Megan Hopkins

Megan Hopkins is a Professor in the Department of Education Studies at the University of California, San Diego, and Chair of the department. Her work focuses on policy and leadership in multilingual learner education, particularly in K-12 systems. She holds a Ph.D. in Urban Schooling from UCLA, an M.Ed. from Harvard, and a B.A. in Spanish from Indiana University.

Research interests include state education policy design, equitable access for multilingual learners, and teacher preparation. She co-leads a research-practice partnership with the Council of Chief State School Officers to enhance state agency capacity. Her work spans over 50 peer-reviewed articles and policy briefs, addressing topics like bilingual education expansion, ESSA implementation, and newcomer student integration.

Key grants include a $993,000 IES grant studying Massachusetts’ bilingual program expansion and a William T. Grant Foundation grant examining multilingual learner equity through research-practice partnerships. Awards include nominations for the Early Career Award in Educational Policy and recognition as a Teaching Scholar at UIUC.

Dr. Hopkins advises state education leaders and has collaborated with organizations like WestEd and the National Academies of Science. Her efforts bridge research and practice to address systemic inequities in multilingual education.