Brian Holzman

Informational Webinar - Ph.D. in Educational Administration, Emphasis in PK-12 Leadership & Policy at Texas A&M University. Save the Date: Tuesday, September 30 from 7:00-8:00 PM Central Time. Register by visiting bit.ly/4p2OMuw.

The Texas A&M College of Education & Human Development Ph.D. program in Educational Administration, PK-12 Leadership & Policy will host an informational webinar on Tuesday, September 30th at 7:00 PM CT.

Join us to learn more about our program! Register here: bit.ly/4p2OMuw

📢 Are you interested in studying Educational Leadership & Policy? Come join me next Tuesday evening at 7pm CT to learn about our PhD program at Texas A&M!

Register here: bit.ly/4p2OMuw

🚨 New preprint!

We examine how English learner (EL) status shapes access to college-level coursework (AP, IB, dual credit) in high school—and how this contributes to postsecondary enrollment & completion gaps.

#SocEd #HigherEd #EdPolicy #EL

Informational Webinar - Ph.D. in Educational Administration, Emphasis in PK-12 Leadership & Policy at Texas A&M University. Save the Date: Tuesday, September 30 from 7:00-8:00 PM Central Time. Register by visiting bit.ly/4p2OMuw.

The Texas A&M College of Education & Human Development Ph.D. program in Educational Administration, PK-12 Leadership & Policy will host an informational webinar on Tuesday, September 30th at 7:00 PM CT.

Join us to learn more about our program! Register here: bit.ly/4p2OMuw

Traditional college choice models often fall short in capturing the complex paths that today’s student population takes to postsecondary enrollment. This paper identifies the limitations of the predominant frameworks, such as Hossler and Gallagher’s (1987) three-phase model, arguing that they reflect an outdated enrollment-management perspective, which fails to capture the experiences of many students. We propose a new, student-centered conceptual framework rooted in higher education research that better reflects the realities of the contemporary college-going process. Our model consists of six elements: (1) expectations, (2) academic preparation and the development of “admissions capital,” (3) college knowledge, (4) information gathering and application set formation, (5) application and admission, and (6) enrollment. The framework recognizes that students’ postsecondary pathways are often indirect and shaped by a range of individual and contextual factors. Moreover, it allows for interactions among the elements and emphasizes the enduring influence of educational expectations. By re-conceptualizing the transition to college, our model offers a more nuanced lens for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to understand and support an increasingly diverse student body and address persistent inequities in college access and choice.

📢 New working paper with Daniel Klasik & Angel Jones:

"The Many Paths to College Enrollment: Re-Conceptualizing the Transition to College"

We propose a new college choice model that captures the diverse, nonlinear pathways students take to college.

edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1269

Postdoctoral Associate - Kinder Institute for Urban Research The Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC), a program of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research (KIUR) at Rice University, is seeking a full-time Postdoctoral Fellow with expertise in education...

Postdoc at the Houston Education Research Consortium at Rice University: bit.ly/45voJmA

Houston Education Research Consortium representation at ASA! #rpp #soced

Postdoctoral Scholar - Evaluation Center Position Information: We invite applications for a full-time Postdoctoral Scholar position in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky. Housed with the College’s Evaluation Center, this ...

Postdoc opening in education for the upcoming year: ukjobs.uky.edu/postings/592...

Our paper “Gaps in the College Application Gauntlet” (w Daniel Klasik & Rachel Baker) is in this #RIHE collection showcasing research using #NCES data—an invaluable resource for understanding postsec opportunity.

Articles are open access for 4 weeks: bit.ly/RIHE-NCES

🚨 New preprint!

We examine gender gaps in high school STEM pathways & whether senior-year guidance counseling was associated with greater persistence among girls—especially those from low-income backgrounds & underserved communities.

#EdPolicy #STEMEducation #SocEd

AERA is sharing this statement issued by former NCES commissioner Dr. Peggy Carr on the “devastating shutdown and decimation of a critical national institution.” Read it here: www.aera.net/Portals/38/P...

📢 ICYMI: Our new regression discontinuity analysis on social capital, low-SES students, & selective college access ⬇️

6/
📚 This study shows how social capital can impact the selective application & enrollment decisions of high-achieving, low-SES students, potentially addressing the info barriers they face in the college choice process.

Read the preprint: bit.ly/EMERGEingEdOpps

Questions or ideas? Reach out!

5/
📊 Findings (via sharp RD design):
• +17 pp → Applied to most competitive colleges
• +15 pp → Enrolled in most competitive colleges
• +58 pts → Higher median SAT of colleges attended
• No effect on students’ own SAT scores

4/
💡 The intervention:
EMERGE begins in 10th grade and provides 1:1 + small-group college coaching, summer college tours, and SAT prep vouchers.

It’s an intensive, sustained effort to support selective college access.

3/
🎯 The problem:
High-achieving, low-SES students often undermatch—attending less selective colleges than they’re qualified for. That can lower graduation odds and long-term economic outcomes.

2/
👨‍🎓We study the EMERGE Fellowship, a college access program for high-achieving, low-SES students. What happens with 2.5 years of personal assistance?

Improving college access for high-achieving students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds remains a critical challenge. While some research suggests that providing information alone can influence college access, other studies highlight the need for more comprehensive support throughout the college search and decision-making process. This study uses a sharp regression discontinuity design to examine the impact of personalized assistance on selective college enrollment, application behaviors, and SAT scores among high-achieving, low-income, and first-generation high school students in a large urban school district. Results indicate that admission to an intensive, multi-year college access program led to significant increases in applications to selective colleges, the number of applications submitted, and enrollment at selective colleges (Cohen’s d effect sizes: 0.32–0.58 SD). Further analyses reveal positive effects on enrollment in colleges with higher median SAT scores, lower admission rates, and higher graduation rates. These findings highlight the importance of sustained, personalized college advising programs in supporting low-income, first-generation students to access selective colleges and advance educational equity.

1/
🚨New paper from me in Education Finance & Policy:
"EMERGEing Educational Opportunities: The Effects of Social Capital on Selective College Outcomes"

doi.org/10.1162/edfp...

#EdPolicy #HigherEd #SocEd

Congrats to Peggy Carris who defended a great dissertation on sense of belonging in higher ed & will start a faculty position this fall! 🥳

EXTREMELY BAD NEWS for economic research, per former BLS Commissioner @ericagroshen.bsky.social on LinkedIn.

BLS is suspending access to its restricted data "for the forseeable future." Applies to projects through the Federal Statistical Research Data Centers & onsite projects with BLS.
#EconSky

Postdoctoral Research Associate Job TitlePostdoctoral Research Associate Agency Texas A&M University Department Teaching, Learning And Culture (Tlac) Proposed Minimum SalaryCommensurate Job LocationCollege Station, Texas Job Typ...

📢 POSTDOC AT TEXAS A&M

A postdoc position is open at the Education Research Center, which is evolving into a broader education policy center. The center is led by Profs. Dan Bowen & Andy Kwok.

Please share widely!

🔗Job ad: bit.ly/3ROsEoh

🌐ERC site: erc.cehd.tamu.edu (currently being updated)

Postdoctoral Research Associate Job TitlePostdoctoral Research Associate Agency Texas A&M University Department Teaching, Learning And Culture (Tlac) Proposed Minimum SalaryCommensurate Job LocationCollege Station, Texas Job Typ...

📢 POSTDOC AT TEXAS A&M

A postdoc position is open at the Education Research Center, which is evolving into a broader education policy center. The center is led by Profs. Dan Bowen & Andy Kwok.

Please share widely!

🔗Job ad: bit.ly/3ROsEoh

🌐ERC site: erc.cehd.tamu.edu (currently being updated)

AERA, in partnership with the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness, has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education over the unlawful dismantling of the Institute of Education Sciences. www.aera.net/Newsroom/AER...

BREAKING: We filed a lawsuit against Trump’s Department of Education for its unlawful dismantling of the Institute of Education Sciences.

IES is the backbone for education research in the US.

Secretary McMahon has no authority to override Congress and shut it down.

Lawsuit Challenges Trump Admin’s Dismantling of Institute of Education Sciences - Public Citizen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) and the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP)…

Incredibly important action from IHEP, @aefpweb.bsky.social and @publiccitizen.bsky.social to fight the administration's dismantling of the Institute of Education Sciences.

#EduSky

www.citizen.org/news/lawsuit...

Abe says welcome back

The US Capitol Building

In a new letter, AERA and other education research leaders call on Congress to protect the nation’s education data, research infrastructure, and knowledge base, by safeguarding the IES and broader Education Department staff, leadership, and mission. www.aera.net/Portals/38/E...

DOGE Targets Agency That Funds One-Third of Key Education Research Above all, IES’s critical data collection operations need to be preserved

"IES data remain an essential source of basic information about the operation of K–12 and pre-school programs." www.educationnext.org/doge-targets...

Federal education research and data are under attack. AERA is speaking out, alerting association members, and coordinating with the scientific community to advocate for protecting the integrity of federal research & data. www.aera.net/Research-Pol...

Thank you so much, Dominique. A lot of data users are unsure about what to do with future presentations and papers. I wonder if AERA/AEFP could develop guidance for researchers.