DP
Unit: Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy
Department: Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy
Office location and address
Garrett Hall L005
235 McCormick Rd
Charlottesville,
Virginia
22904
Education
Ph.D., Economics, University of Washington, 2006
B.S., Economics, Brigham Young University, 1999
B.S., Economics, Brigham Young University, 1999
Biography
Dan Player’s research is focused on issues in education policy. His work has examined questions such as how teacher ability is recognized and rewarded in schools, whether teacher performance predicts turnover, and how teachers respond to working conditions. He is also interested in evaluating the effectiveness of education policies designed to improve student outcomes. Dan’s work has appeared in academic journals such as the Economics of Education Review, the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, and Education Finance and Policy.
Dan received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Washington. Prior to joining the faculty at Batten he worked as a senior researcher at Mathematica Policy Research and as a research assistant professor at the Curry School of Education.
Publications
Courses
Credits: 3
This course will provide an overview of research methods and data analysis in public policy, integrating basic statistical modeling. The class will promote a critical understanding of what good research is, how people sometimes lie with statistics, and how flawed research can be identified, and an appreciation of the relationship between researchers and the rest of society, and how researchers can most suitably deal with the existence of skeptics
Credits: 3
This course will provide an overview of research methods and data analysis in public policy, integrating basic statistical modeling. The class will promote a critical understanding of what good research is, how people sometimes lie with statistics, and how flawed research can be identified, and an appreciation of the relationship between researchers and the rest of society, and how researchers can most suitably deal with the existence of skeptics
Credits: 1–6
Student will perform independent projects under close faculty supervision.
Credits: 3
This course presents the simplest economic models explaining how individuals and organizations respond to changes in their circumstances and how they interact in markets, and it applies these models to predict the effects of a wide range of government programs. It also analyzes justifications that have been offered for government actions.
Credits: 3
The purpose of this course is to develop the student's ability to define and solve public problems. Subsidiary objectives of the course are to help the student to integrate the analytical, political, and leadership skills they have learned in their other MPP courses and improve their ability to work in teams; and hone their written and oral presentation skills. Prerequisites: Graduate student in public policy
Credits: 3
The purpose of this course is to develop the student's ability to define and solve public problems. Subsidiary objectives of the course are to help the student to integrate the analytical, political, and leadership skills they have learned in their other MPP courses and improve their ability to work in teams; and hone their written and oral presentation skills. Prerequisites: Graduate student in public policy
Credits: 3
Prepares students to apply economic analysis to public policy problems. Topics include externalities, industry regulation, and policy problems of allocating resources over time. Examples will show a broad range of substantive applications to domestic and international policymaking.
Credits: 3
The Applied Policy Project (APP) is the capstone event of the MPP program, an independent analytical project for each student. Divided over two semesters, APP I provides students with the opportunity for a semester of research and information gathering in the policy field of the student's external client.
Credits: 1–6
Student will perform independent projects under close faculty supervision.
Credits: 1–6
Student will perform independent projects under close faculty supervision.