EDRE Lecture Series
The University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform is pleased to announce these events as part of our 2023-2024 Lecture Series. All lectures will be held on Fridays from noon - 1:30 p.m. in GRAD 343, unless otherwise noted below.
The program includes a complementary lunch catered by Stone Mill Bread. Please arrive a few minutes minutes early to select a sandwich and side before the lecture begins.
While speakers listed are confirmed, details on their presentations may be delayed; please check back. Direct questions to Miranda Vernon.
Fall 2023 Lecture Series
Sept. 29: Li Feng
Professor of Economics, Department of Finance and Economics, Texas State University
Lecture Title: "The Impact of STEM Teacher Scholarship on Local Teacher Shortage and Student Outcomes."
Suggested Readings:
- Feng, L., Hansen, M., & Kumar, D. D. (2021, July 16). The Robert Noyce Scholarship and the STEM teacher pipeline. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-robert-noyce-scholarship-and-the-stem-teacher-pipeline/
- Manier, L., York, T. T., & Calinger, B. (Eds.), (2022). Research in Practice: Preparing and Retaining K-12 STEM Teachers in High-Need School Districts. Washington, DC: American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Oct. 6: Patricia Morita-Mullaney
Associate Professor of Literacy and Language, Purdue University
Lecture Title: "Learning from Lau v. Nichols (1974) and Brown (1954, 1955): Intersecting Language Rights and Racial Integration for Equitable Schooling."
Suggested Readings:
- Thompson, K. (2013). Is Separate Always Unequal? A Philosophical Examination of Ideas of Equality in Key Cases Regarding Racial and Linguistic Minorities in Education. American Educational Research Journal, 50(6), 1249-1278. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831213502519
Oct. 27: Sarah Cohodes
Associate Professor of Public Policy, University of Michigan
Lecture Title: "Beyond the Test: Understanding Heterogeneity in Charter School Impacts."
Suggested Readings:
- Cohodes, S., & Parham, K. Charter Schools’ Effectiveness, Mechanisms, and Competitive Influence. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Economics and Finance. Retrieved 6 Jun. 2023, from https://oxfordre.com/economics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190625979.001.0001/acrefore-9780190625979-e-648.
Dec. 1: David Knight
Associate Professor, College of Education, University of Washington
Lecture Title: "Economics of Education and School Finance: Leveraging Research and Data to Promote Educational Equity."
Suggested Readings:
- Knight, D. S., Hassairi, N., Candelaria, C., Sun, M., & Plecki, M., (2022). Prioritizing School Finance Equity During an Economic Downturn: Recommendations for State Policymakers. Education Finance and Policy, 17(1), 188-199. DOI: 10.1162/edfp.a.00356.
Dec. 8: Ian Rowe
Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Lecture Title: "Agency versus Equity — What Path Forward for American Education?"
Suggested Readings:
- Rowe, I. V. (2022). Agency: The Four Point Plan (F.R.E.E.) for ALL Children to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative and Discover Their Pathway to Power (Volume 1). Templeton Press. https://www.amazon.com/Agency-F-R-Children-Victimhood-Narrative/dp/1599475839
- Rowe, I. V. (2022, August 29). Students' Family Background Matters. National Review, 74 (16). https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2022/08/29/students-family-background-matters/
- Examining the Racial Wealth Gap in the United States: Creating an opportunity society and upward mobility for people of all races, U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, 117th Cong. (2021) (testimony of Ian Rowe). https://www.aei.org/research-products/testimony/testimony-on-creating-an-opportunity-society-and-upward-mobility-for-people-of-all-races/
Spring 2024 Lecture Series
Feb. 2: Paul Bruno
Assistant Professor, Education Policy, Organization and Leadership, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Lecture Title: "Who Teaches High School Computer Science and Does It Matter?"
Suggested Readings:
- Bruno, P., & Lewis, C. M. (2022). Computer Science Trends and Trade-offs in California High Schools. Educational Administration Quarterly, 58(3), 386-418. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0013161X211054801
- Bruno, P., Saffar Pérez, M., & Lewis, C. M. (2022). Four Practical Challenges for High School Computer Science. Policy Analysis for California Education. https://edpolicyinca.org/publications/4-practical-challenges-high-school-computer-science
Mar. 8: Jennifer Ash and Elise Swanson
Center for Education Policy Research, Harvard University
Lecture Title: "Developing and Managing Research Projects: Perspectives from the Field"
Mar. 29: Samantha Viano
Assistant Professor of Education, College of Education and Human Development, George Mason University
Lecture Title: "State-Level High School Graduation Requirements: How and Why They Have Changed and Resulting Effects on Graduation Rates"
Suggested Readings:
- Peyser, J. A. (2024, January 3). Don't abandon common high school graduation exams. Education Next. https://www.educationnext.org/dont-abandon-common-high-school-graduation-exams/
- Gewertz, C. (2016, January 31). States move to issue high school diplomas retroactively. PBS NewsHour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/states-move-to-issue-high-school-diplomas-retroactively
Apr. 5: Amy Richards
Affiliate Professor and Chair of Philosophy, Eastern University
Lecture Title: "Strange Vocations: On Disability and Classical Education"
Suggested Readings:
- Richards, G. A. (2023). Strange vocations: Anthropology, disability, and the heart of classical education. Principia 2(1), 7-24. https://doi.org/10.5840/principia2023212
May 3: Beth Tarasawa
Executive Vice President of Research, Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA)
Lecture Title: "Progress Toward Academic Recovery: National COVID Research and Local Insights."
Suggested Readings:
- Kuhfeld, M., Soland, J., Lewis, K., & Morton, E. (2022, March 3). The pandemic has had devastating impacts on learning. What will it take to help students catch up? Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-pandemic-has-had-devastating-impacts-on-learning-what-will-it-take-to-help-students-catch-up/