Private tutoring linked to student disengagement, researchers find
Private tutoring and supplemental learning are intended to enhance classroom learning, but new research led by a professor in the Penn State College of Education has revealed that it may actually erode student engagement. The finding came from an analysis of South Korean elementary students but has…
Community coalitions key to combating the opioid crisis
Collaborative, community-driven initiatives can help mitigate the impact of opioid misuse and overdose deaths, according to a research team that includes Brandy Henry, assistant professor of rehabilitation and human services and Social Science Research Institute cofunded faculty member at Penn…
Centre honors employees; Proclaims Justice Education Month
From The Express In recognition of the county’s hardworking employees, the Centre County Board of Commissioners proclaimed April 2025 as National County Government and Centre County Employee Appreciation Month. April was designated by the National Association of Counties to highlight effective…
Big cuts at the Education Department’s civil rights office will affect vulnerable students for years to come
By Erica Frankenberg, Penn State, and Maithreyi Gopalan, University of Oregon, for The Conversation The U.S. Department of Education cut its workforce by nearly 50% on March 11, 2025, when it laid off about 1,315 employees. The move follows several recent directives targeting the Cabinet-level…
Frankenberg named 2025 AERA Fellow
SSRI Associate Director Erica Frankenberg was recently named a 2025 American Educational Research Association Fellow. The AERA Fellows Program honors scholars for their exceptional contributions to, and excellence in, education research. Nominated by their peers, the 2025 Fellows were…
Penn State professor named among most influential in shaping education
Erica Frankenberg, professor of education (educational leadership) and demography at Penn State and director of the Center for Education and Civil Rights, was recently named to the 2025 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings list of top 200 U.S.-based university scholars who…
Murphy named associate dean of research and outreach for College of Education
P. Karen Murphy, distinguished professor of educational psychology in the Penn State College of Education, has been named associate dean of research and outreach for the college. “In this role, my vision is for our college to stand at the vanguard of education transformation, equity and innovation…
News Topics: College of EducationSSRI Cofunds
Research collaboration launches civil rights in education initiative
A new civil rights in education initiative, called AdvancED Equity, that focuses on advancing research to inform policy related to civil rights protections in the field of education, was recently established with contributions from Penn State. Funded in part by Penn State’s Social Science…
Byun part of team awarded $3.5 million grant
A Penn State College of Education faculty member is part of a multidisciplinary team across several universities that has been awarded a $3.5 million Transformative Research Grant from the Spencer Foundation to conduct a large-scale, five-year study on community-driven initiatives to teach Asian…
70 years after Brown vs. Board of Education, public schools still deeply segregated
In this article for The Conversation, author Erica Frankenberg, SSRI associate director and professor of education and demography, writes that the upcoming Brown vs. Board of Education anniversary comes at an especially uncertain moment for public education and efforts to make America’s schools…
News Topics: College of EducationSegregation
Education professor receives Civil Rights Data Science Impact Fellowship
Maithreyi Gopalan, assistant professor of education and public policy and Social Science Research Instituteco-funded faculty member at Penn State, was recently awarded the Civil Rights Data Science Impact Fellowship. Gopalan is the first fellow in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil…
SSRI Welcomes New Associate Directors Frankenberg and Thompson
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Penn State recently announced the addition of two new associate directors: Cheryl Thompson and Erica Frankenberg. Thompson is a professor in the department of public health sciences at the Penn State College of Medicine,…
Frankenberg discusses racial segregation in schools on new podcast
Erica Frankenberg, SSRI associate director and professor of education and demography, was featured in a Policy in Brief podcast that examined ‘Segregation in our Schools.’ In this podcast, Frankenberg discusses the racial segregation that marginalized students have faced over the past few…
Teachers across globe feel undervalued, researchers find
A significant number of teachers across 28 high-income countries feel undervalued in their respective societies, which consequently impacts their level of job satisfaction and how they engage in their work, according to a study co-authored by a Penn State College of Education researcher. The study…
News Topics: College of EducationEducation Policy
Social science explains why K-12 integration efforts should continue
BY GENEVIEVE SIEGEL-HAWLEY AND ERICA FRANKENBERG, for The Hill The Supreme Court’s recent ruling to overturn affirmative action in higher education comes at a time when racial inequality in K-12 schools is deep and growing. The court’s decision immediately curtails what was an already limited…