University of California, Irvine School of Education

The University of California, Irvine School of Education, also known as UCI School of Education, is a school located at the Irvine campus of the University of California. It prepares students through its Bachelor of Arts in Educational Sciences, Master of Arts in Teaching + Credential, and Ph.D. in Education. It is also a highly active education sciences and research institution with a faculty that advances educational opportunities across early childhood to higher education and beyond, both in and out of the classroom. The UCI School of Education leads research efforts and collaborates with community partners and education stakeholders on the ground to advance educational opportunities in and out of the classroom.

The UCI School of Education's mission is "to improve access to high-quality educational opportunities for all individuals in our university, community and beyond. We are dedicated to producing responsive and innovative cutting-edge research, program design and a next generation of educators that will contribute to a transformational shift in education. We are committed to ensuring that all students are empowered and prepared to lead successful and productive lives and careers in a democratic society."[3]

Meanwhile, the UCI School of Education's vision is "to build on our recognition as a leading school of education in the region, state and nation through a steadfast commitment to educational equity, innovation, policy, transformation and partnership. Through authentic engagement across the P-20+ continuum we strive to impact early learning arenas and inform public policy solutions through higher education and beyond.  The UCI School of Education will continue to leverage its strengths and expertise to address and advance solutions to key challenges and racial inequities facing education."[3]

The UCI School of Education was first established as the UCI Office of Teacher Education in 1967[4][5] to focus on training teachers and administrators. In 1991, the Office of Teacher Education grew to become the UCI Department of Education[6] with an emphasis on research and graduate studies in education. The first doctorate in education was created in 1994 and the masters of arts in teaching program was established in 2001. The University of California, Irvine School of Education was established as an independent school at UCI by the Regents of the University of California on July 18, 2012.[7][4][8] The school initiated, in 2014, its bachelor of arts in education sciences, which is the first of its kind in the nation.[9]

In 2018, the School of Education saw significant growth in its centers and initiatives. That year, the Center for Educational Partnerships (CFEP) was integrated into the school. The School of Education also established the Teacher Academy, which provides the educator community with professional development and support opportunities, and the Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN), which is a network of research-practice collaborations between the School of Education across K-12.

In January 2022, Frances Contreras began her tenure as dean of the School.[10] She is proceeded by Richard Arum[11] and founding School of Education dean Deborah Lowe Vandell.[12]

The School's faculty consists of internationally recognized interdisciplinary researchers, leaders and educators — including psychologists, sociologists, economists, and linguists.[13] Their research focuses vary from prekindergarten to post-college, and learning in and out of school. Some expertise include learning technologies, research-practice partnerships, STEM, childhood development, reading and writing, diversity, access, academic motivation, achievement gap and more.[14]

The senate faculty includes four members of the National Academy of Education,[15] one member of the National Academy of Sciences,[16] and one fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.[17]

The School offers graduate, credential, and undergraduate programs.[6] The school offers a Ph.D. in Education for students looking to pursue research that studies human development across the entire lifespan.[18][19] The school also offers a Master of Arts in Teaching with teaching credentials, that prepares teacher candidates to teach multiple subjects at all elementary grade levels or one of six subject areas at the middle or high school level.[20][21] The school has a Bachelor of Arts program in Education Sciences that explores the field of education in schools, communities and society through an interdisciplinary lens.[22]

In 2022, the U.S. News & World Report ranked the UCI School of Education 10th among graduate schools of education and fourth among public schools of education.[23] The National Council on Teacher Quality/U.S. News & World Report ranked the School of Education's Cal Teach Math & Science Teacher Education Program as number one in California, number one in the Western Region, and number eight in the nation for quality of teacher preparation.[24] Relative to other Schools of Education, the School ranks in the top 1% in the number of faculty members with grants, the top 1% in number of faculty articles published in peer reviewed journals and the top 1% in number of faculty articles cited.[25]