* EDST 0165a / EDST 065 / HUMS 0650a, Education and the Life Worth Living  Matthew Croasmun

Consideration of education and what it has to do with real life—not just any life, but a life worth living. Engagement with three visions of different traditions of imagining the good life and of imagining education: Confucianism, Christianity, and Modernism. Students will be asked to challenge the fundamental question of the good life and to put that question at the heart of their college education. Enrollment limited to first-year students.   HU
MW 9am-10:15am

EDST 1110a / AMST 1110a / SOCY 1012a, Foundations in Education Studies  Lauren Carpenter

Introduction to key issues and debates in the U.S. public education system with a focus on the nexus of education theory and research, policy and pedagogy. The course emphasizes social, scientific, economic, and political forces that shape approaches to schooling and education reform, and it includes theoretical and practical perspectives from practitioners, policymakers, and scholars.  SO  0 Course cr
TTh 11:35am-12:50pm

EDST 1116a / CPLT 1001a / DEVN 1150a / ENGL 2100a / HUMS 1150a, Purposes of College Education  Staff

College is a crucial institution in which our society works through its expectations for young people. The first half of this course explores some of the purposes that have been ascribed to college, including development of personal character, participation in a community, preparation for citizenship, and conversation with others on intellectual matters. The second half touches on the social and economic contexts of college education, including the history of the curriculum, the role of social class, the cost of higher education, and career preparation. We read Plato's Republic, a key text for the philosophy of education, in its entirety. Other readings from Aristotle, Confucius, Bhagavad-Gita, Virginia Woolf, Martin Luther King, Max Weber. Lectures are designed for interactive conversation.  Preference for first-year and sophomore students, but all students are welcome.  HU  0 Course cr
HTBA

* EDST 1125a / CHLD 1250a / PSYC 125 / PSYC 1425a, Child Development  Ann Close and Carla Horwitz

This course is first in a sequence including Theory and Practice of Early Childhood Education (CHLD1270) and Language Literacy and Play (CHLD 1280). This course provides a theoretical base in child cognitive, social, and emotional development and tools to sensitively and carefully observe infants and young children. This course assumes it is not possible to understand children without understanding families and culture, and parent-child relationships. The course overview includes major theories in the field, focusing on the complex interaction between the developing self and the environment, exploring current research, theory, and practice. Students have the opportunity to see how programs for young children use psychodynamic and interactional theories to inform curriculum development. Students do two separate weekly observations over the course of the semester (3 hours total per week). They observe in a group setting for 2 hours each week at a Yale-affiliated childcare center. Students will also arrange a weekly 1-hour observation (in person or virtually) of a child under age 6. Students must make their own arrangements for these individual observations. If it is not possible to arrange a child to observe, please do not apply to take this course. Priority given to juniors, seniors, Ed Study students.  WR, SO
W 1:30pm-3:25pm

EDST 1180a / PSYC 1700a, Clinical Psychology  Shirley Wang

The major forms of psychopathology that appear in childhood and adult life. Topics include the symptomatology of mental disorders; their etiology from psychological, biological, and sociocultural perspectives; and issues pertaining to diagnosis and treatment.  SO  0 Course cr
MW 1:05pm-2:20pm

* EDST 1223a / EDST 223 / PLSC 3249a, Learning Democracy: The Theory and Practice of Civic Education  Amir Fairdosi

This is a seminar on the theory and practice of civic education. We begin by investigating philosophies of civic education, asking such questions as: What is civic education and what is its purpose? What knowledge, skills, and values promote human flourishing and the cultivation of a democratic society? What roll can and should schools play in this cultivation? In the next part of the course we focus on civic education in practice, exploring various approaches to teaching civics and the empirical evidence in support of each method’s effectiveness. We also discuss variations in access to civic education opportunities across socioeconomic, demographic, and national contexts, and how societies might deal with these disparities.  SO
T 1:30pm-3:25pm

* EDST 1235a / AMST 2239a / WGSS 2239a, Education and the Culture Wars  Talya Zemach-Bersin

Examination of the historical development and politics of the “culture wars” with a focus on how battles over the “soul of America” have focused on the American education system. Conflict over "American values” issues like abortion, gay marriage, and religion are compounded by legal battles over federal funding and school choice. Study of interdisciplinary readings from law, politics, history, and cultural studies. EDST 1110 recommended.
T 4pm-5:55pm

EDST 1237a / LING 1179a / PSYC 3317a, Language and Mind  Maria Pinango

The structure of linguistic knowledge and how it is used during communication. The principles that guide the acquisition of this system by children learning their first language, by children learning language in unusual circumstances (heritage speakers, sign languages) and adults learning a second language, bilingual speakers. The processing of language in real-time. Psychological traits that impact language learning and language use.   SO  RP  0 Course cr
TTh 2:35pm-3:50pm

* EDST 1255a / AFAM 2359 / AMST 3309a / BLST 2359a, Education and Empire  Talya Zemach-Bersin

This course offers an introduction to the transnational history of education in relation to the historical development of the U.S. empire both at home and abroad. By bringing together topics often approached separately—immigration, education, race, colonialism, and the history of U.S. empire—we interrogate the ways that education has been mobilized to deploy power: controlling knowledge, categorizing and policing differences, administering unequal paths to citizenship/belonging, forcing assimilation, promoting socio-economic divides, and asserting discipline and control. EDST 110 recommended.  HU
W 4pm-5:55pm

* EDST 1261b, Colloquium: Readings in Education Studies  Talya Zemach-Bersin

This colloquium, required for all newly admitted Scholar Intensive Certificate students, introduces a range of topics, methods and approaches to education studies, acquainting them with the expertise of faculty teaching in the Education Studies program and their fellow students, and providing them with opportunities for leadership, reflection, and collaboration. While building a cohort community, students will read key texts in the field of education studies and prepare to undertake a capstone in Education Studies. EDST 1110 and acceptance into the Education Studies Scholar Intensive Certificate.
W 7pm-8:55pm

* EDST 1282a / PLSC 3411a, Comparative International Education  Mira Debs

Around the world, education is one of the central institutions of society, developing the next generation of citizens, workers and individuals. How do countries balance these competing priorities? In which ways do countries converge on policies, or develop novel approaches to education? Through the course, students learn the a) impact of colonialism on contemporary education systems, b) the competing tensions of the demands of citizen and worker and c) how a variety of educational policies are impacted around the world and their impact on diverse populations of students. EDST 1110 recommended.  WR, SO
T 1:30pm-3:25pm

* EDST 1350b / CHLD 3500b / PSYC 3450b, Autism and Related Disorders  Mariana Torres-Viso, Kelly Powell, and James McPartland

Weekly seminar focusing on autism and related disorders of socialization. A series of lectures on topics in etiology, diagnosis and assessment, treatment and advocacy, and social neuroscience methods; topics cover infancy through adulthood. Supervised experience in the form of placement in a school, residence, or treatment setting for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Details about admission to the course are explained at the first course meeting. Prerequisite: an introductory psychology course.  SO
HTBA

* EDST 2225a, Child Care, Society, and Public Policy  Janna Wagner and Jessica Sager

Exploration of societal decisions about where children under the age of five spend their days. Topics include where young children belong; how to regulate, pay for, and support child care arrangements; consideration of gender, race, and family finances; and the profound impact of these decisions on the well-being of children, families, and the economy. Assignments draw heavily on student insights and reflections. EDST 1110 recommended.  SO
Th 4pm-5:55pm

* EDST 2230b, American Education and the Law  William Garfinkel

Interactions between American elementary and secondary school education and the American legal system, with a focus on historical and contemporary case law. The relationship between schooling and the state; constitutional, statutory, and regulatory law governing the rights and responsibilities of educators, students, and parents; equal educational opportunity. EDST 1110 recommended.  SO
Th 1:30pm-3:25pm

* EDST 2232a / PLSC 3251a, US Federal Education Policy  Eleanor Schiff

Though education policy is typically viewed as a state and local issue, the federal government has taken a significant role in shaping policy since the end of World War II. The centralization of education policy has corresponded with changing views in society for what constitutes an equitable educational opportunity. This class is divided into three topics: 1) the federal role in education broadly (K-12) and the accountability movement in K-12: from the No Child Left Behind Act to the Common Core State Standards (and cross-national comparisons to US schools), 2) federal role in higher education, and 3) the education industry (teachers unions and think tanks). EDST 1110 recommended.  SO
T 1:30pm-3:25pm

* EDST 2238a / EDST 238 / PLSC 3233a, The Politics of Public Education  Jennifer Berkshire

Examination of the deep political divides, past and present, over public education in the United States. Fundamental questions, including who gets to determine where and how children are educated, who should pay for public education, and the role of education as a counter for poverty, remain politically contested. The course explores these conflicts from a variety of political perspectives. Students learn journalistic methods, including narrative, opinion and digital storytelling, developing the necessary skills to participate in the national conversation around education policy and politics.  WR, SO
T 9:25am-11:20am

* EDST 2245b, Designing and Evaluating Educational Interventions in the Global South  Staff

This course explores how education systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which support the learning of tens of millions of children, can be strengthened through effective, context-responsive innovations and interventions. We will examine a variety of aspects of education systems - such as teacher training, curriculum, financing, and school leadership – through the lenses of policy reform and innovation. Throughout the course, students will develop policy analysis skills by researching and designing knowledge-based innovations and interventions implemented in local and global contexts. Prerequisite: EDST 1110 recommended.  WR
M 1:30pm-3:25pm

* EDST 2270b / AMST 4447b / ER&M 3567b, Contemporary Native American K-12 and Postsecondary Educational Policy  Matthew Makomenaw

This course explores Native American educational policy issues, programming, funding, and success. Native American representation in policy conversations is often incomplete, complicated, or relegated to an asterisk resulting in a lack of resources, awareness, and visibility in educational policy. This course examines the challenges and issues related to Native education; however, the impetus of this course centers on the resiliency, strength, and imagination of Native American students and communities to redefine and achieve success in a complex and often unfamiliar educational environment. EDST 1110 recommended.  SO
W 9:25am-11:20am

* EDST 2274b, College in Prison  Zelda Roland

The history, present, and future of higher education in prison seen through the perspective of practitioners, students, alumni, faculty, theorists, and higher ed policymakers. Topics include: prison education and abolition; liberal arts in prison; the history of higher education in the U.S.; the 1994 Pell grant ban for incarcerated students and the restoration of Pell access; citizenship and education; town-gown relationships, reparations, and higher education; the idea of criminality and the idea of studenthood; and the history of the Yale student body.  EDST 1110 recommended.
W 1:30pm-3:25pm

* EDST 2285b, Educational Design: The Form and Function of Schooling and Learning  Richard Lemons and Leslie Torres-Rodriguez

This course explores the physical, chronological, structural, and curricular design of schools and classrooms that impact the educational community and the development of students. Using organizational theory and design thinking, students learn how to help schools better align to the learning needs of students. This course is especially ideal for students interested in founding their own schools or educational organizations. EDST 1110 recommended.  SO
W 7pm-8:55pm

* EDST 2290a, Leadership, Change, and Improvement in Education  Richard Lemons

Analysis of the most significant challenges faced by the United States educational system, drawing upon research from a range of academic disciplines to understand how schools and districts operate and why certain educational challenges persist, sometimes over multiple generations of students. Students will study successful educational improvement efforts to better understand the political and organizational strategies necessary to improve student experiences and outcomes at scale, as well as the leadership practices necessary to successfully implement and sustain such strategies. EDST 1110 recommended.  SO
W 7pm-8:55pm

* EDST 3127b / CHLD 1270b / PSYC 1427b, Theory and Practice of Early Childhood Education  Carla Horwitz

The course deals with development and delivery of curricula for young children ages 3-6 and the current context of educational reform and debate. Goals are to deepen insights through critical analysis of educational programs for young children in light of current research and developmental theory and to understand how culture and political context contribute to the practice of education. Regularly scheduled seminar discussions and workshops that engage students with learning materials emphasize the ongoing dynamic process of developing emergent curriculum and focus on methods of creating a responsive, inclusive environment; planning and assessment; appreciating cultural and linguistic diversity; teachers’ roles; anti-bias education; working with families; conceptualizing the professional challenges of collaborating on a teaching team within the organization of the school; standards and accountability and the role of policy and advocacy in educational change. The course will use current journals, internet sources, video and other recent media as primary sources in addition to current research and other texts. Students must arrange to do a weekly one-hour observation (in-person or virtually) of a child under age 6 and an additional 2 hour in-person classroom observation at Calvin Hill Day Care Center or another Yale-affiliated childcare center. Total observation time commitment is 3 hours per week. If you are unable to find a child to observe, please do not register for this class. Introduction to Child Development (CHLD 1250/PSYCH 1425/EDST 1125) is recommended. Permission of instructor is required. Priority given to juniors, seniors, and Ed Studies students.  WR, SO
T 1:30pm-3:25pm

* EDST 3128b / CHLD 1280b / PSYC 1428b, Language, Literacy, and Play  Ann Close and Carla Horwitz

The focus of this course will be to demonstrate the complicated role that play has in the development of language and literacy skills. A major part of each topic presentation will be a discussion of the role that play has in the curriculum in enhancing these developmental areas. There is a widespread consensus that play is an essential component of a developmentally appropriate early childhood curriculum. Research indicates that play enhances a child’s creativity, intellectual development and social emotional development. Because learning to play, learning language and learning literacy skills are all part of the process of thinking and communication, the course will provide a view which attempts to demonstrate the integration of language, literacy and play in an early childhood education curriculum. Theoretical aspects of each of these developmental areas will be examined first, and it will be that theoretical understanding which will be the basis upon which ideas about curriculum will be explored, experienced and discussed. Students must arrange to do a weekly one-hour observation (in-person or virtually) of a child under age 6 and an additional 2 hour in-person classroom observation at Calvin Hill Day Care Center or another early childhood program. Total observation time commitment is 3 hours per week. If you are unable to find a child to observe, please do not register for this class. Introduction to Child Development (CHLD 1250/PSYCH 1425EDST 1125 recommended. Permission of instructor. Enrollment priority will be given to juniors, seniors, and Ed Studies students.  WR, SO  RP
W 9:25am-11:20am

* EDST 3205b, Effective Teaching in the Secondary Classroom  Lauren Carpenter

Children across America spend roughly 12,000 hours in school from kindergarten through grade 12. How those instructional hours are spent dramatically impacts students’ academic and personal well-being. Many studies have demonstrated that teacher quality matters to students’ long-term outcomes including graduation and job placement. In this course, we delve into the essential principles of being an effective teacher, focusing specifically on the U.S. secondary classroom. Building community, designing culturally sustaining curriculum, teaching inclusively, and assessing students authentically are a handful of the principles we explore together through articles about teacher practice, video examples of classroom practice, and students' opportunity to enact some of these practices during class. Each student is paired with a current public school teacher in New Haven to engage in a case study of effective teaching throughout the seminar. By the end of this course, students learn some core principles of effective teaching, gain an understanding of the complexities of enacting effective teaching practices given educational inequities, conduct a case study about effective teaching, and practice some aspects of secondary teaching.  EDST 1110 recommended.  SO
W 4pm-5:55pm

* EDST 3221b, Assessment and Evaluation in Education  Staff

This course offers an in-depth investigation into the pivotal role of assessment in shaping educational pedagogy, informing policy decisions, and advancing research. Designed to cultivate robust assessment literacy, the course enables students to critically engage with diverse assessment theories and practices. Students explore how assessment drives instructional design, supports equitable learning outcomes, and influences systemic educational reforms. Through a blend of theoretical inquiry, applied practice, and case-based analysis, students develop the skills to design, implement, and evaluate assessments that are both methodologically sound and socially responsive. EDST 1110 Recommended  SO
M 9:25am-11:20am

* EDST 3350a, Alternative Approaches to Pedagogy  Mira Debs

Alternative approaches to teaching and learning extend from preschool to university. These alternative approaches include student-centered learning through extended projects emphasizing student autonomy and choice, hands-on materials, and learning outdoors. Through readings and school observations in sites around New Haven, the course examines Freire’s critical pedagogy, Indigenous approaches to education both past and present, Dewey & Progressive Education, Montessori, place-based learning and forest schooling, home schooling, and alternative approaches to university pedagogy. Prerequisite: EDST 1110 recommended.  WR, SO
Th 9:25am-11:20am

* EDST 3361a / TDPS 3036a, Production Seminar: Theater in Education  Nathan Roberts and Deborah Margolin

Centering on the creation of a new production of a play for young audiences, this studio course will explore foundational Theatre in Education (TIE) theories and methods to bring performance and enrichment materials to New Haven area school children. Open to all majors, with opportunities for students to engage as performers (actors, acrobats, musicians) and designers, and to explore dramaturgy and production logistics through a small-scale educational tour, in conversation with regional leaders in the field.  HU
MW 1:30pm-3:25pm

* EDST 4400b, Senior Capstone I  Talya Zemach-Bersin

The first course in the yearlong sequence, followed by EDST 4410/EDST 4490 preparing students for a thesis-equivalent capstone project and overview of education studies methodologies and practical research design.  Enrollment is limited to Education Studies Scholar Intensive students in their senior year (fall 2025) and spring of their junior year (spring 2026 onwards).
T 9:25am-11:20am

* EDST 4410a, Senior Capstone II  Talya Zemach-Bersin

The second course in the yearlong Education Studies Scholars capstone sequence where students conduct a rigorous project on a topic of their choice in education theory and research, policy, and/or pedagogy.  Enrollment is limited to Education Studies Scholar Intensive students in their senior year.
T 9:25am-11:20am

* EDST 4471b, Independent Study  Lauren Carpenter

Readings in educational topics, history, policy, or methodology; weekly tutorial and a substantial term essay.
HTBA

* EDST 4490b, Senior Essay Independent Study  Talya Zemach-Bersin

Independent research under faculty direction resulting in a final capstone paper. This course is open to Scholar Intensive Certificate students in the second semester of their capstone, in lieu of taking EDST 4410. To register for this course, students must submit a written plan of study approved by their faculty advisers to the instructor no later than the end of registration period in the term in which the course is to be taken. Students will continue to meet regularly with their advisers and follow the assignment sequence established in EDST 4410.
HTBA