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305R220018
report
Descriptive Study
Academic Mindsets and Behaviors, Prior Achievement, and the Transition to Middle School
As students enter middle school, their academic achievement and engagement frequently declines. Previous research has found that academic outcomes around the transition to middle school are related to, and might even be driven by, academic mindsets, including growth mindsets (such as beliefs about the malleability of academic ability and the payoff to effort) and performance avoidance (fears of failure and the desire to avoid academic effort), and resulting academic behaviors (such as complet...
Oct 01, 2021
report
Descriptive Study
Growth mindset, performance avoidance, and academic behaviors in Clark County School District
This study examined student and teacher attitudes and beliefs about growth mindset (beliefs about the malleability of ability and the payoff for student effort), performance avoidance (hiding one's effort or refraining from making an effort due to concerns of failure or embarrassment), and academic behaviors (such as completing homework and participating in class) in Nevada's Clark County School District. Most students reported beliefs that are consistent with a growth mindset. Students' repo...
Apr 01, 2017
report
Descriptive Study
Early Indicators and Academic Mindsets in the Clark County School District
Previous research strongly suggests that beliefs regarding the nature of ability and the payoff to effort (academic mindsets) and the related actions (academic behaviors) play an important role in supporting student success. Not much is known about the distribution of these beliefs among teachers and students in different academic contexts. This study examined the distribution of reported academic mindsets and behaviors in Nevada's Clark County School District. The analysis revealed that most...
Dec 01, 2016
resource
Other Resource
Opening a Gateway to College Access
Mastering algebra is a fundamental step toward gaining access to and preparing for the higher level math courses that high school students must complete in order to be prepared for college. Three recent REL West studies conducted by the Silicon Valley Research Alliance shed important light on policies and practices that affect student success in algebra and preparation for higher level math courses. Download the research brief to explore the findings from these REL West studies. Read the repo...
Jul 01, 2015
report
Impact Study
The Effects of the Elevate Math Summer Program on Math Achievement and Algebra Readiness
The Effects of the Elevate Math summer program on math achievement and algebra readiness: This randomized trial examined the effects of the Elevate Math summer program on math achievement and algebra readiness, as well as math interest and self-efficacy, among rising 8th grade students in California's Silicon Valley. The Elevate Math summer math program targets students who score in the range between "high basic" and "low proficient" on state math tests. It consists of 19 days of mathematics ...
Jun 01, 2015
report
Descriptive Study
Using Assessment Data to Guide Math Course Placement of California Middle School Students
Questions about how best to place students into appropriate middle grade math courses have been central to ongoing education policy and practice discussions in California and across the United States. Recent studies have shown that enrolling in algebra I in grade 8 works well for some students but backfires for others. This REL West report provides findings from a study of placements that were based on different test scores available for middle school students in California. Findings indicate...
Aug 01, 2014
FY2013
FY2013 Single-Session Peer Review Panel
FY2011 IES Peer Reviewers
FY2011 IES Research Peer Review Panel
Grant
Assessing the Efficacy of Check & Connect for Improving Outcomes for At-Risk High School Students
Because the dropout problem has persisted in the United States over the previous decades, much work has focused on the development and implementation of dropout prevention programs in and outside of school. A review of the research on these programs suggests that some, but not many, dropout prevention programs have positive effects on school persistence and completion. Check & Connect is a dropout prevention program with demonstrated effectiveness for students with disabilities. The research...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A110252
Grant
Collaborative Research in Urban Education
The program funded by this grant is designed to put in place a unique structure for a high degree of collaboration between large urban school districts and senior researchers with established records of high quality research. Research is carried out by Senior Fellows in Urban Education selected on a competitive basis to carry out specific work described in their proposals. Under the grant, the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS) works with a Research Advisory Committee (RAC) composed of s...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305U060005
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