Ideas In Action

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 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 A 2023 study of cultural intelligence in multinational enterprises in China recently won the Basu Sharma Best Paper Award, presented annually for the best publication in the Journal of Comparative International Management. The study, “Cultural Intelligence, Diversity Climate, and Employee Behavior: A Study of MNE Subsidiaries… Read More

By Jenna Somers A recent study finds that Black high-school students tend not to believe that their teachers are adequately prepared to teach them math in appropriate ways, have negative perceptions of their math ability, and lack awareness about the intersection between math and their desired careers. Published in… Read More

By Jenna Somers Students’ relationships with their teachers, particularly in elementary school, play an important role in supporting their learning and social-emotional development. For students with or at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders, quality relationships with their teachers are especially critical. These bonds can reduce instances of challenging behavior… 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

By Jenna Somers Kathryn Humphreys During pregnancy, the body undergoes dramatic physical changes. However, how brain structure and function change is not well understood. A new study aims to shed light on these changes and their potential effects on mental health throughout the peripartum period, the time during pregnancy… Read More

The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development recently received generous support from the Bezos Family Foundation and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to expand the center’s capacity to provide guidance to states on effective early childhood policy, to understand… Read More

This fall, Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development seeks to strengthen and advance its global reach. The Peabody Research Office will expand its mission and strategy to include Peabody Global Initiatives. Peabody Global Initiatives will support faculty to pursue international research and disseminate knowledge as well… Read More

Vanderbilt University's TRANSLATE program has secured a $1.99 million federal grant to enhance literacy education for multilingual students in grades 4-6. Directed by Emily Phillips Galloway, assistant professor of multilingual learning and literacy education, the program empowers teachers to leverage students' linguistic diversity, showing promising results in improving reading comprehension. Read More

In May, the Nashville Partnership for Education Equity Research—a collaboration between Metro Nashville Public Schools and Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development—hosted its inaugural research symposium at the MNPS Martin Center for Professional Development. The symposium included poster presentations on research projects to improve equity outcomes… Read More

By Jenna Somers Jennifer Russell, professor of leadership, policy, and organizations, is leading a three-year grant program to establish the Improvement Scholars Network (ISN) as an independent professional association aimed at fostering collaboration among scholars and professionals in the education field. The association will focus on advancing innovation… Read More

Ten faculty members from Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development were awarded global engagement funding for the current and upcoming academic year from the Office of Global Engagement. These awards reflect Peabody’s commitment to worldwide collaboration that enhances learning and development in diverse contexts and translates… Read More

By Jenna Somers Alex Christensen Eric Wilkey Alex Christensen and Eric Wilkey, assistant professors of psychology and human development, are emerging leaders in the psychological sciences, strengthening Vanderbilt’s expertise in data science and the neuroscience of mathematical learning,… Read More

LIVE, the Learning Innovation Incubator at Vanderbilt University, has awarded the inaugural LIVE Spark Grants to three interdisciplinary teams innovating cutting-edge learning technologies that leverage AI to advance literacy, music education and aid in the care of people with dementia. Selected from a strong pool of applicants,… Read More

By Jenna Somers Richard Welsh Last year, Richard Welsh, founding director of the School Discipline Lab, reported findings on the persistence of racial disparities in exclusionary school discipline practices. Despite suspensions declining over the past decade as schools reformed their policies, exclusionary disciplinary rates remained higher for… Read More

In April, Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development hosted the panel discussion “Ethical and Equity Considerations in the Age of AI” as part of the Peabody Dean’s Diversity Lecture series. The session explored societal, ethical and moral questions regarding AI’s growing role in higher education, with special consideration of social justice, bias, equity and discrimination concerns. Read More