Sarah Pepper

Sarah Pepper is a Statistical Consultant and Senior Research Associate with experience in research design, protocol development, qualitative interviewing, survey design, focus group facilitation, and data analysis.

Her current work involves analyzing data on the experience of youth who participated in work internships through NYC Opportunity’s Work Progress Program and coaching two nonprofit organizations in the Philadelphia area as they work to strengthen their internal data collection and usage strategies through participation in Pew’s Evaluation Capacity Building Initiative (ECBI).

In 2020, she worked with Springboard Collaborative analyzing program and school district data in order to document differences in the effect of Springboard’s Summer literacy intervention on participants relative to students in a matched comparison group. Other recent work includes analysis of teacher survey data and student performance data to evaluate the effectiveness of the Bootstrap computer programming curriculum in teaching students algebraic concepts and analysis of participation data and reading assessment data to evaluate the effectiveness of one-on-one targeted reading interventions for students participating in Literacy Lab relative to a matched comparison group. In earlier work, as a consultant with Public/Private Ventures, she analyzed survey and attendance data and participated in report writing for many projects including, but not limited to, an evaluation of middle school participants in Boys and Girls Clubs of America as they transitioned to high school, an evaluation of participants in after-school literacy programs, and an evaluation of First Place for Youth, a program aimed at improving housing, education and employment outcomes for youth emancipating from foster care.

Dr. Pepper previously worked with Public/Private Ventures as a Research Associate where she analyzed data relating to many youth development programs including the San Francisco Beacons Centers, a gang prevention program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and a teen pregnancy reduction program. She evaluated the Mentoring Supervisor Certificate Program for Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC, and evaluated factors that contribute to the sustainability of programs receiving Robert Wood Johnson Faith in Action seed grants.

Dr. Pepper received a BA in Sociology from Temple University where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her MA in Demography together with a Ph.D. in Demography and Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.