2019 Edu-Scholar Public Influence: Top Tens

Yesterday, we unveiled the 2019 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings. Of course, over the years, readers also wanted to see how scholars fared when it came to particular fields of study. After all, education research includes a lot of people doing very different kinds of work, and where scholars rank overall may sometimes be less telling than where they rank within their field. Thus, today, we’ll report on the top ten finishers for five disciplinary categories, as well as the top junior faculty. (For a detailed discussion of how the scoring was done, see Wednesday’s post.)

Now, at times, there’s a bit of ambiguity in determining a given scholar’s discipline. For the most part, my invaluable research assistants (RJ Martin, Amy Cummings, Sofia Gallo, and Connor Kurtz) worked off of CVs, relying primarily on a scholar’s earned degree. In the handful of cases where that didn’t do the trick, I made a judgment call. So, if you think I’ve made the wrong call on someone, just let me know and we’ll do our best to make appropriate adjustments next year.

You can scroll through each chart here:

 

Curriculum, Instruction, and Administration

2019 Ranking Name Affiliation Google Scholar Book Points Highest Amazon Ranking Syllabus Points Newspaper Mentions Education Press Mentions Web Mentions Congressional Record Mentions Kred Total Score Twitter Handle
1 Linda Darling-Hammond Stanford 50 20 13.7 5.8 3 23 25 0 7.6 148.1 LDH_ed
2 Gloria Ladson-Billings U. Wisconsin 50 19 15 10 1.5 20 9.1 0 7.5 132.1 gjladson
3 Jo Boaler Stanford 43 16 15 3.6 6.5 14 25 0 8.5 131.6 joboaler
4 Larry Cuban Stanford 50 20 9.1 10 1 8 12.7 0 7.2 117.9 CubanLarry
5 Yong Zhao U. Kansas 49 20 10.6 2.4 2.5 8 7.5 0 8.8 108.8 YongZhaoEd
6 Andy Hargreaves Boston College 50 17.5 9.8 3.8 0.5 10 8.1 0 8.8 108.5 HargreavesBC
7 Nel Noddings Stanford 50 20 7.4 10 0 0 17.6 0 0 104.9 N/A
8 Richard Elmore Harvard 50 17 14.7 6 0 4 8.6 0 0 100.2 RichardElmore3
9 Joseph Murphy Vanderbilt 50 20 0 1.2 0.5 0 16.6 0 0 88.3 N/A
10 Ken Zeichner U. Washington 50 9 13.7 4 0 0 1 0 4 81.7 zeichnerkm

 

Economics

2019 Ranking Name Affiliation Google Scholar Book Points Highest Amazon Ranking Syllabus Points Newspaper Mentions Education Press Mentions Web Mentions Congressional Record Mentions Kred Total Score Twitter Handle
1 Raj Chetty Harvard 45 0.5 0 0.8 30 13 25 5 0 119.3 N/A
2 James J. Heckman U. Chicago 50 2 0 10 9.5 8 25 0 7.7 112.2 heckmanequation
3 Eric Hanushek Stanford 50 13.5 0 8 8.5 2 17.2 0 7 106.2 EricHanushek
4 Martin Carnoy Stanford 50 20 10.1 9.4 0.5 2 11.9 0 0 104 N/A
5 Richard J. Murnane Harvard 50 6.5 15 1.6 0 2 13.5 0 0 88.6 N/A
6 Caroline M. Hoxby Stanford 50 2 0 5.8 3 6 20.8 0 0 87.6 N/A
7 Henry Levin Columbia (TC) 50 20 8.2 2.8 0.5 0 4.7 0 0 86.3 N/A
8 Helen (Sunny) F. Ladd Duke 50 11.5 0 10 2.5 0 4.9 0 0 78.9 sunnyladd
9 Dan Goldhaber U. Washington 50 0.5 0 1 1.5 14 4.7 0 6.7 78.4 CEDR_US
10 Thomas Kane Harvard 50 2.5 0 2.2 2 7 14.5 0 0 78.2 N/A

 

Government and Policy

2019 Ranking Name Affiliation Google Scholar Book Points Highest Amazon Ranking Syllabus Points Newspaper Mentions Education Press Mentions Web Mentions Congressional Record Mentions Kred Total Score Twitter Handle
1 Paul E. Peterson Harvard 50.0 20.0 0.0 10.0 4.5 8.0 25.0 0.0 6.6 124.1 Paul_E_Peterson
2 Gary Orfield UCLA 50.0 20.0 3.1 2.2 6.0 3.0 9.8 0.0 3.8 97.9 orfieldtweet
3 William G. Tierney USC 50.0 20.0 0.0 1.4 3.0 3.0 6.7 0.0 6.9 91.0 TierneyBill
4 Robert Kelchen Seton Hall 11.0 2.0 2.5 0.0 17.5 25.0 25.0 0.0 7.8 90.8 rkelchen
5 Rob Reich Stanford 21.0 6.0 15.0 0.8 14.0 0.0 25.0 0.0 7.9 89.7 robreich
6 Michael Kirst Stanford 50.0 13.0 0.0 2.6 4.0 6.0 6.9 0.0 6.5 89.0 Michael_Kirst
7 Martin (Marty) West Harvard 31.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 11.5 14.0 22.9 0.0 7.4 88.8 ProfMartyWest
8 Jeannie Oakes UCLA 50.0 10.0 9.2 10.0 0.5 2.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 85.7 Jeannie_Oakes
9 Terry M. Moe Stanford 50.0 13.0 0.0 10.0 3.5 0.0 5.7 0.0 0.0 82.2 N/A
10 Jeffrey R. Henig Columbia (TC) 40.0 13.5 12.6 1.2 0.5 12.0 2.3 0.0 0.0 82.1 J_Henig

 

Psychology

2019 Ranking Name Affiliation Google Scholar Book Points Highest Amazon Ranking Syllabus Points Newspaper Mentions Education Press Mentions Web Mentions Congressional Record Mentions Kred Total Score Twitter Handle
1 Carol Dweck Stanford 50.0 4.0 15.0 10.0 21.5 24.0 25.0 0.0 0.0 149.5 N/A
2 Howard Gardner Harvard 50.0 20.0 15.0 10.0 6.5 8.0 25.0 0.0 7.3 141.8 DrHowardGardner
3 Carol A. Tomlinson U. Virginia 50.0 20.0 15.0 10.0 0.0 16.0 5.2 0.0 7.6 123.8 cat3y
4 Angela Duckworth U. Penn 48.0 2.0 15.0 0.8 8.0 6.0 25.0 0.0 7.7 112.5 angeladuckw
5 Daniel T. Willingham U. Virginia 47.0 10.5 15.0 0.8 2.0 7.0 10.9 0.0 8.5 101.7 DTWillingham
6 Claude Steele Stanford 50.0 5.0 15.0 1.8 4.0 0.0 23.7 0.0 0.0 99.5 cmasonsteele
7 David C. Berliner Arizona State 50.0 11.5 2.7 1.2 2.0 6.0 9.5 0.0 7.0 89.9 DavidCBerliner
8 Gene V. Glass UC Boulder 50.0 14.5 2.2 7.8 0.0 2.0 4.4 0.0 7.4 88.4 GeneVGlass
9 Catherine Snow Harvard 50.0 20.0 0.0 1.2 0.5 2.0 13.9 0.0 0.0 87.6 N/A
10 James P. Comer Yale 39.0 20.0 3.6 2.0 0.5 6.0 8.9 0.0 4.7 84.8 drjamescomer

 

Sociology

2019 Ranking Name Affiliation Google Scholar Book Points Highest Amazon Ranking Syllabus Points Newspaper Mentions Education Press Mentions Web Mentions Congressional Record Mentions Kred Total Score Twitter Handle
1 Sara Goldrick-Rab Temple 25.0 3.0 15.0 0.2 24.5 25.0 25.0 0.0 9.4 127.1 saragoldrickrab
2 Marc Lamont Hill Temple 15.0 9.0 15.0 0.2 30.0 7.0 25.0 0.0 9.9 111.1 marclamonthill
3 Pedro Noguera UCLA 40.0 10.0 12.8 2.2 8.0 14.0 15.4 0.0 8.3 110.7 PedroANoguera
4 Robert E. Slavin Johns Hopkins 50.0 20.0 3.9 10.0 0.5 4.0 12.2 0.0 7.3 107.9 RobertSlavin
5 Shaun R. Harper USC 49.0 7.5 15.0 0.2 9.5 12.0 6.4 0.0 7.8 107.5 DrShaunHarper
6 Sean F. Reardon Stanford 47.0 0.0 0.0 0.6 12.5 4.0 21.5 0.0 0.0 85.6 seanfreardon
7 Bruce Fuller UC Berkeley 50.0 14.5 0.0 0.6 7.0 8.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 84.1 N/A
8 Richard M. Ingersoll U. Penn 50.0 2.0 3.8 2.2 6.5 12.0 7.2 0.0 0.0 83.8 N/A
9 David F. Labaree Stanford 32.0 15.5 13.5 3.8 1.5 9.0 3.1 0.0 4.5 83.0 DLabaree
10 Stephen W. Raudenbush U. Chicago 50.0 4.0 14.1 6.6 0.0 0.0 7.1 0.0 0.0 81.8 N/A

 

Junior Faculty

2019 Ranking Name Affiliation Google Scholar Book Points Highest Amazon Ranking Syllabus Points Newspaper Mentions Education Press Mentions Web Mentions Congressional Record Mentions Kred Total Score Twitter Handle
1 Robert Kelchen Seton Hall 11 2 2.5 0 17.5 25 25 0 7.8 90.8 rkelchen
2 Joshua S. Goodman Harvard 15 0 0 0.2 3 17 18.6 0 6.8 60.6 JoshuaSGoodman
3 Jal Mehta Harvard 19 5.5 9.4 0.4 2.5 8 8.4 0 6.7 59.8 jal_mehta
4 Tressie McMillan Cottom VCU 5 5 14.9 0 1.5 17 6.5 0 9.7 59.6 tressiemcphd
5 Jack Schneider U. Massachusetts Lowell 9 6 11.3 0 0 0 5.9 0 7.8 40 Edu_Historian
6 John Papay Brown 20 0.5 0 0 3 2 1.9 0 0 27.4 N/A
7 Sarah R. Cohodes Columbia (TC) 11 0 0 0 0.5 0 1.8 0 6.2 19.5 SarahCohodes
8 Angela Boatman Vanderbilt 10 0 0 0 0 2 1.4 0 0 13.4 angelaboatman

 

The tables pretty much speak for themselves. The charts are dominated by familiar names. The top finisher in Curriculum, Instruction, and Administration was Linda Darling-Hammond; in Economics, Raj Chetty; in Government and Policy, Paul E. Peterson; in Psychology, Carol Dweck; and, in Sociology, Sara Goldrick-Rab. In each case, it’d be hard to argue with the results.

Beyond the disciplinary breakdowns, I also want to give a special nod to junior faculty who earned spots on the list. Given that the rankings, by design, favor scholars who’ve assembled bodies of work and had sustained impact, the junior faculty who score well deserve particular notice. Seton Hall’s Robert Kelchen topped the junior faculty chart this year, while coming in 32nd overall. The rest of the top junior faculty were Harvard’s Josh Goodman, Harvard’s Jal Mehta, VCU’s Tressie McMillan Cottom, University of Massachusetts-Lowell’s Jack Schneider, Brown’s John Papay, Columbia’s Sarah Cohodes, and Vanderbilt’s Angela Boatman.

Well, that wraps up the 2019 Edu-Scholar Rankings. We’ll do this all again next year; same time, same place. Next week, we’ll return to our regularly scheduled programming.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this post failed to list Harvard’s Josh Goodman and Jal Mehta as junior faculty. The post has been updated accordingly.

— Frederick Hess

Frederick Hess is director of education policy studies at AEI and an executive editor at Education Next.

This post originally appeared on Rick Hess Straight Up.

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