Kelchen Recognized By Education Week As Top Scholar Influencer

January 9, 2025 by Jonah Hall

Kelchen Recognized By Education Week As Top Scholar Influencer

Courtesy of the College of Education, Health, & Human Sciences

When a reporter seeks expert insight into higher education issues, it’s very likely that Robert Kelchen is at the top of their call list. Over the years, Kelchen continues to receive accolades from Education Week as a top influencer who shape educational practice and policy. This year is no different as Kelchen is once again recognized as a Top 200 education scholar at a United States university.

Kelchen, who serves as department head in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, ranked 31 out of 200 scholars nationwide in Education Week’s Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings for 2025. In fact, Kelchen is the only scholar from the University of Tennessee to make this year’s list.

 “In a time of declining trust in higher education, I feel that it is crucial for faculty to demonstrate how our work benefits the public good,” said Kelchen.

Each year, Education Week selects the top 200 scholars from across the U.S. (from an eligible pool of 20,000)  as having the most influence on issues and policy in education. The list is compiled by opinion columnist Rick Hess, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and director of Education Policy Studies.

The selection process  involves a rigorous evaluation by a 24-member committee of university scholars representing institutions nationwide. Criteria include Google Scholar scores, book publications, Amazon rankings, mentions in the Congressional Record, and appearances in media and web platforms.

Kelchen’s reputation as a reliable and insightful source for higher education stories is well-earned. He has participated in more than 200 media interviews annually, with his expertise regularly featured in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Education Week, and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

“It is a pleasure to use my scholarly expertise to help inform policy conversations and the general public on pressing issues such as college affordability, financial aid, and college closures,” said Kelchen.

Through its seven departments and 13 centers, the UT Knoxville College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences enhances the quality of life for all through research, outreach, and practice. Find out more at cehhs.utk.edu

Hazing Prevention Study Expands

November 11, 2024 by Jonah Hall

Hazing Prevention Study Expands

Courtesy of the College of Education, Health, & Human Sciences

Penn State’s Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research has expanded a national hazing prevention study to include nine more campuses. The WhatWorks study emphasizes the prevention of hazardous drinking, hazing and other resulting behaviors, with the goal of changing student, organization and campus culture. 

The newest cohort includes Auburn University; Bowling Green State University; California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Mississippi State University; Virginia Tech; the University of Alabama; the University of Kentucky; the University of Missouri; and the University of Tennessee. 

“This thorough volume is the result of a collaborative effort to study hazing from secondary school to higher education,” said Patrick Biddix, Professor of Higher Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.  “It is one of the most comprehensive research projects on hazing prevention, featuring a new definition of hazing and clinical strategies for education and prevention. The findings are influencing national prevention initiatives like the What Works study at Penn State University and are being showcased in various national workshops and presentations.”

Biddix is Jimmy and Ileen Chee Endowed Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. He is a leading authority in fraternity and sorority research. His 50 academic publications have been cited over 630 times by scholars and researchers.

“We’re glad to partner with the Piazza Center and our peers on this project, not only to participate in the development of best practices, but also to benefit from the research-driven principles identified,” said Steven Hood, vice president for student life at the University of Alabama. “Enhancing and supporting student safety and well-being are at the forefront of everything we do, so we consider this project important in forecasting the best path forward for universities like ours with robust fraternity and sorority communities.” 

The WhatWorks study, a partnership with the WITH US Center for Bystander Intervention at California Polytechnic State University and the Gordie Center at the University of Virginia, is designed with top prevention and content experts from behavioral health, psychology and higher education. The study allows participating campuses to implement comprehensive hazing prevention programs. Participating institutions work with the Piazza Center and partners to test and validate effective methods of hazing prevention over a three-year assessment cycle. 

“We are building campuses’ capacity to implement effective prevention that increase student safety,” said Stevan Veldkamp, executive director of Penn State’s Piazza Center, a unit in the division of Student Affairs. “The study aims to build comprehensive prevention programs and assess them with precision to ultimately eliminate life-threatening incidents.” 

The WhatWorks study is being led by Robert Turrisi, professor of biobehavioral health and prevention research at Penn State. Turrisi, along with professor of higher education at the University of Tennessee Patrick Biddix, will work with each cohort member to design research-informed prevention strategies. 

Cuevas (Adjunct Faculty Member) Named a NASPA Pillar of the Profession

September 26, 2024 by Jonah Hall

Cuevas (Adjunct Faculty Member) Named a NASPA Pillar of the Profession

By Beth Hall Davis – September 19, 2024

Courtesy of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville – Student Life

Frank Cuevas, vice chancellor for Student Life at UT, has been named as one of NASPA’s 2025 Pillars of the Profession. This award, one of the NASPA Foundation’s highest honors, recognizes exceptional members of the student affairs and higher education community for their work and contributions to the field.  

NASPA’s award honors individuals who have created a lasting impact at their institution, leaving a legacy of extraordinary service and have demonstrated sustained, lifetime professional distinction in the field of student affairs and/or higher education.

Cuevas has been with the university since 2010 and has held several different roles in that time. As vice chancellor, Cuevas and his leadership team are responsible for student care and support, health and wellness initiatives, and leadership and engagement opportunities. He oversees more than 450 staff members and 3.7 million square feet of facility space that includes the Student Union and on-campus housing.

The new class of pillars will be officially presented and honored during the 2025 NASPA annual conference in New Orleans.

Leadership Studies Program Holds 2024 Awards Ceremony Senior Toast

May 17, 2024 by Jonah Hall

Leadership Studies Program Holds 2024 Awards Ceremony Senior Toast

The Leadership Studies program held its Senior Toast and Awards Ceremony last night where we celebrated our forty-four (44) 2023-24 graduates. Annually, our graduates lead a Capstone project as their culminating experience in the minor, with the most exceptional being awarded a medal. We selected Tyler Johnson’s project “Addressing the Mental Health of IFC” and Amara Pappas’ “Musical Theatre Rehearsal Project and Major” as this cohort’s Self-Directed and Faculty-Initiated Capstones of the Year. Elle Caldow’s, Kyle Stork’s Margaret Priest’s, Devon Thompson’s, Jane Carson Wade’s exceptional Capstones also earned Honorable Mentions. Erin McKee earned her Leadership Studies Engaged Community Scholar Medal and Grace Woodside the Zanoni Award for contribution to the Leadership Studies Academic Community. We also recognized Dr. Sean Basso as our Faculty Member of the Year and ELPS’ own Diamond Leonard as our Staff Member of the Year.

The highlight of the evening is the induction of graduates, faculty, and staff to the Tri-Star Society. The 2024 Class of the Tri-Star Society is: Brody Carmack, Mackenzie Galloway, Tyler Johnson, Erin Mckee, Alay Mistry, McKaylee Mix, Amara Pappas, Devon Thompson, Mikele Vickers, Kendall William, and Grace Woodside. These leaders truly distinguished themselves as Leaders of Leaders with exceptional potential for continued leadership within our state, as demonstrated by their time at the University and in our community. Undergraduate Leadership Studies celebrates each of our graduates, all they have and will accomplish, and those in the UT community that contributed to their success.

Supporting Early Childhood Teacher Growth and Development with Actionable Context-Based Feedback

May 17, 2024 by Jonah Hall

Supporting Early Childhood Teacher Growth and Development with Actionable Context-Based Feedback

By Dr. Mary Lynne Derrington & Dr. Alyson Lavigne

Please Note: This is the final part of a four-part series on actionable feedback. Stay tuned for the next posts that will focus on Leadership Content Knowledge (LCK) and teacher feedback in the areas of STEM, Literacy, and Early Childhood Education.

Missed the beginning of the series? Click here to read Part 1
on making teacher feedback count!

According to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, in the first few years of life more than 1 million new neural connections form every second. With children experiencing rapid brain development from birth to age 8, early childhood education and the experiences in those settings are critical for building a foundation of lifelong learning and success. Thus, supporting the educators who teach these early learners is perhaps one of the best educational investments that any school leader can make. 

One way leaders support teachers is to observe classrooms and provide feedback. Maria Boeke Mongillo and Kristine Reed Woleck argue that those who observe and provide feedback to early childhood educators can leverage leadership content knowledge—knowledge about the principles of early childhood education—and apply that knowledge to the observation cycle and the context in which early childhood educators work.

To apply leadership content knowledge, school leaders should first be familiar with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and their principles of child development and learning, most recently published in 2020. The list of nine principles includes the essential element of play for promoting joyful learning to foster self-regulation, language, cognitive and social competencies, and content knowledge across disciplines.

Once a school leader is familiar with NAEYC’s nine principles, they may consider applying early childhood-informed “look-fors” during an observation with related questions that can be used during a pre- or post-observation conference. Examples by area of teaching are provided below.

Learning Environment

Look-Fors

• Flexible seating and work spaces allow for collaboration and social skills and language development
• Physical space and furniture allow for movement and motor breaks

Pre- or Post-Observation Questions

• How do your classroom environment and materials support your student learning outcomes?

Instructional Practices

Look-Fors

• Opportunities for learning and embedded in play and collaborative experiences

Pre- or Post-Observation Questions

• How might your students consolidate and extend their learning in this lesson through play opportunities?

Assessment

Look-Fors

• Use of observations and interviews to assess student learning.

Pre- or Post-Observation Questions

• What methods are you using to collect information about student learning during this lesson?

These systematic structures can be applied to make sure that observation and importantly, feedback to early childhood educators is meaningful and relevant. 

This blog entry is the last entry as part of a four-part series on actionable feedback. 

If this blog has sparked your interest and you want to learn more, check out our book, Actionable Feedback to PK-12 Teachers. And for other suggestions on supervising teachers in early childhood, see Chapter 10 by Maria Boeke Mongillo and Kristine Reed Woleck.

Missed the beginning of the series? Click here to read the first, second and third blog posts. 

Brian Mells Recognized as Field Award Recipient

March 25, 2024 by Jonah Hall

Brian Mells Recognized as Field Award Recipient

Dr. Brian Mells, Principal at Whites Creek High School in Metro Nashville Public Schools named as recipient of William J. and Lucille H. Field Award for Excellence in Secondary Principalship for the State of Tennessee.

The Field Award was established to recognize one outstanding secondary school leader each year who demonstrates leadership excellence through commitment to the values of civility, candor, courage, social justice, responsibility, compassion, community, persistence, service, and excellence. Administered by the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences at the University of Tennessee, the Field Award identifies a Tennessee secondary school principal whose life and work are characterized by leadership excellence and encourages secondary school principals to pause and reflect upon their current leadership practice and to consider their experience, challenges, and opportunities in light of the personal values that they embody. 

The Field Award recipient for this year is Dr. Brian Mells. Principal of Whites Creek High School in Metro Nashville Public Schools. A secondary principal since 2016, Dr. Mells holds a Bachelor’s degree from The University of Tennessee, a Master’s from Tevecca Nazarene University, an EdS and an EdD from Carson-Newman University.  During Dr. Mellls’ tenure at Whites Creek High School, he has led his campus to excellence by supporting academic rigor and student achievement, and by strengthening positive relationships with all stakeholders. Dr. Mells is an exceptional school leader who has taken the initiative to implement numerous programs on his campus, inspire instructional innovation, and improve student achievement. Dr. Mells stated that his “core belief of [his] leadership is that all students can achieve and grow academically, socially, and emotionally, when the appropriate systems and structures are in place for them to be successful. 

Dr. Mells is an innovative school leader who is passionate about developing collective efficacy and collective accountability among his faculty and staff to ensure that they achieve excellence for all stakeholders. Under Dr. Mells’ leadership, Whites Creek High School was able to increase all academic achievement outcomes for all students and earn an overall composite TVAAS of Level 5 for the first time in school history and has maintained that status for the past two years. Dr. Mells was nominated for the Field Award by MNPS superintendent, Adrienne Battle and endorsed by the Chief of Innovation, Renita Perry. Perry commented, “Dr. Mells is an innovative school leader who is passionate about developing collective efficacy and collective accountability among his faculty and staff to ensure that they achieve excellence for all stakeholders.” The department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Tennessee is proud to name Dr. Mells as this year’s Field Award Winner. Congratulations, Dr. Brian Mells! 

Supporting Literacy Teachers with Actionable Content-Based Feedback

February 6, 2024 by Jonah Hall

Supporting Literacy Teachers with Actionable Content-Based Feedback

By Dr. Mary Lynne Derrington & Dr. Alyson Lavigne 

Please Note: This is Part 3 of a four-part series on actionable feedback. Stay tuned for the next posts that will focus on Leadership Content Knowledge (LCK) and teacher feedback in the areas of STEM, Literacy, and Early Childhood Education.

Missed the beginning of the series? Click here to read Part 1
on making teacher feedback count!

A strong literacy foundation in students’ early years is critical for success in their later ones. School leadership plays a significant part in establishing this foundation by equipping teachers with the right professional development.

Many (but not all) school leaders are versed in effective literacy instruction. Given its foundational importance, it is wise for principals — and others who observe and mentor teachers — to leverage the key elements of effective literacy instruction in the observation cycle. In this blog post, we outline two ways to do so.

Jan Dole, Parker Fawson, and Ray Reutzel suggest that one way to use research-based supervision and feedback practices in literacy instruction is to include in the observation cycle tools, guides, and checklists that specifically focus on literacy instruction, such as:

• The Protocol for Language Arts Teaching Observations (PLATO; Grossman, 2013)
• The Institute of Education Sciences’ (IES) K-3 School Leader’s Literacy Walkthrough Guide (Kosanovich et al., 2015)
• The Institute of Education Sciences’ (IES): Grades 4-12 School Leaders Literacy Walkthrough Guide (Lee et al., 2020)

These tools highlight key concepts or what can be called “look-fors” of literacy rich environments by using a rubric or checklist. Some examples follow:

• Strategy Use and Instruction: The teacher’s ability to teach strategies and skills that supports students in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and engaging with literature (PLATO)
• Literacy Texts: Retell familiar stories, including key details (IES K-3; Kosanovich et al., 2015)
• Vocabulary and Advanced Word Study: Explicit instruction is provided in using context clues to help students become independent vocabulary learners using literary and content area text (IES 4-12; Lee et al., 2020)

A second way is to develop professional learning communities (PLCs) to extend literacy supervision and feedback. Successful literacy-focused PLCs:

• Establish a shared literacy mission, vision, values, and goals,
• engage in regular collective inquiry on evidence-based literacy practices, and
• promote continuous literacy instruction improvement among staff.

These strategies can be used by school leaders or complement the work of a school literacy coach. Ready to create a learning community in your school or district? Read KickUp’s tips for setting PLCs up for success.

This blog entry is part of a four-part series on actionable feedback. Stay tuned for our next post that will focus on concrete ways to provide feedback to Early Childhood Education teachers.

If this blog has sparked your interest and you want to learn more, check out our book, Actionable Feedback to PK-12 Teachers. And for other suggestions on supervising teachers in literacy, see Chapter 9 by Janice A. Dole, Parker C. Fawson, and D. Ray Reutzel.

Dueñas Highlighted as a 2024 Emerging Scholar by Diverse Issues in Higher Education

January 31, 2024 by Jonah Hall

Dueñas Highlighted as a 2024 Emerging Scholar by Diverse Issues in Higher Education

Courtesy of the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences

Mary Dueñas is passionate about student success, especially among underrepresented and marginalized student populations. Because of her passion for students to thrive in a higher education environment, she dedicates a large portion of her scholarship research to examine equity and access issues in higher education.

Her work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Just recently, Diverse Issues in Higher Education named Dueñas “An Equity and Access Champion” in their January 18^th, 2024, issue and has named her a Top 15 Emergent Scholar. The publication highlights emerging scholars making an impact on education on college campuses nationwide.

“Receiving this national recognition is wonderful, and I’m honored to share this platform with other outstanding scholars from different disciplines,” said Dueñas.

Dueñas is an assistant professor in the department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS). In addition, she serves as program coordinator for the master’s student personnel program in College Student Personnel (CSP).

Using both quantative and qualitative research methods, Dueñas focuses on Latina/o/x/e  college students’ sense of belonging and their experience with imposter syndrome. She uses holistic frameworks and critical theory to share stories and explain systemic inequities that marginalized communities face in higher education.

“My research examines the ways in which larger social processes affect students and their overall well-being while also addressing underrepresented and marginalized students in relation to retention and success,” said Dueñas.

Cristobal Salinas, Jr., an associate professor of educational leadership and research methodology at Florida Atlantic University, nominated her for this prestigious national recognition. In his nomination letter, Salinas commended Dueñas for her commitment to scholarship that pushes the boundaries of higher education through novel perspectives and an innovative approach to research.

“This commitment to pioneering scholarship has been complemented by her unwavering dedication to teaching and mentoring the next generation of scholars, which is an integral part of her academic mission, explains Salinas.

Despite having a full plate at CEHHS, Dueñas has authored several peer-reviewed journal articles, been a guest on a podcast, and has several works she is authoring or co-authoring under review. One is “Síndrome del impostor: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Latinx College Students’ Experiences with Imposter Syndrome.” She is co-authoring “Culturally Responsive Mentoring: A Psychosociocultural Perspective on Sustaining Students of Color Career Aspirations in STEM”.

Dueñas takes a glass-half-full approach to her work, focusing on the whole student. In other words, she says it’s about the positives that make a student’s experience successful and asking questions about what works.

“There is a changing landscape in how we think about higher education,” Dueñas says. “It’s not so much about the students adapting to higher education, it’s more about how higher education institutions supporting and serving students.”

Supporting STEM Teachers with Actionable Content-Based Feedback

January 25, 2024 by Jonah Hall

Supporting STEM Teachers with Actionable Content-Based Feedback

By Dr. Mary Lynne Derrington & Dr. Alyson Lavigne 

Please Note: This is Part 2 of a four-part series on actionable feedback. Stay tuned for the next posts that will focus on Leadership Content Knowledge (LCK) and teacher feedback in the areas of STEM, Literacy, and Early Childhood Education.

Missed the beginning of the series? Click here to read Part 1
on making teacher feedback count!

For school leaders, providing teachers with feedback in unfamiliar subject areas can be a challenge. At the same time, we know that teachers highly value feedback on their teaching content area as well as general pedagogical practices. When school leaders deepen their understanding of different subjects, it can prove a powerful lever to giving teachers the feedback they deserve and desire. Today, we’ll discuss ways to support teachers in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) area.

Imagine you are scheduled to observe a STEM lesson, an area where you might not feel confident. What might be some ways to prepare for this observation? Sarah Quebec Fuentes, Jo Beth Jimerson, and Mark Bloom recommend post-holing. In the context of building, this refers to digging holes deep enough to anchor fenceposts. As it pertains to your work, post-holing means engaging in an in-depth, but targeted exploration of the content area.

Another strategy is joining a STEM instructional coach or specialist for an observation and debrief. A third way to learn is to attend a STEM-focused professional development for teachers. These activities can help you think more deeply about the content and how it is taught.

In addition, you can identify subject-specific best practices to integrate into a pre-observation or post-observation conversation. This might look like adapting a subset of evaluation questions to specifically reflect STEM objectives. For example:

1. Poses scenarios or identifies a problem that students can investigate (Bybee, et al., 2006).
2. Fosters “an academically safe classroom [that] honors the individual as a mathematician and welcomes him or her into the social ecosystem of math” (Krall, 2018).
3. Avoids imprecise language and overgeneralized tips or tricks (e.g., carry, borrow, FOIL) and instead use precise mathematical language grounded in conceptual mathematical understanding (e.g., trade, regroup, distributive property) (Karp et al., 2014, 2015).
4. Uses models to communicate complex scientific concepts, emphasizing that models are only approximations of the actual phenomena and are limited simplifications used to explain them (Krajcik & Merritt, 2013).

Let’s imagine a meaningful mathematical talk emerges as an important practice from your post-holing in mathematics. In a pre-observation you might ask the teacher about their plans for creating meaningful mathematical talk in the lesson. During the observation, you can note if those questions appeared and/or when moments of meaningful mathematical talk were taking place. In a post-observation, you might ask teachers to reflect upon the moments they felt meaningful mathematical talk was occurring, and what inputs yielded those outcomes.

This blog entry is part of a four-part series on actionable feedback. Stay tuned for our next two posts that will focus on Leadership Content Knowledge (LCK) on concrete ways to provide feedback to teachers in the areas of, and Early Childhood Education.

If this blog has sparked your interest and you want to learn more, check out our book, Actionable Feedback to PK-12 Teachers. And for other suggestions on supervising teachers in STEM discipline areas with specific pre-observation and post-observation prompts and key practices for observation, see Chapter 8 by Sarah Quebec Fuentes, Jo Beth Jimerson, and Mark A. Bloom.

Kelchen Once Again Named Top Scholar Influencer

January 4, 2024 by Jonah Hall

Kelchen Once Again Named Top Scholar Influencer

Courtesy of the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (January 4, 2024)

We’ve all heard the term, “influencer.” Many of us associate an influencer as someone with a large following on social media, such as Instagram or YouTube, who set trends or promotes products. But did you know that there are a select group of scholar influencers who help shape educational practice and policy?

One of those scholar influencers is Robert Kelchen, who serves as department head of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEEHHS).  Kelchen is ranked 41 out of 20,000 scholars nationwide in Education Week’s Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings for 2024. In fact, Kelchen is the only scholar from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to make the list.

“As a faculty member at a land-grant university, it is my job to help share knowledge well beyond the classroom or traditional academic journals,” said Kelchen. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with policymakers, journalists, and college leaders on a regular basis to help improve higher education.”

For 14 years, Education Week selects the top-200 scholars (out of an eligible pool of 20,000) from across the United States as having the most influence on issues and policy in education. The list is compiled by opinion columnist Rick Hess, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and director of Education Policy Studies.

The selection process  includes a 38-member Selection Committee made up of university scholars representing public and private institutions from across the United States. The Selection Committee calculates scores including, Google Scholar Scores, Book Points, Amazon Rankings, Congressional Record mentions, media, and web appearances and then ranks the scholar accordingly.  Kelchen is considered a “go-to” source for reporters covering issues in higher education, with over 200 media interviews, year after year. If there is a story about higher education in the media, you’ll more than likely find a quote from Kelchen as an expert source.

“In the last year, I have had the pleasure of supporting several states on their higher education funding models, presenting to groups of legislators, and being a resource to reporters diving into complex higher education finance topics. These engagements help strengthen my own research and give me the opportunity to teach cutting-edge classes to ELPS students,” said Kelchen.

In addition, Kelchen received national recognition by the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) for his research on higher education finance, accountability policies and practices, and student financial aid. ASHE’s Council on Public Policy in Higher Education selected Kelchen for its Excellence in Public Policy Higher Education Award.

Through its eight departments and 12 centers, the UT Knoxville College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences enhances the quality of life for all through research, outreach, and practice. Find out more at cehhs.utk.edu