Ky Cosand is a researcher in the Learning Supports program at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), specializing in education finance and special education policy. Her work focuses on analyzing how funding structures, resource allocation, and policy decisions shape the delivery and cost of education services, particularly for students with disabilities. She leads and manages research projects that examine the financial and structural implications of education systems, applying advanced quantitative and qualitative methods to primary and secondary data. 

 

Cosand serves in leadership roles on state-level school finance studies in Maryland and Vermont, where she contributes to cost modeling, development of service-based resource assumptions, and policy recommendations to inform funding formulas. She has also contributed to instrument development for The National Study of Special Education Spending (NSSES), supporting efforts to strengthen national data collection on special education expenditures. Additionally, she directs work on federal funding flexibility and Medicaid policy projects, helping state and district leaders better leverage and align funding streams to support student outcomes. 

 

In addition to her research, Cosand provides technical assistance to support system-level change, translating complex financial and policy analyses into actionable guidance for decision-makers. She brings over a decade of experience in special education, including prior work as a speech-language pathologist and systems coach. She holds a doctoral degree in special education policy from the University of Kansas.