The new director of Metro Nashville Public Schools, Shawn Joseph, faces many challenges as he takes office July 1, including developing and retaining strong school leaders, improving student outcomes, turning around failing schools and closing achievement gaps for vulnerable populations. Researchers at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development have considerable expertise on these subjects and are available for comment.
BUILDING STRONG SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
Hiring and retention
Jason Grissom studies mobility and retention and can address the impact of teacher and principal turnover, in light of 18 principal openings currently in MNPS. Video
Evaluations and incentives
Matthew Springer can discuss the effectiveness of retention bonuses in Tennessee’s low-performing schools, and the effective use of teacher evaluation data.
Professional development
Ellen Goldring designed and implemented a principal leadership academy in Metro Schools. She can speak on the importance of training, nurturing and retaining quality teachers and principals. Video
Administrative leadership
Joseph Murphy, is a past school administrator and author of Leading School Improvement: A Framework for Action.
TURNING AROUND LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOLS
Achievement School District
Gary Henry has studied Tennessee’s Achievement School District and iZone schools. He can discuss what tactics are working in school turnaround in Tennessee and across the nation.
School reform
Marisa Cannata can discuss scaling up low-performing schools through effective administrative leadership, quality teachers and a supportive professional community. She is the director of the National Center on Scaling Up Effective Schools.
School choice
Claire Smrekar is an expert on school choice, including charters, vouchers and magnet schools. She was an expert witness two recent high-profile desegregation cases.
BOOSTING STUDENT OUTCOMES
Teacher collaboration
Xiu Cravens created and implemented the highly successful Teacher Peer Excellence Group model in six Tennessee counties. TPEGs improve teacher and student outcomes by employing teacher observation, feedback and collaboration.
Curriculum and testing
Barbara Stengel can comment on the aftermath of Common Core and TNReady. She heads up a team-teaching program implemented at Bailey Middle School, iis director of secondary education at Peabody and leads the Teaching and Learning in Urban Schools program.
College readiness
Angela Boatman is an education policy expert who can discuss how MNPS can best prepare students for college. She also can comment on Tennessee Promise, Tennessee Hope and remedial education. Video
Teaching with technology
Rogers Hall is an expert on math- and technology-based learning environments. He can discuss spatial learning and the relationships between personal mobility and learning.
Gaming to learn
Melissa Gresalfi is part of a team that developed Atlantis Remixed, an interactive multi-user video game that promotes math and science learning.
iPads and autism
Ann Kaiser conducts research on how children with autism can use iPads to facilitate speech and learning.
FOSTERING SAFE SCHOOLS
Bullying
Maury Nation has helped Metro implement tangible solutions for curbing bullying and creating positive learning environments.
Depression
Bruce Compas works with area families and can discuss the legacy depressed parents pass on to their children. The interventions he is implementing have shown to break the depression cycle in families. Video
Youth violence
Mark Lipsey and Emily Tanner-Smith are experts on juvenile delinquency, and can comment on what services work best to reduce recidivism.
Addiction
Andrew Finch was honored by the White House for his work with recovery high schools. He co-founded the Association of Recovery Schools and helped carry out the first and only accreditation program for such schools.
MEETING THE NEEDS OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
Gifted minorities
Donna Y. Ford is an expert on gifted minorities. She was instrumental in Metro’s recent implementation of the Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Test for screening gifted children. Video
Gifted selection and placement
Jason Grissom can discuss gifted program referral and testing protocols, and how these have contributed to the underrepresentation of black and Hispanic students. Video
ELL achievement gap
Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez is a bilingual professor of teaching and learning who can address the achievement gap for young ELL students.
Teacher training for ESL
Robert Jiménez assists MNPS teachers in earning their English as a Second Language endorsement.
ELL literacy
Deborah Rowe has expertise in how young ELL students draw on their first language when learning to write and speak English, and how they interact with teachers in an English-dominant environment.
Learning disabilities
Douglas and Lynn Fuchs work with MNPS teachers to implement math and reading interventions for children with, or at-risk for, learning disabilities.
Reading interventions for Down syndrome
Christopher Lemons has been recognized by the White House for his research on reading interventions for children with Down syndrome and autism.
Behavior challenges
Joseph Lambert works with students with learning differences combined with severe behavior challenges. He can discuss how Peabody is training a new generation of teachers to meet these students’ needs. Video
Aggressive behavior
Joseph Wehby studies aggressive behavior in students with intellectual disabilities and interventions to facilitate learning and socializing.
BUILDING A FOUNDATION THROUGH EARLY EDUCATION
Pre-K programs
Dale Farran and Mark Lipsey’s pre-K research helped inform lawmakers who crafted the Tennessee Pre-Kindergarten Quality Act. They also advise MNPS on best practices for its pre-K program.
Pre-K curriculum
Mary Louise (“ML”) Hemmeter is one of the creators of Connect4Learning, an interdisciplinary early childhood curriculum that incorporates mathematics and science into pre-K learning.
Learning through Play
David Dickinson can discuss an intervention he created to help preschool teachers teach vocabulary through teacher-supported play.
Toddlers and screen time
Georgene Troseth studies the impact of videos, television, tablets and smart phones on preschoolers’ earliest learning experiences.