Absenteeism Research

Millions of US schoolchildren are chronically absent each year, meaning they are missing 10% or more of their school day. Part of my research agenda focuses on better understanding the mechanisms at play when it comes to absence behaviors, particularly for populations that are more vulnerable, such as students in special education. Currently, with my advisor and other colleagues, we have several studies in progress looking at differences in attendance for students with disabilities, and how school transportation may be linked to absence behaviors. I was fortunate to present some of this initial research at the 2019 School Transportation News Expo in Reno, connecting people in the school transportation field with current research.

School Health Research

The relationship between schools and healthcare is over 100 years old in the U.S., starting with the first school nurse, Lina Rogers. My research aims to explore how access to school health services is changing for students, particularly through school-based health centers (SBHCs). I have co-authored a chapter on the SBHC model and its potential for impacting student outcomes, and I am currently working on research looking at how SBHCs in California compare to the existing healthcare infrastructure. 

Published Work in This Area:
Graves, J., Weisburd, S., & Salem, C. (2018) The Ills of Absenteeism: Can School-Based Health Centers Provide the Cure? In M.A. Gottfried & E.L. Hutt (Eds.) Absent From School. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Publishing Group 

Teacher Education

Preparing teachers for the classroom is critical to giving students the best education possible. I have been fortunate to work as a GSR with the California Teacher Education Research and Improvement Network (CTERIN), a UC system-wide effort to promote research into teacher education and identify and implement the best teacher education practices possible across California. I am fortunate to be part of a developing research agenda in this important field.