Biography
Christopher Redding conducts research using survey and administrative data that focuses on the policies and educator labor market patterns that exacerbate the unequal distribution of high quality teachers and the reforms intended to reduce this problem. This research describes failures in the teacher labor market that impede the learning opportunities for underserved students and the ways in which changes in teacher education, development and leadership opportunities can lead to better teacher retention and student outcomes, particularly in underserved schools.
Areas of Expertise (3)
School Turnaround
Educational Policy
Teacher Quality
Media Appearances (4)
More G&T Classes Would Help School Diversity, Not Harm It
Yahoo! News online
2021-06-27
As with all such studies, it gives both proponents and opponents of gifted education something to support their views. Authors Christopher Redding of the University of Florida and Jason A. Grissom of Vanderbilt University write: Rigorous studies of gifted programs in single-school districts demonstrate that participation can (emphasis theirs) have positive effects on student achievement.
Even when they include them, gifted programs aren’t serving Black and low-income kids
UF News online
2021-04-21
After years of criticism for their lack of diversity, programs for high achievers may not be adequately serving their Black and low-income students, a new study shows. “The potential benefits aren't equally distributed,” said lead author and University of Florida College of Education professor Christopher Redding, Ph.D., who evaluated data from gifted programs in elementary schools nationwide. “The conversation up to this point has been about access, with less emphasis on how students perform once in gifted programs.”
Pa. is one of the best states for teachers, study says
Penn Live online
2020-09-21
“The largest challenge faced by teachers is that the work demands placed upon them are often incommensurate with the resources and support they receive,” says Christopher Redding, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Florida. “Teachers working in historically underserved schools often face especially challenging work conditions without the needed school resources or administrative support, elevating burnout and turnover among teachers in these schools.”
Teacher turnover is a problem – here’s how to fix it
The Conversation online
2018-09-11
A researcher at UF’s School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education observes that close to 16 percent of teachers change schools or leave teaching, often in the middle of the year, which causes significant learning setbacks for their students.
Articles (5)
Changing the Composition of Beginning Teachers: The Role of State Alternative Certification Policies
Educational PolicyChristopher Redding
2021-05-19
Drawing on nationally representative data from six cohorts of beginning teachers from the Schools and Staffing Survey and the National Teacher and Principal Survey, this study applies a difference-in-differences research design to examine the relationship between changes to state-level alternative certification policies and the characteristics of new teachers.
In the NIC of Time: How Sustainable Are Networked Improvement Communities?
American Journal of EducationEla Joshi, Christopher Redding, Marisa Cannata
2021-04-27
Networked improvement communities (NICs) mark a promising approach to address the challenges of sustaining school reform. Whereas NICs are intended to help scale and sustain reforms, there is little evidence on how this works, as few NICs have existed long enough to be described over time. This study uses social network theory to understand what happened after the removal of external supports for a NIC regarding the sustainability of the improvement efforts as well as the NIC itself.
Do Students in Gifted Programs Perform Better? Linking Gifted Program Participation to Achievement and Nonachievement Outcomes
Educational Evaluation and Policy AnalysisChristopher Redding and Jason A. Grissom
2021-04-26
Growing concerns about inequitable access have made public investment in gifted programs controversial in many school districts, yet advocates maintain that gifted services provide necessary enrichment for exceptional students to succeed at school.
The Relationship Between School Turnaround and Student Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis
Educational Evaluation and Policy AnalysisChristopher Redding and Tuan D. Nguyen
2020-09-09
School turnaround has emerged as a predominant strategy to improve chronically low-performing schools, although the approach remains controversial. This meta-analysis synthesizes results from 35 studies to examine the relationship between school turnaround and various student outcomes.
The Map Is Not the Territory: Considering the Role of School Improvement Plans in Turnaround Schools
Journal of Cases in Educational LeadershipChristopher Redding and Linda Searby
2020-07-03
School improvement plans (SIPs) are increasingly used to structure the process of setting and monitoring goals. As SIPs are designed to identify and address local problems of practice, there is the possibility that these tools help school leaders initiate and carry out ambitious school improvement. Yet, practical challenges abound in the development and initiation of a SIP.