Educational Reform Research Area:
Name given to a political process with the goal of improving public education
Published Faculty:
Wolfgang Althof, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Wolfgang Althof was the Teresa M. Fischer Professor of Citizenship Education and served as the Executive Director of the Citizenship Education Clearing House (CECH) at the College of Education and the Co-Director (with Marvin W. Berkowitz) of the Center for Character and Citizenship from 2005-2016. Prior to coming to UM-St. Louis he was at the Department of Education, University of Fribourg, Switzerland. At UMSL, he teaches courses in Citizenship Education and Qualitative Social Research Methods. Dr. Althof is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Association for Moral Education (AME), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and the National Council for the Social Studie...
Michael W. Bahr, Ph.D.
Associate Professor Emeritus
Dr. Bahr earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from Cardinal Glennon College and a Master of Education Degree in Counseling from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He is a graduate of Indiana University's APA-accredited School Psychology Program, where he obtained the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Educational Psychology with Specialization in School Psychology. His research interests are in the areas of prevention science and cultural competence.
Marvin W. Berkowitz, Ph.D.
Sanford N. McDonnell Endowed Professor in Character Education
Dr. Marvin W. Berkowitz is the inaugural Sanford N. McDonnell Endowed Professor of Character Education, and Co-Director of the Center for Character and Citizenship at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and University of Missouri President’s Thomas Jefferson Professor. He has also served as the inaugural Ambassador H.H. Coors Professor of Character Development at the US Air Force Academy (1999), and Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Ethics Studies at Marquette University (1979-1999). He was also founder and Associate Director of the Center for Addiction and Behavioral Health Research in Milwaukee. Since 1999 he has directed the Leadership Academy in Character Education in St. Louis.
Natalie Bolton, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Natalie Bolton received her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Organizational Development from the University of Louisville in 2008. She also has an M.A. in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Social Studies Education, and a B.A. in Secondary Education, Social Sciences major in History and minor in Geography.
Natalie's research explores education policy, student achievement, and social studies/civic education. She has a special interest in large-scale assessments, standards-based education reform, classroom-based formative assessment, standards-based grading practices, cognitive sciences, and program evaluation. Currently, Natalie is analyzing P-12 classroom assessment design, K-12 schools shifting...
Jerome Ellis Morris, Ph.D.
E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor of Urban Education
Dr. Jerome E. Morris is the E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor of Urban Education (in conjunction with St. Louis Public Schools). His research is grounded in sociology, anthropology, school reform, and urban studies. As a social scientist, Dr. Morris’ scholarship reflects a deep and abiding familiarity with communities, families, and schools. The nexus of race, social class, and the geography of educational opportunity is a major theme of Dr. Morris’ scholarship, and he has been in the forefront of highlighting the centrality of the U.S. South in understanding Black people’s experiences. Topics of scholarly focus include: communally-bonded schools; school desegregation; achievement gap; ...
James Shuls, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
James V. Shuls earned his Ph.D. in education policy from the University of Arkansas. His work has been featured in numerous media outlets, including: Phi Delta Kappan, Social Science Quarterly, The Rural Educator, Educational Policy, Education Economics, and the Journal of School Choice: International Research and Reform.
Kim Song, Ed.D.
Professor
Kim H. Song, Professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, received her Ed.D in Instructional Processes from Southern Illinois University –Edwardsville in 1991. Kim is a bilingual in Korean and English, and her main research interests include:
- Backward Instructional Design and Assessment
- Immigrant Family Literacy Development, and Their Identity within School Community
- Rededefining Creativity in Technology-Mediated Online Courses
- Intersectionality of Racism and Linguicism for Immigrant and Refugee Learners
- Technology-Mediated Online Teaching and Learning
- Linguistically and Culturally Responsive Content/Math Teaching f...