Jonathan E. Jacobson is a senior research scientist at the U. S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation. His professional interests focus on using rigorous evaluation methods to test the effectiveness of programs designed to help disadvantaged children, youth, and families. Dr. Jacobson’s areas of expertise include evaluation design, statistical analysis methods, elementary and secondary education policy, welfare reform, nutrition policy, microsimulation modeling, and contract management. Prior to joining the Department of Education, he worked for over 11 years as a research economist at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., in Washington DC, directing studies and authoring reports for both public and private-sector clients. Dr. Jacobson is a member of the American Economic Association and the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management and has presented papers at numerous conferences.