Dr. Jessica Gale

Dr. Jessica Gale joined CEISMC’s evaluation team in March, 2011. Jessica graduated summa cum laude from Pomona College in 2004 with a B.A. in Psychology and earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Educational Studies from Emory University in 2012. Jessica’s doctoral studies were supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (2008 – 2011). Her dissertation research explored the implications of comprehensive school reform for science education in urban elementary schools. As a member of CEISMC’s Research and Evaluation Group, Dr. Gale’s recent work explores the development, implementation, and effectiveness of innovative STEM and STEAM curricula and programs. Dr. Gale’s research spans and often connects diverse subjects within K-12 education including: project-based learning, STEM integration, engineering education, self-efficacy, and college and career readiness.  Dr. Gale has led evaluation research efforts for four Innovation Grants awarded to Charles R. Drew Charter School and for the school’s grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In addition to her evaluation research, Dr. Gale conducts classroom-based research for CEISMC’s major NSF-funded research projects (SLIDER, AMP-IT-UP, and CAPACiTY) and she is the Co-Principal Investigator for the NSF-funded Noyce Teacher Networks and Self-Efficacy Study, a research project exploring the interconnections among support networks, self-efficacy, and retention among a national sample of early career teachers. Prior to her research career, Dr. Gale worked with some of our nation’s most promising future scientists, engineers, and mathematicians as a 1st grade teacher in the Atlanta Public Schools.