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 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 […] -
Social and Emotional Learning: How to Implement What We Know from the Research
Elizabeth Foster of Learning Forward and Stephanie Jones from the Harvard Graduate School of Education explore what is meant by social and emotional learning, what the research says about effective components of SEL programs and interventions, how SEL is implemented in classrooms and out-of-school time programs, and the implications for […] -
Study spotlights effectiveness of social and professional networks
Professional learning approaches and programs do not drop from the sky fully formed. Yet often those who are expected to engage in them — teachers and other staff — have little information about how these approaches developed and the type of expertise that shaped them. What goes into creating them? […] -
The impact of coaching on teacher practice and student achievement
Educators who have experienced coaching — either as the coach or the coached — often speak to its positive impact on their development and growth and frequently to positive impacts on student learning. Coaching is a key job-embedded professional learning strategy that is grounded in day-to-day teaching practice, addresses immediate […] -
How social and emotional learning fits in the classroom
Educators seeking new information to improve teaching strategies and connections with students know that it can be a challenge to integrate new ideas into existing routines and day-to-day practices. While social and emotional learning may seem like a new development to be studied and adopted, it isn't about adding one […]