Bridging policy and practice

As the first doctoral graduate of the University of Delaware's interdisciplinary education and social policy program, Hojung Lee is setting a powerful example of how rigorous, data-driven research can inform public policy and improve educational outcomes. Now a postdoctoral associate in Rice University's Department of Sociology, Lee investigates how resource allocation decisions - from housing vouchers to federal education funding - shape opportunities for underserved students.

Her work recently earned her national recognition as a 2025 APPAM Equity and Inclusion Young Professional Fellow, an honor awarded by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management to early-career scholars advancing inclusive, evidence-based solutions to pressing policy challenges.

Lee's academic journey began in economics when she studied game theory during her master's program in South Korea. Her interests shifted toward education policy after mentoring students from low-income backgrounds and witnessing the transformative power of targeted support. That experience led her to seek a doctoral program aligned with her values - one that would allow her to explore the intersection of policy and practice.

"I wanted an advisor who was as passionate about educational inequity as I was, and a program that would allow me to do research that could change lives," Lee said. "I am grateful for what I found at UD."

At UD, Lee found the mentorship, methodological training and interdisciplinary perspective needed to tackle complex education challenges. She worked closely with faculty mentors Ken Shores, whose research focuses on education equity, and Florence Ran, who studies community college success. The program's emphasis on applied research helped her connect theory with practice and produce scholarship that informs real-world policy decisions.

Her dissertation, composed of three empirical studies - two already published in peer-reviewed journals - examined how policy and institutional structures affect outcomes for disadvantaged students.

In her first study, Lee analyzed how federal Title I funding influences local education finance in the post-adequacy era. Title I is a federal education program established under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide additional funding to schools with high numbers of students from low-income families. Its goal is to ensure all children - regardless of economic background - have access to a fair, equitable and high-quality education by helping close academic achievement gaps.

She found that Title I dollars now supplement operating budgets rather than replace local contributions - a shift from earlier patterns of fiscal substitution. However, she also discovered that districts respond by reducing capital expenditures and holding fewer bond elections.

"This matters because capital investments, such as building improvements and infrastructure, have long-term benefits and tend to disproportionately support disadvantaged students," Lee explained. "So, while Title I is now more effective in enhancing day-to-day operations, it may unintentionally hinder long-term infrastructure development in high-poverty districts."

Her second study focused on corequisite remediation in higher education, a model designed to accelerate student progress through gateway courses. While the model improved course completion rates, Lee found an unintended consequence: increased dropout rates among certain students.

"We think this may be due to students taking fewer courses overall, which could pose additional challenges for those who weren't fully prepared for college," she said. "From a policy perspective, it's not about labeling the model as right or wrong but understanding the new challenges it introduces. Every system has flaws - our job is to preserve the benefits while addressing the unintended consequences."

Her third study examined disparities in Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways in Delaware, linking enrollment patterns to projected earnings. Using federal labor statistics, Lee found that female and African American students are disproportionately enrolled in lower-wage career tracks.

"This pattern was consistent across schools," she noted, "suggesting that something in the selection process - whether it's guidance from counselors, peer influence or systemic bias - may be steering students toward different tracks. The disparities are clear and point to a need for more equitable advising and support structures in CTE enrollment."

Lee's research also gives her a unique perspective on the role of federal policy and data infrastructure in shaping education outcomes. She sees the United States as offering unparalleled opportunities for education research.

"One of the most valuable aspects of doing research in the U.S. is the incredible access to high-quality data," she said. "The U.S. Department of Education, through the National Center for Education Statistics, offers one of the most comprehensive and transparent public education datasets in the world. Coming from South Korea, I can say this level of openness is rare and deeply empowering for researchers."

She sees variation in state-level education systems as an opportunity for researchers to study how different policies and funding models affect equity. Federal programs like Title I, she notes, play a crucial role in addressing these disparities.

Continuing the mission

Lee credits UD with giving her the foundation to pursue this work with confidence. From mentorship to methodological training, the University equipped her to ask hard questions, analyze complex data and advocate for more equitable systems.

Through her research, Lee continues to bridge policy and practice - a mission that began at the University of Delaware and now contributes to national conversations about equity, access and opportunity in education. Her recent recognition as a 2025 APPAM Equity and Inclusion Young Professional Fellow by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management affirms the significance of her scholarship and highlights UD's role in preparing researchers who turn data into action.