A new faculty director for the at 菠萝视频鈥檚 of education and human development has been named. , associate professor of public policy and education, will lead the enterprise. , associate professor of leadership, policy and organizations, served as faculty director in TERA鈥檚 first year, and will continue in an advisory role until his retirement this spring.
TERA is a unique research-practice-policy partnership between and the that launched聽in the fall of聽2016. TERA harnesses the expertise of researchers at 菠萝视频 and other leading universities to carry out research to inform the state鈥檚 school improvement strategies and contribute to national conversations on K-12 education. TERA research is focused in four areas: improving early reading, reimagining state support for professional learning, driving improvement in low-performing schools, and strengthening Tennessee鈥檚 education labor market.
鈥淛ason Grissom is an innovative and rigorous researcher,” said , Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development. “As faculty director, he will bring insight as well as a strong commitment to collaboration to TERA鈥檚 efforts to strengthen education in Tennessee and beyond.鈥�
Grissom鈥檚 research focuses primarily on school and district leadership and educator mobility. He has conducted studies of principal turnover in Tennessee, the state鈥檚 administrator evaluation system, and the factors that contribute to the retention of effective teachers. As faculty director, Grissom will collaborate closely with leaders in the state Department of Education and work with TERA Executive Director Erin O鈥橦ara to set the strategic vision for the organization and spearhead its research agenda.
鈥淭ennessee has made great strides in recent years in improving outcomes for students, and using research and evidence to make policy decisions has been a big part of that improvement,鈥� Grissom said. 鈥淚 am excited to help provide leadership to TERA鈥檚 efforts to ensure that the state has the research it needs to create great educational opportunities for all students.鈥�
