UC Davis School of Education

06/01/2026

School of Education graduation speaker Jaime Ramirez-Mendoza is graduating next week with a Ph.D. in school organization and education policy. His dissertation research examines how financial aid systems can create additional barriers for students of color as they navigate the path to college.

Following graduation, Jaime will continue this work as a senior policy analyst at EdTrust-West, focusing on college affordability and educational equity. Learn more about his work at education.ucdavis.edu/post/jaime-ramirez-mendoza-equity-in-financial-aid

05/28/2026

Though chronic absenteeism is slowly declining post-pandemic, nearly 1 in 5 students in California still missed 10% or more of the 2024-25 school year. In their report, "The State of Chronic Absenteeism in California: Projections, Reasons, and Solutions," Prof. Kevin Gee and Peter Yu predict future trends in statewide chronic absenteeism, explore why students are missing school, and offer options for California to lead the way in tackling this multifaceted issue.

Learn more at Getting Down to Facts: gettingdowntofacts.com/reports/state-chronic-absenteeism-california-projections-reasons-and-solutions

05/27/2026

Ed.D. student Arra Jane Soriano, Associate Director of Workforce Programs & Innovation at the UC Davis School of Medicine, was named among the Sacramento Business Journal's 40 Under 40 for 2026! Her work is centered around students accessing higher education and flourishing in healthcare professions.

"Greater Sacramento needs stronger, more equitable education-to-career pathways," she told Sacramento Business Journal. "As I pursue my doctorate in education, I am privy to gaps in education and meaningful employment. Because my world is higher education, I meet students who are eager to make an impact in their local community."

Congratulations, Arra Jane! See all the honorees at bizjournals.com/sacramento/40-under-40

05/26/2026

What are we learning from LGBTQ+ students’ experiences as they transition from high school to college?

Research from Dr. Alexandria Hurtt, Prof. Michal Kurlaender, and Ph.D. candidate Christina Sun found that LGBTQ+ students experienced higher rates of bullying in high school and greater concerns about discrimination in college compared to their cisgender heterosexual peers.

Even with these challenges, these students continued to have strong educational goals, including plans to attend four-year universities at higher rates than their peers and pursue advanced degrees.

The findings highlight students' resilience, but also the need for targeted interventions to help schools create safer, more supportive environments for everyone.

Learn more: gettingdowntofacts.com/reports/navigating-transition-college-lgbtq-students-high-school-experiences-and-academic-plans

05/22/2026

CANDEL Ed.D. student Shanine Coats and her colleagues received the Golden Bell Award for their Sacramento County Office of Education Career Pipeline initiative. The project builds a diverse mental and behavioral health workforce by offering paid, supported pathways from high school through licensure. Congratulations!

https://publications.csba.org/golden-bell/golden-bell-awards-2025/

05/20/2026

What helps new teachers stay in the classroom, and what makes them leave?

In their new report, “Who Stays, Who Leaves: Five-year Retention Patterns by Teacher Entry Pathways,” Drs. Tom Smith and Yiwang Li examine how different pathways into teaching, teacher preparation experiences, and school environments affect whether early-career teachers remain in the profession.

Their findings offer important insights into strengthening California’s teacher workforce and supporting equity across schools and teacher preparation programs. Learn more at Getting Down to Facts: gettingdowntofacts.com/reports/who-stays-who-leaves-five-year-retention-patterns-teacher-entry-pathways

05/13/2026

We met our next Ed.D. cohort last week at our CANDEL welcome event! Incoming students had a chance to hear from faculty and ask current student Rodrigo Bonilla questions about his experience in the program.

We can’t wait for this cohort to start their journey this fall!

Learn more about the CANDEL program at candel.ucdavis.edu

05/12/2026

School of Education faculty, staff, and students recently attended the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Annual Conference!

Prof. Cynthia Passmore, Dr. Chris Griesemer, and their colleagues received the 2026 “Research Worth Reading” Award for their study “Characterizing variations in the figured worlds of teachers and students in science class.”

Ph.D. students Caitlyn Ishaq, Jadda Miller, Emma Schectman, and Becca VanArnam presented their work, along with Profs. Heidi Ballard, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, and Cindy Passmore.

Dr. Chris Griesemer (Sacramento Area Science Project, Young Scholars Program) and Peggy Harte, M.Ed. (Center for Community and Citizen Science, Sacramento Area Science Project) also presented.

View a full list of recent conference presentations at education.ucdavis.edu/news-conference-presentations

05/11/2026

Discussions of immigrant education in the U.S. often center on what happens after families arrive in the United States. But that focus misses the critical learning that begins long before arrival and unfolds throughout the journey.

Prof. Alicia Rusoja is launching a new research project tracing how knowledge is built through navigation, shared resources, and community-making. By focusing on the migration process, she aims to open a new line of inquiry into education that recognizes the expertise immigrants carry long before they step into a classroom in the United States.

Learn more:

What Venezuelan Immigrants’ Journeys Reveal About Learning Beyond the Classroom

05/07/2026