University of Wisconsin–Madison

Author: klgrant2

New WCER Website Highlights Research, People and Impact

The Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s School of Education has launched a redesigned website that improves accessibility, strengthens navigation, and showcases the breadth and impact of education research taking place across the center. Available at wcer.wisc.edu, the new website is the result of a comprehensive effort led by the …

UW–Madison Researchers to Partner with Parents of Black-Jewish Children in Bid to Boost Student Belonging in Early Childhood Education

A study team led by UW–Madison education researcher Michal Avera Samuel will use a $45,300 private grant to examine how parents of Black-Jewish children support identity and belonging in early childhood — with findings to help Jewish educators build more inclusive and affirming learning environments for pre-kindergarten through first grade students. Researchers expect practical guidance …

Developing Culturally Responsive Assessments of Teaching: Implications of Bob Mislevy

Authors: Courtney Bell and Drew Gitomer August 2026, 13 pp. Abstract: Bob Mislevy spent decades developing theory, methods, and tools that positioned assessment as an instance of the more general problem of using evidentiary argument to make inferences in the presence of uncertainty. He argued that skills and understandings are situated within social contexts and …

New Study Examines How Educators and Advisors Support HMoob Students in STEM Amid Changing Political Climate

Researchers from the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s School of Education and partner Universities of Wisconsin campuses have published new findings that explore how instructors and advisors support HMoob (Hmong)* students in STEM fields amid changing political and institutional conditions. The new study, “Researching, Advising, and Teaching During Precarious Times: …

UW–Madison’s CIMER Earns International Award for Advancing Mentoring Excellence

The Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER), a center within the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s School of Education, has received the 2026 Margo Murray Award for Excellent Results in Mentoring at the Societal Level from the International Mentoring Association. The award recognizes an established …

UW–Madison Researcher Helps Redefine Indigenous Evaluation Through Landmark Oxford Bibliographies Publication

A new annotated bibliography published by Oxford Bibliographies in Education is reshaping how scholars and practitioners approach evaluation in Indigenous contexts — centering Indigenous knowledge systems, ethical practices, and global perspectives. Among its authors is Dr. Nicole Bowman (Lunaape/Mohican), a researcher with the Wisconsin Evaluation Collaborative (WEC) at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) …

New UW–Madison Study Finds College Affordability Policies Can Have Unintended Consequences

As concerns about rising college costs continue to drive higher education policy discussions, a new study by University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education researcher Taylor Odle suggests that policies designed to limit tuition increases may not always achieve their intended results. In a newly published article in The Review of Higher Education, Odle and co-author Salome …

Educators Weigh Promise, Risks of AI Scoring Tools for Writing by Multilingual Learners

A new study led by UW–Madison education researchers offers one of the first detailed assessments of how K–12 teachers view the potential use of automated scoring and feedback of writing assignments by young multilingual learners. The study, published in Assessing Writing, “Educator perspectives on automated writing scoring and feedback for young language learners: Applying a fairness and …

The Fair Play Project: An Intervention to Reduce Racial Bias in the Academy

Author: Christine Pribbenow and Carissa Brown July 2026, 20 pp. Abstract: Fair Play is the cornerstone of workshops developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison to teach STEMM faculty about implicit (or unconscious) bias and strategies to reduce bias in their behavior and the environment. Fair Play is a computer-based simulation that allows the …

Deja Mason Named to In Business Madison 40 Under 40

Deja Mason, project manager at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER), has been named to In Business Madison’s 40 Under 40, in recognition of her leadership, professional accomplishments, and community impact. Mason supports the Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership Learning/Equity-Centered Leadership (CALL-ECL) project, a major initiative focused on preparing equity-centered school leaders. In her role, she has …