Improving Academic Preparation for College - Center for American ...

About the Authors
RoBIn CHAIT
Robin Chait is a Senior Education Policy Analyst at the Center for American Progress,
where she focuses on teacher quality and high school reform issues, particularly as they
affect disadvantaged students. In this position, Chait writes columns and papers, develops
legislative proposals, and plans panel discussions and meetings. Prior to this position,
Chait was an independent consultant and worked with Practical Strategy, LLC, and Cross
and Joftus, LLC, to conduct research and write reports for nonprofit organizations and
government agencies including the National Governor’s Association, the National High
School Alliance, and the Corporation for National Service and others. Prior to this position,
Chait was a D.C Teaching Fellow and third grade teacher in the District of Columbia
and has also taught remedial reading at Maya Angelou Charter School. Chait also served
as a Program Analyst in the U.S. Department of Education’s Planning and Evaluation
Service, where she designed and managed evaluations of federal education programs and
wrote sections of the congressionally mandated National Assessment of Title I reports
and other Department of Education-issued reports. Chait holds a master’s in Teaching
from American University, a masters in Public Policy from Georgetown University, and a
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Rutgers University.
AnDREA VEnEzIA
Andrea Venezia is Senior Policy Associate at WestEd. Her work is focused on improving
student readiness for, and success in, some form of postsecondary education—particularly
for students who are traditionally underserved. She works with schools, postsecondary
institutions, governmental agencies, nonprofits, and foundations to improve programs and
policies related to students’ transitions between high school and postsecondary education.
Venezia has worked in a variety of state, federal, and nonprofit organizations, including
the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, Stanford University’s Bridge
Project, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Charles A. Dana Center
at the University of Texas at Austin, the U.S. Department of Education, the National
Education Goals Panel, and the American Institutes for Research. She has authored, coauthored,
and co-edited numerous publications, including “Betraying the College Dream”
(2003), From High School to College (2004) by Jossey-Bass, and Minding the Gap (2007)
by Harvard Education Press. She earned a Ph.D. in public policy from the Lyndon B.
Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, a master’s degree in
Administration and Policy Analysis in Higher Education from Stanford University, and a
bachelor’s degree in English from Pomona College.
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