Dr. Natalie Bolton is a tenured Professor and Director of Quality Assurance in the College of Education at the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL). Her research focuses on educational assessment, assessment literacy, standards-based grading and reporting, learning sciences, program evaluation, and translational research. Her scholarship bridges research and practice, emphasizing the use of evidence to improve teaching and learning, strengthen educational systems, and advance workforce development.
An accomplished researcher and principal investigator, Dr. Bolton has served in research leadership and evaluation roles on 52 funded grants totaling more than $12 million in external and internal funding. Her research portfolio spans K–12 education, higher education, educator preparation, civic education, and cybersecurity workforce development. Her work has been supported by the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Defense, James S. McDonnell Foundation, USAID, and state education agencies, among other organizations. In recognition of her scholarly contributions, she received UMSL's Co-Investigator of the Year Award in both 2023 and 2025.
Dr. Bolton currently serves as Principal Investigator of the $4.06 million UMSL Charter School Translational Fellows Program, funded by the James S. McDonnell Foundation. This multi-year initiative advances research-practice partnerships by embedding postdoctoral research fellows in schools to address locally identified problems of practice, strengthen evidence-based instruction, and support sustainable educational improvement. She also leads interdisciplinary cybersecurity workforce research through the Department of Defense University Consortium for Cybersecurity, contributing expertise in assessment, competency measurement, and program evaluation to investigate workforce readiness and performance in complex learning environments.
Her scholarship includes peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, conference proceedings, technical reports, and educational resources addressing assessment, instructional improvement, learning sciences, and educational evaluation. She has contributed to widely used professional texts, including Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing It Right—Using It Well and How to Grade for Learning: Linking Grades to Standards. Her recent research examines translational research partnerships, continuous improvement in educator preparation, artificial intelligence in education, and the use of assessment evidence to inform educational decision-making.
Dr. Bolton collaborates with schools, universities, and educational organizations nationally and internationally to strengthen assessment literacy, develop and evaluate cognitive and affective assessments, design standards-based grading and reporting systems, and support evidence-informed professional learning. Her international work includes educational partnerships across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. She has received multiple UMSL Global Fellow awards and contributed to the work recognized with the 2022 American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education Best Practice Award in Support of Global and International Perspectives.
Prior to joining UMSL, Dr. Bolton served as a middle school teacher, assistant principal, Kentucky Department of Education Social Studies Consultant, and faculty member and educational leader at the University of Louisville. These experiences continue to inform her commitment to connecting educational research with the practical challenges facing educators, schools, and communities.
At UMSL, Dr. Bolton teaches graduate courses in assessment, learning and instruction, educational research, quantitative methods, and program evaluation. She mentors doctoral students and serves as a research methodologist on dissertation committees. Her commitment to student learning and evidence-based teaching was recognized with the 2012 Gerald and Deanne Gitner Excellence in Teaching Award, one of UMSL's most prestigious faculty teaching honors.
Dr. Bolton earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Louisville and her M.A. and B.A. in Secondary Education from the University of Kentucky.
Research Interests
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Educational assessment, assessment literacy, and educational measurement
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Standards-based grading, reporting, and formative assessment
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Translational research and research-practice partnerships
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Learning sciences and evidence-based instructional practices
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Program evaluation and continuous improvement
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Competency-based assessment and workforce development
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Educator preparation and professional learning
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Artificial intelligence in education and assessment
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Civic education and global education
