Doctoral Candidate · University of California, Irvine

Biraj Bishtbiraj.bisht@uci.edu

I am a PhD candidate in the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine. My research asks how K–12 school systems can be better organized to improve student learning, belonging, and opportunity. My current work examines high-impact tutoring and culturally relevant pedagogies, such as K–12 ethnic studies, as scalable strategies to reduce educational inequality and improve student outcomes. To do so, I apply descriptive, causal inference, and natural language processing methods to administrative data to produce evidence with direct policy relevance.

My research has been published in journals including the American Educational Research Journal and Educational Researcher, and has been featured by media outlets including the Hechinger Report, Brookings, and Education Week. Previously, I was a Research Analyst at the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, where I also completed my MA in Urban Education Policy. I received my BS in Economics from the University of Oregon Clark Honors College.

CV (PDF)

Research

Cultural Relevance at Scale: The Effects of an Ethnic Studies Expansion on Academic Outcomes
American Educational Research Journal  ·  2026  ·  Bisht, Bonilla, Kim & Penner
EdWorkingPaper
Ethnic studies is a culturally relevant curriculum designed to address the instructional needs of an increasingly diverse student population. However, evidence regarding the effectiveness of this curriculum at scale remains limited. This study evaluated the impact of districtwide implementation using a student-level difference-in-differences design with two-way fixed effects. We found that enrollment increased overall grade-point average by 0.17 points (0.24 SD), with the largest gains observed in math and science, and reduced course failure by 5.6 percentage points (0.14 SD). These benefits extended to all student groups, with stronger effects among academically vulnerable, male, Black and Latinx students and those with individualized education plans. Our findings suggest that well-implemented ethnic studies can be scaled effectively and can potentially reduce disparities in student outcomes.
The Inequity of Opt-in Educational Resources and an Intervention to Increase Equitable Access
Educational Researcher  ·  2025  ·  Robinson, Bisht & Loeb
EdWorkingPaper Hechinger Report Brookings Education Week
Billions of dollars are invested in opt-in educational resources to support struggling students. Yet there is no guarantee these students will use these resources. We report results from a school system's implementation of on-demand tutoring. The take-up was low. At baseline, only 19% of students ever accessed the platform, and low-performing students were even less likely to log in. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (N = 4,763) testing behaviorally informed messages directed at students and/or their parents to increase participation. Communications to students alone had no impact, whereas those to parents and students together increased usage by 46%. We found suggestive evidence that receiving these communications led to a four-percentage point decrease in course failures. Nonetheless, take-up remained low, highlighting that opt-in resources may increase—instead of reduce—inequality. Without targeted outreach, opt-in educational resources are unlikely to reach many students who could benefit.
Paraeducators: Growth, Diversity, and a Dearth of Professional Supports
Annenberg Institute EdWorkingPaper  ·  2022  ·  Bisht, LeClair, Loeb & Sun
EdWorkingPaper FutureEd New America Education Week
Paraeducators perform multiple roles in U.S. classrooms, including among others preparing classroom activities, working with students individually and in small groups, supporting individualized programming for students with disabilities, managing classroom behavior, and engaging with parents and communities. Yet, little research provides insights into this key group of educators. This study combines an analysis of national administrative data to describe the paraeducator labor market with a systematic review of collective bargaining agreements and other job-defining documents in ten case-study districts. We find a large and expanding labor market of paraeducators, far more diverse along ethnic and racial lines than certified teachers but with far lower wages, fewer performance incentives, less professional development, and fewer opportunities for advancement within the profession.

Works in Progress

Ethnic Studies and Non-Academic Outcomes: Effects on Attendance, Engagement, and School Belonging
Racial Congruence and Cultural Relevance: Effects of Teacher–Student Race Match in Ethnic Studies Classrooms
What Do Ethnic Studies Syllabi Reveal? A Computational Text Analysis of Pedagogical Quality

Contact

I welcome questions about my research or potential collaborations. Please feel free to reach out for drafts or more information on any of my papers.

Email
biraj.bisht@uci.edu
Office
School of Education
University of California, Irvine