A growing body of research shows that students benefit when they demographically match their teachers. However, little is known about how matching affects social-emotional development. Professor Christopher Cleveland and his co-authors use student-fixed effects to exploit changes over time in the proportion of teachers within a school grade who demographically match a student to estimate the effect on social-emotional measures, test scores, and behavioral outcomes

Conor sees teaching as an act of love and hope, drawing inspiration from thinkers like bell hooks and the concept of "freedom-dreaming for the future." He was drawn to Brown's one-year Master of Arts in Teaching program for its small cohort model and commitment to culturally responsive pedagogy, which he is currently applying in practice while student teaching at Blackstone Academy Charter School.

Phoebe brings a passion for community and the role of administration in advancing educational change.

Lizzy graduated from the UEP program in 2025 and is currently an Education Specialist at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

According to Brown University professor Matthew Kraft, high-impact tutoring is “among the most effective education interventions ever to be subjected to rigorous evaluation.” When the basic tenets of high-impact tutoring are followed—same tutor with the same student; student-to-tutor ratio of no more than 4:1; at least 90 minutes of tutoring per week—gains in student achievement reliably follow.

Urban Education Policy student Natalie Villacres is focused on gaining the policy and data skills necessary to advocate for systemic change, especially for multilingual learners and students from historically marginalized communities. She is currently applying this commitment by designing English Learner Education compliance systems for Boston Public Schools and plans to pursue a law degree after graduation.

Providence engagement inspires fundraising and community impact.

The Rhode Island Department of Education recently released its "Blueprint & Strategic Plan for Differently-Abled Students’ Success." Professor Christopher Cleveland spoke with The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. about some of his 'kudos' and 'questions' regarding the plan.

Celebrating Professor Emeritus Wong's career of scholarship, visionary leadership, and dedication to equity in urban education.

This fall, Providence’s Classical High School began offering its entrance exam in Spanish for the first time in the public school’s 182-year history. Professors Tricia Kelly and Christopher Cleveland provided commentary.

Providence-area teachers gathered on campus to strengthen teaching practices while MAT students gained independent classroom experience.

Justin is a current senior in Brown's Combined Baccalaureate/Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. After completing his undergraduate degree in 2026, he will enroll in the MAT program as a member of the social studies cohort.

“One of the central concerns with gifted education, in particular with the younger ages, are considerations for which students are going to be able to be identified as gifted. This is a clear concern when the system has an opt-in policy, where it might require families to sign up for some like outside assessment to be identified as gifted, and not all families might have the resources or the knowledge to do that,” said Christopher Cleveland, assistant professor of education and education policy at Brown University.

Nora graduated from the MAT program in 2015 and is currently a high school English teacher.

The DUG is a peer resource for Brown students interested in education.

DaQuan is an Urban Education Policy student who was drawn to Brown's program because of its focus on real-world application. His passion for achieving systemic change in education was solidified by his prior work with a nonprofit dedicated to improving literacy in underserved communities and a public-private collaborative focused on expanding access to quality afterschool and summer programming.

Anna is an MAT candidate specializing in chemistry education. Her path to teaching was inspired by her undergraduate studies and work in the Providence school system, where she discovered a deep joy for teaching.

Get to know the students representing our MAT, UEP, and Bacc/MAT programs.

Brown University partnership strengthens connections between teacher preparation and classroom practice.

In her seven years at East Providence High School, MAT mentor teacher Faith Jean has taught a variety of history and human rights courses, and she now guides aspiring educators with a "growth mindset" as they find their confidence and teaching style in the classroom.

Skye graduated from the MAT program in 2023 and is currently a middle school ELA teacher.

Brown University partnership helps restore community-led decision-making.