Associate Professor Robert K. Ream

 

Current Curriculum Vitae

Bachelor’s Degree

B.A. Political Science, Westmont College

Master’s Degree

M.A. Educational Psychology, UC Santa Barbara

Doctoral Degree

Ph.D. Leadership and Policy, UC Santa Barbara

Postdoctoral Fellowships

Princeton University
RAND Corporation

Favorite Quote:

"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong." — H.L. Mencken

Area of research:

Some of the most important and equity-relevant debates in American education today fail to notice the forms of racial and social class inequality that result from the sociological conditions of learning groups. I use social capital theory and mixed-methods research techniques to call attention to the policy implications of this oversight.

Selected publications:

Ream, R., Ryan, S., Espinoza, J. (forthcoming). Reframing the ecology of 'the achievement gap': Why ‘no excuses’ reforms have failed to narrow student group differences in educational outcomes. In T. Timar & J. Maxwell-Jolly (Eds.) Connecting the Dots and Closing the Gap (Chapter 2). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

Lewis, J., Ream, R., Bocian, K., Fast, L., Cardullo, R. & Hammond, K. (accepted, in press). Con Cariño: Teacher caring, math self-efficacy and math achievement among Hispanic English learners. Teachers College Record. June, 2011,Vol. 14, No. 7.

Ream, R. & Vazquez, L. (2011). Overview of Latino children and U.S. public education. Chapter 1 (pp. 3-18) in Naidoo, Jamie, (ed.). Celebrating Cuentos: Promoting Latino Children's Literature and Literacy in Classrooms and Libraries. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited/Greenwood.

Ream, R., Espinoza, J., & Ryan, S. (2009). The opportunity/achievement gap. Pp. 657-664 In E.M.Anderman & L.H. Anderman(Eds.). Psychology of Classroom Learning: An Encyclopedia. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA.

Ream, R. & Rumberger, R. (2008). Student engagement, peer social capital, and school dropout among Mexican American and non-Latino White students. Sociology of Education. April, 2008, Vol. 81, No. 2, pp. 109-139.

Ream, R. & Palardy, G. (2008). Re-examining social class differences in the availability and the educational utility of parental social capital. American Educational Research Journal. June, 2008, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 238-273.

Ream, R. and R. Stanton-Salazar (2007). The mobility/social capital dynamic: Understanding Mexican-American families and students. Pp. 67-89 In S.J. Paik & H. Walberg (Eds.). Narrowing the Achievement Gap: Strategies for Educating Latino, Black, and Asian Students (Chapter 5). New York: Springer Publishing Company.

Ream, R. (2005). Toward understanding how social capital mediates the impact of student mobility on Mexican American achievement. Social Forces. September, 2005, Vol. 84, No. 1, pp. 201-224.

Ream, R. (2005). Uprooting Children: Mobility, Social Capital and Mexican American Achievement. LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC. New York, New York.

Ream, R. (2003). Counterfeit social capital and Mexican American underachievement. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. Fall, 2003, Vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 237-262.

Only at UCR's Graduate School of Education do you find...

...such a high concentration of talented and accessible faculty whose sophisticated research on educational inequality addresses fundamental schooling issues in applied settings.

What I like about being at the GSOE:

The school's highly competitive environment is matched by a collegiality among people that enhances the productivity of our faculty, students, and staff.

How I discovered my professional passion:

I hail from a family of Midwest educators. My father's parents were career teachers at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois. Dad and mom were also Illinois public school teachers in West Chicago and Wheaton. My first job out of college as a staff assistant to then California State Senator and Education Committee Chair, Gary K. Hart, solidified my professional interests in the field of education.

What reading do you keep on your night stand:

On Bullshit - Harry G. Frankfurt

Dreams From My Father - Barack Obama

The New Republic

Surfer

Why UCR's GSOE is a good place to carry out my commitment to translating research findings into tangible improvements in education:

We embrace Horace Mann's assertion that the wisest conversation not embodied in action, and convictions that fail to catalyze educational performance, are little better than worthless.

How my students have influenced — and inspired — me:

Students are a critical source of intellectual renewal—they are the lifeblood of the University. Their talents and experiences inform and refresh my research agenda and enliven classroom deliberations.

One of the best questions a student asked me:

On the first day of class: "Where's the professor?!"

A favorite book from childhood?

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl,

Leisure activities:

Surfing, fly fishing, world travel