January 2026 Newsletter

Cynthia Passmore Receives National Science Foundation Grants to Advance Science Teacher Preparation 

Dr. Cynthia Passmore has received two National Science Foundation grants to further her research on model-based reasoning. Passmore’s work explores how teachers respond to discomfort in the science classroom and how curriculum design can better equip them to guide students through complex, open-ended scientific reasoning. As part of these projects, she will convene more than 50 science education researchers, administrators, and professional development experts in March 2026 to identify where they should focus their efforts on teacher preparation moving forward. 

“We know that people learn better when they’re given opportunities to make sense of science themselves,” Passmore said. “These opportunities are hard to manage for teachers. But if we can create more authentic learning conditions for students, and help adults better manage their comfort with it, this will lead to more robust, longer-lasting, and deeper learning for students and teachers alike.”

Read more about Cynthia Passmore’s new NSF grants and research goals.

School of Education Webinar Reveals Community College Students Prefer to Enroll Locally

Although California community college students can take in-person and remote classes from campuses across the state, UC Davis researchers found that most students often enroll at their local campus. During a recent School of Education webinar, panelists discussed reasons why students are gravitating toward their home college, identifying personal educational goals, program requirements, and administrative barriers as potential causes. Read the webinar recap and watch the full discussion on YouTube.

Citizen Science Collaborative Culminates in Field Guide by and for Incarcerated People

Incarcerated participants of a new citizen science initiative, led by Drs. Heidi Ballard, Laci Gerhart, and Ryan Meyer, have co-authored “Guide to the Birds of CHCF: Observations and Reflections from Insight Garden Program Participants at California Health Care Facility.” The regional field guide is rooted in data collection, reflection, and community and offers a new model for conducting environmental research in prisons—centering incarcerated people as knowledge-makers and contributors to scientific understanding. Explore the full story behind “Guide to the Birds of CHCF.”

California Education Lab Joins Statewide Webinar on the 2025 Student Experience Report

On February 4, California Education Lab Director of Research Partnerships Dr. Jacob Jackson, Ph.D. ’12, will join researchers at Cradle-to-Career Data System and the California Student Aid Commission for a webinar on the 2025 Student Experience Report, which examines survey data from nearly 7,000 graduating high school seniors about their postsecondary plans. The event will be hosted on Zoom and is free and open to the public. Register to attend “Community Conversation: Student Experience Report.”

Words Take Wing Returns with Stories of Identity and Empowerment

Join the School of Education on February 24 for Words Take Wing: Honoring Diversity in Children’s Literature, featuring #1 New York Times bestselling author and 2026 Newbery Medal recipient Renée Watson. Our program invites educators, parents, and students to explore how stories of identity and belonging empower young learners. Attendees will leave with meaningful takeaways to spark imagination, enrich classroom learning, and nurture a love of reading.

Words Take Wing includes both a daytime and an evening event:

• A matinee presentation at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. School matinee request form required.
• A public evening presentation at the Sacramento Public Library’s Tsakopoulos Library Galleria from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Instructor Shares Go-To Classroom Management Tips

Lecturer/Supervisor Taylor Ferdinandsen, Cred. ’18, M.A. ’19, shares advice to keep students engaged and reduce classroom disruptions. Visit us on YouTube or Instagram for more student and alumni stories.

Faculty News

How UC Davis is Preparing Teachers to Meet Every Student Where They Are

When it comes to designing their classrooms, School of Education credential candidates are striving to keep every student in mind. Many practice Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a teaching approach they learned through coursework with Drs. Nicole Sparapani and Nancy Tseng and a collaborative workshop with Andratesha Fritzgerald. Read how School of Education credential candidates are implementing UDL in their classrooms.

School of Education Faculty Present Transformative Educational Research in South Africa

Drs. Margarita Jimenez-Silva and Lauren Lindstrom presented at the Education Association of South Africa’s 2026 Conference, contributing to international conversations on educational policy and practice. Jimenez-Silva discussed family-centered science education as a transformative practice, while Lindstrom highlighted pathways to support neurodiverse learners in higher education.

Student and Alumni News

Ph.D. students Caitlyn Ishaq and Becca VanArnam worked with parent volunteers, teachers, and students at Marguerite Montgomery Elementary School to transform lunchtime into a learning opportunity. Together, they developed a collaborative food waste program that helps students understand sustainability through hands-on science and culturally responsive teaching. Read about the Marguerite Montgomery Waste Audit Education Program.

Torence Powell, Ed.D. ’17, was selected as the next chancellor of the Los Rios Community College District. Dr. Powell currently serves as Superintendent/President at Napa Valley College and adjunct professor at Cal Poly Pomona. He has previously served as Associate Vice Chancellor of Instruction, Workforce and Economic Development and Interim Vice President of Student Access and Online Engagement at Los Rios, as well as Associate Vice President of Instruction and Student Learning at Cosumnes River College.

Ph.D. candidate Antoinette Banks presented “From Paperwork to Partnership: How School Leaders are Using AI to Fix IEP Frustration and Family Mistrust” at the National Alliance of Black School Educators Conference. Banks created Expert IEP, an AI-powered platform that helps families navigate the special education system and advocate for their children. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, she was featured in K-12 Dive about her journey from special education mom to founder and researcher.

Publications

Bullen, J.C., Lerro, L.S., Hesse, T., Zajic, M.C.*, McIntyre, N.*, and Mundy, P. (2025). Sensory Processing Modalities and Their Associations With Academic Achievement in Autism and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Guerrero, K., Jimenez-Silva, M., Frances-Vazquez, S., Tanielu, M., Tanayan, V., Fuiava, E., and Hauptli, T. (2025). Perspectives of American Teachers in and from the U.S. Territories. Current Issues in Education, 26(3).

Herrera, A.*, Navarette, L.*, and Cazares, N. (2025). Madrinidad: Strengthening navigational capital via collective mentorship for aspiring first-generation Latine educators. Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy.

Hill, M.S.*, Hart, C.M.D., Baker, R.B., Xu, D., Alonso, E., Nguyen, A., d’Arcy, K., Bailey, C., VanNorman, T., Nguyen, V., and Pakula, J. (2025). Developing confidence, developing skills: The perceived effect of professional development on online teaching. Online Learning, 29(4).

Huang, Z., Gys, C.L., Uchikoshi, Y., and Zhou, Q. (2025). Digital media use among school-aged dual language learners in Chinese American families: Links to socioecological factors and children’s oral language proficiencies. Developmental Psychology.

Miller, J.M., Ballard, H.L., Race, A.I., Shulong, Y., Henson, S., Portier, E.F., and Schectman, E.R. (2025). Incorporating Community and Citizen Science into Elementary Schools: Key Program Design Features from Research and Practice. In D. Tsybulsky and T. Tal (Eds.), Citizen Science Contributions to Biology and Environmental Education. Springer.

Reifman, J.B.* (2025). It’s Not a Neutral Choice: Implications of Student Self-Placement in a Basic Writing Course. Journal of Basic Writing, 44(1).

Wong, J.* and Gómez, M. (2025). Interrogating Raciolinguistic Ideologies for More Expansive Writing Assessment Practices for Multilingual Learners. In S. Bhowmik and M. Kim (Eds.), Teaching Writing to English Language Learners in the Elementary Classroom: Research-Based Approaches and Techniques. Routledge.

Zunino-Edelsberg, V.C., Welsh, M.E., Santelices, M., and Albano, T. (2026). Application of a Justice-Oriented Content Validation to a Classroom Assessment Literacy Measure. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation, 30(2).

* School of Education alumni