Education And Psychology

  • Vanderbilt University

    Vanderbilt Peabody students team up with Disney Books and Bloomsbury

    By Jennifer Kiilerich Marissa Tessier, Melanie Hundley and Elizabeth Seeker. Photo: Krystal Schmidt Convincing tweens and teens to read books can be an uphill battle. But a collaboration between two Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development students, their professor, and best-selling Disney Books author Jen Calonita is… Read More

    May 21, 2025

  • Young students listen intently to a teacher reading a book.

    Empowered teachers could unlock “science of reading” success, finds Vanderbilt researcher

    By Jennifer Kiilerich Only a third of American students read proficiently, according to the 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress. Scores continue to lag behind those from 2019 and 2022, and there has been little overall improvement since the NAEP began tracking reading in 1992. Educators and policymakers have… Read More

    May 19, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Redefining legacy in pediatric care

    by Jenna Somers Jessika Boles After consulting with the palliative care team, Jessika Boles, MEd’08, found herself speaking with a mother about honoring her daughter’s legacy. “One of the ways we can do that is through handprint art, since handprints and fingerprints are unique to each person. Would you… Read More

    May 15, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Vanderbilt’s Roberts Academy welcomes independent educators for neurodivergence-informed conference

    By Jennifer Kiilerich When top special education researchers, a cutting-edge dyslexia academy and research center, and influential school leaders converge at Vanderbilt University, big ideas are bound to emerge. That is exactly what happened at the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools Neurodivergence-Informed Schools conference, hosted by the Roberts Academy… Read More

    May 14, 2025

  • A female teacher works with a female student who is using a toilet paper roll to practice hand-eye coordination.

    Innovative research, enduring impact: 100 years of the visual disabilities program at Peabody

    By Jennifer Kiilerich In rural Monroe County, Tennessee, the school district’s only teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) is approaching retirement. But her daughter, Andrea Leatherwood, is almost ready to step into the role. Leatherwood is among the first cohort of teachers accepted last summer into the new Vanderbilt… Read More

    May 13, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Empowering kids to unpack AI algorithms: a Vanderbilt researcher’s game-based approach

    By Jennifer Kiilerich With artificial intelligence being rapidly deployed across all sectors of public life, including education, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how younger children interact with AI algorithms. Future programmers will need to consider the social and ethical impacts of technology, contends Vanderbilt Peabody College of… Read More

    Apr 17, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Vanderbilt, TSU students tour Nashville’s environmental history and sustainability initiatives

    In March, students and faculty from Vanderbilt University and Tennessee State University took an environmental tour of Nashville, funded by the Vanderbilt Center for Sustainability, Energy, and Climate. The students learned about the city’s history and recent sustainability projects to improve the environment. Yolanda J. McDonald The tour included… Read More

    Apr 7, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Vanderbilt Peabody College hosts Japanese gifted and special needs education scholars

    Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development’s expertise in designing and offering gifted education was highlighted in March when Peabody Global Initiatives and Chris Vanags, director of the Peabody Research Office, hosted a pair of Japanese visiting researchers. Hirokazu Kumazaki, professor in the Department of Neuropsychiatry at… Read More

    Apr 7, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    New report could help school districts sustain principal pipeline initiatives

    As fewer people enter the education profession and high rates of principal turnover persist, school districts need strategic and systematic approaches to recruiting, hiring, and supporting effective school leaders. Principal pipelines may be the answer. Principal pipelines are a comprehensive and aligned system for identifying, developing, and supporting school leaders. Read More

    Apr 2, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Blending passions: how Vanderbilt alumnus Alex Astrella merges film and therapy to advocate for the neurodiverse community

    By Jenna Somers Alex Astrella At age two Alex Astrella, MEd’23, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. His parents were told that he had little chance of graduating high school or becoming financially independent. Today, Astrella is the founder and CEO of Blu Star Productions, an award-winning film studio… Read More

    Apr 1, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    New tool maps how states govern early childhood programs

    The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt University Peabody College of education and human development has launched the Early Childhood Governance Landscape, a new tool that illustrates how states structure early childhood governance—and what those choices mean for coordination, funding, and access to services for young children… Read More

    Apr 1, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Vanderbilt resource for educators reports 29 percent boost in professional development reach

    The IRIS Center at Vanderbilt, which provides free online resources about teaching and learning, helped about 1.5 million people from all 50 states, more than 1,000 public school districts and more than 1,500 U.S. colleges and universities. That’s an increase of 15 percent over 2022, reflecting the growing importance of online instructional resources in today’s educational landscape. And its reach is even broader than that—hospitals, health care systems and justice systems logged in to benefit from its effective, evidence-based resources. Read More

    Mar 31, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Vanderbilt research discovers new brain injury impairments to everyday communication skills

    In two recent studies funded by the National Institutes of Health, moderate-severe TBI was associated with difficulties in communication, namely remembering spoken language and integrating information in gesture with speech. Both impairments can inhibit a person’s ability to understand and effectively communicate with others, but the research teams hope the studies’ findings could pave the way for improved therapies and assessments to help people with TBI communicate more easily in their daily lives. Read More

    Mar 24, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Burke awarded grants on disabilities services, autism siblings

    By Jennifer Kiilerich Meghan Burke, professor of special education at Peabody College Only about 20 percent of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities currently access formal support services. Meghan Burke, professor of special education at Vanderbilt Peabody College, has built a career around growing that number, helping… Read More

    Mar 20, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Choosing the best school for your child: a Q&A with independent school expert Carrie Grimes (video)

    By Jenna Somers and Krystal Schmidt Tennessee’s Education Freedom Act of 2025 takes effect in the 2025-2026 school year. In the first year, the Tennessee Department of Education will award 20,000 state-funded scholarships, commonly known as vouchers, to eligible families to support their children’s attendance at scholarship-accepting private schools. Read More

    Mar 19, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Metacognitive-driven “exit tickets” could improve high school math performance, unlock STEM pathways

    By Jennifer Kiilerich More than 60 percent of American students aged 12-18 are interested in a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, according to a 2023 Walton Family Foundation survey. On the road to a life in STEM, proficiency in high school math has been identified by researchers as… Read More

    Mar 6, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    New scholarship opens doors for neurodiverse learners

    The scholarship, with funds provided by Vanderbilt University, will support students in the Next Steps at Vanderbilt program. Based in Peabody College of education and human development, Next Steps is a four-year, postsecondary certificate program for neurodiverse students. “This scholarship is an exciting development that aligns with the… Read More

    Mar 5, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Exploring Chile’s labor market outcomes amidst regional disparities in higher education access

    Matias Fresard Rapid technological innovation continues to demand specialized training for workers, meaning that higher education plays an increasingly important role in supporting the development of local labor markets. For Matias Fresard—a fourth-year Ph.D. student in education policy and leadership at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and… Read More

    Feb 17, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Can a board game’s layout teach children essential math skills?

    By Jenna Somers Many young children struggle in math due to difficulty in understanding place value and calculating with two-digit numbers. But would the burden of learning these foundational concepts ease if they were introduced to children through the fun of playing a board game? A multi-institutional research team, including… Read More

    Feb 17, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    Q&A with Vanderbilt professor Lisa Fazio on misinformation about science

    National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s report “Understanding and Addressing Misinformation about Science” In December, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released the consensus study report, “Understanding and Addressing Misinformation about Science.” The report documents two years of research by a multi-disciplinary expert committee to “characterize… Read More

    Feb 17, 2025