News

Launching this fall, the Educator's Playbook podcast will examine some of the biggest issues facing K-12 today and share practical, easy-to-implement advice.

Robert Zemsky questions the effectiveness of mergers like Vermont State University's consolidation of three struggling colleges in addressing core issues faced by these institutions.

Julie Wollman says large gifts are a legitimate reason to retain legacy preferences, but donors who want to reward universities for ending legacy could also step in and keep funds coming.

Pam Grossman says that selectivity has always been a part of what made Teach For America successful as the program tries to revamp post-pandemic.

In the wake of the Supreme Court striking down affirmative action, Jonathan Zimmerman writes that what will really make a difference for Black and brown students is improved classroom instruction.

Jonathan Zimmerman says a new take on summer schooling could connect more teachers with the passion and idealism that brought them into education in the first place.

The first revisions in nearly 20 years reinforce old ideas by focusing on male alums, says Ruby in a column for University World News.

Dean Katharine Strunk says data has grown increasingly political with the general polarization around public education; she says data does not need to be weaponized.

Ryan Baker says educators must look at a technology’s track record in the context of their own school’s demographics, geography, culture, and challenges when considering investing in new technology for the classroom.

Jonathan Zimmerman says that, in light of affirmative action being overturned, some colleges may base admissions on income. That could bring in more white working-class students, which will make campuses more ideologically diverse places.

Dan Wagner says the U.S. and UNESCO need each other, especially in the field of education.

Richard Ingersoll says giving educators more authority at their workplace makes them feel like respected professionals; teachers need to be given a lot of discretion.

Sigal Ben-Porath says progressive education advocacy ticked up last year and has been gaining steam since.

Jonathan Zimmerman criticizes the censorship of books in school as inhibiting free discussion.

Richard Ingersoll identifies the primary causes of the teacher shortage–poor working conditions, low pay, and management issues–and discusses solutions to improve teacher retention.

Richard Ingersoll discusses teachers leaving the profession and how he arrived at his statistic that nearly half of educators quit within the first five years in a video interview.

Laura Perna says a key difference between community colleges and four-year institutions is the type of degrees and credentials offered, and credit transfer is crucial for students.

Jonathan Zimmerman sees the effort to bring religion into the classroom as–in some parts of the laws–clearly unconstitutional, while others are a bit more complicated.

Ryan Baker, who studies early warning systems, explains that the using demographic factors as predictors negatively impacts data.

In a major study published today, Baker and fellow researchers argue that replacing “pipeline” with “pathway” is a better metaphor and will unlock new insights and improve higher education.

Jonathan Zimmerman expresses some apprehension about three-year bachelor degree programs, warning that policymakers need to consider carefully what students are getting out of college; Robert Zemsky, an advocate of the three-year program, says it won't work for everyone.

An assistant professor of education policy, Weathers combs through historical data to find policies that harm marginalized communities. Her work is influencing Congress.

Jonathan Supovitz says that indicators of good schools for parents might include surveys of parent satisfaction, attendance rates, and district funding beyond state contributions.

In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Penn GSE doctoral candidate Angus McLeod examines how education in Pennsylvania will evolve now that its public school finance system has been ruled unconstitutional.

Bonilla found that an ethnic studies course in a Bay area district increased engagement and graduation rates for students identified as “at-risk” of dropping out of high school. Now the state of California will see if ethnic studies can help every student in the state – an optimistic goal that’s not without challenges, she explains.

Laura Perna explained that net price calculators can help Pell-eligible families determine financial aid eligibility, but not all universities have compliant calculators with updated cost information.

Readers came to the Penn GSE website for practical, easy-to-apply advice that resonated in classrooms and communities around the world.

Institutions need better data on faculty backgrounds, their experiences and working conditions, and (in)equities in measures of success, Laura W. Perna writes.

Eight University of Pennsylvania-affiliated researchers are ranked in the top 200 nationwide – and all eight are associated with Penn GSE.

There is a “linear relationship” between school attendance and academics, says Penn GSE professor Michael Gottfried.

At the annual celebration, Penn GSE’s honored six alumni and hosted a panel on increasing access to higher education.

Penn GSE’s International Educational Development Program preps students to tackle systemic issues around the world.

His goal is to shift hiring and retention practices in higher ed through data, interventions, and conversations about racialized organizational dynamics.

An interdisciplinary scholar who studies racial inequality in academic careers and contexts using multiple methods and theories from organizational behavior and social psychology, White-Lewis will teach and conduct research in the school’s Policy, Organizations, Leadership, and Systems Division.

The Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) recently recognized A. Brooks Bowden for her impressive contributions to education research.

A seven-year project shows that standards-based reform has not lived up to its promise, but it also provides a big-picture perspective of what worked — and didn’t work — in the implementation process. This knowledge holds lessons for education leaders as they undertake future reforms aimed at improving instruction and advancing student achievement.

How bad is the teacher shortage? The answer depends on where you live, according to an article in the New York Times. Jacey Fortin and Eliza Fawcett spoke with experts and educators from across the country, including Richard Ingersoll.

Being chronically absent means missing 10 percent or more of the school year. "It's happening across the nation,” says Gottfried, who spoke with the San Francisco Examiner for a recent story. “And the data show it's particularly bad in big cities.”

Michael Gottfried outlines the four distinct ways that students are impacted by chronic absence, as well as the factors that contribute to it.

It's not easy to get a room full of 5-year-olds to pay attention. It's even trickier when the 5-year-olds are in 25 different rooms.

The Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education joined leading experts and practitioners to provide guidance on comprehensive student support to schools, districts, and policy makers.

Sydney Freeman Jr., a visiting scholar, and Laura W. Perna write that faculty of color and women faculty are known to shoulder more of the invisible labor associated with the college teaching profession.

Jonathan Zimmerman writes that history can inform our contemporary debates, but it can’t resolve them.

Studies and anecdotal evidence point to a correlation between DACA and professional, educational, and financial success. The program, designed as a stopgap solution, may not extend beyond its first generation of applicants. 

#PennGSEExperts Pam Grossman and Richard M. Ingersoll were interviewed for a recent Philadelphia Inquirer article about the looming crisis. Between 30 and 50 percent of new teachers now leave the profession after their first five years.

Robert Zemsky’s work with 13 higher education institutions to create three-year programs is highlighted

Robert Zemsky is quoted on the worries that speeding up curriculum to graduate from college in three years would “cheapen the degree.”

Penn GSE’s Michael Gottfried shares four ways in which communities can lower absenteeism rates and increase student engagement.

The ranking marks Penn GSE’s second year in a row at #1 in U.S. News & World Report’s list and its seventh consecutive year in the top five.

What can institutions do to help students make informed choices about higher education? How can we make sense of skepticism surrounding cost, value, and return on investment? Four members of the Penn GSE community at the forefront of these changes spoke at a recent Penn Alumni panel event.