Director, Institute for Urban Education, and Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation/Missouri Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurial Education
Director of Teacher Education & Curriculum Studies
Jennifer Waddell currently serves as the Director of the Institute for Urban Education (IUE) and Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation/Missouri Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurial Education at the University of Missouri Kansas City. In this role she works collaboratively with Kansas City urban districts and the community to prepare educators who are committed to social justice and educational equity. Dr. Waddell also serves as the co-chair of the division of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies in the School of Education. She is an Associate Professor in elementary education. Dr. Waddell has received a number of grants related to the IUE and preparing teachers for urban schools, including being the Principal Investigator and primary author on an $8.36 Million Teacher Quality Partnership Grant from the US Department of Education (Project CAUSE) and a $356,000 grant from the WK Kellogg Foundations (Project ACCESS) which enhanced community partnerships for the IUE and elementary education programs. Dr. Waddell teaches courses in diversity, working with communities and families, curriculum design, effective instruction and teacher leadership. Nationally, Dr. Waddell has presented her work around teacher preparation and educational equity in a variety of forums, including a session at the US Department of Education on preparing culturally competent teachers and professional presentations at conferences such as AERA and AACTE.
Urban teacher preparation; Social justice education; Diversity and educational equity
Ph.D., Interdisciplinary: Urban Leadership and Policy Studies in Education and Education, University of Missouri–Kansas City
Waddell, J. & Marszalek, J. (2018). Haberman star teacher interview as a predictor of success in urban teacher preparation. Education Policy Analysis Archives, special issue, 26(35).
Friend, J.I., Waddell, J.H., Poos, B., Caruthers, L., & DeGraff, T. (2017). A narrative tale: Arts-integrated inquiry for mentoring teachers for social justice.” National Forum of Educational Administration & Supervision Journal, 35(1,2,3), 10-45.
Waddell, J. & Vartuli, S. (2015). Moving from traditional teacher education to a field-based urban teacher education program: One program’s story of reform. The Professional Educator.
Degraff, T., Schmidt, C., & Waddell, J. (2015). Field-based teacher education in literacy: Preparing teachers in real classroom contexts. Teaching Education, 26(3). doi: 10.1080/10476210.2015.1034677
Waddell, J (2015). Recruiting, supporting and preparing teachers for urban schools: The Institute for Urban Education. Success in High Need Schools Journal, 11(2).
Waddell, J. (2014). Supporting students of color in teacher education: Results from an urban teacher education program. Journal of College Student Retention, 16(2).
Waddell, J. (2013). Working with families in urban teacher education: A critical need for all students. The Teacher Educator, 48(4).
Waddell, J.H. (2013). Communities as critical partners in teacher education: The impact of community immersion on teacher candidates’ understanding of self and teaching in urban schools. Current Issues in Education, 16(2), 15. Retrieved from http://cie.asu.edu/ojs/index.php/cieatasu/article/view/1198/505
Waddell, J. & Ukpokodu, O.N (2012). Breaking new grounds in recruiting and preparing diverse urban educators. Multicultural Education, 20(1), 15-22.
Waddell, J. (2011). Crossing borders without leaving town: the Impact of cultural immersion on the perceptions of teacher education candidates. Issues in Teacher Education, 20(2), 23-36.
Waddell, J. (2010). Fostering relationships to increase teacher retention in urban schools. Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 4(1), 70-85.
Waddell, J., Edwards, L., & Underwood, E. (2009). Defining the model for urban teacher preparation. Metropolitan Universities Journal, 19(4), 50-55.
Waddell, J. (2008). A call for civic action: Teacher education on the edge of reform. Teacher Education and Practice, 21(4), 407-422.
Ukpokodu, O., Schlein, C., & Waddell, J. (Co-PIs). An Exploration of Exemplar Urban Teachers. UMKC School of Education Dean’s Small Grant. Amount Awarded: $19,925. Period of Award: 2014-2015.
Waddell, J. Project IUE CAUSE (Change Agents for Urban School Excellence). United States Department of Education, Teacher Quality Partnership Grant. Amount Awarded: $8,359,602. Period of Award: 2009–2014, extension 2014-2015.
Waddell, J. Project IUE CAUSE (Change Agents for Urban School Excellence). United States Department of Education, Teacher Quality Partnership Grant. (2009–2011).
Waddell, J., Barger, R., Shealey, S., Vartuli, S. (Co-PIs). Project IUE CAUSE (Change Agents for Urban School Excellence). United States Department of Education, Teacher Quality Partnership Grant. (2011–2013).
Waddell, J. & Barger, R. (Co-PI). Project IUE CAUSE (Change Agents for Urban School Excellence). United States Department of Education, Teacher Quality Partnership Grant. (2013–2014, 2014-2015).
Waddell, J. Project ACCESS (Accessing Community Collaborations for Student Success). The WK Kellogg Foundation. Amount Awarded: $356,450. Period of Award: 2009–2011.
