College Counseling: Can High Schools Do It Well?
High school guidance counselors can significantly influence whether young people pursue higher education. But counseling offices are often understaffed and juggling large caseloads and competing demands, according to Northwestern University researchers.
A Peek Inside the Principal’s Office: 'It’s a Pressure Cooker'
School principals often have too much to do and not enough time to do it. They share leadership duties but have ultimate responsibility for the school and everyone inside of it. And they have to meet the demands of everyone -- from parents and school board members to teachers and students.
Pinkard Receives Grant to Reduce Computer Science Deserts
Northwestern University professor Nichole Pinkard received a CME Group Foundation grant to expand her work increasing access to computer science for K-12 students who live in underserved areas of Chicago.
SESP in the Media: September 2019
An ongoing, monthly roundup of appearances in the news media by School of Education and Social Policy faculty, researchers, and our community.
SESP in the Media: August 2019
An ongoing, monthly roundup of appearances in the news media by School of Education and Social Policy faculty, researchers, and our community.
Are All Head Start Classrooms Created Equal?
Individual classrooms within the Head Start program vary in quality and don’t always reflect the school as a whole, according to a new Northwestern University study published in the American Educational Research Journal.
SESP in the Media: July 2019
An ongoing, monthly roundup of appearances in the news media by School of Education and Social Policy faculty, researchers, and our community.
Emissions-Cheating Vehicles Linked to Worse Health in Babies, Children Across U.S.
A new study conducted by researchers at Northwestern University and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago is the first to show that diesel cars implicated in the emissions-cheating scandal had population-level impacts on infant and child health.
First Computer Science-Learning Sciences Symposium Draws World's Top Scholars
Computer science classes and boot camps have never been more popular in the US and worldwide. But how can educators help the next generation use this technology to their advantage? And how can that information reach everyone – not just those drawn to the traditional notions of computer science?
SESP in the Media: May 2019
An ongoing, monthly roundup of appearances in the news media by School of Education and Social Policy faculty, researchers, and our community.
Why You Don’t Want to Leave School During a Recession
The bad luck of leaving school during hard economic times can lead to higher rates of early death and permanent differences in life circumstances, Northwestern University’s Hannes Schwandt wrote in a policy brief.
Computer Scientists and Learning Scientists Join Forces
Computer science classes and boot camps have never been more popular. But how can we help the next generation of students feel empowered by this technology? And how can that education reach everyone – not just those who are drawn to the traditional notions of computer science?
SESP in the Media: April 2019
An ongoing, monthly roundup of appearances in the news media by School of Education and Social Policy faculty, researchers, and our community.
Rosenbaum Receives Career Award – But Far From Slowing Down
James Rosenbaum’s ability to cultivate talented researchers and his passion for tackling pressing social issues recently earned him the Elizabeth G. Cohen Distinguished Career in Applied Sociology of Education Award from the American Education Research Association.
SESP Heads to Toronto for AERA
SESP faculty, alumni, postdocs and graduate students will be presenting at the 2019 American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting April 5 through April 9, the world’s largest gathering of education researchers.
SESP in the Media: March 2019
An ongoing, monthly roundup of appearances in the news media by School of Education and Social Policy faculty, researchers, and our community.
Women in STEM: How Can Universities Close Gender Gaps?
Colleges and universities that invest in gender parity ultimately help support women pursuing careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), according to a new book co-authored by Northwestern University’s Lois Trautvetter.
The Cost of a Twin Brother
Women who shared their mother’s womb with a male twin are less likely to graduate from high school or college, have earned less by their early 30s, and have lower fertility and marriage rates when compared with twins who are both female, according to new Northwestern University research.
Can Female Principals Be Caring and Commanding?
White and black novice female principals adopt vastly different leadership styles at the beginning of their careers, according to new Northwestern University research that looks at how race and gender intersect for professional educators.
SESP in the Media: February 2019
An ongoing, monthly roundup of appearances in the news media by School of Education and Social Policy faculty, researchers, and our community.
Undergrads Win Research Grants
A school-record 14 School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) students received Academic Year Undergraduate Research Grants (AYURG) to study everything from female entrepreneurship and empowerment the use of technology to discipline students.
SESP in the Media: January 2019
An ongoing, monthly roundup of appearances in the news media by School of Education and Social Policy faculty, researchers, and our community.
Mesmin Destin Wins Early Career Award
Northwestern University psychologist Mesmin Destin, whose research emphasizes the key role socioeconomic status plays in the study of human behavior, was recognized by the American Psychological Association (APA) for his stellar work in the early stages of his career.
2018 End-of-Year Research Highlights
In 2018, members of the School of Education and Social Policy research community took home the world’s largest prize in education research, raised more than $6 million in community research partnerships, and paved the way for life-changing discoveries by studying individuals, massive organizations, and everything in between.
Hang In There. As Couples Age, Humor Replaces Bickering
Honeymoon long over? Hang in there. A new UC Berkeley study, co-authored by Northwestern University's Claudia Haase, shows those prickly disagreements that can mark the early and middle years of marriage mellow with age as conflicts give way to humor and acceptance.
How to Get Teachers to Embrace Reforms
A study of teachers co-authored by James Spillane offers lessons on how to get employees on board with reforms.
Why You Can’t 'Just Ignore' Fake News
Even if you know the information you’re getting is false, fictitious, or misleading, simply being exposed to it can have clear consequences, according to a review of recent studies by Northwestern University researchers.
SESP in the Media: December 2018
An ongoing, monthly roundup of appearances in the news media by School of Education and Social Policy faculty, researchers, and our community.
How Changing Teen Stereotypes Can Help Them Shine
Efforts to help teenagers see themselves as responsible and thwart common negative stereotypes can help them flourish, according to new research co-authored by Northwestern University’s Yang Qu, a developmental psychologist at the School of Education and Social Policy.
SESP in the Media: November 2018
An ongoing, monthly roundup of appearances in the news media by School of Education and Social Policy faculty, researchers, and our community.
New Study: How Groups Can Influence Your Emotions
People we identify with can have a more powerful influence on our emotions than those we don’t relate to, according to new research co-authored by Northwestern University developmental psychologist Yang Qu.
Coburn Selected to National Academies’ Committee
Northwestern University’s Cynthia Coburn, a professor at the School of Education and Social Policy, has been appointed to the National Academies’ Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication Research and Practice.
Wilensky, Horn Awarded NSF Grant for Computational Thinking Research
Northwestern University professors Uri Wilensky and Mike Horn have received a $2.6 million National Science Foundation grant to help students improve their computational thinking skills in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and to explore how a computer-oriented approach to problem-solving impacts science education.
SESP Faculty Hailed for Prestigious Awards
SESP professors make up just two percent of Northwestern faculty, but they represented more than five percent of those recognized by a distinguished University-wide panel during the 31st Annual Faculty Recognition Dinner.
SESP in the Media: October 2018
An ongoing, monthly roundup of appearances in the news media by School of Education and Social Policy faculty, researchers, and our community.
Steenbergen-Hu Honored with Mensa Foundation Research Award
Saiying Steenbergen-Hu received the Mensa Foundation’s Award for Excellence in Research for her work looking at whether talent development programs and out-of-school learning can be used to improve STEM education for all students, particularly gifted ones.
Can a Growth Mindset Boost Coding Skills?
Introductory computer science classes often have trouble retaining students, perhaps in part because they often promote a fixed mindset or the belief that great programmers are born and not made.
Saving Lives with Social Policy
Income inequality and health inequality are not necessarily connected, according to a new study of U.S. and French death rates examining the often-studied link between poverty and poor health.
Northwestern, CPS Launch Rapid Impact Grants Program
SESP and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have created the Rapid Impact Grants Program -- an accelerated program that will fund small projects that address pressing research needs to help inform practice and propel academic progress in the nation’s third-largest school district.
SESP in the Media: August 2018
An ongoing, monthly roundup of appearances in the news media by School of Education and Social Policy faculty, researchers, and our community.
SESP Graduate Students Win Dev Sci Funding
Northwestern University doctoral students Mollie McQuillian, Jacquelyn Stephens and Courtenay Kessler have been awarded seed grant funding for ambitious research projects that promote health and well-being across the lifespan from the DevSci Center for Transdisciplinary Training and The Graduate School.
SNAP Benefits Reduced When Work Requirements Rise
Expanding work requirements for those participating in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would hurt millions of people already in the workforce, especially those with low levels of education, Northwestern University labor economist Diane Shanzenbach wrote in Brookings.
Hedges Wins World's Largest Education Research Prize
Northwestern University Professor Larry Hedges, a preeminent scholar and global heavyweight in education research, has been awarded the 2018 Yidan Prize, the world’s largest prize in education research.
School Policies: Helping Some While Hurting Others?
Popular school policies and practices that can help some students excel might have the opposite effect on others, Northwestern University researchers David Figlio and Krzysztof Karbownik wrote in Brookings
SESP Undergrads Vie for Research Awards
Ten School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) undergraduates will present their work at the 2018 Undergraduate Research and Arts Exposition on Wednesday, May 30, an annual forum for original research and creative work by Northwestern undergraduates. Prizes are awarded for the best poster, oral presentation, and creative arts entry.
Undergrads Win 2018 Summer Research Grants
Five up-and-coming School of Education and Social Policy researchers have received 2018 Summer Undergraduate Research Grants from Northwestern University's Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) to study everything from pediatric palliative care to the rape culture in the Greek system.
SESP in the Media: May 2018
An ongoing, monthly roundup of appearances in the news media by School of Education and Social Policy faculty, researchers, and our community.
Budding Researchers Win AYURG Grants
Eight School of Education and Social Policy students received 2017-18 Academic Year Undergraduate Research Grants (AYURG) to study everything from sound bathing, a mind-body practice that utilizes gongs and meditation, to the development of depression among urban preschoolers.
Simone Ispa-Landa Named William T. Grant Scholar
Northwestern University’s Simone Ispa-Landa, an education sociologist, has been named a 2018 William T. Grant Scholar for her work examining racial inequities in school discipline practices.
Hope in Those Places of Struggle
Natalie Davis’ research examining how school environments inform visions of hope and action for children despite deeply entrenched inequities will be honored by the American Educational Research Association (AERA) during its annual conference in New York City.