Annual Report
2 0 2 0–2 0 21
Our Mission The School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is committed to realizing the transformative power of education and — in turn — is redefining what it means to educate. Education has the power to break down barriers, lift up individuals, and empower communities to rise and thrive. To that end, we inspire educators to lead, think creatively, act with passion, and strive toward equity for all.
Table of Contents A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
3
RANKINGS 4 RESEARCH 6 LEADERSHIP 8 FACULT Y 10 Endowed Faculty 12 Journal Editors 12 Newly Endowed Professors and Scholars 13 Faculty Features 14 Faculty News 16 STAFF NEWS
DEGREE PROGRAMS
20
DIVERSIT Y, EQUIT Y, AND INCLUSION
26
STUDENTS 28 Enrollment 29 Student Features 30 Student News 37 DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS Development Totals Board of Visitors Alumni Council Alumni Notes
38 40 41 42 43
19
Peabody Hall, Campus Box 3500 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3500 Phone: (919) 966-1346 Email: ed@unc.edu Web: ed.unc.edu Produced and Published by UNC School of Education Office of External Relations
2 / TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
A Message from the Dean
Friends and Fellow Educators, As I look through the pages of this annual report and reflect on the past academic year, I am humbled and inspired by the people who are part of the UNC School of Education and the work they have undertaken.
At the UNC School of Education, our community of driven faculty, scholars, staff, students, and alumni lead that way — in classrooms, schools, districts, academia, industries, and more.
The following pages, I believe, represent the power and promise that education holds. They also serve as a reminder that our work on behalf of educators and learners in North Carolina and around the nation and world cannot happen without collaboration and a fierce commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
In the pages ahead, you will read about several extraordinary people. These education professionals, future educators, researchers, and more are essential to the success of students — and perhaps more important, to those students’ safety and well-being. They are essential to advancing our society.
We continue to live in a reality wholly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. And we continue to see the many ways in which our country remains unequal for people of color.
New grants detailed within this report will help to grow a diverse teacher pipeline in our community, will help to reimagine science teaching in our high schools, and more.
I will spare you a recounting of challenges the pandemic has delivered to education and to every corner of our society. And I do not have enough space here to adequately address the injustices and atrocities experienced by the historically excluded members of this country.
Together, we will help to solve education’s most pressing and persistent problems and work to create true equity in our schools and our world.
What I will do is reiterate that if each and every person in our society is to thrive — survive even — then education and educators must lead the way.
I am immensely proud of this School and the people who make it all that it is. I am proud to share their accomplishments with you. And I am proud to work within a community committed to Propel the World. All my best,
Fouad Abd-El-Khalick Dean and Professor
A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN / 3
A Top 25 School of Education For its 2022 guide, U.S. News & World Report ranked the School No. 25 among U.S. schools that grant doctoral degrees in education — rising 10 places since 2017.
25
15
No.
No.
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
PUBLIC SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
1
No.
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION IN NORTH CAROLINA
4 / RANKINGS
U.S. News & World Report Specialty Rankings
13 14 15 18 19 22 NO.
NO .
SPECIAL EDUCATION
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
STUDENT COUNSELING
NO.
NO.
NO.
SECONDARY EDUCATION
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
ADMINISTRATION/ SUPERVISION
NO.
22 25
NO .
EDUCATION POLICY
NO.
CURRICULUM/ INSTRUCTION
RANKINGS / 5
RESEARCH
Advancing Knowledge, Driving Innovation Faculty members at the UNC School of Education and their collaborators at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and beyond pursue innovative educational research and projects. They explore the nature of learning that contributes to effective teaching, data-driven classroom interventions and curricular improvements, insightful analysis leading to informed policies, and evidence-based advancements in educator preparation.
Total Research Expenditures (millions) $13.83m
$14.60m
$11.64m
$7.48m
$7.55m
$7.51m
$6.97m $5.73m
$6.20m
$4.75m
2011
6 / RESEARCH
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
$83.03m FY21 TOTAL RESEARCH PORTFOLIO
36
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION-FUNDED PROJECTS
25
NIH-FUNDED PROJECTS
21
NSF-FUNDED PROJECTS
RESEARCH / 7
Leadership The UNC School of Education is led by a dynamic team of education researchers and professionals focused on the success of our students,
Fouad Abd-El-Khalick Dean
the School, and the field. At right is the leadership team at the UNC School of Education entering the 2021-22 academic year.
Harriet Able Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Director of Graduate Studies
Jill V. Hamm Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development
8 / LEADERSHIP
Diana B. Lys Assistant Dean for Educator Preparation and Accreditation
Shauna Harris Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
David Churchill
Leslie Deslis
Assistant Dean for Finance and Operations
Assistant Dean for Development
Dana Griffin Dean’s Fellow for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
LEADERSHIP / 9
Faculty From promising young scholars to our fields’ pre-eminent researchers, to forward-thinking experts preparing the next generation of educators, the UNC School of Education is home to a world-class faculty. Our faculty members advance knowledge, drive innovation, and empower future education leaders. They are often called on to move forward conversations about education — in the media, in large-scale collaborative projects, in advisory roles to government leaders, in field-leading academic journals, and more.
1 0 / FA C U LT Y
Faculty Members
36%
Faculty by Rank
32%
17
17
Associate
Assistant
19
32%
Full
53
Faculty Diversity % Racial and Ethnic Diversity among Faculty 30
22%
25 20
22% 19%
19%
18%
21%
20%
2016
2017
26%
26%
2018
2019
28%
28%
2020
2021
15 10 5 0 2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
The UNC School of Education values and recognizes all forms of diversity. The above metrics only reflect diversity as captured by University data.
FA C U LT Y / 1 1
Endowed Faculty Members Our faculty members in the UNC School of Education are distinguished in their areas of research, and we are able to recognize some of those faculty members with the distinction of either endowed professor or scholar.
Matthew Bernacki Donald & Justeen Tarbet Distinguished Scholar
Dorothy L. Espelage William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education
Troy D. Sadler Thomas James Distinguished Professor of Experiential Learning
Gregory J. Cizek Guy B. Phillips Professor
Jeffrey A. Greene McMichael Distinguished Professor
R. Keith Sawyer Morgan Distinguished Professor of Educational Innovations
Lora Cohen-Vogel Frank A. Daniels Jr. Distinguished Professor
Jill V. Hamm William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education
Dionne Cross Francis Joseph R. Neikirk Professor
Sherick A. Hughes Samuel M. Holton Distinguished Professor
Thurston “Thad” Domina Robert Wendell Eaves Sr. Professor in Educational Leadership
Kihyun “Kelly” Ryoo Donald & Justeen Tarbet Distinguished Scholar
Matthew G. Springer Robena and Walter E. Hussman Jr. Distinguished Professor of Education Reform Lynda Stone Samuel M. Holton Distinguished Professor
Home to our fields’ premier journals Our researchers are actively engaged at the forefront of their communities of scholarship. Five of our faculty members serve as co-editors of our fields’ leading academic journals, collaborating with editorial team members from institutions across the nation and globe to push their areas of scholarship. The rigorous and cutting-edge research featured in these publications expand and strengthen our understandings in educational fields and drive practice in P-20 educational institutions and communities.
Educational Psychologist
Jeffrey A. Greene, Ph.D., McMichael Distinguished Professor, is co-editor of Educational Psychologist, one of the top journals in educational research and the journal of Division 15 (Educational Psychology) of the American Psychological Association. He serves alongside co-editor Lisa Linnenbrink-Garcia, a professor at Michigan State University.
Educational Researcher
Thurston “Thad” Domina, Ph.D., Robert Wendell Eaves Sr. Professor in Educational Leadership, is one of five co-editors leading Educational Researcher, the premier academic journal of the American Educational Research Association. He shares co-editor responsibilities with June Ahn, an associate professor at the University of California, Irvine; Andrew McEachin, a policy researcher at the RAND Corporation and a core faculty member at the Pardee RAND Graduate School; Dana Thompson Dorsey, an associate professor and associate director of research and 1 4development / FA C U LT Yfor the Center for Urban Education at the University of Pittsburgh; and Sarah Woulfin, an associate professor at the University of Connecticut.
1 2 / FA C U LT Y
Journal of Research in Science Teaching
Troy D. Sadler, Ph.D., Thomas James Distinguished Professor of Experiential Learning, serves as co-editor — with Felicia Moore Mensah of Teachers College at Columbia University — of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching (JRST). JRST is the leading academic journal in the field of science education and is the official journal of NARST. The journal was previously co-edited, from 2014-2019, by UNC School of Education Dean Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, Ph.D., and Dana Zeidler from the University of South Florida. Donald & Justeen Tarbet Distinguished Scholar Kihyun “Kelly” Ryoo, Ph.D., who previously was an editorial review board member for the journal, serves as an associate editor.
Professional School Counseling
Dana Griffin, Ph.D., associate professor of school counseling, serves as associate editor of Professional School Counseling — the flagship journal of the American School Counselor Association and of the school counseling profession. Professional School Counseling is a rigorous peer-reviewed journal that publishes high-quality manuscripts on theory, research, and best practices for the profession.
The Urban Review
Sherick A. Hughes, Ph.D., Samuel M. Holton Distinguished Professor, serves as editor of The Urban Review, a journal devoted to examining issues around improvement of urban schooling and education. The Urban Review was previously co-edited by retired professor George Noblit. Doctoral student Lauryn DuPree serves as managing editor.
Newly Endowed Professors and Scholars Ahead of the 2021-22 academic year, the UNC School of Education announced and, at a small ceremony, honored the following five faculty members with endowed distinctions. Dionne Cross Francis Joseph R. Neikirk Professor Dionne Cross Francis, Ph.D., is a leading scholar and teacher educator in mathematics education. Her work investigates the relationships among psychological constructs and how the interplay between these constructs influences teachers’ instructional decision-making prior to and during the act of teaching, in particular while teaching mathematics. Through her research, she aims to understand both the contextual and teacher-specific factors that motivate teacher actions as they plan and instruct, which is essential for determining the optimal design features of professional development that enable teachers to thrive. She is a recipient of a Fulbright award to Ghana, where she is currently spending the 2021-22 academic year.
Thurston “Thad” Domina Robert Wendell Eaves Sr. Professor in Educational Leadership Thad Domina, Ph.D., has spent more than 20 years documenting educational inequalities and looking for educational policies and strategies that help to create a more just, equitable, and inclusive society. He has studied early childhood education to undergraduate education and every level in between, using a range of analytical tools to understand how families influence children’s educational opportunities, the ways schools accommodate learners’ diverse needs, and the consequences of educational experiences for child development and the transition to adulthood. His work has been supported by the National Institutes of Child Health and Development, the National Science Foundation, and the Spencer and W.T. Grant Foundations, among others.
Sherick A. Hughes Samuel M. Holton Distinguished Professor Sherick Hughes, Ph.D., is a pre-eminent scholar of critical race studies and Black education and social context of schooling. He has spent more than 20 years investigating and addressing equity issues at the intersection of theory, policy, and practice, and he has applied a variety of research methods that inform international dialogues on how inequitable social structures are developed, reproduced, and resisted – including the processes of learning and unlearning intergroup biases. Hughes’s contributions to the academy were recognized by AERA in 2016 when he received the Distinguished Scholar Award.
Matthew Bernacki Donald & Justeen Tarbet Distinguished Scholar Matthew Bernacki, Ph.D., is an expert in educational psychology and learning sciences. His research focuses on students’ motivational and metacognitive processes when learning with technology; the development of interventions and software to promote effective learning strategies and motivation to learn; and the development of learning materials and environments that personalize learning to students’ interests. He has been a primary investigator on multiple NSF-funded studies in which he led efforts to develop behavior-based prediction models that use student activity in learning management systems to provide real-time alerts to struggling students.
Kihyun “Kelly” Ryoo Donald & Justeen Tarbet Distinguished Scholar Kelly Ryoo, Ph.D., specializes in designing technologies to promote science learning for historically underserved students, particularly students who speak English as a second language. Through collaboration with Title I middle schools, she works to design and integrate innovative technology into science classrooms to improve public education for students and teachers. Ryoo has extensive experiences in design thinking, technology design, and science education as a designer, teacher, curriculum developer, and researcher. Ryoo and colleagues are currently engaged in research for Iterative Design to Engage All (IDEA) Learners, a teacherscientist collaboration project funded by the NIH Science Education Partnership Award.
FA C U LT Y / 1 3
New Faculty
Jemilia Davis New HOLD undergraduate program to prepare future change-makers
J
emilia Davis, Ph.D., who has spent her career in higher education, will lead the School’s new Human Organizational Leadership and Development (HOLD) program — a degree program which launched in fall 2021 to provide undergraduates with the knowledge and skills to become change-makers. Davis, a clinical assistant professor, previously served as director of strategic initiatives and external relations at N.C. State University’s Belk Center for Community College Research and Leadership.
“Leadership is complex, and when you can give time and attention to the diverse perspectives around the topic, you realize there is even more to learn,” Davis said. “I am honored to explore leadership as a field of study with the future change-makers in our communities through engaging content and meaningful experiences that build on the leadership skills students bring with them into this major.” HOLD is designed to offer a program of study that combines and builds upon courses in education, social science, policy, analytics, and leadership education. The program’s course of study includes several cross-listed electives in the UNC Kenan-Flagler School of Business, and Departments of Communication, Public Policy, and Sociology. HOLD also will build upon a track of courses at the School of Education and at the Carolina Union that will offer leadership training to students involved in campus government and other student leadership activities. Internships as part of a capstone project are a key component of HOLD. Davis earned her Ph.D. in educational leadership, policy, and human development from N.C. State. She holds a B.S. in education from the University of Miami and a Master of Education in college student affairs administration from the University of Georgia. Prior to joining the Belk Center, Davis worked in academic advising and in student affairs for seven years at UNC-Wilmington and has taught courses there, at N.C. Central University, and at N.C. State. 14 6 / FA C U LT Y
A Q&A with Jemilia Davis What drew you to this position? The HOLD program is clearly on the leading edge of promise! The curriculum has all the building blocks that will help students build a strong foundation in organizational leadership and development thanks to the many who contributed to the program’s development before I arrived. I was most drawn to the opportunity being crafted as an undergraduate program creating an opportunity for the bright minds of a young generation to challenge and contribute to the field of study. I am honored to direct a program that is like few others across the nation!
How do you expect HOLD will prepare students as leaders? We can all agree that today’s leaders face a unique set of challenges. There is an incredible need for leaders and bold change-makers to disrupt antiquated approaches that interrupt positive change in our world. The HOLD program provides a unique opportunity to build a strong foundation in areas like equity-minded leadership, data applications, and organizational development beginning as an undergraduate that will equip HOLD students to adapt and succeed in any environment.
How do you foresee HOLD contributing to the School? I am inspired by how the HOLD program embodies so much of the commitment to graduate students who will propel the world! The HOLD program will contribute to building a community for undergraduate students, learning much from what has made our Human Development and Family Studies undergraduate program so successful. It will also provide faculty with an opportunity to connect with undergraduate students and begin to inspire not only future leaders across a broad range of organizations, but also to introduce leadership as a field of study and plant the seed for continued learning in our graduate programs.
Troy Sadler $1.9 million NSF grant will advance high school science lessons
A
$1.9 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant will extend work led by Troy Sadler, Ph.D., the Thomas James Distinguished Professor of Experiential Learning, that seeks improved ways to teach science concepts to high school students using lessons about the COVID-19 pandemic.
The grant will support work over the next four years to develop lessons in which students create scientific models to study complex issues in science and then to study the effectiveness of the modeling on student learning with an emphasis on how effective the lessons are in helping Latino students. The project builds on earlier NSF-funded work in which Sadler and his team created lesson plans for middle and high school students focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, Sadler and colleagues have demonstrated the effectiveness of engaging students in scientific learning by building lesson plans centered on “socio-scientific issues” — topics of interest to young people, such as climate change, sexually transmitted diseases, and vaping.
“We recognize that Latinx students are underrepresented in STEM learning opportunities and fields, and we hope this project develops a way to broaden Latinx participation in STEM pathways.” Last year, NSF awarded a $200,000 Rapid Response Research grant to the team to produce a set of lessons aimed at engaging students in learning about COVID-19. Lessons included having students produce models about virus behavior and wrestle with questions around how a society works to slow and contain a pandemic. With new funding, the team will develop lessons in which
high schoolers build different types of models — mechanistic, computational, and system — to learn about virus outbreaks and complex societal issues centered around scientific concepts. Co-principal investigators are Li Ke, a postdoctoral researcher at the School, and Patricia Friedrichsen and Laura Zangori, both at the University of Missouri-Columbia. “There is little research available regarding how learners coordinate sense-making through the use of different types of scientific modeling,” Sadler said. “This project will address the gap by studying student learning with different types of models. Then we plan to use these findings to develop and study new curriculum materials that incorporate multiple models for teaching about viral epidemics in high school biology classes.” Recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic has had particularly devastating impacts on marginalized groups, the project includes an effort to recruit Latino students into the study, providing them new opportunities to engage in an innovative, model-based curriculum focused on important scientific issues. “Part of the purpose of our Latinx recruitment is to ensure that we design lesson plans and other products that are culturally responsive and account for Latinx learner needs,” Sadler said. “We also recognize that Latinx students are underrepresented in STEM learning opportunities and fields, and we hope this project develops a way to broaden Latinx participation in STEM pathways.” The project will research three aspects of student learning: 1) conceptual understandings about viral epidemics, 2) epistemic understandings associated with modeling, and 3) model-informed reasoning about viral epidemics and potential solutions. The team plans to share results, lesson plans, and modules and has already published resources — including a range of lesson plans centered on COVID-19 — at epiclearning.web.unc.edu/covid. F A C U LT Y / 1 5
Faculty News Partnership including UNC School of Education wins $1.9 million grant for counselor training The School will join two other UNC-Chapel Hill units in a program aimed at preparing school counselors and health professionals to work collaboratively to provide better support for youth and their families. Funded by a $1.92 million grant from the Health Services and Resources Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the four-year grant will provide $10,000 stipends for 116 students in School Counseling, the School of Social Work, and the School of Medicine’s Department of Allied Health Sciences. The project — UNC-PrimeCare4Youth — also provides participating students with specialized coursework, targeted workshops, and self-directed learning focused on traumainformed care, cultural and linguistic competency, suicide prevention, digital behavioral health, and community engagement. The new project is modeled after UNC-PrimeCare, a program that provides specialized training in behavioral health and collaboration with other health professionals.
Cohen-Vogel named to National Academy of Sciences committee Lora Cohen-Vogel, Ph.D., Frank A. Daniels Distinguished Professor, was appointed to the National Academy of Sciences’ Committee on the Future of Educational Research. The committee, which includes 15 leading educational researchers from across the country, will work to inform future directions of the Institute of Education Sciences, the research and evaluation arm of the U.S. Department of Education. The areas the committee will examine include: • Critical problems or issues on which new research is needed; • New methods or approaches for conducting research; and • New and different types of research training investments.
Sadler receives lifetime achievement honor from alma mater Troy Sadler, Ph.D., Thomas James Distinguished Professor of Experiential Learning, was honored by the University of South Florida’s College of Education with the Dean’s Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award, citing his teaching and his research in developing new ways to teach science. The award recognizes someone who has demonstrated long-term contributions, achievement, and service within education or a related profession — on a local, state, regional, national, and/ or global level.
School recognizes two with inaugural teaching excellence awards Faculty members Lora Cohen-Vogel, Ph.D., and Brian Gibbs, Ph.D., were honored as the inaugural recipients of the UNC School of Education Teaching Excellence Awards. The annual awards recognize faculty members who demonstrate expertise, creativity, and innovation in the classroom; who make learning engaging, vibrant, and relevant; and whose work and accomplishments set a standard of excellence. A student nominator of Cohen-Vogel wrote: “She intentionally designed learning activities that promoted engagement, even in a remote learning environment, and created a respectful, understanding, and supportive class environment that fostered learning, excellence, and wellness during a challenging time for teaching and learning.” One student wrote of Gibbs: “Dr. Gibbs is the most passionate, empathetic, and inspiring professor I’ve ever had. … He constantly pushed us to think deeply about how class material resonated with our own identities, experiences, and goals.”
1 6 / FA C U LT Y
Houck elected to National Education Finance Academy leadership Eric Houck, Ph.D., an associate professor, has been elected vice president of the National Education Finance Academy (NEFA). With the election, Houck is in line to serve as vice president, as president-elect in 2022-23, then as president in 2023-24. NEFA is a group of scholars, students, practitioners, and policymakers who are interested in the study of P-16 education finance. It incorporates policy, legal, and administrative perspectives as it interrogates the generation, distribution, and use of educational funds. Houck formerly served NEFA on its Board of Trustees and as communications chair, and will chair the Membership Committee in his new role.
Abd-El-Khalick reappointed as dean Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, Ph.D., was reappointed to a five-year term as dean in March 2021. “Since his appointment in July 2016, Dean Abd-El-Khalick has led a major transformation at the School of Education, strengthening the School’s capacity to achieve its teaching, research, and service missions,” wrote Provost Bob Blouin. Under his leadership, the School has experienced a continuing rise in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, and several academic programs have seen enrollment increases, reflected in a 47% increase in instructional units taught by School faculty. The school also has seen an impressive 154% increase in total research expenditures, reaching its highest-ever level. The School has pursued efforts to expand diversity, equity, and inclusion. Undergraduate student diversity has increased by 20%. An ambitious faculty-recruitment campaign that attracted rising stars and leading scholars to the School helped to expand racial and ethnic diversity among the School’s faculty to its highest level in at least 20 years.
Akos listed among top counseling researchers Patrick Akos, Ph.D., professor of school counseling and school psychology, was listed as a top scholar of counseling research in a review of 18 years of publications in the field. The review sought to identify the most productive scholars in counseling, represented by the number of articles published in 23 peer-reviewed journals in the field of counseling from 2000 through 2017. Akos was included in the review’s list of 34 top scholars, a group that represents only 5% of the total of researchers included in the review. The review, which examined more than 21,000 journal author entries, was conducted by a team led by Amanda Evans of James Madison University.
Book co-edited by Lys provides insights into using data to inform educator preparation Diana Lys, Ed.D., assistant dean for educator preparation and accreditation, is co-editor of a new book that looks at ways data may be used to improve the preparation of teachers. The book — “Using Data to Improve Teacher Education: Moving Evidence into Action” — was published by Teachers College Press and contains a foreword by Bill McDiarmid, former dean of the School. The book offers examples of how data can be used by faculty, staff, and program leaders to improve their work. It describes practices used by teacher education programs around the country that have been successful using data to improve their programs. At the School, Lys conducts research linking teacher candidate performance data to graduate outcomes in the field, including student achievement scores and principal evaluations.
Abd-El-Khalick has expanded fundraising efforts, including those that funded renovations in Peabody Hall and created modern teaching, learning, and research spaces for faculty and students. He also has worked to expand the School’s engagement across the University, including collaborative programs with several campus units.
FA C U LT Y / 1 7
Faculty News Sartain-led project recognized by AERA A study led by Lauren Sartain, Ph.D., which studied educators’ perceptions of a teacher evaluation system used in Chicago Public Schools, was chosen as the first-place winner for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Division H’s Outstanding Publication in the category Assessment and Accountability. Division H — Research, Evaluation, and Assessment in Schools — recognized the study, “Teacher Evaluation in Chicago Public Schools: Analysis of the REACH Educator Evaluation and Support System Five Years In,” which was published in March 2020 as a research brief by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. Sartain has studied a range of topics around policies and practices that affect teaching in schools, with a focus on work related to equitable access to quality public education.
James Trier book makes Choice magazine list of outstanding academic titles The most recent book from James Trier, Ph.D., “Guy Debord, the Situationist International, and the Revolutionary Spirit,” was honored by Choice magazine in the publication’s 2020 list of Outstanding Academic Titles. The book is a history of two avant-garde groups in the 1960s — founded and led by French filmmaker Guy Debord — which orchestrated student protests. The book describes approaches and concepts used by the movements to analyze art, politics, and culture, which underpinned their theoretical debates about society.
Helyne Frederick honored by National Council on Family Relations The National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) named Helyne Frederick, Ph.D., program director of the School’s Human Development and Family Studies program, as the 2020 recipient of its Certified Family Life Education (CFLE) Special Recognition Award. Frederick was honored for her outstanding service to the council’s CFLE program. The council gives the award annually, recognizing a Certified Family Life Educator who has demonstrated exceptional effort in promoting, supporting, or improving the CFLE credential or program. Frederick has led efforts that, in 2020, resulted in the HDFS program receiving certification from NCFR, which provides the program’s graduates access to provisional certification as Certified Family Life Educators.
Hume-led team finds five new evidence-based practices for children and youth with autism In a literature review related to interventions for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), researchers led by Kara Hume, Ph.D., identified five new evidence-based practices and reclassified interventions to better support practitioners, families, and researchers who serve children and youth with ASD. The investigators narrowed down 60,000 articles on ASD published between 1990 and 2017 to nearly 1,000 that met set standards for methodological quality. Through this review, the team found five new evidence-based practices categories, bringing the total to 28. The new categories are: behavior momentum intervention, direct instruction, music-mediated intervention, sensory integration, and augmentative and alternative communication.
1 8 / FA C U LT Y
Horner honored for teaching excellence Martinette Horner, Ed.D., was among 25 UNC-Chapel Hill faculty members and graduate students who were honored with 2021 University Teaching Awards. Horner, program coordinator of the Master of School Administration program, was one of four winners of a Distinguished Teaching Award for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction. Nominators praised Horner for incorporating improvement science principles and practices in her courses for school leaders. They also cited Horner’s efforts to incorporate awareness of equity and access issues in her courses.
Cizek named chair of National Assessment Governing Board committee Gregory Cizek, Ph.D., Guy B. Phillips Professor, was named chair of the Committee on Standards, Design, and Methodology of the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), a panel that helps set policies guiding the use of data to evaluate school performance. The Committee on Standards, Design, and Methodology is responsible for all National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) technical matters, such as achievement level setting and sampling issues for NAEP assessments. As committee chair, Cizek also becomes a member of the Executive Committee of NAGB. NAGB, working with the U.S. Secretary of Education, sets policies for NAEP, which is also known as the “Nation’s Report Card.”
Staff News
UNC School of Education Staff Excellence Awards The School awarded its annual Staff Excellence Awards to Trish Harris, director of recruitment, and Jia Heiny, program administrative support specialist. They were nominated by faculty, staff, and students, and then selected for the award by a committee made up of fellow staff members. One of Harris’s nominators praised her for going beyond the call of duty during the 2020-21 academic year to connect students with internship opportunities. Each of her nominators cited her commitment to students. One of Heiny’s nominators said, “Simply put, Jia consistently excels in adding value to [the MAT] program through her role.” Another called her the “backbone of the MAT program.”
Assistant dean for student affairs recognized for leadership Shauna Harris, Ph.D., the School’s assistant dean for student affairs, was named the winner of the UNC Employee Forum’s 2021 Overton Leadership Award — which annually recognizes individuals who lead their units and the University through involvement in staff issues, committee work, teamwork, and professional development of peers, doing so in ways that inspire and involve others, while working to ensure their impact is long-lasting.
F A C U LT Y A N D S TA F F / 1 9
UNC School of Education degree programs Doctoral Degree Programs Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Developmental Science and Special Education (Ph.D.) Doctor of Philosophy in Culture, Curriculum, and Teacher Education (Ph.D.) Doctor of Philosophy in Learning Sciences and Psychological Studies (Ph.D.) Doctor of Philosophy in Policy, Leadership, and School Improvement (Ph.D.) Doctor of Philosophy in School Psychology (Ph.D.) Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)
Undergraduate Degree Programs Bachelor of Arts in Human Development and Family Studies (B.A.Ed.) Bachelor of Arts in Human Organizational Leadership and Development (B.A.) Bachelor of Music in Music Education (B.M.Ed.) UNC Baccalaureate Education in Science and Teaching (B.A. or B.S.)
Master’s Degree Programs Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) Master of Education for Experienced Teachers (M.Ed.) Master of Education in School Counseling (M.Ed.) Master of School Administration (M.S.A.) Master of Arts in Educational Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (M.A.) Master of Education in Early Childhood Intervention and Family Support (M.Ed.)
Licensure Programs Pathway to Practice NC Birth-Kindergarten, Pre-Kindergarten Licensure School Administration Licensure
School selected for N.C. Principal Fellows Program $4.29 million to bring 60 future school leaders to Carolina’s MSA program As many as 60 students will receive state funding to complete the UNC School of Education’s Master of School Administration (MSA) program after the School was named among six University of North Carolina system schools to join the revamped N.C. Principal Fellows Program. Over six years, the School will receive $4.29 million, funding that is expected to support the participation of five cohorts of 12 students each in the MSA program. “We’re delighted to receive this funding, knowing that it will support the development of educators who are prepared to excel in leadership roles in schools,” said Martinette Horner, Ed.D., MSA program coordinator and principal investigator of the grant. Carolina’s participation in the Principal Fellows Program will feature partnerships with school districts in Bertie, New Hanover, Sampson, Wake, and Wayne counties and with a group of charter schools, Horner said. Two students from each county and from charter schools are expected to join the program each year, she said. Carolina has participated in the Principal Fellows Program in the past, but the program reorganized in recent years with a merger
text doesn’t fit!
20 / PROGRAMS
between the Principal Fellows Program and the Transforming Principal Preparation Program, often referred to as “TP3.” Carolina’s last Principal Fellows cohort under the prior program structure graduated this spring. The MSA program will welcome is first cohort in the new Principal Fellows in summer of 2022. The MSA program will launch the “UNC LEADS” initiative in which students will go through the MSA’s two-year, cohort-based preparation program. Horner said the initiative will be built on three pillars: equity and social justice, educational leadership, and continuous improvement, UNC LEADS will build on relationships the School has developed to help districts and schools in under-served areas, Horner said. To pursue the initiative, the School will work with N.C. Department of Public Instruction, the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, the EdPrepLab at the Learning Policy Institute, and UNC-Chapel Hill’s Education Policy Initiative.
Master of Arts in Educational Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship
Creating exponential impact
W
hen alumnus Malbert Smith III listened to a presentation by a group of UNC School of Education students, he came away thinking: “I would have loved to have had this experience when I was their age.” Smith, who earned his Ph.D. in educational psychology from the School, is co-founder and CEO of MetaMetrics — a Durham-based company that develops scientific measures of academic achievement and complementary technologies to link assessment results with instruction. The company created the Lexile Framework for Reading and the Quantile Framework for Mathematics, among its best-known products, which have been adopted by major publishers and by departments of education across the U.S. Each year, MetaMetrics creates and releases new tools associated with those frameworks to better equip educators and students with ways to advance teaching and learning. When the company needed a more efficient way to certify teachers to use the Quantile Framework, one that moved away from in-person training sessions and webinars, its leadership saw an opportunity to partner with the School’s Master of Arts in Educational Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (MEITE) program. Partnering with an entire class of MEITE students, MetaMetrics tasked them with developing a certification course for educators. What the students delivered during that presentation was the online, on-demand, go-at-your-own-pace Quantile Certification Course as part of the MetaMetrics Educator Academy — officially launched near the end of February 2021. Smith and MetaMetrics leadership have been ecstatic. “The talent level of the students, our team was blown away with it,” said Smith (’77 M.Ed., ’80 Ph.D.).
An ‘ambitious’ project with an education leader In fall 2019, Dean Fouad Abd-El-Khalick and Todd Cherner, MEITE program director, convened a group of “edupreneurs” for conversations about how the MEITE program and its students could help advance the work of area companies. “We have so many fantastic education ventures in the Triangle, many of which were started by or employ our graduates,” said Abd-El-Khalick. “The students we have coming through our MEITE program now can provide instant value to these organizations as either interns or employees, or through class projects.” The conversations with MetaMetrics that began at that meeting with the School and Cherner remained ongoing and open-ended, said Alistair Van Moere, MetaMetrics chief product officer. “I offered a few ideas, and Todd really latched on to this course,” Van Moere said. “Instructional design, platform selection, marketing, user experience… It had all of the elements a MEITE student needs when thinking about their own edtech products.”
“With this project alone, they are already having a huge impact on education. They will reach millions of teachers and students.” continues on page 22
PROGRAMS / 21
Students in Cherner’s EDUC 767: “Educational Innovation and Technology Integrative Seminar” began the project by digging into the Quantile Framework for Mathematics and content provided by MetaMetrics in the form of more than 100 presentation slides, understanding what teachers needed to know to use the framework, and then providing materials to students based on where they were in their learning trajectory.
luxury of so many minds thinking about a problem.”
MEITE student and Moise A. Khayrallah Innovation Fellow Devon Young likened the project to a consulting job. MetaMetrics needed their expertise and ability to deliver something new, which would benefit teachers and students across the country.
MetaMetrics is already using the course as a template to create additional courses for the Lexile Framework for Reading and the Lexile Framework for Listening.
“I am incredibly proud of what we accomplished,” Cherner said. “At the beginning of the semester, one of my students described the project as ‘ambitious.’ It absolutely was ambitious and was a lot of work, but I hope the students look back and see that what they accomplished was really special and truly a unique opportunity.”
Entrepreneurial legacy at UNC “Unlike courses where the professor has an idea of the eventual outcome, in this instance, the onus was on us [students] to make the content and course meaningful,” Young said. “We were doing something that really matters … and is long-lasting.” Understanding how a math teacher might experience the course, the students conducted a competitive analysis of platforms, or learning management systems, to deliver the material. “Competitive analyses really take time,” Van Moere said. “It’s all about the usability of the platform and the user’s experience. The students compared several and put together this matrix that categorized elements of each platform and provided feedback. That [analysis] enabled us to quickly select a platform that teachers are familiar with and are using it for other professional development courses.”
Nearly 40 years before MEITE students presented the Quantile Certification Course, Smith sat in Peabody Hall classrooms with the intention of becoming a college professor. He had published a number of studies with Dick Coop, Gary Stuck, and Ken White and assumed Malbert Smith III he would continue to publish research with real-world, translational potential. He also assumed that he would create impact in the lives of students and teachers from behind the lectern. Class by class. Twenty to 30 students at a time. But as a graduate assistant, Smith taught a measurement course for future teachers, and the idea for MetaMetrics emerged. “What struck me back then was most of the test scores that went to teachers and home to parents were not very actionable,” Smith said. “They were reliable and valid, but so what? What do you do with it? I tried to think if I were a teacher how I would make these tests actionable.” But even as this idea for making test scores actionable came to life, higher education hadn’t yet embraced an entrepreneurial mindset. “No one was talking about entrepreneurship back in the late 1970s or early 1980s,” Smith said. “No one was thinking about business creation, and I wish there had been.”
A view of the Quantile Certification Course
Then, drawing on theories of instructional design, students brought the course to life, organizing content into different modules, creating video and interactive elements, and building scenario-based quizzes to assess users’ understanding. “This was really unique,” Van Moere said. “We’ve never had such a large team working in this very intense way. You don’t usually have the
22 / PROGRAMS
Despite that initial lack of business knowledge, Smith and cofounder Jack Stenner created and grew the company’s first major product, the Lexile Framework for Reading, that takes a scientific approach to place both a reader and text on the same developmental scale, making it easy to connect learners with texts that match their reading ability. Today, the Lexile Framework has become the most ubiquitous
Internships expand MEITE students’ horizons reading scale in the world. It has been universally accepted by publishers in the U.S. and is used by students and teachers in all 50 states. Their Quantile Framework is on a similar trajectory with adoption continuing to increase every year. While Smith once thought he would impact education 20-30 students at a time, his company has since created tools that help individual students at scale. Of the 55 million students in U.S. public schools, 38 million use measures created by MetaMetrics.
The future of edtech and educational entrepreneurship When Smith talks about the future of education and, by extension, the future of MetaMetrics, he hints at opportunities to help learners around the world. He said great demand exists for the Lexile Framework for Reading in Asia, South America, and the Middle East. He also noted that opportunities exist in the U.S. to leverage technology to accelerate how we educate students. “Historically, education has not been very innovative,” Smith said. “There’s so much upside and appetite for educational technology and innovation.”
After teaching for four years, Alexandra Lewis wanted to deepen her impact on students’ lives. After working as a teacher overseas and in a small school in Durham, Michael Berro was driven to learn how to scale up educational innovations to help more young people. Both found the School’s MEITE program, which prepares its students for careers in educational innovation and technology. One way MEITE does this is through high-impact internships with industry leaders that are creating new technologies, products, and services in education. Students put to work lessons learned in the classroom in real-world settings.
During the 2020-21 academic year, Lewis and Berro interned with MetaMetrics, a Durham-based firm that is a national leader in offering educational measurement technology, services, and tools aimed at helping teachers, schools, and educational agencies personalize, or differentiate, learning opportunities for students.
He said he’s jealous of the opportunities ahead for MEITE students.
The experience was eye-opening, they said.
Smith said he sometimes thinks about history’s greatest scholars and what they accomplished with a relative lack of technological advances. What could the Jean Piagets or B.F. Skinners of the world have accomplished with the interconnectedness and technology we enjoy today? He also wonders how much MEITE students will accomplish. “With the tools and knowledge they have, I think MEITE students have the opportunity to be prolific and make a difference,” he said. “With this project alone, they are already having a huge impact on education. “They will reach millions of teachers and students.”
Alexandra Lewis
Michael Berro
Lewis was part of a team developing an online professional development program to certify educators in using MetaMetrics’ measurement frameworks. She worked to create instructional materials and then to gather feedback from educators who use them.
Berro worked on a project to extend MetaMetrics’ tools into careers beyond education. He said that after working as a classroom teacher, it was enlightening to be part of a team, one that had members with expertise that could be called upon to accelerate a project. Both said the internship experience has given them new ideas about career objectives. Lewis said that the program has opened possibilities of working for firms that provide services in the educational field, perhaps working in digital curriculum development or instructional design. Berro said that he’s able to apply multiple facets of his talents in education and that he has sharpened his data analysis and coding skills through the MEITE program. “I could definitely see myself in a company like MetaMetrics,” Berro said. “It’s given me an opportunity and a venue to practice in a way that’s meaningfully contributing to an existing company.”
PROGRAMS / 23
Teachers as ‘lifechangers’: Growing a diverse teacher pipeline in Durham
“N
ot long ago, one of my Latino students said to me, ‘Thank you for being who you are. Because of you, I will be a teacher.’”
Victor Hiraldo, a Durham Public Schools (DPS) elementary school teacher, lives for these interactions. For him, these students represent the diverse teacher pipeline DPS is working toward. When Hiraldo began teaching in Durham six years ago, one of the first things he did was volunteer his help to bring Latino teachers to Durham. Since then, he’s even returned to his home country of Puerto Rico to recruit prospective teachers. One of those teachers, Princesa Santiago, has taught at a DPS school for a little more than a year. Already, she has built strong relationships with her students and their families, especially Latino ones. For those students, she said having a Latino teacher is a “lifechanger.” “It’s empowerment and encouragement not only for kids who are more like me, but for kids who come from different cultures,” she said. “They’re going to remember having a teacher from Puerto Rico. They’re going to learn from that culture and grow from it.” A $4.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education will launch the Diverse and Resilient Educators Advised through Mentorship (DREAM) teacher residency program, a collaboration between the UNC School of Education and DPS to recruit, train, and support diverse teachers, with a focus on Latino teachers.
Research shows that students succeed at higher rates when their teacher looks like them. Recently, Constance Lindsay, Ph.D., a School assistant professor, and researchers built upon an existing study and found that, in addition to short-term benefits like increased test scores, by having a Black teacher by third grade, Black students were 13% more likely to enroll in college. With two Black teachers in that time, they were 32% more likely. As one of the largest districts in the state, DPS enrolls nearly 33,000 students; 42% are Black, 33% Latino. But only 3% of Durham teachers are Latino. Through ongoing recruitment efforts, Durham hopes to increase that figure to 10% by 2023. DREAM can help even more. “Having a teacher who looks like you, standing in front of you makes a world of difference, research has shown us,” said Kimberly Hager, DPS senior director of human resources. “We have, for some time now, been thinking of different ways to tackle this need.” The need is great, but achievable based on previous and ongoing successes. Hager notes approximately 40% of Durham teachers are Black — proportional to the student population. In recent years, DPS has grown the number of Black teachers, especially male teachers, through strategic partnerships, including one with North Carolina Central University. “It’s not one-time work,” Hager said. “It’s ongoing work.”
Innovation in preparation, retention The program holds the potential to help create lasting diversity in the DPS workforce and to enhance how the School prepares teachers.
DREAM also holds the potential to advance the School’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program in meaningful ways.
The need for Latino teachers In North Carolina, 38% of students are students of color, but only 17% of teachers are Black or Latino. As the state faces a shortage of teachers of color, there’s a growing understanding that these teachers have a positive influence on the academic outcomes among students of color.
24 / PROGRAMS
During the five-year project, DREAM will add 40 diverse teachers to DPS classrooms and then provide them with professional development to help them persist in the profession. “We are thrilled to build upon a long-standing partnership with
DPS to help them grow a diverse teacher workforce and pipeline,” said Dean Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, Ph.D. “And we are equally excited to continue a tradition of fulfilling our mission by sharing faculty expertise in service to one of North Carolina’s largest districts.” Kristin Papoi, Ph.D., MAT program director and principal investigator for the project, said: “DREAM promises to provide a pathway through which we can recruit diverse pre-service teachers and provide them with support as newly hired teachers to increase retention rates in and beyond the first three years of induction.” DREAM will help to grow the DPS Latino teacher pipeline through four main objectives: recruit, educate, support, and retain. Once enrolled, participants will complete MAT coursework and a year-long teaching internship, a combination that annually produces North Carolina’s most highly effective teachers. But DREAM will also provide enhanced coursework with an emphasis on “transformative social and emotional learning,” or transformative SEL, which will develop core competencies in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Ultimately, it will help them to build strong relationships with students, parents, and school community members; to learn to identify and examine causes of inequities; and to develop collaborative solutions. DREAM, particularly with its emphasis on transformative SEL, is expected to have lasting effects on the MAT program, said Diana Lys, Ed.D., assistant dean for educator preparation and accreditation. “We anticipate that what we learn through building this initiative will inform ongoing efforts to continuously improve our teacher preparation programs,” Lys said.
Collaborating for a stronger community For more than 25 years, the School has partnered with DPS in a variety of capacities, most consistently placing students into internships where they learn to serve students and communities. More recently, Partnership for Authentic Communities of Educators (PACE) has bridged the gap between pre-service and in-service teachers. “We’ve enjoyed a really strong partnership with UNC-Chapel Hill, and through DREAM, we’re hoping to continue it as a natural outgrowth of the success we have seen in PACE,” Hager said. With DREAM, the School will draw upon a range of faculty expertise. In addition to Papoi and Lys, Dorothy Espelage and Jocelyn Glazier will lead transformative SEL and PACE efforts, respectively. Additional partners include UNC College of Arts & Sciences, Institute for the Study of the Americas, N.C. Department of Public Instruction, and LatinxEd, an outreach program supported by and housed within the School.
objectives RECRUIT
National trends point to less diverse teacher candidates in schools of education, including at Carolina. With DREAM, a focus on diverse teacher recruitment seeks to reverse that trend and provide DPS with teachers in high-needs areas of elementary and special education.
EDUCATE
DREAM participants will receive enhanced MAT coursework with an instructional emphasis on “transformative social and emotional learning” to develop core competencies in self-awareness, selfmanagement, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
SUPPORT
DREAM builds upon an existing collaboration with DPS called Partnership for Authentic Communities of Educators, which provides support for preservice teachers and early-career teachers by building networks that connect them with each other and with experienced teachermentors to ease the transition into teaching careers.
RETAIN
DREAM graduates will teach in DPS schools and participate in mentoring and learning communities and in “affinity caucuses” aimed at equipping them with skills and knowledge needed to effectively teach racially and ethnically diverse students. By utilizing affinity caucuses and providing leadership opportunities, DREAM seeks to increase retention.
DREAM can produce positive long-lasting effects for the DPS workforce and students. With more teachers like Hiraldo and Santiago, all students, Latino ones in particular, can have better outcomes. Hiraldo said: “If we can multiply the number of great Latino teachers, can you imagine the impact we can have in our community and in the world?”
PROGRAMS / 25
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion In 2020, Dana Griffin, Ph.D., an associate professor, began a 3-year term as the UNC School of Education’s inaugural dean’s fellow for diversity, equity, and inclusion. In her first year, Griffin has listened and collected data related to diversity, equity, and inclusion with the intention of developing and implementing a strategic plan in her second and third years, respectively. In 2020-21, Griffin engaged faculty, staff, and students across the School and developed responsive, high-impact programs and trainings in an effort to help to bolster a community committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 2 6 / D I V E R S I T Y, E Q U I T Y, A N D I N C L U S I O N
Alumna Ronda Taylor Bullock leads School-wide antiracism training Ronda Taylor Bullock (‘05 M.A.T., ‘18 Ph.D.), led a two-part antiracism education workshop for UNC School of Education students, faculty, and staff. Bullock, who earned her Ph.D. in the Policy, Leadership, and School Improvement strand of the Ph.D. program, is co-founder and executive director of we are, a Durham-based nonprofit that provides antiracism training for children, families, and educators.
School hosts Black History Month discussion series with leading academics For Black History Month 2021, Dana Griffin, Ph.D., dean’s fellow for diversity, equity, and inclusion, convened four education leaders and led a discussion series titled “Remembering our Past, Focused on our Future.” The weekly series featured a guest speaker and focused on the role of schools of education in uplifting and elevating Black youth, families, and communities. Featured guest speakers included: • S. Kent Butler Professor University of Central Florida President-Elect American Counseling Association • Paul Harris Associate Professor University of Virginia • William Jackson (‘18 Ph.D.) CEO Village of Wisdom • Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy Professor and Dean School of Education, American University
School presents documentary as part of National Coming Out Day As part of National Coming Out Day and LGBTQ Queer Mini Con, the School and the UNC LGBTQ Center presented on October 8, 2020, “Changing the Game,” an award-winning documentary film about transgender student-athletes. Dana Riger, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor, moderated the webinar in which the documentary was screened and included a Q&A with producer Alex Schmider.
DEI book club brings together School community for reading, discussion Growing out of weekly DEI chats, School community members launched a recurring book club. Led by Dana Riger, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor, a group of UNC School of Education faculty, staff, and students read and discussed books that included: • “We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom” by Bettina Love • “White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of our Racial Divide” by Carol Anderson • “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin • “The Fire This Time” by Jesmyn Ward
Norma Day-Vines leads School-wide session on microaggressions Norma Day-Vines, Ph.D., associate dean for diversity and faculty development in the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University, led an online workshop focused on addressing microagressions in the workplace for School faculty and staff. Day-Vines’ research agenda examines the importance of multiculturalism as an indispensable tool in the delivery of culturally competent counseling and educational services for clients and students from marginalized groups.
In addition to engaging the UNC School of Education community via events and training sessions, Dana Griffin hosted weekly DEI chats and one-on-one sessions with faculty, staff, and students during the 2020-21 academic year. Those discussions — safe, welcoming spaces for sharing experiences and perspectives in response to campus and national happenings — led to and continue to lead to responsive programming. Programming was also informed by a Schoolwide survey created in collaboration with students in the Master of Arts in Educational Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship program. During the 2021-22 academic year, Griffin plans to work closely with the members of the School’s Undergraduate Advisory Council to provide additional responsive, relevant program opportunities for all members of the School community.
D I V E R S I T Y, E Q U I T Y, A N D I N C L U S I O N / 2 7
Students Our students come from North Carolina and beyond, from careers in education and from a number of other fields and industries. Each student brings a unique perspective that enriches our classrooms, research labs, and the broader Carolina community. They all come to Carolina with a passion to redefine what it means to educate. When our students graduate, they take with them tools, knowledge, and experiences that will help them to propel the world through education.
28 / STUDENTS
808
Enrollment
Total Enrollment
Enrollment by Program Undergraduate
278
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY STUDIES (B.A.ED.)
259
Race*
EDUCATION MINOR
Master’s
38
MASTER OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION (M.S.A.)
37
MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING (M.A.T.)
18
EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCED TEACHERS (M.ED.)
14
SCHOOL COUNSELING (M.ED.)
24
White 61.9% Black 12% Latino 7.8% Two or more races 8.3% Not Specified 5.7% Asian 4.2% American Indian/Alaska Native 0.1%
Gender*
MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (M.A.)
Doctoral
70
EDUCATION (PH.D.)
37
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY (PH.D.)
8
CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION (ED.D.)
25
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP (ED.D.)
Female 85% Male 15%
* The UNC School of Education values and recognizes all forms of diversity. The following metrics only reflect diversity as captured by University data.
STUDENTS / 29
Understanding and reducing adolescent sexting DOCTORAL STUDENT PROFILE
K
atie Ingram, a doctoral student in the UNC School of Education’s School Psychology program, won a $100,000 dissertation award from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Ingram won the NIJ Graduate Research Fellowship award to fund her dissertation research into adolescent “sexting” — defined in Ingram’s project as the practice of nonconsensual sharing of nude or partially nude photos or videos of peers. Among its aims, the two-year study intends to measure rates of sexting among adolescents and to identify the motivations of those who engage in it — all with the intention of informing creation of evidence-based prevention programming rooted in harm reduction. “Sexual violence, and any form of interpersonal violence involving boundary violation or non-consensual acts, can be extremely traumatic and harmful,” Ingram said. “In working with adolescents in clinical practice, I’ve noticed that this specific form of sexual violence was unique in many ways, but particularly in how permanent the act itself is, and how quickly the number of aggressors in any one incident multiply exponentially at such an alarming rate.” Sexting is common among adolescents, Ingram says in her proposal abstract, citing research that has demonstrated that 12- 27% of adolescents report involvement in sexting as recipient or participant. “Despite it being wildly prevalent and the cause of a lot of hurting, prevention efforts are pretty scarce,” Ingram said. It’s important to understand motivations for sexting as the practice can also have serious legal consequences, among them being criminal charges in instances of distribution of child pornography, Ingram said. The NIJ fellowship is a highly competitive grant program, with only a handful of graduate students across the U.S. winning funding from a 30 / STUDENTS
pool of hundreds of applicants, said Dorothy Espelage, Ph.D., William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education. Espelage, a leading academic expert on a wide range of school safety and student well-being issues, said Ingram’s project is needed. “As youth are spending increasingly more time interacting with peers through social media, especially since COVID-19 lockdowns, it is critical to understand who, why, and how adolescents receive and distribute sexts in order to build programs to prevent these behaviors,” Espelage said. Ingram said she will work to create a foundation of understanding of sexting among adolescents and to establish methods to accurately measure the behavior. “We’re starting from a point of being able to measure and describe this behavior, as consensual and non-consensual sexting are two very different behaviors often measured together” Ingram said. “What are its features? What drives it? How often is it happening? Who is involved and under what circumstances?” The project will survey 400 high school students. Ingram said she hopes to collaborate with the students to report back on findings in ways that might be helpful for them. The project will use survey methods that have been demonstrated to produce in-depth quantitative and qualitative data, Ingram said. Analysis of the data will be informed by a “social discounting” behavioral theory that describes differences in behavior people use when dealing with others who are close to them, compared to how they behave with people who are not close, she said. The objective, Ingram said, is to determine whether sexting behavior can be predicted among adolescents, thereby improving the ability of interventions to be successful prior to any harm caused.
Producing the most effective teachers for high-need schools A recent report — prepared for the University of North Carolina System by the Education Policy Initiative at Carolina — found that the UNC School of Education prepared North Carolina’s most effective teachers, especially in secondary STEM subject areas and for economically disadvantaged and minority students. The report examined students’ North Carolina End-of-Grade exam scores from the 2012–13 through 2016–17 academic years to determine the effectiveness of teachers who graduated from UNC System universities. It calculated how many additional months of student learning were achieved in teachers’ classrooms beyond an expected number of months of learning. Diana Lys, Ed.D., assistant dean for educator preparation and accreditation, said the results reflected emphases that the School and its faculty place on preparing students for helping the neediest students. “We see it as part of our mission to address educational inequities through relationship building and student engagement,” Lys said. “These data indicate that we are having success preparing our teacher candidates to do just that.”
Among overall student populations, the report found students in a Carolina teacher’s classroom gained: • Elementary math — 1.26 additional months • Middle school math — 1.73 additional months • Middle school science — 2.4 additional months • High school biology — 2.2 additional months Larger gains were seen among students from economically disadvantaged and minority populations, as well as from struggling schools. Economically disadvantaged students gained: • Middle school science — 3.3 additional months • High school biology — 2.4 additional months Minority students gained: • Middle school math — 1.26 additional months • High school biology — 2.3 additional months Students within low-performing schools gained: • Middle school science — 4 additional months STUDENTS / 31
M AT S T U D E N T P R O F I L E
Leading essential conversations James Michael Sapp, a 2021 MAT graduate, spent the past year interning in Chatham County Schools, engaging his seventh graders in difficult conversations. He is North Carolina’s Student Teacher of the Year.
“W
hat is a just war?”
That’s the essential question James Michael Sapp (’21 M.A.T.) posed to his seventh-grade social studies students at Margaret B. Pollard Middle School in Chatham County this past spring during his studentteaching internship. “I’ve never been asked that question,” said Sapp, a 2021 Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program graduate who encountered the question in faculty member Brian Gibbs’s “Social Studies Methods” class. “But I thought, ‘I can develop this for seventh graders studying world history and engage them in a really cool conversation over six weeks.’” Over those six weeks, daily individual lessons included their own focus questions such as “Is war just if it requires people in our hometown to change their lives?,” incorporated local and regional history in the context of world history, and enabled students to engage through multiple forms of discourse. “It was a big shakeup for the students,” Sapp said. “But incredible conversations came out of these lessons. I was impressed by the students every day.” For his student teaching and dedication to students, Sapp is the UNC School of Education’s Student Teacher of the Year for 2021. He was also named the 2021 North Carolina Student Teacher of the Year by the North Carolina Association for Colleges of Teacher Educators.
32 / STUDENTS
Engaging in a challenge For Sapp, a career in education seemed like a natural path. He grew up in schools in Swannanoa, N.C., a small Buncombe County town just outside of Asheville. His mother taught at the local middle school; his father at the high school. He lived within walking distance to the elementary school. When he arrived at Carolina in 2015, he joined the marching band and considered majoring in music education. But his history classes — the readings and subsequent discussions — challenged him. He switched his major but held on to a potential career in education. That same sense of challenge that drew Sapp to major in history drove him to challenge himself and his students in the classroom. At the point in the year in which Sapp would take over as the fulltime teacher, the class — which had been taught chronologically — was approaching the 20th century. Sapp saw an opportunity to try a different, thematic approach. World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War provided an opportunity for students to explore a question about history that couldn’t be answered in a class period or that even had a definitive answer. What is a just war?
“I want to let students engage in these cool conversations. I want them to be proud of where they come from and to like feel like they can make positive change where they grow up.” “I would take an idea from each war and alternate it throughout the week,” Sapp said. “The students started to run with it and were able to connect themes across these different wars.” Sapp engaged in multiple modes of assessment — audio recordings, writing, Socratic seminars, and art. One assessment focused on war opposition figures and required students to create life-like representations, in detail and size, on paper of figures including Bella Abzug, Daniel Ellsberg, and Martin Luther King Jr. Students “X-rayed” those figures, creating metaphors of body parts to connect to the figure’s perspectives or actions. An X-ray of the heart might describe
how the person might have felt about the war; an X-ray of the eyes enabled students to talk about things the figure might have seen. Sapp created clear expectations, and his students knew that art could be rigorous and that they must treat their art with attention to detail. Students — and Sapp — proudly displayed their art outside of the classroom once finished.
Dedicated to each of his students In addition to pursuing grades 6-12 social studies licensure through the MAT program, Sapp also pursued special education add-on coursework, which provided him with tools to best address each student’s needs. In a nomination for Sapp, clinical educator Michael Charles wrote: “I would like to take a moment to specifically praise Mr. Sapp for his dutiful adherence to the accommodations provided for all of the special-needs students he taught. Mr. Sapp differentiated everything he produced as a student teacher. He collaborated directly with our school’s seventh-grade [exceptional children] teacher in order to ensure these students’ needs were provided for. To my mind, that thoroughness is indicative of a teacher well into their teaching career, let alone one just starting out on the career path.” His attention and care for every student and the building of intentional relationships ultimately created a strong community and a thriving classroom culture. Taylor Schmidt, School doctoral student and university supervisor, wrote: “James Michael took concepts of experiential education, intentional classroom culture, place-based education, racial and economic justice, multicultural education, differentiation, and 21st-century learning skills and integrated them into his planning for student teaching, allowing for creative interplay between concepts, unique planning, and extraordinary student experiences in virtual, hybrid, and in-person teaching. … He invested deeply in his students, whether they were online or in-person, constantly adapting his plans to best serve his students according to their needs and situations. And he invested trust in his seventh graders, believing them to be capable of challenging projects and concepts like justice and war, labor and identity, imperialism and community, race and self-determination. This investment produced extraordinary discussions and growth amongst his students, evident in the unique discourse that can be found amongst the students in his classroom.” Sapp will return to his hometown in the mountains of North Carolina this fall to lead his first classroom, prepared to help his middle schoolers navigate difficult questions and to challenge them to look closely at history so they take pride in their community. “I want to let students engage in these cool conversations,” he said. “I want them to be proud of where they come from and to like feel like they can make positive change where they grow up.”
STUDENTS / 33
Emerging victorious alongside her students
MSA STUDENT PROFILE
B
rittanie Howard (‘15 B.A.Ed.) is no stranger to the challenges of the public education system. After attending a rural elementary school in West Virginia, an urban high school in Charlotte, and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Howard has experienced education’s disparities and funding gaps.
Howard taught herself conversational Spanish and went on to earn her English as a Second Language (ESL) certification and teach ESL courses. “I knew then that I had to move into positions of influence so that I can better protect those students who are typically overlooked,” she said. “Even today in the hardest moments, I remember that second-period class.”
The Master of School Administration (MSA) student hopes to change that. After high school, Howard enrolled at UNC-Chapel Hill, majoring in pre-medicine. However, her passion shifted to education while volunteering at a local elementary school. “My time with the students was so much more life-giving than my science and math classes,” Howard said. “I couldn’t deny I was feeling a pull to education.” Taking classes in education, Howard was met with understanding professors and a new perspective on learning. “The School of Education is one of both grit and grace,” she said. “The programs are challenging, and require much of their students. However, the School also extends much in grace — understanding that everyone’s journey does and will look different, and allowing room for students to explore what success looks like for their specific journey.”
Doing whatever is necessary After graduating, Howard worked as a sixth grade social studies and English teacher in Durham. What she did not expect on her first day of teaching was a second-period class full of students who spoke almost exclusively Spanish, a language that Howard knew little of. Howard did what some first-year teachers would be frightened to do — she began breaking down that barrier by learning the language. “The biggest part of teaching is finding out what the kids need and then working with them to get there,” she said. “I don’t need to feel pressured to know all the answers, but I do have to be in a position where I’m always willing to do whatever is necessary to meet those needs. My kids needed me to learn Spanish, so I did.”
34 / STUDENTS
Howard returned in 2019 to pursue a Master of School Administration degree. The program allowed her to continue teaching and offered the same quality and compassion she experienced as an undergraduate. “I know the School to be one dedicated to building instructional experts, social justice advocates, and system-shifting educators,” she said. “Where better to learn than the place where those values were instilled in me?” In the MSA program, she said she has gained the knowledge and skills to pursue equity, to address opportunity and achievement disparities, and to create and sustain inclusive schools. Howard is also a principal intern at a Durham high school, where she has taken on responsibility as schools shifted to remote learning. “I have been extremely equipped with the technical skills of school administration, so much so that my principal puts a lot of trust in me because she recognizes that I have been so well prepared by the MSA program,” Howard said. After graduation, Howard hopes to work as a school administrator. And after that, she is considering a law degree. Her time at the School has helped hone her passion for child advocacy. Ultimately, she believes she can work as an attorney for a school district, as well as being a child and family advocate in situations where students’ needs aren’t being met. No matter what Howard pursues, one thing is for sure: She will live by a set of values she hopes to instill in her students and the education system. “I have always said that my goal is to come home with my shield and to help others do the same,” she said. “I got that from the Spartans. When they would go to battle, their wives would say to either come home with your shield or come home on it. So every day I ask myself: ‘How can I come out of this victorious alongside these children?’”
Serving as an agent of change
SCHOOL COUNSELING STUDENT PROFILE
A
s an undergraduate sociology major at Appalachian State University, Victor Boles devoted his studies and research to homophobic bullying in middle school. He said the longitudinal effects on mental health and on young adulthood demanded a systemic lens to ultimately help students.
Based on his previous research, he assumed when it came time to choose a school level for his counseling internship that he would select middle school. The program’s summer coursework and the theoretical frameworks he was learning nudged him toward elementary school.
The need for that lens and the commitment to social justice drew Boles to the School’s year-long school counseling program.
“[My courses] were really eye-opening,” he said. “What I love about elementary school counseling is that there is such a foundation for a student’s trajectory. It affects how they end up in middle school, how they’re going to emphasize school in their life. It’s very proactive.”
“The American School Counselor Association says that counselors should be systemic agents of change,” said Boles, a 2021 school counseling graduate. “That’s something that I really ascribe to my work and in my life even outside of counseling.”
During his internship, he said that he heard of student experiences that indicated narrow gender views on the part of school staff members.
Boles took that approach into his school counseling internship, joining the trauma-informed leadership and equity teams to advocate for the most marginalized students. He drew from his experiences and research to better understand school climate and teacher attitudes toward gender and sexual identity. For that work, Boles (’21 M.Ed.) received the School’s GalassiBrown Award, which recognizes students who promote social and educational justice and demonstrates exceptional advocacy.
Creating foundations Boles, who is gay, grew up in a low-income, single-parent household in a western North Carolina county. He was bullied in middle school because of his sexuality. No one stepped in. “The teachers knew [about the bullying],” he said. “My counselors knew. People knew, and they didn’t do anything. “So I said, ‘Maybe I want to work within schools and be the person I wish I would have had.’ I wanted to help students and families in ways that I wish that I could have had.”
“Obviously, students don’t understand what terms like gender norms mean, but one boy told me that he liked the color pink, and his teacher told him he couldn’t like that color,” Boles said. “And one girl didn’t want to wear a dress to a school dance, but that was the dress code.” After conversations with the school’s equity team, Boles and fellow student Christine Smith developed a survey focused on the beliefs and practices of teachers around gender-expansive students and on how teachers implement LGBTQ+ people into their curriculum. “Eventually, [the principal] allowed it, but some respondents noted [anonymously] that they were disappointed the administration allowed the survey to be sent out.” Responses ranged in beliefs around gender expansiveness, and for the teachers who were accepting, some felt they couldn’t extend those values in the classroom. While he was only able to collect information, Boles felt confident that he had left the school with data that could inform future professional development opportunities and that could potentially inform new school or district policies — which would ultimately benefit students and their school experiences. STUDENTS / 35
SCHOOL COUNSELING STUDENT PROFILE
‘There’s always something more you can do’
T
hird grade. That’s the grade Trevor Echols points to when his school experience completely changed because of a school counselor. It’s the same grade that he began to believe that he might pursue a career as a school counselor. “I went to a school district that wasn’t the greatest place for minoritized students, especially for … ‘gifted’ classes are what they were called at the time,” said Echols, a 2021 graduate of the School Counseling program, who grew up as a bi-racial student in a suburb of Harrisburg, Penn. “My elementary school counselor really saw something in me and my abilities, and really pushed for me to be in those accelerated classes.”
It’s why he chose to be a high school counselor who can help students during perhaps the biggest first transition in their lives. In one of his first individual counseling sessions, Echols met with a Latino student and listened. “Hearing [that student] express that he didn’t feel like people in the school understood the story of Latinx students, it spoke to me,” he said. “I felt like I was talking to the younger version of myself.” Echols sought out resources to help that student and Latino students — resources that could help their teachers better connect and resources that could chart a course for Latino students after graduation.
After that, Echols said he “flourished” in the classroom. “Seeing how she was able to be a support system and advocate for me is something that I want to bring into school counseling for myself,” he said. “Each student comes from a unique background and environment, and sometimes they just need that one person advocating for them and supporting them. “If I do that, then I’ve done my job.” Echols did just that as a school counseling intern at the Durham School of the Arts (DSA), and for that work, he was recognized as a recipient of the UNC School of Education’s Galassi-Brown Award, which recognizes students who promote social and educational justice and demonstrate exceptional advocacy for the students they serve, the schools where they work, and the school counseling profession.
Creating high-impact connections For Echols, high school counseling represents a way to help students achieve success in their lives beyond the classroom, connecting them with opportunities and resources within their communities. He said he relied on his counselor to navigate the tough times of high school and to find a path beyond graduation.
36 / STUDENTS
He worked with school counseling faculty member Robert Martinez, Ph.D., to connect with LatinxEd, an organization whose mission is to “invest in Latinx leadership and expand educational equity and opportunity in North Carolina.” LatinxEd partners with the School and is housed in Peabody Hall. Echols worked with DSA leadership to bring LatinxEd leaders inside the school building to present to the faculty, providing an overview of the area Latino community and offering ways to engage Latino students. That presentation led to additional collaborations. LatinxEd also provided insights to help undocumented students envision their future beyond high school. “[Undocumented] students don’t have to say, ‘High school is over. My education is done.’ LatinxEd brought in resources that could make that possible.” Next year, Echols will continue to build connections, resources, and relationships as a full-time counselor at DSA. “I want to see what else I can do at DSA,” he said. “There’s always something more you can do. There’s always a new group of students who need an opportunity or an open door.”
Student News Jang wins University Teaching Award Graduate teaching assistant Wonkyung “Won” Jang was one of five UNC-Chapel Hill graduate students to win a 2021 Tanner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by Graduate Teaching Assistants. The awards are given annually to acknowledge the University’s commitment to outstanding teaching and mentoring for graduate and undergraduate students. Jang, a fifth-year doctoral student specializing in language and literacy development and learning in early childhood, has worked as a teaching assistant in both the Human Development and Family Studies undergraduate program and the Early Childhood Intervention and Family Support specialty area of the Master of Education for Experienced Teachers program. Faculty member Roger Mills-Koonce, Ph.D., who nominated Jang for the award, said: “There are many attributes that make Won an excellent teacher — his intelligence, skillset, comfort in interacting with students, and his commitment and passion for teaching — just to name a few. But what truly distinguishes Won is his tremendous effort and investment in helping students move from learning material to really understanding and applying what they learn so that they carry it with them and utilize it for years to come.
Mock Muñoz de Luna wins Student Undergraduate Teaching Award Lucia Mock Muñoz de Luna, a student in the Culture, Curriculum, and Teacher Education concentration of the School’s Ph.D. program, was one of 11 UNC-Chapel Hill teaching assistants to win a Student Undergraduate Teaching Award. The awards, announced among the annual Chancellor’s Awards recognition event, are selected by a committee of students. Alongside faculty member Alison LaGarry-Cahoon, Ph.D., Mock Muñoz de Luna taught EDUC 533: “Social Justice in Education” and EDUC 507: “Art, Education, and Social Change.” One student nominator said: “I have been a student at UNC for almost eight full semesters, and I have never seen a TA be able to establish a sense of community within a class as well as Lucia has, not to mention that both of these semesters have been online classes.”
“His energy and his authenticity inspires students to actually care about what they are studying — and when teaching research methodology, that is no easy feat.”
STUDENTS / 37
Development and Alumni Relations The UNC School of Education proudly boasts more than 22,000 alumni across fields and professions. They are often distinguished, and many go on to earn teacher of the year, counselor of the year, and principal of the year distinctions in their schools, districts, regions, and states. And each possesses an unwavering commitment to students and educators and the foundational role that education plays in our world.
3 8 / D E V E L O P M E N T A N D A L U M N I R E L AT I O N S
22k Alumni
LIVING AND WORKING IN
ALL
50 States ALL OF NORTH CAROLINA’S
100 Counties AT ORGANIZATIONS THAT INCLUDE Wake County Public School System
Northwestern University
Durham Public Schools
Davidson College
Orange County Schools
University of Michigan
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
University of Missouri
Guilford County Schools
North Carolina Central University
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
University of Delaware
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
MetaMetrics
North Carolina Virtual Public School
Village of Wisdom
U.S. Department of Education
we are (working to extend anti-racist education)
UNC Office of Undergraduate Admissions
D E V E L O P M E N T A N D A L U M N I R E L AT I O N S / 3 9
Development The UNC School of Education is grateful to the many donors — individuals and organizations — who share our belief in the transformative power of education. Each year, we continue to garner more support for innovative programs and groundbreaking research that hold the potential to change our fields in profound ways. These investments in the School provide us the opportunity to pursue promising projects and to respond to pressing needs.
Fundraising Totals
$3.3m TOTAL COMMITMENTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2021
$3.7m $3.3m $2.8m $2.5m $1.9m
$922k
$952k
FY15
FY16
4 0 / D E V E L O P M E N T A N D A L U M N I R E L AT I O N S
FY17
FY18
FY19
FY20
FY21
UNC School of Education Board of Visitors Our Board of Visitors convenes some of the best minds in North Carolina’s education landscape. Collectively, members have decades of educational and philanthropic experience in the state, and they graciously share that expertise with the School. Members include: Richard “Dicky” Baddour (’75 M.A.) Athletic Director (Retired) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Harold Lillard Kennedy III Partner/Attorney Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy & Kennedy
Alison Cleveland (’14 M.S.A.) Principal Wakefield Middle School
Moise Khayrallah (’93 Ph.D.) CEO and Co-Founder Aerial BioPharma
Frank R. Comfort (’69 M.A.T.) Head Swimming Coach (Retired) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Thomas Willis Lambeth Senior Fellow Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation
Fred Pfohl Crouch II (’71 M.A.T.) Social Studies Specialist (Retired) Prince George County Schools
Michael D. Priddy (’70 A.B., ’75 M.Ed., ’81 Ed.D.) Board Chairman Public School Forum
Robert Wendell Eaves Jr. Owner, Chairman, and CEO (Retired) The Right Stuff Food Stores
Moyer Gray Smith Sr. (’61 A.B.Ed.) President (Retired) The Rams Club University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ronald Thayer Haskins (’70 M.A.T.) Senior Fellow, Economic Studies Brookings Institute Gerry House (’88 Ed.D.) President and CEO Institute for Student Achievement
Ann Gobbel Sullivan (’57 A.B.Ed.) Community Volunteer Willis “Bill” Whichard Lawyer Tillman, Whichard & Cagle PLLC Former N.C. Senator, Supreme Court Justice, Dean of Campbell School of Law Kristen Smith Young (’01 A.B.Ed.) Director of Community Relations University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Ex-Officio Members Amy Rickard (’84 A.B.Ed., ’00 M.S.A.) Principal Morris Grove Elementary President UNC School of Education Alumni Council
Zollie Stevenson Jr. (’84 Ph.D.) Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs (Retired) Philander Smith College
Sending Tar Heel teachers into their first classrooms
Thanks to the support of more than 50 donors — and an anonymous donor who made a $1,500 challenge gift — the School’s Master of Arts in Teaching program sent every member of its Class of 2021 into their first classroom with supplies and School of Education-branded items. The standalone online giving campaign — a first for the School — leveraged new fundraising tools to engage alumni and donors in support of the next generation of North Carolina’s most effective educators. RESEARCH / 43
Alumni Relations We are proud to know that the knowledge and experiences gained in Peabody Hall create positive impact inside schools and across fields. The School has one of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s largest alumni bases, boasting 22,000 alumni living in all 100 North Carolina counties, all 50 states, and more than 40 countries.
Alumni Council The members of the Alumni Council represent a range of alumni in terms of their professional experience. They provide insights from that experience to inform our work to improve teaching and learning. The council is the governing body for the School of Education’s alumni. It includes the following members: Officers President Amy Rickard (’94 A.B.Ed., ’00 M.S.A.) Past President Michael D. Priddy (’70 A.B., ’75 M.Ed., ’81 Ed.D.) Secretary Carole Symons Roebuck (’63 A.B.Ed.) Members Eliza M. Brinkley (’18 M.A.T.) Barbara Holland Chapman (’81 Ph.D.) Kristal Moore Clemons (’09 Ph.D.) Eliz Colbert (’86 B.A., ’95 M.Ed.) Belinda Corpening (’72 A.B.Ed., ’73 M.Ed.) Ed Dunlap (’79 Ph.D.) Nancy Farmer (’69 A.B.Ed., ’70 M.Ed., ’81 Ed.D.) Sandrika Freeman (‘20 B.A.Ed.) Dan Gilfort (’03 M.S.A.) Linda C. Hutchinson-Harmon (’74 M.Ed., ’83 Ph.D.) Catherine B. Jenrette (’71 A.B.Ed.) Lynne Cannon Johnson (’85 A.B.Ed., ’95 M.Ed.) Oliver Johnson (’84 Ph.D.) Arthur Kamiya Jr. (’78 M.A.T.) Shea Grisham Linden (’08 A.B.Ed., ’14 M.Ed.) Larry Mabe (’93 Ed.D.) David A. “Gus” Martin (’73 M.Ed., ’82 Ph.D.) Ben Matthews (’71 A.B., ’84 Ph.D.) Laura Colson McLean (’99 A.B.Ed.) Mary Faith Mount-Cors (’10 Ph.D.) Mia Murphy (’12 Ed.D.) James Overman (’99 M.S.A.)
Melissa Rasberry (’98 A.B.Ed., ’03 M.S.A., ’07 Ed.D.) Cindi Rigsbee (’79 A.B.Ed., ’03 M.Ed.) Mitzi Safrit (’89 A.B.Ed.) Kelli Hayner Smith (’00 M.Ed.) William P. Steed (’87 Ed.D.) Sarah S. Stephens (’09 A.B.Ed., ’19 M.S.A.) School of Education Faculty Representatives Martinette Horner (’96 A.B.Ed., ’16 Ed.D.) Eric Houck (’92 A.B.Ed.) School of Education Staff Representatives Fouad Abd-El-Khalick Leslie Deslis Morgan Ellis (’07 A.B.J.M.) Megan Garrett (’08 A.B.J.M., ’16 M.P.A.) Mike Hobbs (’15 Cert. Technology and Communication) Laurie Norman (’83 B.S.) Kayla Blevins Stewart (’16 B.A.J.M.)
text doesn’t fit!
4 4 / ALUMNI
The UNC School of Education is incredibly sad to share that Ben Matthews (‘71 B.A., ‘84 Ph.D.), a member and former president of the Alumni Council, died July 28, 2021, after a battle with ALS. We at the School are lucky to have known Ben and are grateful for his dedication to Carolina and for his unwavering commitment to education.
Alumni Notes During the past year, the UNC School of Education proudly shared news from its alumni that included the following headlines: Elena Ashburn (‘12 M.S.A., ‘18 Ed.D.) named 2021 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year Jennifer Attkisson (‘98 A.B.Ed.) honored as 2021 Teacher of the Year for North Carolina’s Northeast Region Meytal Barak (‘09 M.Ed.) and Barbie Garayúa Tudryn (‘13 M.Ed.) named to inaugural cohort of LatinxEd Fellows Laura Colson (‘99 A.B.Ed.) named vice president of academic affairs at Bennett College Jill M. Cook (‘88 B.M.Ed., ‘91 M.Ed.) named executive director of the American School Counselor Association Shannon Cunningham (‘03 M.S.A.) named 2021 Middle School Principal of the Year by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Ed Dunlap (‘79 Ph.D.) retired in January 2021 after 41 years at the North Carolina School Boards Association where he led as executive director since 1994 Kevin Duquette (’13 M.Ed.), an assistant professor of counselor education at Bridgewater State University, named 2021 Massachusetts Counselor Educator of the Year Jeanne Dyches (‘19 Ph.D.), Brandon Sams (‘12 Ph.D.), and Ashley S. Boyd (‘04 B.A., ‘05 M.A.T., ‘14 Ph.D.) recognized with 2021 Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award for “Acts of Resistance : Subversive Teaching in the English Language Arts Classroom” Mike Fox (‘78 A.B.Ed., ‘79 M.A.T.) retired as head coach of the UNC baseball team after 22 seasons Derrick Jordan (‘12 Ed.D.) named North Carolina Department of Public Instruction assistant superintendent of agency schools Hillsborough Elementary’s Christine Kreider (‘00 M.A.T.) and Jessica Nagy (‘15 M.S.A.) named Orange County Schools Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year Alvera J. Lesane (‘01 M.S.A., ‘08 Ed.D.) joined the Durham Public Schools leadership team as assistant superintendent for human resources
Wake County Public School System Superintendent Cathy Quiroz Moore (‘97 M.S.A.) named 2021 Superintendent of the Year by the North Carolina PTA Erik Naglee (‘09 M.S.A.) named 2021 Principal of the Year for North Carolina’s Piedmont-Triad Region Lindsey Nichols (‘06 M.Ed.) named Patricia McClurg Education Faculty Fellow at University of Wyoming College of Education Immediate past president of the School’s Alumni Council Mike Priddy (‘70, ‘75 M.Ed., ‘81 Ed.D.) selected to UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Visitors Alumni Council member Melissa Rasberry (‘98 A.B.Ed., ‘03 M.S.A., ‘07 Ed.D.) named director of the Professional Learning and Leading Collaborative at The William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at N.C. State University Darlene Ryan (‘78 A.B.Ed., ‘03 M.Ed., ‘11 Ed.D.) received 2021 Outstanding Administrative Support Award from National Science Education Leadership Association Michael Sasscer (’00 B.A., ’01 M.A.T., ’13 M.S.A., ’16 Ed.D) appointed Superintendent of Edenton-Chowan Schools Alecia Smith (‘19 Ph.D.) honored by the N.C. Association of Government Information Officers with its Ernie Seneca Award for Excellence in Public Service Muriel Summers (‘79 A.B.Ed.) awarded N.C. Principals and Assistant Principals Association’s highest honor — the Ralph Kimel Award Wiley Elementary School in Raleigh — led by Leslie Taylor (‘97 A.B.Ed., ‘10 M.S.A.) — named the top magnet school in the U.S. for second time in five years Rodney Trice (‘06 Ed.D.) named chief equity and engagement officer for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Tony Watlington (‘00 M.S.A., ‘08 Ed.D.) named superintendent of Rowan-Salisbury Schools Roy Williams (‘72 A.B.Ed., ‘73 M.A.T.) retired as UNC men’s basketball coach
Dionne McLaughlin (‘11 Ed.D.) outlined practices for leading equitable, high achieving schools in the book “Personalized Principal Leadership Practices: Eight Strategies for Leading Equitable, High Achieving Schools” D E V E L O P M E N T A N D A L U M N I R E L AT I O N S / 4 3
ed.unc.edu