معرفی
Rachel B. Baker is an Associate Professor in the Policy, Organizations, Leadership, and Systems Division at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. Her research focuses on enhancing access and success in higher education for underserved groups, particularly in community colleges. She leads a National Science Foundation-funded study on cross-enrollment programs and collaborates on projects measuring curricular complexity and online education effectiveness.
- Key Affiliations: Wheelhouse Center for Community College Leadership, Editorial Boards of Research in Higher Education and Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness
- Funding Sources: NSF, Institute of Education Sciences, Spencer Foundation, College Futures Foundation
Her work addresses three core themes: policy impacts on student decisions, enrollment equity across race/socio-economic status, and interventions to improve self-regulatory skills via online data. Recent studies include analyzing cross-enrollment effects on transfer success and instructor professional development in online settings.
- Awards: 2019 NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2016 IES Outstanding Fellow, Jack Kent Cooke Dissertation Fellowship
- Grants: NSF 5-year cross-enrollment study, IES training programs, Spencer Foundation initiatives
Baker’s team develops metrics for curricular complexity and explores how course requirements influence student outcomes. She advocates replacing the 'pipeline' metaphor with 'pathway' to emphasize inclusive educational trajectories.
