Kirk Walters is Director of Mathematics. His projects use a range of methods to develop and evaluate interventions aimed at improving math teaching and learning. He currently leads two federally funded projects to design state-of-the-art professional development for elementary math specialists and adult numeracy instructors; a large-scale effectiveness study of an online homework tool for middle school; and two improvement science projects involving secondary math teachers. 

Kirk’s prior research work includes a variety of mixed methods evaluations of math interventions. He also spent a decade as a secondary urban math teacher. This experience continues to inform his work and commitment to strengthening the connections between practice and research. As a teacher, he viewed each lesson as an experiment, full of surprises and opportunities for iterative improvement. This is partly why improvement science resonates so deeply with him as a practical lever for change.

Kirk received his PhD in social foundations of education from the University of Maryland, studied curriculum and instruction as a master’s student, and mathematics and social studies as an undergraduate.