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Center Director
Madhabi Chatterji 
Madhabi Chatterji, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Measurement, Evaluation, and Education at Teachers College (TC), Columbia University, where she also directs the Assessment and Evaluation Research Initiative (AERI) in the Department of Organization and Leadership.
Chatterji’s research and teaching interests lie broadly in assessment and evaluation methodology, specifically, in instrument design, validation and validity; educational equity; diagnostic classroom assessment; evidence standards and the evidence debate; and standards-based educational reforms. Her research has been recognized by the American Educational Research Association (Outstanding Publication Award, Advances in Research Methodology-Div. H, 2004), the Florida Educational Research Association (Distinguished Paper Award, 1995), and through competitive research grants from the National Science Foundation, Fulbright Commission and other agencies. She was named an Outstanding Reviewer in 2006 for her service on the Educational Researcher, a flagship scholarly journal of the American Educational Research Association. She has taught graduate level, methodological courses at TC for over a decade, and has argued for the use of systems-oriented, mixed-methods designs for conducting impact assessments of complex social interventions.
Chatterji was named a Fulbright Research Scholar in 2008, and is presently examining issues related to universal education and gender equity in primary schools of W. Bengal, India and Bangladesh. Other projects included the co-hosting of AERI’s inaugural international assessment conference with Educational Testing Service, and leading of the design and delivery of AERI's inaugural institute in March, 2012. Conference proceedings are currently in press in a special section of the Teachers College Record and a forthcoming volume, both to be edited by Chatterji.
Other refereed publications (published as M. Banerji through 2000 and M. Chatterji thereafter) have appeared in outlets such as Educational Researcher, American Journal of Evaluation, Journal of Educational Psychology, Teachers College Record, Review of Educational Research, Educational and Psychological Measurement, International Encyclopedia of Education, The SAGE International Handbook of Educational Evaluation, and The International Journal of Educational and Psychological Assessment.
Chatterji’s 2003 book, Designing and using tools for educational assessment (initially published by Allyn & Bacon/Pearson) is currently undergoing revision, and presents an iterative “Process Model” for the design and validation of assessments guided by user contexts. The model was recently applied for developing competency assessments in graduate medical education and health information technology programs (funded respectively, by the Stemmler Group of the National Board of Medical Examiners and the Office of the National Coordinator at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
Chatterji has served on numerous national and international advisory panels and as a technical consultant. Her recent service on an expert consensus committee convened by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in the U.S. (2008-10), led to a systems-based, evidence framework for decision-making in obesity prevention. Among others, she has served on the editorial advisory boards of the Educational Researcher and Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, the latter a leading journal of the National Council on Measurement on Education. She routinely reviews papers for top-tier journals in her disciplines.
Prior to joining TC in 2001, Chatterji served as Assistant Professor in educational measurement and research at the College of Education, University of South Florida (1996-2000), and as Supervisor, Research and Evaluation Services at the Pasco County school system in Florida (1988-1995). In both earlier positions, she was actively involved in leading Goals 2000 assessment reform initiatives funded by the U.S. and state governments. These experiences led to her firm belief in the need to integrate research, theory, policy and practice. Chatterji’s work today continues to be guided by that basic principle.
Full faculty profile.
Chatterji’s research and teaching interests lie broadly in assessment and evaluation methodology, specifically, in instrument design, validation and validity; educational equity; diagnostic classroom assessment; evidence standards and the evidence debate; and standards-based educational reforms. Her research has been recognized by the American Educational Research Association (Outstanding Publication Award, Advances in Research Methodology-Div. H, 2004), the Florida Educational Research Association (Distinguished Paper Award, 1995), and through competitive research grants from the National Science Foundation, Fulbright Commission and other agencies. She was named an Outstanding Reviewer in 2006 for her service on the Educational Researcher, a flagship scholarly journal of the American Educational Research Association. She has taught graduate level, methodological courses at TC for over a decade, and has argued for the use of systems-oriented, mixed-methods designs for conducting impact assessments of complex social interventions.
Chatterji was named a Fulbright Research Scholar in 2008, and is presently examining issues related to universal education and gender equity in primary schools of W. Bengal, India and Bangladesh. Other projects included the co-hosting of AERI’s inaugural international assessment conference with Educational Testing Service, and leading of the design and delivery of AERI's inaugural institute in March, 2012. Conference proceedings are currently in press in a special section of the Teachers College Record and a forthcoming volume, both to be edited by Chatterji.
Other refereed publications (published as M. Banerji through 2000 and M. Chatterji thereafter) have appeared in outlets such as Educational Researcher, American Journal of Evaluation, Journal of Educational Psychology, Teachers College Record, Review of Educational Research, Educational and Psychological Measurement, International Encyclopedia of Education, The SAGE International Handbook of Educational Evaluation, and The International Journal of Educational and Psychological Assessment.
Chatterji’s 2003 book, Designing and using tools for educational assessment (initially published by Allyn & Bacon/Pearson) is currently undergoing revision, and presents an iterative “Process Model” for the design and validation of assessments guided by user contexts. The model was recently applied for developing competency assessments in graduate medical education and health information technology programs (funded respectively, by the Stemmler Group of the National Board of Medical Examiners and the Office of the National Coordinator at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
Chatterji has served on numerous national and international advisory panels and as a technical consultant. Her recent service on an expert consensus committee convened by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in the U.S. (2008-10), led to a systems-based, evidence framework for decision-making in obesity prevention. Among others, she has served on the editorial advisory boards of the Educational Researcher and Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, the latter a leading journal of the National Council on Measurement on Education. She routinely reviews papers for top-tier journals in her disciplines.
Prior to joining TC in 2001, Chatterji served as Assistant Professor in educational measurement and research at the College of Education, University of South Florida (1996-2000), and as Supervisor, Research and Evaluation Services at the Pasco County school system in Florida (1988-1995). In both earlier positions, she was actively involved in leading Goals 2000 assessment reform initiatives funded by the U.S. and state governments. These experiences led to her firm belief in the need to integrate research, theory, policy and practice. Chatterji’s work today continues to be guided by that basic principle.
Full faculty profile.
