Schools For Education

The Dean of Students Office has commissioned affiliates at the Harvard Graduate School of Education to produce a report on the comp process at the College, according to Dean of Students Katherine G. O’Dair in a Oct. 30 Committee on Student Life meeting. During the Oct. 30 meeting, O’Dair introduced CSL members to Richard J. Light — a professor at the Graduate School of Education — and his team of graduate students. Over the coming weeks, the group will conduct interviews with College students and produce findings and recommendations to O’Dair and Assistant Dean Kate T. Colleran. “Over the past years, the issue of comping has come up in one way or another – through the UC, student engagement, or via our discussions,” O’Dair wrote in an email to The Crimson. “This is a complex issue and there is no one experience that students have. Some dislike it, others see benefits. It has been identified as a contributing factor to students experiencing a sense of belonging, especially as they fi...

Mississippi State is continuing to waive GMAT and GRE testing requirements for admission into many of the university’s on-campus and online programs. (Photo by Megan Bean) Contact: Harriet Laird STARKVILLE, Miss.—As prospective college students continue to navigate admissions and enrollment processes in a relentless and lingering pandemic, Mississippi State continues its student support into the new year with testing waivers. Students applying to MSU’s Graduate School will have the GMAT and GRE tests waived in many of the university’s on-campus and online programs. Also, those applying for entrance into many of the College of Education’s teacher training programs or working toward teacher certification will have testing waived as defined by the Mississippi State Board of Education. MSU Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw said, “We hope the waiver of these testing requirements gives prospective students one less thing to worry about as we look to the start of the new y...

[embedded content] After a summer that escalated demands for racial justice, educators across the country need to find ways of acknowledging and helping their students navigate racial trauma. Educators and school communities may also need to acknowledge their own stress and pain at this time. To address these critical needs and identify concrete ways that educators and school leaders of all races can guide students through this traumatic time, Tracie Jones, HGSE’s director of diversity, inclusion, and belonging, led a conversation with James Huguley, Ed.M.’04, Ed.D.’13, interim director at University of Pittsburgh’s Center on Race and Social Problems, and Sarah Vinson, associate clinical professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at Morehouse School of Medicine, in a recent episode of Education Now. Huguley surfaced a few key concepts for education leaders, teachers, and parents to keep in mind as they address these difficult subjects in school and at home, and suggested special attent...

Professor Andrew Ho was honored with the 2020 Morningstar Family Teaching Award at the HGSE Commencement on Thursday, May 28. The award is presented annually to a faculty member for his or her generosity in providing time and support to students. Students who nominated Ho commented on his imaginative approach to teaching, his ability to convey challenging topics, and his overall commitment to the practice of education. “He has a performative streak for pedagogy,” wrote a student. “His demonstrations frequently include objects like Play-Doh and Slinkys. His classroom demeanor is inspiring, and frankly, hugely entertaining.” Established in 2000 with a gift from Faith Morningstar, Ed.M.’87, Ed.D.’96, and her husband, the Honorable Richard Morningstar, an alumnus of Harvard College, the annual award is intended to recognize HGSE faculty members that helped create supportive environments for their students. The recipient is chosen based on nominations by HGSE students and a review p...

School principals face increasingly complex challenges — as the primary instructional leader in their building, as well as managers of people, budgets, and relationships with the community. And, as occupants of a singular role in their school, finding an accessible, high-quality community of practice can be difficult. Through their own expertise and experience, principals have a great deal to offer one another when it comes to navigating these challenges — but they have limited venues in which to offer that support. To meet that need, this June The Principals’ Center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education will expand its four-decade commitment to school leaders with the launch of The Principals’ Network. This online professional-learning community, specifically designed for principals, will sustain mutually beneficial relationships, provide access to relevant content, and foster connections with leading faculty and experts in the field. Principals will be invited to share the wo...

Parents need homeschooling support “Parents are recognizing and appreciating how challenging and meaningful it is to be a teacher,” says Dr. Jeff Lichtman, Lucille Weidman Program Chair, Jewish Education and Special Education at Touro College Graduate School of Education. “Parents should have realistic expectations. Most don’t have the skills or training to replace professional teachers. Instead they should focus on supporting the work of teachers by creating a home culture where both children and parents can thrive,” says Lichtman. Dr. Lichtman offers these 9 pointers for parents who are struggling through the school year. Remember, your children will be fine when they go back to school. We are all in the same situation. When schools come back, teachers will assess where children are and begin at that point. Most schools are providing some mix of Zoom teaching and independent work. Your job is to help your children access their online classes and complete independent work....

Only about 14% of Native American people attend college, and many often don’t graduate. TaraJean Yazzie-Mintz, currently the CEO of First Light Education, has spent decades trying to lower the many barriers facing Native young people as they try to access higher education. On the Harvard EdCast, Yazzie-Mintz stressed how higher education needs to focus more on creating a welcoming environment, particularly for Native people. “In higher ed institutions, it's not enough to say the doors are open, because if you're not authentic about opening the doors … [it] creates a whole other series of questions around the relationship," she says. "How do you build that once people walk through the door? If you're not thinking about that question, the institution has the ability to push out people who will feel they're not welcome. And that tends to be a sentiment that is voiced or named or spoken, is that Native students don't belong in these institutions.” TAKEAWAYS...

For over two decades, the Student Research Symposium (SRS; formerly the Student Research Conference) has provided a venue for education scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to come together and share their research in the field of education. Students from HGSE and institutions around the Greater Boston area showcase their original research in a variety of formats, including roundtables, panels, and poster presentations, in an event designed to give them essential experience in presenting their work and gaining valuable feedback from faculty and peers. With HGSE operations moving to the virtual space in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the SRS has moved virtual, too — with its series of events being held over Zoom on Friday, April 10. The keynote address will be given by Lecturer Liz Dawes Duraisingh, Ed.M.’07, Ed.D.’13, principal investigator at Project Zero and co-director of Out of Eden Learn. Doctoral student Siwen Zhang, student organizer of this year’s symposium, has b...

What is the role of schools in teaching students, especially students of color, how to face oppression and develop political agency? Are there ways that some educators succeed in doing this in one school but not in another school? Daren Graves, Ed.D.'06, and Scott Seider,  Ed.M.'04, Ed.D.'08, authors of Schooling for Critical Consciousness , were eager to find the answers and set out to research five mission-driven high schools over four years. In this episode of the Harvard EdCast, they share the ways that educators and school leaders can help young people better understand and challenge racial injustices. TRANSCRIPT Jill Anderson: I'm Jill Anderson. This is the Harvard EdCast. The nation reacted to the shooting of 17 year old Trayvon Martin in 2012 with protest rallies and marches. Since then, issues of racial inequality and oppression have taken center stage making Professors Daren Graves and Scott Seider wonder just how schools were helping young people make s...

March 23, 2020 The graduate programs in education at the University of Wyoming have been ranked No. 112 out of 392 institutions on U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 list of the “Best Graduate Schools for Education.” The university has improved its ranking by 15 spots over the last year. “Our small class sizes and passionate, expert faculty make UW a great place to learn the skills that will help you advance in your career,” says Suzanne Young, a professor and associate dean for graduate programs in the UW College of Education. “The world-class facilities and low cost of tuition ensure Wyoming students receive the best return on their investment, creating exciting opportunities for their careers and families.” The rankings are determined based on the results of statistical surveys of more than 2,081 programs and from reputation surveys sent to more than 24,603 academics and professionals, conducted in fall 2019 and early 2020. Those surveys take into consideration many factors, wh...

U.S. News & World Report also gave high marks to several advanced-degree programs in SDSU’s School of Public Health. San Diego State University’s part-time MBA program and its College of Education continued to climb in new national rankings of graduate school programs by U.S. News & World Report. The 2021 U.S. News Best Graduate School rankings, released March 17, maintain years of improvement in expert opinion and statistical indicators of their program quality. The College of Education is No. 50 in the nation, up from No. 53 in last year’s listings. The part-time MBA program in SDSU’s Fowler College of Business is ranked No. 55, vaulting up from No. 81 last year. Four graduate programs in SDSU’s School of Public Health all ranked in the nation’s top 50. They are speech-language pathology (No. 25), audiology (No. 29), clinical psychology (No. 33, conducted with the University of California, San Diego), and physical therapy (No. 49). The trend for the part-time MBA progr...

University Communication Message from Dean Long March 20, 2020 Dear Colleagues, As you saw earlier today, the University has decided to postpone an in-person Commencement event this spring. I believe this is a prudent decision in light of the increasing restrictions on large gatherings and travel, and it is in line with Harvard’s — and HGSE’s — commitment to health and safety.  Still, I know this decision comes as a deep disappointment to many. What I want to say to you now is: I’m sorry.  I’m so sorry that the moment to recognize you in this way has been delayed. I know that the fact that this decision has been made in the face of unprecedented challenges does not lessen the sadness many are feeling. Commencement is a highlight of the academic year. Our students, faculty, and staff alike look forward to Commencement events as joyful opportunities to celebrate the accomplishments of our students. And students very much want to share the moment with l...

As the first week of this new “normal” comes to a close and we pivot from “crisis” mode (how are we going to physically close a campus but still teach and learn?) to “back to business” (but in a completely new way), where do things stand at the Ed School as students and faculty get ready to head back to class (virtually) on Monday? To nagivate and respond productively in this new era, the school has embraced three priorities, which are helping to frame all decision-making and goal-setting at the Ed School. Safety and wellbeing As Dean Bridget Long noted in a virtual community meeting last week, the school is focused, first and foremost, on safeguarding the health and wellness of its students, faculty, and staff. The Ed School is doing its part to “get ahead and slow the spread of the coronavirus and protect our most vulnerable,” she said. This started with asking students not to return to campus after spring break and moving all classes online, using Zoom an...

By UW–Madison Graduate School communications School of Education Ph.D. candidates Nancy Herrera and Dominic J. Ledesma have been selected for the 2020 cohort of the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society’s UW–Madison Chapter. The Bouchet Society provides scholars with a network of peers who exemplify character, leadership, scholarship, service, and advocacy for those who have been traditionally underrepresented in the academy. Induction into the society is both an individual honor and a welcome into this wider network of like-minded scholars. Herrera Herrera is a doctoral candidate with the Department of Counseling Psychology and an Education Graduate Research Scholar. As a first-generation college student, she earned bachelor’s degrees in psychology and social behavior and Chicanx/Latinx studies from the University of California, Irvine. As an aspiring bilingual psychologist, supporting the mental health and educational success of historically minoritized communities th...