Madeline Price
DIRECTOR OF STATE POLICY & STRATEGY
Madeline Price is a student-centered state policy leader committed to identifying and championing policy opportunities to transform students’ lives through education. At HCM, she oversees a body of work dedicated to supporting systems-level change and strengthening state partnerships to ensure that education offers a clear path toward economic prosperity. Her data-driven, research-informed approach began in her early career at MDRC, a social policy research nonprofit with a national presence. At MDRC, Madeline supported a range of program evaluations and technical assistance projects. Working with initiatives across sectors such as Los Angeles College Promise, City Year, and Homeboy Industries, Madeline saw firsthand the critical role education plays in diverse contexts, the value of using data to drive continuous improvement, and the importance of meeting unique student needs.
Motivated by a desire to more effectively bridge research, policy, and practice, Madeline moved to Nashville to pursue a Master’s in Public Policy and joined the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE). On SCORE’s policy & government relations team, she managed the policy analysis process during legislative session, created resources for legislator engagement, and led the organization’s exploration of policy applications of a credential impact framework to better connect credentials with workforce opportunity. As Director of Policy, Madeline was also responsible for leading a collaborative, data-driven process to shape SCORE’s policy agenda, culminating in the writing of an annual State of Education in Tennessee report.
Throughout her career, Madeline has developed deep knowledge in several key policy areas including K-12 and postsecondary finance, nondegree credentials, and education-to-career pathways. Her work is grounded in an understanding of unique state education policy contexts and a belief in the power of state-level leadership to advance meaningful change.
Madeline holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Southern California and a Master’s in Public Policy in Education Policy from Vanderbilt University. Originally from Indianapolis, she recently returned to the Midwest with a move to Chicago. She enjoys exploring new restaurants, sitting outside with a good book, and hosting wine, charcuterie, and game nights.
Publications
2025 State of Education in Tennessee: Casting a Vision for Student Success (Tennessee Score)
Funding Student Opportunity Through Tennessee’s Outcomes-Based Formula (Tennessee Score)