Mayra Sandoval

Mayra Sandoval specializes in qualitative research methods primarily on educational policies, services, and programs, particularly those aimed at addressing educational and economic inequity.

Since joining Mathematica in 2019, Sandoval has worked on a range of projects in early childhood, adult education, secondary education, and criminal justice. Currently, she is the project leadership partner for the Secondary Writing portfolio funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, providing project management and evaluation planning support for three randomized controlled trials. In addition, she developed a four-part guide for technical assistance liaisons on how to apply culturally responsive evaluation practices throughout the research process. Sandoval also led the design of data collection materials and implementation analysis for a study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education to assess the feasibility of conducting a national study on the effectiveness of adult education programs. Past projects include leading qualitative data collection and analysis for a study on military caregiving children for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and violence prevention policies for youth and young adults in the City of Oakland. Sandoval is also a certified reviewer for the U.S. Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse on topics related to English learner students and literacy.

Sandoval’s work is motivated by her experience growing up in an immigrant community in Los Angeles and being the first person in her family to graduate from college. Before joining Mathematica, Sandoval was a research intern at the Consortium on Financing Higher Education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she conducted institutional research for 35 universities and colleges across the United States. She holds an M.Ed. in higher education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in sociology and economics from Pitzer College.