Research

That Matters

Research That Matters is an annual publication highlighting faculty research at the University of Washington College of Education. This edition, Closing the Gap: New Strategies for a Changing 21st Century Classroom, focuses on the changing demographics in Washington schools and examines the growing achievement gap between low-income and minority students and their peers.

Introduction by Dean Pat Wasley

The challenges to our teachers — more than 90 percent of them of European descent — are staggering and so are the pressures. As the demographics of our schools continue to change, can our schools meet the ever-higher expectations for achievement for all students?
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Home Visits: How Could I Not Have Known?

Ask students and they’ll often tell you the principal’s office is the place kids go when they’re in trouble. If their parents are called to the office, it is doubly bad. And if the principal — the enforcer, the bearer of ill news — goes to the students’ home, and asks to see their mother or father, it can signify the worst kind of trouble.
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Everyday Science

The Seattle elementary schoolgirl loves science. At home she has devoted hours and hours to mixing scents for perfumes over the past six months. She systematically measures the scented oils, controls for contamination in the equipment, labels the samples, and journals about the resulting mixtures.
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Do the Math

The topic of math education comes laden with baggage. Myths abound. You either get it or you don’t. Even if you do get it, the only way to learn it is to master one step before moving onto another. You memorize. You drill. You test. Maybe you pass. Maybe — if math doesn’t catch your imagination — you fail.
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Latinos and College: The Land of Left Behind

Washington state has the tenth largest population of Latinos in the country, and that number is expected to grow more than 150 percent over the next 25 years. As the numbers swell, Latinos’ voices are gaining in volume. Of primary concern is the future of their children.
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Powerful Instruction: Revving Up for High-Level Learning

High quality, rigorous teaching is a common goal among educators, parents, and community members, but understanding what constitutes high-quality teaching varies greatly from school to school. This has profound implications for school district leaders who are working to close the achievement gap in Washington state.
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Rise in Autism

Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disorder in the nation. New statistics show that one in every 175 American children is diagnosed with some degree of the disorder, a prevalence rate higher than that of diabetes, childhood AIDS and childhood cancer combined.
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What Can We Do?

What can policymakers, educators, and parents do to create new strategies for a changing 21st century classroom? Our research suggests a number of ways to make a difference. Can you guess what they are?
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