Justin D. Baer, Ph.D.

Justin D. Baer, Ph.D. is acting director of the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Appalachia and managing director of Education. The REL Appalachia is one of 10 research centers funded by the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. As acting director, Baer is responsible for planning and ensuring the quality of the laboratory's portfolio of research, technical assistance, and evaluation work supporting the education needs of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Baer joined CNA's Education team in 2011 and draws on a decade of experience conducting research on a range of educational issues for federal, state, and non-profit clients.

Baer came to CNA from the National Education Association where he led several projects focused on the teacher workforce, teacher evaluation, and school reform. He served as the project manager and co-author of The American School Teacher: Past, Present, and Future, a study of the teaching profession over the past half century published by Harvard Education Press.

Baer began his career at the American Institutes for Research where he specialized in the design and analysis of large-scale surveys and educational assessments. He has worked extensively with the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), serving as a task lead for the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and an analyst for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

Baer earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Washington.