McAllister joined Idaho Policy Institute in August 2018 to assist with projects that involve educational research and policy. McAllister spent two years teaching high school math and has experience conducting and evaluating large scale survey research. Her research interests include charter schools, teacher training, rural education, housing and homelessness. McAllister holds a master’s degree in Education: Curriculum and Instruction from Boise State University and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Brigham Young University.