Ideas In Action Featured

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

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

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

By Jenna Somers   A transdisciplinary team at Vanderbilt University seeks to identify Tennessee communities at risk of exposure to toxic man-made chemicals in their drinking water. Yolanda J. McDonald In response to a 2024 regulation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Tennessee Department of Environment… Read More

Two recent studies by researchers at Vanderbilt University and New York University offer valuable insights for practitioners, policymakers and researchers seeking to address persistent racial inequities in school discipline. The studies examined teacher and student perceptions of... Read More

Ellen Goldring Ellen Goldring has been elected a member of the National Academy of Education. She is vice dean of Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor, and professor of educational leadership and policy. Goldring’s research focuses on the intersection of… Read More

Camilla P. Benbow Jason Grissom Carolyn Heinrich (Photos by Joe Howell) Rich Milner Education Week recently released the 2025 Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings, an annual list of education researchers… Read More

Robust state activity has transformed the prenatal-to-3 state policy landscape in just five short years. Children and their families are better off in 41 states that have each increased access to the resources known to support their wellbeing. As a result of states’ investments: Nearly 1.9 million individuals became… Read More

Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development has received three new grants to leverage its expertise as a leading college of education to strengthen K-12 and higher education in South Asia and the Middle East. Peabody faculty and staff will partner with universities in Pakistan and expand existing… Read More

By Jenna Somers A successful classroom-based reading program designed by researchers at Vanderbilt University is under consideration for a large-scale evaluation in England. Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) in Reading is a peer-mediated approach that encourages students to practice important reading skills together. A recently funded evaluation of… Read More

By Jenna Somers and Krystal Schmidt Toddlers may not be the first people who come to mind when thinking about scientists at Vanderbilt University, but that is exactly who the little tykes at the Susan Gray School are. The preschool recently opened a new STEM laboratory for kids… Read More

By Jenna Somers Students in the International Education Policy and Management Master of Education program, 11/15/24 (Photo by Joe Howell/Vanderbilt University) On November 15th, international students in EDUC 5100: U.S. Education Concepts and Communication at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development kicked off International Education Week… Read More

By Jenna Somers Autumn Kujawa Children of parents with depression are two to three times more likely to develop anxiety and depressive disorders than children whose parents never experience depression, and some evidence indicates that these effects are particularly pronounced for maternal depression. That’s according to researchers at Pennsylvania… Read More

By Jenna Somers Earlier this year, researchers at Vanderbilt University and William & Mary published an experimental study that found that students admitted to quality public-private partnership schools in Bogotá, Colombia, known as Schools in Administration, scored higher in cognitive and social-emotional skills than students of similar socio-economic… Read More

The Nashville Partnership for Educational Equity Research is a collaboration between Metro Nashville Public Schools and Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development. To improve equity across MNPS, PEER brings together researchers and practitioners to collaborate in long-term working groups and short-term rapid response teams. Watch… Read More

The Vanderbilt Summer Academy gives high-potential students exposure to real-world applications of all things engineering – and it introduces them to the storied Vanderbilt University campus. High schoolers in the Vanderbilt Summer Academy marveled at the university’s architecture and ambiance… Read More

The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development released its fifth annual Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap at the Research to Policy Summit in October. This guide informs state policy leaders and advocates about the most effective policies and strategies for… Read More

By Jenna Somers Joseph Lambert Children with autism are more likely than their typically developing peers to engage in challenging behavior, which can lead to injury, lower rates of social inclusion, and adverse effects on learning. To support these children, special education professionals in schools need training on functional analysis… Read More

By Jenna Somers Brenda McKenzie As college student demographics rapidly evolve, higher education and student affairs (HESA) graduate programs must adapt to ensure future professionals are equipped to support today’s diverse students. That is according to Brenda McKenzie, associate professor of the practice of higher education administration, and Anna… Read More

By Jenna Somers Andrew Nalani, assistant professor of human and organizational development (submitted photo) New research by Andrew Nalani, a faculty member at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, examines the viewpoints of youth care workers in juvenile residential facilities and their desires for fostering… Read More