University of Wisconsin–Madison

Category: Department of Educational Policy Studies

New UW-Madison study offers ways to increase adult enrollment in college

By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research and Scholarship A new journal article co-authored by School of Education doctoral student Sky Duke and professor Taylor Odle recommends ways for states to increase older-adult enrollment in college by examining whether a large program in Michigan offering free community college tuition for adults aged 25–64 actually worked. The …

UW–Madison report: math achievement challenges begin early, intensify for MMSD elementary students

 By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research and Scholarship A new report by the Madison Education Partnership (MEP) is helping guide efforts by the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) to strengthen elementary mathematics fluency by providing insights on students’ math performance during the 2024–2025 school year. “This report provides a clear baseline,” the document notes, “for …

UW–Madison research develops new framework to strengthen instruction for multilingual learners

By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research and Scholarship As multilingual learners make up a growing share of U.S. classrooms, educators face increasing pressure to support students who are learning academic content and the language of instruction at the same time. In response, a recent working paper from the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER), part …

Three School of Education faculty named to National Academy of Education

By Laurel White  Three faculty from the School of Education have been elected to the National Academy of Education in recognition of their significant contributions to education research and policy. Richard Halverson, Stacey Lee, and David Shaffer were among just 19 scholars nationwide to be selected for the honor this year.  The National Academy of Education advances high-quality …

Three UW–Madison scholars among top 200 in 2026 Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings

Three scholars from UW–Madison have earned national recognition in the annual Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings, which highlight the top 200 university-based scholars in the United States who had the greatest impact on educational practice and policy last year. Released on Jan. 7, the rankings are compiled by Rick Hess, an Education Week blogger, senior fellow, and …

UW–Madison’s Bartlett elected president of national anthropology and education council

UW–Madison’s Lesley Bartlett, a professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Policy Studies, has been elected president of the American Anthropological Association’s Council on Anthropology and Education (CAE). Founded in 1968, CAE is dedicated to the advancement of scholarship on schooling in social and cultural contexts, and on human learning both inside and outside of …

The School of Education’s 2025 year in reviewng

As the year comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the impactful work that has taken place across the School of Education throughout 2025. Below are just a few highlights from the hundreds of stories we shared this year, showcasing efforts across the arts, education, and health. While this small sampling …

UW–Madison’s Odle weighs in on success of California direct admissions pilot

UW–Madison’s Taylor Odle, an assistant professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Policy Studies, recently shared insights with Insider Higher Ed on a successful direct admissions pilot in California. As part of the pilot, the California State University (CSU) system began offering guaranteed admission to qualifying high school seniors in Riverside County at …

Six from School of Education named ‘Honored Instructors’ for fall 2025

UW–Madison students living in University Housing each semester have the opportunity to recognize instructors who have made a positive impact on their learning through the Honored Instructor program.  The program allows students to nominate educators who challenge them, support their academic growth, make learning enjoyable, or inspire them in meaningful ways. The fall 2025 list …

Full-day 4K students in Madison public schools see better learning outcomes than peers in half-day 4K program

By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research & Scholarship For the first time since full-day, four-year-old kindergarten (4K) began in the Madison Metropolitan School District, a new evaluation by researchers from UW–Madison and the district shows “strong evidence” suggesting students in the full-day 4K program learn more over the school year than their peers attending half-day …