Thomas Smith

Professor, Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations

Tom Smith is a professor in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. He focuses on partnering with schools and districts to improve student learning and college and career readiness. He is currently collaborating with researchers at Vanderbilt, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, and the University of Washington and practitioners in San Francisco to develop, test, and implement a system of practical measures and routines for instructional improvement in mathematics (PMR2). He is also Co-PI of the California Teacher Education Research and Improvement Network, working with the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and the California Department of Education to develop a state-wide data system to follow individuals who earn a teaching credential from their teacher education program through their experiences in the teaching workforce.

Smith is returning to Vanderbilt after serving in multiple leadership roles at the University of California, Riverside, including Dean of the School of Education, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, and Interim Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost. The opportunity to contribute to the Nashville Partnership for Educational Equity (PEER) was a major draw for him to return to Peabody.

Research Expertise

Education Policy
School Improvement

Focus Areas

Induction and Mentoring of Beginning Teachers
Policy and Organizational Supports for Instructional Improvement
International Education
School and organizational Leadership
Teacher Labor Markets

Methodologies

Improvement Science
Longitudinal Designs
Mixed Methods Designs
Randomized Field Trials
Research-Practice Partnerships
Survey

Representative Publications

Ing, M., Chinen, S., Jackson, K., & Smith, T. M. 2021. When should I use this measure to support instructional improvement at scale? The importance of considering both intended and actual use in validity arguments. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice. Spring 2021, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 92–100.

Sevgi, S, Berberoglu, G., Cobb, P., & Smith, T. M. 2021. A cross-cultural comparison of the self-efficacy of middle-school mathematics teachers across Turkey and the United States. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 1-18. DOI: 10.1080/0020739X.2020.1861348

Redding, C., Booker, L., Smith, T. M., & Desimone, L.M. 2019. School Administrators’ Direct and Indirect Influences on Middle School Math Teachers’ Turnover. Journal of Educational Administration. Vol. 57 No. 6, 708-730. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-10-2018-0190

Redding, C. & Smith, T. M. 2019. Supporting Early Career Alternatively Certified Teachers: Evidence from the Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Survey. Teachers College Record, 120(11) 1-32.

Smith, T. M., Booker L.N., Hochberg, E., & Desimone, L. M. 2018. Do Organizational Supports for Math Instruction Improve the Quality of Beginning Teachers’ Instruction? Teachers College Record 120(7) 1-46.

Cobb, P, Jackson, K, Henrick, E. C., Smith, T.M. and the MIST Team. 2018. Systems for Instructional Improvement: Creating Coherence from the Classroom to the District Office. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

Cohen-Vogel, L., Allen, D., Rutledge, S., Cannata, M., Harrison, C., & Smith, T. M. 2018. Organizing for School Improvement: The Dilemmas of Research-Practice Partnerships. Journal of Research on Organizations in Education 2 1-24.

Cannata, M., Smith, T. M., & Taylor Haynes, K. 2017. Integrating Academic Press and Support by Increasing Student Ownership and Responsibility. AERA Open 3(3) 1-13.

Rigby, J. G., Larbi-Cherif, A., Rosenquist, B. A., Sharpe, C. J., Cobb, P., & Smith, T. 2017. Administrator Observation and Feedback: Does it lead towards improvement in inquiry-oriented math instruction? Educational Administration Quarterly 53(3) 475–516.

Smith, T. M., Cannata, M., & Taylor Haynes, K. 2016. Reconciling Data from Different Sources: Practical Realities of Using Mixed Methods to Identify Effective High School Practices. Teachers College Record, 118(7) 1-34.

Redding, C. & Smith, T. M. 2016. Easy in, Easy out: Are Alternatively Certified Teachers Turning Over at Increased Rates? American Education Research Journal 53(4) 1086-1125.

Wilhelm, A. G, Chen, I., Smith, T. M., Frank, K. A. 2016. Selecting Expertise in Context: Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ Selection of New Sources of Instructional Advice. American Education Research Journal 53(3) 456-491.

Stern, J. M. B & Smith, T. M. 2016. Private secondary schools in Indonesia: What is driving the demand? International Journal of Educational Development 46, 1-11.

Cobb, P. Jackson, K., Smith, T., & Henrick, E. 2017. Supporting improvements in the quality of mathematics teaching on a large scale. In S. Doff & R. Komoss (Eds.), Making Change Happen, Wiesbaden: Springer VS, 203-221.

Smith, T.M., Cannata, M., Cohen-Vogel, L., & Rutledge, S. A. 2016. Design and Implementation of High School Reform: Perspectives from Research and Practice. In Smith, T.M., Cannata, M., Cohen-Vogel, L., & Rutledge, S. A. (Eds.). Mapping the High School Reform Landscape. Teachers College Record (Yearbook) 118(13): 1-18.

Smith, T.M., Cannata, M., Cohen-Vogel, L., & Rutledge, S. A. (Eds.). 2016. Mapping the High School Reform Landscape. Teachers College Record (Yearbook) 118(14).

Courses Taught

ELP 8220 Educational Accountability and Student Assessment
LPO 7870-01 Research Design and Data Analysis II
HODL 3264 Evidence-Based Practice in Organizations