Research Summary
I suppose I am an interdisciplinary social scientist. I research district change, principal and teacher support and improvement, and the relationship between district/school organizational decisions and outcomes. My methodological interests include survey research and multi-/mixed methods.
Education
- PhD, Leadership & Policy Studies, Vanderbilt University
- MA, Curriculum & Instruction, University of Colorado Denver
Biography
Laura Rogers (she/her) is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Utah. She uses quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods to study how organizational policies and conditions influence the work of principals and teachers. Her work has appeared in major outlets such as the American Educational Research Journal, Educational Administration Quarterly, and Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis.
Many of her current projects focus on educator career pathways, working conditions, and retention. She is currently working with Professor David Woo to study how California districts implemented leadership pipelines to raise principal effectiveness and diversity. She is also the PI on a study of Utah educators' occupational wellbeing, job mobility, and retention. New work (with colleagues in Utah, Alabama, and Tennessee) will explore the impact of paid leave and childcare access on teacher and principal career outcomes.
Laura holds a PhD in Leadership and Policy Studies (education policy) from Vanderbilt University, an MA in curriculum and instruction from the University of Colorado Denver, and a BA in English from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Prior to earning her doctorate, she taught early elementary school in Colorado and EFL in rural Japan.
She has had two children on the tenure track. It has not always been easy, but she continues to pursue research that interests her (and hopefully others, too).
Professional Organizations
Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP)
American Educational Research Association (AERA)
Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM)
University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA)
Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE)