Christopher has collaborated with state departments of education on various research initiatives. Notably, he is actively involved in research-practice partnerships in Massachusetts, Indiana, and Oregon to understand better the experiences of students with disabilities and evaluate policies aimed at improving these students' outcomes. Additionally, he works with the Connecticut Department of Education to evaluate the effectiveness of the state's new teacher induction program.

Christopher also provides expert consulting services to the California Department of Justice and Department of Education on special education technical assistance and monitoring matters. From 2020 to 2023 he managed the Alliance for Resource Equity (ARE), a collaboration between the Raikes Foundation, Education Trust, and Education Resource Strategies to develop publications and toolkits to inform resource allocation decisions made by school district leaders. From 2020 to 2021, Christopher managed the Los Angeles Unified School District's participation in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Student-Centered Funding Pilot. Christopher also recently served on a technical working group for a project, conducted by the Center for Learner Equity and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, focused on charter school quality, growth, and sustainability in serving students with disabilities 

Before joining Brown University, Christopher was a Research Assistant Professor at Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human Development and a Consulting Manager at Education Resource Strategies. His research has received support from the Institute of Education Sciences and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Welcome, Professor Cleveland!