Sean Conlan

Sean Conlan

Managing Director of Research & Evaluation

Sean develops and executes research projects to increase knowledge of effective authorizing practices and policies.

He has spent nearly a decade in education reform researching charter school authorizing, its practices, and the relationship between authorizing and school outcomes. Prior to joining NACSA, Sean was a research design and statistics consultant. He also taught psychology, research methods, and statistics at the university level.

Sean holds a Ph.D. in psychology with minors in statistics and measurement from the University of Texas at Austin. He earned his bachelor’s degree in anthropology and psychology from the University of Michigan.

Sean believes in the power of education to transform lives and the promise of charter schools to serve students that have been underserved by the traditional public education system.

When he’s not at work, Sean spends his time hiking, biking, and camping with family and friends. He also runs, but hates it.


Most Recent Posts
How to Communicate about School Closures
Few conversations in authorizing are harder than the ones about a school that is changing form or closing its doors. Whether you’re merging, consolidating, or closing a school, you know...
Montessori Applications Are Coming. Is Your Authorizer Office Ready?
Does your charter authorizing team know what a strong Montessori school application looks like? Charter schools were created to try new ways of meeting students’ learning needs. But the more...
NACSA statement on recent decision in Oklahoma about religious charter schools
NACSA is disappointed in the recent decision by a federal judge in Oklahoma, allowing The Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation to continue with plans to open a religious charter...