Deans for Impact

How can educators apply cognitive science research to classroom practice?

Our VP of Growth and Impact, Tracey Weinstein, tackles that question in a new guest post for Edutopia, breaking down the six core questions from our recently updated report, The Science of Learning, Second Edition, with concrete examples of how to apply principles to instructional decision-making.

Read Tracey's piece here:

6 Ways to Apply Cognitive Science Research in the Classroom A new report covers evidence about how students learn and offers steps teachers can take to ensure that their instruction supports learning.

How do students learn to take charge of their own learning?

The Science of Learning, Second Edition includes a new section focused on how teachers can support students to learn more effectively and independently over time. Grounded in cognitive science research, this section breaks self-directed learning down into three key principles:

🔄 Self-regulated learning is cyclical - it's an ongoing process of planning and reflection

💪 Struggle is productive - students build lasting understanding by putting in effort and pushing through challenges, not by avoiding them

🧠 Effective habits sustain learning - the right routines keep self-regulated learning going, even on days when student motivation runs low

Our report offers guidance on how to bring these principles into the classroom and the common pitfalls to watch for.

How are you putting these principles into practice with teachers or students? Tell us in the comments below.

Download the full report: https://www.deansforimpact.org/tools-and-resources/the-science-of-learning

We're looking forward to presenting at the Tennessee Association of Colleges for Teacher Education Fall Conference on September 28-29!

During our session, we’ll preview an early draft of our forthcoming framework, co-created with TeachingWorks, to guide teacher-preparation programs in helping new educators use AI ethically and productively. Participants will explore its key elements, pressure-test it in their own contexts, and identify the tools and supports programs need to bring this knowledge and these skills into teacher preparation.

We hope to see you later this month in Tennessee!

Register here: https://tnacte.org/fall-2026-conference

How is the implementation of Texas's House Bill 2 impacting teacher pathways?

Educator-preparation programs are navigating new opportunities and requirements shaped by the state's historic investment in preparation through what’s called the PREP Allotment.

We visited Sam Houston State University, Lone Star College, and Houston Independent School District to surface learnings from how teacher-prep programs are beginning to implement changes amidst the complex Houston landscape. Read our two-part story to understand the gains and challenges, and also preview early insights from our forthcoming research report on how programs across Texas are responding to HB2 and the PREP Allotment.

Making quality accessible: how Houston teacher pathways are responding to new HB2 funding, part I | September 03, 2026 | Deans for Impact (DFI) Two-part series: Houston ed-prep programs and PK-12 partners implement HB2's PREP Allotment

"Fundamentally, in order to become wise users of AI, teachers—and, to some extent, students—need to understand the evidence from cognitive science on how learning works, and particularly the finding that there is no learning without some cognitive effort."

In her recent Substack article, education writer Natalie Wexler examines emerging efforts to provide teachers with guidance on when and how to thoughtfully use AI to support student learning. She highlights our forthcoming AI framework, being developed with TeachingWorks, which aims to anchor sound decision-making about AI use in what novice teachers need to know about how learning happens

Read Wexler's piece here:

How Should AI Be Used in Schools? Educators need some understanding of cognitive science to make good decisions.

Advocacy is a core leadership practice and often an act of courage. At the 2026 Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities (TECSCU) Fall Meeting next month, focused on the theme of Courageous Leadership, we’ll present a two-part series empowering leaders as advocates and effective communicators:

Part 1: Story of Self as an Advocate (Sunday, October 4)
We’re thrilled to help kick off the Fall Meeting with this session that takes place during the opening reception. Participants will use a "story of self" exercise to link their own leadership identity to a challenge they're facing right now, and walk away with a clearly defined advocacy problem to bring to Part 2.
Presenters: Amber Willis, VP of Program, and Stephanie Lund, Impact Academy Program Director

Part 2: Advocacy in Action (Monday, October 5)
Building on the challenge identified in Part 1, participants will use DFI’s 3C communications framework to practice and hone advocacy communications strategies they can adapt across settings, from faculty meetings to legislative rooms.
Presenter: Cece Zhou, Senior Director of Communications

Will we see you there? Register for the TECSCU Fall Meeting: https://www.uwlax.edu/ex/tecscu/

"As busy education professionals, we can become consumed by meetings, daily urgent issues, and the like, leaving little time for reflection and growth…Coaching, mentoring, and support from others has helped me make challenging propositions attainable.”

An essential part of our Impact Academy fellowship for executive leaders of programs, our coaches are alumni of the fellowship who coach and mentor fellows as they navigate a broad range of contexts.

Our 2026-27 Impact Academy coaches are Afra Ahmed Hersi (Loyola University Maryland), Amy Smith (University of St. Thomas), Beth Quick (The University of Alabama in Huntsville), Carolyn Theard-Griggs (National Louis University), Janna Scarborough (East Tennessee State University), James Meadows, Ph.D., (Washington Education Association), Laura Lackner Saylor, Ph.D., (Mount St. Joseph University), Mark McDermott, University of Iowa.

Here are a few more reflections from them on the value of coaching and mentorship in the leader role:

💡 "Coaching supports a leader in clarifying their own thinking around a specific challenge... Deans benefit from both, given the range and pace of challenges the role presents."

💪 "What motivates me most about coaching and mentorship is watching others discover strengths they don't yet fully see in themselves."

Learn more about our Impact Academy fellowship and sign up to be informed when our next application cycle opens: https://www.deansforimpact.org/programming/for-educator-preparation-leaders/impact-academy

Texas is working to build stronger, better-supported routes into the classroom so every student gets a great education, and we'd love to share this story of change at .

During the 2024–25 school year, Texas had about 40,000 uncertified teachers, a major increase from pre-pandemic numbers. House Bill 2 seeks to address this by encouraging ed-prep programs and PK-12 districts to rethink and redesign certification pathways and build more sustainable teacher workforce systems.

Our session will share concrete strategies for navigating these policy shifts, with takeaways other states and programs can learn from. Co-presenters include Minda Lopez (Texas State University), Fiza Mairaj (University of Houston), Carlos Villagrana (Houston Endowment), and our VP of Public Affairs, Patrick Steck.

Click the heart on our proposal by 8/23: https://participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw27/community-voting-edu/page/community-voting/session/1784907290744001JtkQ

We're encouraged to see the American Enterprise Institute and Research ED launch a joint effort to expand the conversation on bringing the science of learning into teaching practice. "The Practice Project" builds on a simple premise: policy can create the conditions for success, but only excellent teaching can deliver it.

AEI Senior Fellow Robert Pondiscio shared: "Education has no shortage of opinions. What it often lacks is an accessible body of professional knowledge that practitioners can rely on to hone their craft."

By making learning science more accessible through a practice-based lens, we hope this project sparks new thinking about the instructional moves and decisions that can support stronger teaching and learning, from preparation to classrooms.

Learn more about the project here: https://www.aei.org/commentary/introducing-the-practice-project/