September 27, 2023
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Superimposed over the McGraw Prize logo are three overlapping circles depicting 2023 prize winners, from left to right, Morgan State University President Dr. David Wilson, Superintendent of the Los Angeles County Office of Education Dr. Debra Duardo, and Oakland University Distinguished Professor of Engineering Dr. Barbara Oakley.

2023 McGraw Prize winners selected for improving Pre-K–12 student outcomes, increasing college graduation rates, facilitating adult learning, and more

Winners Debra Duardo, David Wilson, and Barbara Oakley have transformed learning across all age groups.

  • Education Innovation & Entrepreneurship
  • Leadership
September 19, 2023
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Penn GSE student Meresa García sits outside on cement steps in front of a brick wall on the University of Pennsylvania campus wearing a tan t-shirt and blue jeans, smiling at the camera

UTAP student Meresa García shares her passion for literacy and community work with Penn Libraries in “Penn Today”

Meresa García, an Urban Teaching Apprenticeship Program student at Penn GSE, has embarked on a mission to promote literacy and education in Philadelphia. Her journey into advocacy was ignited by her lifelong love for books and her realization of the challenges facing public school students in the city.

  • Philadelphia Impact
  • Language, Literacy & Culture
September 15, 2023
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Four women sit in upholstered chairs on a black stage, a backdrop set piece behind them of walls painted blue with white clouds and greenery in the shape of an “O” around the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls logo. From left to right are the panel moderator in a green shawl, Charlotte Jacobs in a gray shirt with a black shawl, a participant in a green satin button-down shirt, and a participant in a light blue dress, discussing trauma-informed practice in education.

Charlotte Jacobs discusses trauma-informed practice in education at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls conference in South Africa

Jacobs was part of a panel discussion on the practice, which aims to arm students with coping skills and awareness to navigate their trauma in school and educational settings successfully.

  • Counseling & Psychology
  • Teaching & Learning
September 8, 2023
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Dean Katharine Strunk highlights pandemic's impact on math education in “AP News”

Amid the aftermath of pandemic-induced disruptions, college students are grappling with significant challenges in mastering basic math skills, a consequence of the shift to remote schooling. These setbacks have left a particularly pronounced impact on vulnerable student groups, says Dean Strunk.

  • Teaching & Learning
  • Special Topic: COVID-19
August 30, 2023
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Robert Zemsky shares recent successes of “College in 3” project in “The Hechinger Report” and “USA Today”

The project's first 3-year degree pilot recently launched at the University of Minnesota Rochester, one of more than a dozen colleges and universities planning similar programs with the project. The idea of a 3-year bachelor’s degree is on track to become ubiquitous, Zemsky says.

  • Higher Education
August 23, 2023
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Mark Ziegler-Thayer smiles at the camera wearing a white blazer over a gray sweater, standing in front of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building in Washington, D.C. The words “U.S. Department of Education” are mounted on the face of the building in large metal letters above Mark’s head.

Alum burnishes skills as a presidential fellow at U.S. Department of Education

Mark Ziegler-Thayer started out as a part-time kindergarten teacher’s assistant. The experience changed their life. Two master’s degrees later, they are now working to effect change at the national level in a prestigious, two-year Presidential Management Fellows program, where they hope to increase access to high-quality and equitable education for all students.

  • Alumni
August 21, 2023
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A young woman, a member of a classroom instruction team wearing a red-and-white striped shirt and holding a tin cup in her left hand with her right thumb up, sits on the left across a table from three students paying close attention to her instruction. The leftmost student sits in the center of the frame resting her elbows on the table, hands propping up her head, smiling at the camera with bright multicolored flower-shaped beads in her hair.

A new high-touch, low-tech approach to summer learning is increasing student engagement in West Philadelphia

The Netter Center and Penn GSE are testing out a new approach based on feedback from teachers, families, and students. The 6-week pilot replaces traditional course blocks with round-robin stations and eschews technology, with each classroom led by a team of five educators.

  • Philadelphia Impact
  • Teaching & Learning
August 18, 2023
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Damani White-Lewis shares insights into postdoctoral hiring inequities

Damani White-Lewis told Science last week that a recent study finding many researchers of color are at a disadvantage in the postdoctoral hiring process is both “very important” and “very needed.” He proposed addressing the issue by increasing network connections across universities to create “strong bonds” for minorities.

  • Race, Equity & Inclusion
August 14, 2023
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Penn GSE Senior Fellow Kandi Wiens stands wearing a gray blazer in front of a group of seated school district leaders from around the Philadelphia region delivering a presentation on burnout in a wood-paneled room with a screen showing a slide behind her at a Center for School Study Councils meeting

Center for School Study Councils expands to West Coast to support more K–12 leaders

Three southern California school districts joined the program in 2022–23 as K–12 leaders navigate unprecedented external pressure. Founded in 1943 and until now concentrated in the Northeast, the Center helps superintendents and leaders work collaboratively to identify professional challenges, share best practices, and provide development opportunities.

  • Leadership
August 11, 2023
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The six women in the inaugural cohort of Jacobs Fellows stand, smiling, in a classroom in front of a Penn GSE banner.

First year of Jacobs Fellowship inspired, funded six Penn GSE educational entrepreneurs

Six master’s candidates received funding from the Jacobs Foundation for their social impact ventures this year. Applications are being accepted for the next cohort until Sept. 15.

  • Global Initiatives
  • Education Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Pages

February 18, 2020

What I Wish I Knew

Posted by Nikki Hunter '20

Money is stressful, but don’t let the stress take precedence over the pursuit of your degree. I have personally used these tips to help relieve some of my own finance-induced anxiety. Your time at GSE will go by fast. Keeping money under control, whether through these tips, a budget, or other strategies, will allow you the flexibility to take full advantage of your program and the many resources the university offers.
Reflections
February 18, 2020

Why I Chose Penn GSE

Posted by Nikki Hunter '20

It is that time of year once again where prospective students are considering their graduate school options. Already, people have reached out interested to learn more about the Education Policy Program at Penn. One of the first questions is always “Why did you choose Penn?”
Why Penn GSE
February 18, 2020

Best Places to Study on Campus

Posted by Nikki Hunter '20

The graduate student experience is an amalgamation of networking, building your skills, stepping outside of your comfort zone, and most of all reading.
Coursework
January 16, 2020

Best Spots in Philly

Posted by Scott Kominkiewicz '20

One of the first things that struck me was how many vegan-only restaurants there were in Philly and, moreover, how good they were.
Finding Jobs
January 16, 2020

A Day in the Life

Posted by Kate Conroy '20

Seeing other Masters students in my cohort after school is great because we get to share stories from the day and give each other feedback on problems we’re having in our classroom. It’s so important to have other teachers in your life. We will never be able to come up with all the solutions we need on our own, and often, the thing we really need the most is someone else’s perspective
Reflections
January 16, 2020

Why I Chose Penn GSE

Posted by Lentner Jaraba '20

Penn GSE is an institution that serves the community it surrounds. It provides various resources to its community, especially to the schools in the city. Two of the resources are research and social justice.
Why Penn GSE
January 16, 2020

Favorite Philly Finds

Posted by Mandy Duong '20

Although I just moved here four months ago to start my program, I quickly fell in love with Philly and all of its quirks.
Favorite Finds
January 16, 2020

Handling Coursework

Posted by Michaela Ward '20

I’ve loved my coursework. I’ve been consistently excited about my classes, and have really enjoyed feeling my own academic commitments clarify with time.
Coursework
January 16, 2020

Moving to Philly

Posted by Mike Hogan '20

I moved to Philadelphia this past summer from Buffalo, in upstate New York, and before that spent a year living in Boston. One of the things that I love most about living here, beyond the affordability, is the strong sense of community that I felt in Buffalo with the amenities, diversity, and resources of Boston.
Transitions
January 16, 2020

On Taking Those Difficult Courses

Posted by Rachel O'Connell '20

So, here’s my silly confession: quantitative data terrifies me.
Coursework