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, Educational Leadership & Policy, 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. Professor Rogers' research has been published in major outlets such as the American Educational Research Journal, Educational Administration Quarterly, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, and Educational Researcher.
Many of Professor Rogers’ 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) explores the impact of paid leave and childcare access on teachers' career outcomes.
Professor Rogers received her Ph.D. in K-12 education policy from Vanderbilt University. She holds an MA in curriculum and instruction from the University of Colorado Denver and a bachelor’s degree 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 been hard, but she continues to pursue research that interests her (and hopefully others, too). Do not give up. It is possible.
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)