Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award

Recipient: William H. Schmidt (Michigan State University)

The Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award is the premier acknowledgment of outstanding achievement and success in education research. Its purpose is to publicize, motivate, encourage, and suggest models for education research at its best. The 2022 Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award goes to Dr. William H. Schmidt. Dr. Schmidt is currently the Director for the Study of Curriculum Policy at Michigan State University. His many recognitions include being a fellow in the International Academy of Education, an honorary doctorate from Concordia University, and being named a member of the National Academy of Education as well as an AERA Fellow. His strong line of funded research examines assessments of math and science national and internationally. Dr. Schmidt is best known for his detailed study of math curriculum across states in the U.S. and between countries internationally. A public intellectual as well, Dr. Schmidt has published beyond the academy including prescient essays in outlets such The Boston Review.

The Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award is the premier acknowledgment of outstanding achievement and success in education research. It is designed to publicize, motivate, encourage, and suggest models for education research at its best.

Distinguished Public Service Award

Recipient: Peggy G. Carr (National Center for Education Statistics)

Dr. Peggy G. Carr is the 2022 recipient of the Distinguished Public Service Award. Dr. Carr has been a leading voice for data integrity, fairness, and equity in the curation and dissemination of education data. Throughout her longstanding federal government service, she has lent her expertise in statistics and measurement to drive innovation in data collection and assessment within the U.S. and globally. At the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), she has led efforts to transform the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to adapt to new technologies, while maintaining its rigor and quality. Her leadership around large-scale assessment is essential in closing the gaps in opportunity and achievement and advancing equity for all students.

This award is granted annually in recognition of an individual who has worked to enact or implement policies that are well grounded in education research, or who has been at the forefront of efforts to increase recognition and support for education research.

Excellence in Media Reporting on Education Research Award

Recipient: Anya Kamenetz (National Public Radio)

The recipient of the 2022 Excellence in Media Reporting on Education Research Award is Anya Kamenetz. Ms. Kamenetz’ reporting has raised awareness of how education research can change and shift our understanding of educational disparities. Specifically, her research-based reporting on the word gap challenged media reporters to stop referring to a word gap or the need to fix societal disparities by blaming children and families. Ms. Kamenetz has made noteworthy contributions to reporting on early childhood education, an area often neglected or under-reported in major news publications. Additionally, she has covered the impact of Covid-19, achievement, opportunity and financial gaps in education, and education policy. She co-created and co-hosts NPR Life Kit, an evidence-based parenting podcast in partnership with Sesame Workshop and has invited numerous education researchers as guest speakers and consultants on myriad topics. Ms. Kamenetz was a 2017 recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Innovation from the Radio Television Digital News Association and has received several awards from the Education Writers Association.

Established in 2016, this award recognizes a person who has made noteworthy contributions to reporting on findings, bodies of research, or scholarship in the field of education research in any medium of public communication. The award honors a media professional whose work exemplifies promoting a broader vision of the value of education research to society.

Palmer O. Johnson Memorial Award

Recipients: Drew H. Gitomer (Rutgers University), José Felípe Martinez (University of California, Los Angeles), Dan Battey (Rutgers University), and Nora E. Hyland (Rutgers University)
“Assessing the Assessment: Evidence of Reliability and Validity in the edTPA” American Educational Research Journal, Volume 58, Issue 5, February 2021.

The 2022 Palmer O. Johnson Memorial Award goes to Dr. Drew H. Gitomer, Dr. José Felipe Martínez, Dr. Dan Battey, and Dr. Nora E. Hyland for their article, “Assessing the Assessment: Evidence of Reliability and Validity in the edTPA,” published in the February 2021 issue of American Educational Research Journal. This outstanding article explores the reliability and validity of the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA), which is a system of standardized portfolio assessments commonly used in the process of certifying preservice teachers. Drawing upon edTPA’s own published data, relevant literature, and widely adopted standards for educational and psychological testing, the authors’ persuasive argument raises serious questions about the edTPA’s scoring design, reliability, and consequential impact (especially in relation to equity). Given the high-stakes nature of edTPA for aspiring teachers and the pervasiveness of its use, these concerns have critical implications for teacher education policies and practices as well as the reporting of psychometric data.

This award recognizes the lifelong achievement of Palmer O. Johnson as a dedicated educator and for his pioneering work in educational research and methodology. The award is given for an outstanding article appearing in AERA Open, the American Educational Research Journal, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Educational Researcher, or the Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics.

Review of Research Award

Recipient: Christa J. Porter (Kent State University) and Janice A. Byrd (The Pennsylvania State University)
“Understanding Influences of Development on Black Women’s Success in U.S. Colleges: A Synthesis of Literature" Review of Educational Research, Volume 91, Issue 6, December

The recipients of the 2022 Review of Research Award are Dr. Christa J. Porter and Dr. Janice A. Byrd, for their article “Understanding Influences of Development on Black Women’s Success in U.S. Colleges: A Synthesis of Literature,” in the December 2021 issue of Review of Educational Research. Porter and Byrd’s manuscript “illuminates how and to what extent Black women’s developmental processes have influenced their success within their respective U.S. college environments” (p. 803). Their work presents a view that is much like a tapestry, carefully resisting reductionist explanations for success or (non)success for Black college women. The authors skillfully bring together intersectionality and theories of identity development in higher education in a compelling way with more depth and nuance than prior works. Their focus on developmental processes is significant because it shifts how success is narrated and centers Black women's sensibilities and ways of knowing/being. The committee appreciated that this review was presented in a way that could be used across a variety of settings and domains in the field of education. 

This award is given in recognition of an outstanding review of research article appearing in the Review of Research in Education or the Review of Educational Research.

Outstanding Book Award

Recipient: Jarvis Givens (Harvard University)
Fugitive Pedagogy: Carter G. Woodson and the Art of Black Teaching

The 2022 Outstanding Book Award goes to Dr. Jarvis R. Givens for his book, Fugitive Pedagogy: Carter G. Woodson and the Art of Black Teaching. This book is a groundbreaking analysis of the Black teaching tradition as a subversive act, rooted in history and characterized by fugitivity. In Fugitive Pedagogy, Givens carefully traces a compelling line from the memory of self-liberation from enslavement to the life and career of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, founder of Negro History Week, the progenitor of Black History Month. In doing so, Givens more than fulfills his stated mission to provide, as the preface promises, “a new grammar for Black education.” This book is an invaluable contribution to African American history and the history of education that will appeal to educational researchers and a general audience.

The Outstanding Book Award was established to acknowledge and honor the year’s best book-length publication in education research and development.

E.F. Lindquist Award

Recipient: Daniel M. Koretz (Harvard University)

The recipient of the 2022 E. F. Lindquist Award, presented jointly by AERA and ACT, is Dr. Daniel M. Koretz. His work on score inflation, the effects of testing programs on educational practice, the assessment of students with disabilities, international differences in the variability of student achievement, the application of value-added models to educational achievement, and the development of methods for validating scores under high-stakes conditions has notably advanced measurement and testing practices around the globe. Dr. Koretz is perhaps most widely known for his enduring contributions on test score inflation and self-monitoring assessments. He is a member of the National Academy of Education and a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association.

This award is presented jointly by AERA and ACT in recognition of outstanding applied or theoretical research in the field of testing and measurement. The award is meant to acknowledge a body of research of an empirical, theoretical, or integrative nature rather than a single study.

Early Career Award

Recipient: Nelson Flores (University of Pennsylvania)

Dr. Nelson Flores is the 2022 recipient of the Early Career Award. Dr. Flores elegantly engages complex theories to elucidate the ways that language practices in academia and beyond reinforce structural racism and neoliberalism in schools. His interrogation of bilingual education and anti-black racism in language education offers new pathways to disrupt neoliberal frameworks and English hegemony in language education policy and practice. He is well deserving of this honor. 

Established to honor an individual in the early stages of their career no later than 10 years after receipt of the doctoral degree, this award is granted for study in any field of educational inquiry.

Social Justice in Education Award

Recipient: Tyrone C. Howard (University of California, Los Angeles)

The recipient of the 2022 Social Justice in Education Award is Dr. Tyrone C. Howard. Dr. Howard is the Faculty Director for UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools, a member of the National Academy of Education, and a member of the Laureate Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi whose membership is limited to “60 living educators who have made a significant and lasting impact on the profession.” Dr. Howard has authored and coauthored over 40 peer-reviewed articles, 27 book chapters, and five books, including the best seller “Why race and culture matter in schools: Closing the achievement gap in America’s classroom” (2^nd edition) published by Teachers College Press. In addition to training a generation of equity-minded teachers, scholars, and researchers, Dr. Howard’s scholarship on the plight, potential, and resilience of African American male students is essential reading for individuals interested in this topic.

Established in 2004, the Social Justice in Education Award honors an individual who has advanced social justice through education research and exemplified the goal of linking education research to social justice.

Distinguished Contributions to Gender Equity in Education Research Award

Recipient: Kimberly A. Scott (Arizona State University)

The recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Contributions to Gender Equity in Education Research Award is Dr. Kimberly A. Scott. Dr. Scott is a ground-breaking researcher and exceptional thought leader. Her scholarship has carved out new pathways for women and girls of color in STEM. Dr. Scott’s research focuses on the ways in which gender and race intersect to shape the experiences of STEM learners in schools and outside-of-school learning communities. As a scholar-activist who brings awareness to racial and gender justice in her research pursuits, Dr. Scott’s conceptualization of girls of color as “technosocial change agents” is exemplary evidence of her visionary leadership and commitment to gender and racial equity in educational research and professional practice.

Established in 2006, the Distinguished Contributions to Gender Equity in Education Research Award recognizes individuals within AERA for distinguished research, professional practice, and activities that advance public understanding of gender and/or sexuality at any level in the education community.

Outstanding Public Communication of Education Research Award

Recipient: Matthew A. Kraft (Brown University)

The recipient of the 2022 Outstanding Public Communication of Education Research Award is Dr. Matthew A. Kraft. Using a “multi-channel communications approach,” Dr. Kraft goes beyond traditional outlets for scholarly work to share research relevant to K-12 teachers and teaching. This includes topics such as teacher evaluation, teaching coaching and tutoring, the need to decrease classroom interruptions and the inequitable impact of teacher layoffs, all from the perspectives of research, policy and practice. Dr. Kraft incorporates use of social media, conversations with practitioners and service deliverers, op-eds and articles in the popular and education press as well as active partnerships with members of various stakeholder groups.

This award honors scholars exemplary in their capacity to communicate the importance of education research to the broad public, including education communities. It recognizes scholars who have excelled in conveying important findings and research to wide audiences and who have demonstrated the capacity to deepen understanding and appreciation of the value of education research in the public sphere.

Scholars of Color Distinguished Career Contribution Award

Recipient: Alfredo J. Artiles (Stanford University)

Dr. Alfredo J. Artiles is the 2022 recipient of the Scholars of Color in Education Distinguished Career Contribution Award. Over nearly three decades, a hallmark of Dr. Artiles’ career has been utilizing an interdisciplinary lens to understand the paradoxes of educational equity and their consequences regarding two justice challenges: (1) the racialization of high incidence or mild disabilities, and (2) the design and implementation of inclusive education programs. From the beginning of his career, Dr. Artiles engaged in groundbreaking scholarship on disability and race, which is exemplified in his profoundly impactful 1994 co-authored article in the Journal of Special Education, which became the most cited article in the history of the flagship journal. Dr. Artiles has embraced complexity in his scholarship by utilizing interdisciplinary tools to reframe and refine the study of urgent social justice educational problems.

Presented to a senior-level scholar, usually 20 years or more after receipt of the doctoral degree, this award is intended to recognize (a) scholars who have made significant contributions to the understanding of issues that disproportionately affect minority populations, and (b) minority scholars who have made a significant contribution to education research and development.  

Recipient: Sonya Douglass Horsford (Teachers College)

Dr. Sonya Douglass Horsford is recognized with the 2022 Scholars of Color in Education Mid-Career Contribution Award. Dr. Douglass Horsford is one of the leading voices in education addressing educational equity and justice by bringing together community activists, educators and scholars to engage in meaningful and substantive change. She is a Senior Research Associate in the Edmund W. Gordon Institute for Urban and Minority Education and the Founding Director of the Black Education Research Collective. She is also the Principal Investigator for the New York City Education Equity Action Plan: P-12 Black Students Curriculum and Professional Development Program. Dr. Douglass Horsford has authored and co-authored five books, and numerous articles and books chapters. Her interdisciplinary work and influence in the field has resulted in a greater understanding of the social and political contexts of education.

Presented to a scholar in mid-career who is beyond the first level of professional appointment and for whom 10 or more years have passed since receipt of the doctoral degree, this award is intended to recognize (a) scholars who have made significant contributions to the understanding of issues that disproportionately affect minority populations, and (b) minority scholars who have made a significant contribution to education research and development.

Scholars of Color Early Career Contribution Award

Recipient: Krystal L. Williams (University of Georgia)

Dr. Krystal L. Williams is the recipient of the 2022 Scholars of Color in Education Early Career Contribution Award. Dr. Williams’s research explores the use of public policies to promote college success for underrepresented students. Recently, her work has focused on broadening participation in STEM and reducing students’ economic and academic strains in college. Dr. Williams’s work has been funded by the AERA Grants Program and the National Science Foundation. A rising star in higher education, Dr. Williams was one of the fifteen scholars featured as a 2021 Emerging Scholars by Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

Presented to a scholar who is within the first decade of their career after receipt of a doctoral degree, this award is intended to recognize (a) scholars who have made significant contributions to the understanding of issues that disproportionately affect minority populations, and (b) minority scholars who have made a significant contribution to education research and development.