Scholar on the education ‘achievement gap’ to speak on campus

Dr. David Lee Keiser, a nationally recognized expert on achievement disparities in K-12 education, will be part of two public events at the University of South Carolina Wednesday and Thursday, April 16 – 17.

On Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in the School of Law auditorium, Keiser, director of the Office of the Agenda for Education in a Democracy at Montclair State University in New Jersey, will open a symposium, titled “Overcoming the Achievement Gap: Improving Educational Opportunities for South Carolina Children.” That will be followed immediately by a panel discussion featuring Dr. Jim Rex, state superintendent of education, and others on the theme of educational equality and improvement.

On Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in the Museum of Education, Wardlaw Building room 124, Keiser will discuss his work and research on teacher-education issues related to cultural diversity, democracy and social justice. This informal, open-ended discussion will conclude with a reception, with Keiser signing copies of his book, “Teacher Education for Democracy and Social Justice.”

“Dr. Keiser looks at the achievement gap not only as a political and economic issue but as an ethical one, especially in schools from stressed communities that have a lot of children below the poverty line,” said Dr. Jane Zenger, research associate in the College of Education and director of the SC Teacher Quality Diverse Pathways Project, which is sponsoring Keiser’s appearance. “We have a history of this in South Carolina, and the documentary, ‘Corridor of Shame,’ did much to shed light on our state’s problems, but Dr. Keiser has been studying the achievement gap in other parts of the country, and he will talk about how other states are attacking it.”

Joining Rex in the Wednesday panel discussion will be Dr. Les Sternberg, dean of the university’s College of Education; J.T. McLawhorn, president of the Columbia Urban League; Dr. Gloria Boutte, professor of education; Walter Tobin, vice president of Orangeburg/Calhoun Technical College; and Saudah Collins, a teacher at Forest Heights Elementary School in north Columbia and recipient of the President’s Award for Elementary Science Teaching.

Keiser, a special education and English teacher, earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Michigan and San Francisco State University, respectively, and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

In 2000, he joined the faculty of Montclair State University in New Jersey and became a key liaison and researcher working with faculty and student-teacher interns in school settings and in the Center of Pedagogy.

In 2002, Keiser developed a research relationship with the University of South Carolina’s Professional Development School Network. He helped the university develop a process of conducting observation “rounds” in high-needs schools and worked with Dreher High School in the development of the ninth-grade academy enrichment program.