Two School of Education professors are among 200 scholars who had the biggest influence on the nation’s education discourse last year, according to the 2016 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings.
Robert Slavin, an educational psychologist and director of the Center for Research and Reform in Education, and Jonathan Plucker, the Julian C. Stanley Professor of Talent Development, appeared in the rankings, published this month by Rick Hess, a blogger for Education Week.
Robert Slavin
Slavin was ranked 19th overall and 5th in Sociology, and Plucker ranked 55th overall and 10th in educational psychology. Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford is the top education scholar in the country, according to the rankings that recognize university-based scholars in the United States and reflect a scholar’s body of work and its influence on academic scholarship and public debate.
Jonathan Plucker
“I’m honored to be considered influential in a ranking exercise, particularly given the distinguished colleagues throughout the field who were also recognized,” said Slavin. “Of course, being recognized as an individual in this way is just a summary of work that really involved many colleagues, such as Nancy Madden, Steve Ross, Bette Chambers, Ilana Brunner, Cynthia Lake and many more.”
He said he and his colleagues work hard to affect policy and practice in education throughout the world and, in the process, increase the use of evidence from rigorous research in making educational decisions, especially for disadvantaged children.
“I’d much rather have more impact and less recognition,” said Slavin, “but perhaps the recognition will help us increase our impact.”
