Month: January 2016


Hands Off: Reducing Restraints in Connecticut Schools

January 28, 2016

Connecticut lawmakers and education leaders seeking to reduce the use of restraints and seclusion in public schools were encouraged this week by two UConn experts who offered a successful, research-driven alternative to addressing disruptive student behaviors. More than 100 people attended a two-hour presentation at the state Capitol on Jan. 27, where professors George Sugai and Nicholas Gelbar described how a prevention and de-escalation strategy known as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) can significantly reduce incidents of seclusion and restraint, while simultaneously improving the classroom climate for all students.


Creativity Found Lacking in College Admissions Process

January 28, 2016

This time of year, millions of high school students around the country are anxiously waiting to learn whether they will be accepted into the college or university of their choice. For many, high school grades and standardized test scores will be the initial benchmarks that decide their fate. But UConn professor of educational psychology James C. Kaufman says traditional college admission practices are capturing only part of a student’s overall potential.


Sexual Violence With K-12 Students in Connecticut: A Research Report

January 14, 2016

A new report focused on sexual violence with K-12 students in Connecticut – co-authored by former faculty member Jonathan Plucker ’91 (CLAS), ’92 MA and current Neag School student Grace Healey – shares recent research regarding “the prevalence of sexual violence, with a focus on young people, at both the national and state level,” and outline steps that the state of Connecticut is taking in response.


Alicia Bowman

‘8 Questions’ With Neag School Alum Alicia Bowman

January 14, 2016

Three-time Neag School alum Alicia (Qerim) Bowman ’01 (ED), ’02 MA, ’08 6th Year – now in her sixth year serving as principal of West Woods Upper Elementary School in Farmington, Conn. – is featured this week as part of Teach.com’s “8 Questions” series, which showcases teachers who have transitioned their classroom skills into new and exciting careers in the field of education.



Preston Green and James L. Moore (left)

Are Charter Schools the New Subprime Mortgages?

January 5, 2016

Preston Green III, John and Carla Klein Professor of Urban Education in the Neag School of Education, recently spoke with Jennifer Berkshire, author of the EduShyster blog, about a new report – titled “Are We Heading Toward a Charter School ‘Bubble’?: Lessons From the Subprime Mortgage Crisis” – for which Green is the lead author.


Gladis Kersaint Named Dean of the Neag School of Education

January 4, 2016

Dr. Gladis Kersaint has been named the new dean of the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education.

Kersaint, currently associate dean of academic affairs and research for the College of Education at the University of South Florida (USF), where she is also a professor of mathematics education, will begin in July.