Deans for Impact

We’re excited to welcome Stephanie Lund to DFI as our new Impact Academy Program Director!

Lund brings deep experience partnering with programs, school districts, and state agencies to strengthen teacher preparation through leadership coaching, strategic technical assistance, and systems-level improvement. In her role at DFI, she will lead the design and delivery of leadership development experiences, including our flagship Impact Academy fellowship, for executive leaders in educator preparation and adjacent fields who are championing lasting change across the country.

Learn more about our newest teammate: https://www.deansforimpact.org/about/our-people/stephanie-lund

“The science of learning is not another fad or passing enthusiasm destined to be replaced by the next education trend. The central insights remain as relevant and enduring today as they were when Deans for Impact first published the report in 2015.”

In his recent article on Fordham’s blog, Robert Pondiscio, Senior Fellow at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, reflects on how attitudes toward the science of learning in U.S. education have shifted over the past decade.

Ten years ago, these principles were considered niche. Today, they’ve gained far wider acceptance. But Pondiscio is clear that the work isn't finished. The challenge now isn't changing minds; it's changing institutions by embedding these principles deeply enough in teacher preparation that they become standard practice, not the exception.

Read Pondiscio’s piece here: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/science-learning-less-controversial-it-used-be

And let us know in the comments—how have you seen attitudes around the science of learning shift at your institution?

The “science of learning” is less controversial than it used to be More than a decade ago, I reviewed the The Science of Learning, a slim report published by the then-new advocacy group Deans for Impact. At the time, it felt like an intervention, nearly an epiphany.