Peabody Columns Fall 2008

topics: Alumni News, Communities, Higher Education, Education Reform, Special Education, Teacher Preparation, Teaching and Learning, Psychology and Human Development, Leadership, Policy and Organizations

Staff Reports

Peabody Ranked No. 2 among Graduate Schools of Education

Peabody College of education and human development is the second ranked education school in the nation, according to the latest rankings of graduate and professional schools by U.S.News & World Report. The annual rankings by the magazine moved Peabody from a tie with Harvard last year for third place to sole possession of the No. 2 slot behind Stanford University.

In addition to ranking individual schools, the magazine looked at specialty fields within each discipline. Peabody had top-ten programs in eight categories:

Administration/Supervision 1st
Special Education 2nd
Education Policy 4th
Elementary Education 5th
Higher Education Administration 8th
Educational Psychology 9th
Curriculum/Instruction 10th
Secondary Education 10th

"Peabody's elevation to No. 2 is very gratifying," said Camilla Benbow, Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development. "More importantly, it reflects the outstanding efforts of our faculty and students who are inspired to address the thorniest problems in education. We have an obligation to contribute as much as we can to helping all learners be successful, and the new ranking suggests that we are meeting that obligation."

San Diego Superintendent Receives Distinguished Alumnus Award

Terry B. Grier received Peabody College's Distinguished Alumnus Award during Commencement ceremonies in May. Grier is the new superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District.

"In recent years, we have seen a growing emphasis on accountability in education, and the focus of this interest has begun to move up the chain of command-from the classroom to the principal's and the superintendent's office," Dean Camilla P. Benbow said. "Throughout his career, Terry Grier has modeled the traits of an effective and innovative school leader. He is highly deserving of this award."

A former classroom teacher and high school principal, Grier received his doctorate of education from Peabody in 1983.

"I am honored and humbled to receive Peabody's Distinguished Alumnus Award," Grier said. "The award is a clear reflection on the quality educators with whom I've worked over the years."

The San Diego district serves more than 135,000 students and is the eighth largest public school district in the country. Grier, who became superintendent in March, previously was superintendent of Guilford County Schools in Greensboro, N.C., from 2000 to 2008. He has led school systems in Williamson County, Tenn.; Sacramento, Calif.; Akron, Ohio; Amarillo, Texas; Darlington County, S.C.; and McDowell County, N.C.

Universities Convene on Vanderbilt Campus to Discuss Strengthening Education Degrees

Representatives from more than 25 universities met on the Vanderbilt campus in October 2007 to discuss strategies to improve education professionals' training.

The event was part of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate, a three-year effort to improve the quality of the education doctorate in the United States sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council of Academic Deans in Research Education Institutions.
Peabody's Ed.D. program, which is designed for mid-career professionals, is considered by some a national model for the degree. The 36-month, weekend based curriculum offers doctorates in higher education leadership and policy or educational leadership and policy. The program is highly structured and includes a yearlong capstone project designed to integrate theories and tools learned in the program in a way that mirrors challenges and issues the students will face in education leadership roles.

One goal of the meeting was to give other universities the opportunity to closely examine the capstone idea and the ways it differs from researching and writing a more traditional dissertation.

Federal Panel Discusses Impact of Economic Downturn on College Access

The impact of the nation's current economic downturn on low- and moderate-income students was the topic of an all-day national roundtable discussion held at Peabody in June.

The roundtable was hosted by the U.S. Department of Education's Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, which recently released data that show millions of college-qualified high school graduates encounter significant financial barriers that may worsen considerably over the next decade. The report projected a loss of between 1.4 and 2.4 million bachelor's degrees this decade alone, despite rising academic preparedness.

Panelists included college presidents, representatives of lenders, state higher education officers, education scholars and advocates for student borrowers.
Stella Flores, assistant professor of public policy and higher education, participated in the roundtable's first session, which examined how deteriorating economic conditions may affect institutional financing, state appropriations, charitable giving, grant aid from all sources, and work and loan funds. Flores, who investigates the impact of state and federal policies on college access and completion for low-income and underrepresented populations, noted that first-generation, middle-income families and racial minorities are often hardest hit.

"First-generation, middle-income families as well as racial minorities and immigrants are the most vulnerable groups in today's economy, and some of them may lose their new 'middle-income' status without continued access to higher education," Flores told the panel.

A second session focused on additional steps that federal and state institutions and private parties should take to ensure student access and success moving forward.

GEAR UP TN Summit Opens Doors to College for Rural Tennessee Students

Improving access to college for rural Tennessee students is the aim of a partnership between Vanderbilt University and the state of Tennessee that brought more than 200 high school students, parents and school administrators to Nashville June 1-5.

"We have one goal for this partnership - increasing the percentage of Tennessee students who attend college," Timothy Caboni, associate dean for external relations and professional education and chair of Peabody Professional Institutes, said. "Being a great state and a great university depend upon having a college-educated populace."

Events included the Peabody Professional Institute for School Leadership, which brought 38 principals, assistant principals, school directors, school counselors, superintendents and teachers from nine rural Tennessee counties to campus to learn about preparing students to attend and succeed in college.

The institute coincided with the GEAR UP TN Youth Summit, a two-day educational and cultural enrichment experience for students, parents and school administrators focused on college access, the college experience and Tennessee's local and state government.

Attendees visited Vanderbilt, Nashville State Community College, Tennessee State University, Belmont University and the state capitol building.
The students and administrators represented schools participating in GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) TN, a program funded by the U.S. Department of Education to assist state efforts to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.

The Peabody institute was a partnership with GEAR UP TN, the Tennessee Department of Education, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the Tennessee State Board of Education.

College Hosts Conference on Affordable Housing

Affordable housing-in Nashville and across the nation-was the topic of a daylong conference held at Peabody in March. The event was organized by faculty in Peabody's Center for Community Studies. Speakers include Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and George McCarthy, a Ford Foundation program officer in asset building and economic development.

"This conference was designed to connect local housing developers, policymakers and stakeholders to national housing experts in order to discuss the future of affordable housing and how this affects the Nashville community," said Susan Saegert, professor of human and organizational development.

The conference, "Affordable Housing: What's Next Nationally and in Nashville?" included panel discussions with local and national experts on new directions for housing low- and moderate-income families nationally and in Nashville and on organizing communities to support affordable housing.

Gifted Education Expert to Head up Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth

National gifted education expert Tamra Stambaugh has been chosen as the next director of Vanderbilt's Programs for Talented Youth, which provide a variety of intensive learning opportunities for gifted youth, their parents and educators.

Stambaugh was previously director of grants and special projects at the College of William and Mary's Center for Gifted Education.

"We are very excited to have Tamra Stambaugh join the Peabody faculty. Her appointment signals a commitment to strengthening Peabody's intellectual leadership in this growing field," Dean Camilla Benbow said. "Professor Stambaugh's expertise in research, curriculum and gifted policy will expand our ability to create and disseminate knowledge about the cognitive processes and educational needs of this important population."

"I am thrilled to join the Vanderbilt Peabody faculty and to lead these important programs," Stambaugh said. "There are endless possibilities for research, curriculum development and professional outreach opportunities that can positively impact work with gifted students."

Stambaugh has enjoyed a variety of experiences in education, including classroom teacher, teacher of gifted students, coordinator of gifted services, professional development consultant and university faculty responsibilities.

With Joyce VanTassel-Baska, she is the co-author of Comprehensive Curriculum for Gifted Learners and Overlooked Gems: A National Perspective on Low-Income Promising Students.