The School of Education seeks to enrich knowledge and practice related to lifespan learning, based on the most current and appropriate research and practice. The school's goal is to improve human understanding through programs and activities that emphasize creative uses of human effort, technology, leadership, and problem solving.
The school offers an extensive and comprehensive array of diverse graduate, doctoral, and certificate programs that encompass all aspects of the educational field. Students who graduate from Drexel are prepared for successful careers in a variety of non-traditional fields of education through master's degree programs such as Applied Behavior Analysis, Organizational Learning, Leadership, and Policy, and Education Improvement and Transformation.
The school also offers Pennsylvania Department of Education-approved programs to certify students who already hold bachelor’s degrees to be teachers in elementary education (grades PreK-4 with an emphasis on STEM subjects), secondary education (in biology, chemistry, earth and space science, English, general science, mathematics, physics or social studies), and K-12 education. Special education, teaching English as a second language, reading specialist, dyslexia specialist (Wilson Language® Level 1), school psychology, principal and superintendent certifications are also available. Individuals who complete the minimum requirements are eligible for PA Instructional I teaching certificate and have the option to continue coursework to fulfill requirements in the graduate teaching learning and curriculum (initial certification track) master’s degree program.
Other master’s degree programs are also available to those who already have teacher certification and/or do not wish to obtain a teaching certificate. Students who would like to pursue the teaching English as a second language, reading specialist special education, principal or superintendent certification must already have Pennsylvania Instructional I certification, satisfactory professional school experience on a state-issued certificate appropriate for the assignment, or appropriate equivalent.
Resources for Students
Th School of Education provides a variety of resources designed to help students achieve optimal success in their area of study. Each distinct entity provides programming, services and, resources designed to creatively meet student's individual needs.
The Field Placement Office (FPO) within the School of Education is responsible for accepting and evaluating placement requests for all stages of clinical experiences within the Teacher Education Program. The FPO works with university partnering schools and school districts to coordinate appropriate and carefully matched placements ensuring that students are exposed to a variety of cultures, economic backgrounds, and diverse settings.
The Early Career Practitioner Institute (ECPI) is designed to provide ongoing professional development and classroom-based support to Drexel Teacher Certification candidates for a period of two years after they complete their certification program. This support initiative was constructed as a commitment to our graduates, and is provided at no additional cost to the alumni.
Early Childhood Education teachers can earn a significant discount on tuition through the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Pennsylvania Scholarship. Drexel University School of Education is a proud partner of T.E.A.C.H. to help students earn preK-4 teacher certification through our Bachelors of Education, Post-Bachelors Teaching Certificate and MS in Teaching, Learning and Curriculum.
The Critical Conversations in Urban Education Lecture Series is the School of Education's vehicle for critical dialogue and continuing education on issues important to the education of youth in urban settings, including Philadelphia. The series seeks to connect the academic and broader communities together for collaboration, understanding, and support that empower urban schools, educators, families, and students.
Students in Drexel University's School of Education EdD and PhD programs have the opportunity to present preliminary research for their dissertation at our monthly Doctoral Student Colloquiums. Each month, one Drexel University School of Education PhD student and one EdD student present their research before an audience of Drexel students, faculty and professional staff. Students also submit a research brief that is included in a journal created by the School of Education.
Education Faculty
Jennifer Adams, EdD (Harvard University). Associate Professor. Comparative and international education; Poverty and education; Child welfare; Educational policy.
Ayana Allen, PhD (Texas A&M University ). Assistant Professor. Urban education; Identity construction in school contexts; Urban school transformation.
Kristen Betts, EdD (George Washington University). Clinical Professor. Higher education administration and governance, online blended education, instructional design and educational technology, program assessment and evaluation.
W. Edward Bureau, PhD (University of Pennsylvania). Associate Clinical Professor. Leadership, supervision, and capacity development.
Jamie Callahan, EdD (George Washington University). Clinical Professor. Leadership; Sociological explorations of emotions occurring in organizational contexts; Organizational development; Contextual issues confronting organizations, such as organizational leadership, organizational culture, and communities of practice.
Holly Carpenter, PhD (Arizona State University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Higher education policy development and implementation, community college/university articulation, and online education.
José Luis Chávez, EdD (University of Southern California). Clinical Professor. Higher education leadership and administration.
Rebecca Clothey, PhD (University of Pittsburgh). Assistant Professor. Comparative and international education, education of ethnic and linguistic minorities, sociology of education.
James Connell, PhD (Louisiana State University) Clinical Director and Research Fellow, A.J. Drexel Autism Institute. Associate Professor. Identifying the variables that influence adult behavior change in community settings; autism intervention; widespread dissemination of evidence-based interventions in school and community settings.
D. Brent Edwards, PhD (University of Maryland). Assistant Clinical Professor. Global and international education
Salvatore V. Falletta, EdD (North Carolina State University). Associate Clinical Professor. Human Resource intelligence (i.e., HR research and analytics practices); HRD assessment, measurement, and evaluation models and taxonomies; organizational diagnostic models; web-based employee and organizational survey methods, and computational modeling.
Aroutis N. Foster, PhD (Michigan State University). Associate Professor. Educational psychology and educational technology, especially the following: Motivation; Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK); Immersive Interactive Digital Environments (simulation, games, virtual realities.
Kathy Geller, PhD (Fielding Graduate University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Educational leadership and management.
Rajashi Ghosh, PhD (University of Louisville, Kentucky). Associate Professor. Mentoring and leader development, workplace Incivility, workplace learning and development.
Roger Geertz Gonzalez, PhD (Pennsylvania State University). Associate Clinical Professor. Civic engagement, college student identity development, indigenous higher education, comparative higher education access policies.
John M. Gould, PhD (University of Pittsburgh) Harrisburg EdD Educational Leadership & Change Program. Associate Clinical Professor. Change leadership, curriculum re-design, the impact of technology on learning.
Mary Jo Grdina, PhD (Case Western Reserve University). Associate Clinical Professor. Undergraduate studies, science education, curriculum design.
Dominic F. Gullo, PhD (Indiana University) Associate Dean of Research. Professor. Studying the relative and long-range effects of early schooling experiences in prekindergarten and kindergarten on children's achievement and social adaptation to school routine.
Penny Hammrich, PhD (University of Minnesota) Associate Dean for Graduate Studies. Professor. Urban education; science education; genetics; gender equity; science knowledge for conceptual teaching; sport science.
Paul Harrington, PhD (University of Massachusetts, Boston) Director, Center for Labor Markets and Policy. Professor. Teen and young adult job access; economic outlook, college labor market; workforce development, planning, and development; vocational rehabilitation and job market transition.
Elizabeth Haslam, PhD (University of Pennsylvania). Associate Clinical Professor. Educational field coordinator, instructional design, qualitative evaluation, writing across the curriculum.
Michael J. Haslip, PhD (Old Dominion University). Assistant Professor. Early childhood education, social and emotional learning, child guidance strategies, effects of public pre-school attendance.
Marlene Hilkowitz, M.Ed (Temple University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Science education; Curriculum development; Student engagement
Deanna Hill, JD, PhD (University of Pittsburgh). Assistant Clinical Professor. Higher education, international education, education law, education policy
Erin Horvat, PhD (University of California, Los Angeles) Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Professor. Urban education, access and equity, high school dropout, parent involvement/family involvement, community engagement in research.
Jennifer Katz-Buonincontro, PhD (University of Oregon). Associate Professor. Educational administration, leadership development, survey & instrument design.
Kristine Kelly, PhD (University of Wisconsin, Madison). Assistant Clinical Professor. Sociology of gender and development; anthropology of policy; comparative and international education; qualitative research methods; Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Valerie Klein, PhD (Amherst College). Assistant Clinical Professor. Mathematics learning and teaching; teacher's use of formative assessment in mathematics; creating opportunities for rich problem solving in the classroom; examining teachers growth and change; qualitative research methods.
Vera Lee, EdD (University of Pennsylvania). Assistant Clinical Professor. Practitioner Research in online courses to explore inservice/preservice teachers’ emerging understandings about issues of diversity; the development of information/digital literacies of urban youth; English language learners.
Bruce Levine, JD (New York University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Educational policy, school law, public-private partnerships, intersection of business and education.
Kristine Lewis-Grant, PhD (Temple University). Associate Clinical Professor. Experiences of students of African descent at predominantly white colleges and universities, college access and college student development, youth civic engagement in urban school reform, qualitative research and evaluation.
William Lynch, PhD (University of Maryland). Professor. Curriculum and educational leadership, educational technology, distance learning policy development, higher and adult education.
Constance Lyttle, PhD, JD (University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University). Associate Clinical Professor. Legal rights of gifted and talented children and children with disabilities; inclusive education of exceptional children; special education mediation; special education IEP/IFSP facilitation; resolution session facilitation
Kenneth Mawritz, PhD (University of Pittsburgh). Assistant Clinical Professor. Educational administration
Joyce Pittman, PhD (Iowa State University of Science and Technology). Associate Clinical Professor. Curriculum and instruction K-16; teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL); instructional design business education and administration; industrial and career technology; oral and written communication; research methodology; instructional and assistive technology assessment; online learning pedagogy
Fredricka K. Reisman, PhD (Syracuse University) Director of the Torrance Center for Creativity and Innovation. Professor. Mathematics education, learning mathematics, mathematics pedagogy, teacher education, heuristic diagnostic learning and teaching, theory and research in creativity and applied creativity.
Lori Severino, EdD (Neumann University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Special education, differentiated instruction, reading, Wilson language, multi-sensory instruction, reading comprehension, assessment, adolescent literacy.
Jason Silverman, PhD (Vanderbilt University). Associate Professor. Teaching and learning of advanced mathematical ideas (algebra and calculus); improving teachers' ability to orchestrate and sustain inquiry-based and discussion-based instruction; technology in mathematics education.
Brian Smith, PhD (Northwestern University). Professor. Design of computer-based learning environments; Human-computer interaction; Design sciences.
Toni A. Sondergeld, PhD (University of Toledo). Associate Professor. Cognitive and affective assessment development; program/grant evaluation; high stakes testing measurement; STEM education; urban education
Nancy Butler Songer, PhD (University of California, Davis) Dean, School of Education. Distinguished Professor. STEM education, urban education, educational assistance
Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, EdD (University of Pennsylvania). Assistant Clinical Professor. Early literacy development, learning differences, knowledge construction, urban education.
Sarah P. Ulrich, EdD (Saint Joseph’s University). Associate Clinical Professor. Emphasis in cross-cultural, language and academic development.
Sheila Vaidya, PhD (Temple University). Professor. Educational psychology, school psychology, research design.
Christina Vorndran, PhD (Louisiana State University). Associate Clinical Professor. Behavior analysis, single subject research methods, functional analysis
