Sandra Jo Wilson, Ph.D.

Dr. Sandra Jo Wilson is a social science researcher with more than 25 years of experience designing and conducting rigorous research, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses across education, workforce development, and human services. She has led large-scale federal clearinghouses and research initiatives, disseminating that work to federal agencies, state and local governments, and practitioners across the United States and internationally. Her work spans dozens of projects and emphasizes translating complex evidence into actionable guidance. Dr. Wilson has pioneered innovative methods for identifying core components of effective programs and advancing evidence standards used widely by policymakers and researchers.

Dr. Wilson currently serves as Project Director of the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse and Principal Investigator for multiple federal contracts, including the Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse and the What Works Clearinghouse. She leads multidisciplinary teams to conduct systematic reviews, develop evidence standards, and produce accessible tools used nationwide. Her work has resulted in widely adopted standards, evidence clearinghouse websites, and technical assistance products for evaluators. She has also led meta-analyses identifying core components of effective interventions, with findings now being tested in randomized trials and informing practice guidelines for programs serving children and families.

Prior to joining Abt Global, Dr. Wilson was Associate Director and Research Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody Research Institute, where she led major federally funded research and meta-analysis projects. Her work included large-scale studies on school readiness, dropout prevention, and early childhood interventions, as well as methodological advances in research synthesis. She served as editor for Campbell Systematic Reviews and led international reviews for governments and foundations. Across her career, Dr. Wilson has directed or contributed to hundreds of studies, producing influential findings that have shaped evidence-based policy, program design, and evaluation practices across education and social policy sectors.

Expertise

• Evidence synthesis and systematic reviews
• Meta-analysis and core components
• Program evaluation
• Research design and data analysis
• Prevention science

Key Projects

• Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse — Administration for Children and Families
• What Works Clearinghouse — U.S. Department of Education
• Empirical Benchmarks for Interpreting Effect Size and Design Parameters for Planning Multilevel Randomized Trials on Social & Behavioral Outcomes – U.S. Department of Education
• Responsible Fatherhood Core Components Study — Administration for Children and Families
• Determining Common Components of Effective Prevention Programs for At-Risk Youth – Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

Certifications

• What Works Clearinghouse Certified Reviewer (Group Design, Advanced Group Design, and Single Case Design Standards)