To improve ranking, a focus on research for GSE

The Graduate School of Education's recent drop in U.S. News and World Report rankings will require Penn to increase its focus on research, which could potentially jeopardize partnerships with local schools.

In the past year, GSE has fallen from seventh to 11th in the U.S. News rankings.

The rankings are almost exclusively based on a school's research work, according to a U.S. News spokesman. GSE's partnerships with local schools might be affected because those relationships do not directly relate to the school's research work.

GSE Dean Andy Porter understands that work in local schools doesn't improve rankings. He explained that the past year's drop primarily came from "lost ground in external grants, which allow for important [research] work."

While Porter has plans to increase the number of grants the school receives - such as providing more support for faculty who apply for grants - he said continuing work in local schools was "a personal priority."

Penn has been hired by the Philadelphia School District to help manage Lea and Alexander Wilson, two West Philadelphia elementary schools. In addition, Penn shares control with the school district and teachers' union over the Penn Alexander School.

GSE's drop in the rankings is "not connected to our work in Philadelphia," Porter said, although he added, "I wish they were more tightly coupled."

Porter also explained that while work in local schools does not directly factor into the school's rankings, deans and superintendents are asked to contribute to the ranking process.

"If these groups knew about our work with Penn Alexander, that would help our rankings," he said.

Porter also said that if Penn were able to replicate the success that it has had with Penn Alexander, he thinks GSE's rankings would improve.

Joann Mitchell, Penn's vice president for institutional affairs, said she isn't concerned about local-school partnerships being jeopardized because Porter is "less concerned with rankings and more concerned with what GSE has to do to be in step with the Penn Compact," which calls for increased local engagement.

Glenn Bryan, assistant vice president for community relations, said local-school partnerships will not suffer from an increased attention on research because "local partnerships enhance research by providing a laboratory."

For example, GSE professor John Puckett, who teaches a course for undergrads and high-school students at West Philadelphia High School, considers his work at the high school "an empirical base for historical, philosophical and theoretical work."

Puckett said that a focus on research will not be detrimental, but that the challenge facing GSE is to do research that "engages theory and practice."

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