Tony Fong

Overview

Tony Fong is a national expert in conducting large-scale impact analyses to understand educational policies, practices, and interventions. As a Director of Data Analytics in the Research Practice Partnership team, Fong manages numerous federally funded projects that help clients identify effective practices in education and determine how these can be implemented. 

Fong has led numerous research studies funded by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). These grants and contracts have been funded within ED by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Office of English Language Acquisition, the Office of Postsecondary Education, and the Institute of Education Sciences. These research studies involve producing a summative evaluation report, and the reports that Fong has authored have been reviewed by ED’s What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) and met WWC standards both with and without reservations. Fong’s research has also led to educational interventions receiving the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Tier One Strong Evidence.  

Fong also oversees a team of researchers with extensive experience in carrying out tasks such as the following: working closely with schools/districts/states to extract student-level data, setting up data security plans, setting up and executing data sharing agreements, securely transferring confidential student-level data, securely storing data as specified in the agreements with districts/states, cleaning and analyzing data, producing data visualizations and dashboards for clients, and working with stakeholders to understand and act on the analyzed data. Prior to working at WestEd, Fong was a senior associate within the Assurance and Business Advisory Services group at PricewaterhouseCoopers. 

Education

• PhD in economics of education, Columbia University Teachers College
• MS in applied statistics, Columbia University Teachers College
• BA in business economics, University of California, Los Angeles

Select Publications

Jaquet, K., Fong, T., & Chen-Gaddini, M. (2024). Evaluation of the Silicon Valley Research Practice Partnership for Computational Thinking and Positive Identity. WestEd. 

Chen-Gaddini, M., Fong, A., Zhu, N., & Porterfield, A. (2019). Adoption of, enrollment in, and teacher workload for the Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum in California high schools (REL 2020–006). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory West. 

Jaquet, K., & Fong, A. B. (2017). How do Algebra I course repetition rates vary among English learner students by length of time to reclassification as English proficient? (REL 2017–222). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory West. 

Fong, A. B., Makkonen, R., & Jaquet, K. (2016). Projections of California teacher retirements: A county and regional perspective (REL 2017–181). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory West.  

Fong, A. B., Jaquet, K., & Finkelstein, N. (2014). Who repeats Algebra I, and how does initial performance relate to improvement when the course is repeated? (REL 2015–059). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory West.  

Barrat, V. X., Berliner, B., & Fong, A. B. (2012). When dropping out is not a permanent high school outcome: Student characteristics, motivations, and reenrollment challenges. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 17(4), 217–233. 

Fong, A. B., & Makkonen, R. (2012). Retirement patterns of California prekindergarten–grade 12 educators (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2012–No. 130). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory West.  

Fong, A. B., Bae, S., & Huang, M. (2010). Patterns of student mobility among English language learner students in Arizona public schools (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2010–No. 093). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory West. 

White, M. E., Fong, A. B., & Makkonen, R. (2010). School-site administrators: A California county and regional perspective on labor market trends (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2010–No. 084). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory West.  

Finkelstein, N. D., Fong, A. B., Hirschman, B., Luers, K. W., & Deussen, T. (2009). Improving the quality and use of postsecondary data: A resource guide for smaller learning communities grantees. U.S. Department of Education. 

Berliner, B., Barrat, V. X., Fong, A. B., & Shirk, P. B. (2008). Reenrollment of high school dropouts in a large, urban school district (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2008–No. 056). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory West. 

Finkelstein, N. D., & Fong, A. B. (2008). Course-taking patterns and preparation for postsecondary education in California’s public university systems among minority youth (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2008–No. 035). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory West. 

Fong, A. B., Huang, M., & Goel, A. M. (2008). Examining the links between grade 12 mathematics coursework and mathematics remediation in Nevada public colleges and universities (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2008–No. 058). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory West. 

White, M. E., & Fong, A. B. (2008). Trends in California teacher demand: A county and regional perspective (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2008–No. 057). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory West. 

Honors, Awards, and Affiliations

WestEd’s IRB Committee member (2020–Present) 

Ed Myers Award for Exceptional Contribution to the WestEd Community (2022)