Elizabeth Albro, commissioner of education research at the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education, recently shared her vision of how the National Center for Education Research (NCER) is advancing the education sciences.
Albro’s Dec. 5 presentation at Carolyn Pope Edwards Hall, “Transforming the Education Sciences Together,” was part of the 20th-anniversary celebration of the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools.
Research shows children starting kindergarten often know less about science compared to reading and math. Despite this, science activities typically make up the smallest proportion of the preschool day.
The science opportunity gap is even more pronounced in rural communities, where limited educational resources and lower emphasis on science education widen the divide.
As computers become more and more ubiquitous in nearly every aspect of daily life, the demand for teachers who can prepare the next generation of tech leaders is more pressing than ever.
Leen-Kiat Soh, professor of computing, is leading a project to ensure future generations of K-12 teachers are equipped with the skills and knowledge to bring the cutting-edge computer science into the classroom.
In early childhood, healthy eating habits lay the foundation for lifelong wellness, helping prevent many chronic health issues.
Promoting these habits is particularly important for children in rural communities, where resources are sometimes limited. Research shows that rural children are 26% more likely to experience obesity than their urban peers.
Making sure rural youth have enough to eat is important for both their health and education. Attending school with an empty stomach affects a student’s ability to focus and learn, making proper nutrition essential for academic success.
Nebraska Extension educators Beth Nacke and Natalie Sehi are leading research focused on adolescent nutrition insecurity. They recently worked with the MAP Academy to create a database to analyze the nutritional and economic impact of Nebraska Extension’s statewide Monthly Meal Kit program.
As the makeup of American communities changes in coming years to grapple with impending transfers of wealth and leadership, sustainability of rural communities is a priority.
Lindsay Hastings, Clifton Professor in Mentoring Research at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, has recently worked with her team — Justine Bircher, Mary Emery and Jordan Rasmussen — on a project to build leadership development systems to sustain rural communities for the future.
Students who struggle with social and behavior issues are at high risk of developing long-term problems, both at school and in life.
When those students live in rural parts of the country, with limited access to behavioral health services, those challenges can significantly increase.
For small towns scattered throughout Nebraska, mental health professionals are hard to come by. Recruiting and retaining such professionals is crucial to ensuring these rural populations have access to quality mental health care.
Because mental health trainees are more likely to remain and work in the rural communities where they live, Beth Doll, professor of educational psychology, and Matthew Gormley, assistant professor of educational psychology are leading a virtual training program that can be accessible to anyone interested in a career in school psychology, no matter where they reside.
