In the News

Early education and K-12 leaders from across the country participated in a conference hosted by UW's National P-3 Institute to brainstorm ideas for better linking early childhood learning with the K-12 education system.

UW College of Education faculty, Soojin Oh Park and Nail Hassairi, conducted a study that proposes a new analytic approach to unlocking the potential of legislative data to inform future policymaking in the early care and education frontier. Very few studies in the field of early childhood consider how policymaking occurs at state and federal levels and under what conditions state legislators achieve success in committees, on the floor, and at the enactment stage of the legislative process. The authors’ findings may help guide targeted advocacy efforts by assigning thing policy priorities to more senior legislators (or not intensely involving senior legislators with legislation that may be relatively easy to pass), identifying which policy priorities to push for in times or large/small majorities in the legislative bodies, or may be useful for early childhood researchers and organizations engaging in state legislative action.

Men of color have been the focus of a growing number of research studies, as educators and policy makers attempt to address educational equity gaps. Compared with other educational settings, less attention has focused on how to increase persistence and graduation rates of men of color pursuing baccalaureate degrees. Yet, national statistics over the past two decades show that men of color in colleges and universities graduate at lower rates than all other populations, including their same-race women peers. Associate Professor, Joe Lott, II, along with co-authors Dalva Perez and Theresa Ling Yeh, conducted research to examine a collaborative, equity-based inquiry approach to respond to equity gaps for men of color in college. Their study used a social design experiment (SDE) approach to examine what happens when staff of color on a predominantly White campus come together to address educational inequities for men of color. The researchers’ findings suggest that developing communities of practice through this SDE approach could lead to more enriched and comprehensive responses and to systemic organizational change.

Professor Virginia Berninger comments on the cognitive benefits of learning cursive in story about the Ohio General Assembly considering a bill that would require schools teach cursive.

Jennifer Lee Hoffman, associate professor in Educational Foundations, Leadership & Policy and faculty member at the Center for Leadership in Athletics, is quoted in an article published in Diverse Issues in Higher Education that focuses on how collegiate athletes are already beginning to profit off their name, image and likeness since the court's ruling in June. While some scholars have speculated that profiting off name, image and likeness will make sports more equitable for all genders and races, Lee Hoffman cautions that institutions must take into consideration the ways in which equity comes into play and what young athletes need to learn to take advantage of the entrepreneurial options now available to them.

Four graduates and current students of UW's Leadership for Learning (Ed.D.) program, — Dr. Carl Bruner, Dr. James Everett, Dr. Chrys Sweeting and Brian Hart — received awards for outstanding leadership from the Washington Association of School Administrators.

Meili Powell, an early childhood and family studies major and leader in the College's Dream Project mentoring program, is recognized in UW President Ana-Mari Cauce's annual address.

Hannah Olson (PhD '14), program administrator and lecturer at the UW College of Education's Center for Leadership in Athletics, discusses her work with youth sports and education.

Professor Elizabeth West discusses her recent study showing the best research into how to help children with autism seldom considers the race, ethnicity or nationality of the participants.

In a series of five-minute talks, professors from the University of Washington’s College of Education recently shared insights on some key elements of great teaching.