Elizabeth Foster
Senior Vice President, Research and Strategy
Elizabeth Foster is the senior vice president of research and strategy at Learning Forward. She leads the organization’s research efforts for partnerships, programs, and fundraising. Elizabeth co-wrote the Standards for Professional Learning (2022) with Tracy Crow and now facilitates learning sessions about the standards and develops resources that support their use and implementation. She contributes to the design, facilitation, and evaluation of networks. Prior to Learning Forward, Elizabeth was the vice president of strategic initiatives at the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF) where she led a major research investigation about educator support systems that resulted in a report entitled What Matters Now (2016) and a successful three-year improvement network with Learning Forward. Her published work includes studies on teacher recruitment, preparation, and professional learning, urban teacher shortages, community college teacher preparation, professional learning communities, and the demographics of the education workforce. Elizabeth started out with an operating foundation in New York City that supported public education innovation projects, then worked in middle school special education in Boston and staffed a research project about inclusion with the Harvard RALLY project. Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her two incredible daughters, as well as other family and friends – especially on the beach.
All Articles
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How much do districts spend on professional learning?
Learning Forward has long been a leading advocate for making wise investments in high-quality professional learning, focusing on both defining quality through the Standards for Professional Learning (Learning Forward, 2025) and emphasizing the need for evidence of effectiveness. Given recent declines in federal education funding in the U.S. and the […] -
Study examines the landscape of AI in professional learning
Is it just me, or does every conversation about teaching and learning these days come back to the topic of AI? With all the options and questions, it’s important to get a sense of the landscape and practical strategies for leveraging what could potentially be a useful resource in professional […] -
Study finds benefits of team teaching
Amid many challenges in the education field, it is heartening to see the positive results of a recent study about a new way to structure teacher teams and responsibilities. The study of team-based staffing found that educator collaboration and perceived authority leads to teachers being less likely to leave the […] -
Evaluating professional learning doesn’t have to be complicated
We know evaluation data helps inform decision-makers about the time, human capital, and funding required for professional learning to be effective. Evaluation data also guides program improvement and sets leaders’ expectations for ongoing monitoring and accountability. Yet understanding and documenting how professional learning is leading to improved outcomes for educators […] -
A roundup of the latest research on curriculum-based professional learning
Almost a decade ago, Learning Forward began exploring the emerging evidence about the impact of professional learning that focuses on high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) (Hirsh & Crow, 2018). The studies we reviewed reported links between educators’ access to high-quality curriculum, educators’ instruction, and student outcomes. Since then, research and implementation […] -
To make educational decisions, look beyond one study
Researchers and informed consumers of research know that no single study is definitive. Developing a broad and multifaceted body of research is the best way to understand a topic and draw lessons for practice and policy. This allows for simultaneously seeing the big picture of a topic as well as […] -
Study examines teachers’ learning about technology integration
Technology’s ubiquitous presence in schools is not new, but rapid advancements in technology capabilities have many educators looking for advice on effective and responsible use. Technology integration is both a focus of and a method for professional learning, as articulated in the Learning Designs standard of the Standards for Professional […] -
5 tips for documenting professional learning’s impact
Learning Forward is committed to documenting the impact of professional learning, including changes in educators’ knowledge, skills, beliefs and practices, and, ultimately, changes in student outcomes. Evaluating impact helps stakeholders at many levels make decisions based on what works best, for whom, and why. It also helps professional learning leaders […] -
Curriculum-based professional learning benefits students and teachers
Corinne Zaccaria, a 6th-grade math teacher in the School District of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, knew that using a high-quality curriculum in her classroom was important. But when her school began using Illustrative Mathematics, a curriculum that is highly rated by independent reviewers, she found it daunting. “At the beginning of […] -
Research strengthens curriculum-based professional learning
Researchers and education leaders have long argued that professional learning is most effective when grounded in day-to-day instructional practices — that is, in what educators teach and how. Curriculum is a fundamental part of that equation. Studies have found that increasing the quality and rigor of curriculum and instructional materials […]
