[1] Weiss was also a visiting fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, the Brookings Institution,[1] and the United States Department of Education.
[3] Weiss's research focused on policy studies, particularly in education, and she was one of the earliest scholars to develop methods for scientifically evaluating social programs.
[1] Weiss was one of the founders of theory-based evaluation, an approach for organizations to effect social change.
[4][5] In addition to developing methodologies for the scientific evaluation of policies, Weiss was also particularly noted for training others in how to apply those methodologies, and developing a community of people trained in the scientific evaluation of policies.
[6] In addition to her academic research, Weiss actively consulted on a wide variety of policy programs with governments and organizations throughout her career.