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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A window into teaching
In March 2019, Learning Forward’s Stephanie Hirsh interviewed Robert Pianta, who developed the evidence-based MyTeachingPartner 1:1 Video Coaching program (MTP). MTP is one of the few coaching models that meets the evidence requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), based on studies of its effectiveness and efficacy. Rigorous research […] -
We're working to close the gap between research and practice
The importance of making educational decisions based on evidence has never been clearer. Recognizing this, policymakers have emphasized evidence and reporting requirements in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and we are heartened to see more educators and nonprofit leaders using research and evidence to inform decisions about instructional and […] -
Writing instruction study benefits from teachers' insights
The debate about how to measure and quantify the impact of professional learning on teachers and students is often peppered with statements about how we don’t know what works. In fact, many studies that examine a specific strategy or program, often as a component of a larger professional learning system, […] -
Study examines teachers' perceptions of student achievement data
Conversations about effective professional learning communities often point to a focus on data as a way to get specific about differentiated instruction and maintain a focus on student progress. Policymakers recently have paid quite a bit of attention to the potential of data-driven decision-making to learn more about and potentially […] -
How assessment supports English learners
In 2015, nearly 5 million public school students were identified as English learners, according to the National Center for Education Statistics report, Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups 2018 (de Brey et al., 2019). To serve these students well, educators need professional learning on a […] -
Documenting your Professional Learning Story: Showing the Impact of Professional Learning
Elizabeth Foster and Melinda George of Learning Forward, Jon Bernstein of Bernstein Strategy Group, Sue Renehan of Learning Forward New England, Barbara Patterson Oden of Learning Forward Virginia, and Judy Newhouse of Learning Forward Virginia describe their experiences and learnings from their advocacy visit to Washington, D.C. -
Network uses improvement science to scale up change
If you were given the opportunity to design a new way to drive positive change in public education policy and practice at scale, what would you do? How would you seek new solutions that bridge the gaps between research and practice? If you’re like many education stakeholders, you might grapple […] -
How to apply professional learning research to your work
The first research column of 2019, at the beginning of this magazine’s 40th year, is a good time to pause and take stock of the state of research on professional learning. Research has always been important to our field, but we have a new opportunity to elevate its importance, thanks […] -
Engaging in science research changes teachers' beliefs and practice
Meaningful and relevant learning is just as critical for adults as it is for students. This is a central tenet of Learning Forward’s work and undergirds the Standards for Professional Learning. This is especially important when standards for student learning change and there is a gap between how teachers have […]