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Fall Semester Reflections

by Dr. Michael Feuer, Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development, The George Washington University

Now that the balmy days of early winter have temporarily (we hope? think?) faded into the chilly winds of January, it is nice to contemplate the new semester (and rejoice that it’s only 8 weeks until spring training!). It’s a good time to reflect on the developments in the world of education that were part of the context for our fall semester that just ended.

The national landscape of education is changing in ways that bear directly on the goals, mission, and accomplishments of GSEHD. Of course, I’m thrilled that our location in D.C. creates opportunities for students and faculty to have front-row seats – and not just as spectators but as participants – in our ever-evolving profession.

Here are some examples of what I mean:

  • NAEP results released in October 2015 - After the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) were released in October, GSEHD and the Center on Educational Policy hosted a panel of experts for a discussion about the results. Members of the panel, including Professor James Pellegrino of the University of Illinois/Chicago (and Vice President of the National Academy of Education) reviewed the 2015 NAEP results and trends, highlighted NAEP validity studies on the Common Core State Standards, and addressed questions about outcome patterns, factors that might affect results, and how the data should facilitate and stimulate deeper investigation and conversation into the state of education in the United States. Other panelists—Bob Rothman of the Alliance for Excellent Education, Fran Stancavage from the American Institutes for Research, and Gerunda Hughes from Howard University added important perspectives, and responded to the wise queries posed by our own Maria Ferguson (Center on Education Policy). Our friends from the National Center for Education Statistics (Commissioner Peggy Carr and her colleagues) were grateful to GSEHD for organizing an event aimed at improving public understanding – and hopefully reducing the misunderstandings—about NAEP.
  • New Secretary of Education - The United States welcomes a new Secretary of Education, John King Jr., who replaces Arne Duncan after almost seven years in office. When King was New York’s education commissioner, he both inspired and sparked controversy with his commitment to implementing the Common Core. For some of the most in-depth exploration of this remarkable reform movement, there is no better place to turn than our Center on Education Policy (see in particular the fine work of Diane Stark-Rentner and Matt Frizell).
  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act Reauthorization - After almost 14 years of No Child Left Behind, Congress has passed (and the President has signed) the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). How will ESSAaffect K-12 education for students, teachers, educational administrators, and policy makers? And what will this mean for the Common Core? We appreciate being close to the action as it unfolds, so we can hear from the decision makers themselves and be part of the conversation.
  • STEM education - To improve the state of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education in the US, we need more teachers who are well-qualified to teach STEM subjects. In an effort to work towards this goal, GW undergraduate students in STEM fields now have a path to the teaching profession through GW Teach, a partnership of GSEHD, GW’s Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, and the UTeach Program. GW’s first cohort of undergraduate GW Teach students are well underway, thanks to a $22.5 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI).
  • Economic inequality - GSEHD continued to play an instrumental role in stimulating cross-national dialogue on a topic that has justifiably risen to the highest policy priority in the US and elsewhere. In September we hosted back-to-back symposia on the general problems of income gaps and how they affect educational opportunity, involving scholars from Israel, France, and Russia, along with experts from the US. This is an area of research we plan to pursue in the months ahead (stay tuned for word of a visiting scholar from Denmark in February).
  • Affirmative action and higher education - The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in what is known as “Fisher 2,” the second round in the ongoing debate concerning the program at the University of Texas to enhance diversity in student admissions. GSEHD will host a “salon” on this topic during the week of April 4, just days before the opening of the 100th anniversary national conference of the American Educational Research Association right in our backyard. Participants will include our own LeighAnn Smith, the first student who will complete our new joint MA-JD program this spring. Stay tuned for details.
  • Bipartisan budget bill - In the late moments of December, and to the somewhat pleasant surprise of most political observers, President Obama was able to sign a new budget bill keeping the American government “in business” (so to speak). Included in the bill are positive changes in funding for scientific research—and even a modest increase in support for education research—for which we should be thankful (even if we wished for stronger support).

I’m looking forward to continuing many interesting debates and discussions about these and other topics as we move ahead in 2016. To know I can count on our vibrant community of students, faculty, staff, and visitors who together make GSEHD a uniquely interesting hub of research applied to the improvement of policy and practice is, indeed, an honor and a blessing. My best wishes to all for a successful semester. In my next blog I’ll have early news about – yes, you guessed it – commencement!

1/11/2016