Dr. Christina Grant is the Executive Director of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. Throughout her career as an educator, administrator, and executive in some of America’s largest school systems, Dr. Grant has focused on data-driven leadership and strategic management to improve student outcomes and drive academic acceleration.

At CEPR, Dr. Grant unites researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to build transformative partnerships that are grounded in rigorous research, benefiting learners at every stage of life. Her leadership emphasizes the importance of evidence-based solutions in shaping effective educational policies.

Previously, Dr. Grant served as the District of Columbia’s State Superintendent of Education, where she oversaw grants, standards, assessments, and accountability for the District’s elementary and secondary schools. She implemented the first revision of social studies standards in twenty years and led a $100 million investment in programs aimed at driving post-pandemic academic recovery. Prior to her role in D.C., Dr. Grant was the Chief of Charter Schools and Innovation for The School District of Philadelphia, where she redesigned accountability metrics for Innovation and Alternative Education school models and was instrumental in leading the district's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.



Dr. Grant has also served as a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, teaching courses on educational leadership. Her research, public speaking, and writing focus on the importance of data-driven strategies and evidence-based interventions in education.

Beginning her career as a public school teacher in Harlem, Dr. Grant has held numerous positions in education, including Superintendent of the Great Oaks Foundation and Deputy Executive Director at the New York City Department of Education. In 2025, she was appointed by Governor Maura Healey as a member of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), where she contributes to strengthening the Commonwealth's public education system to ensure every student is prepared for success.

Dr. Grant holds a doctorate in education with a focus on organizational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, two master's degrees—one in organizational leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University, and one in teaching and adolescent reading from Fordham University—and a bachelor's degree from Hofstra University.