School's In

By Stanford Graduate School of EducationEducation

School's In episodes

March 19Cultivating lifelong learners: The power of mindset
Growth mindset is everywhere, but does it really work? Can we turn buzzwords into lasting change in education?
On this episode of School’s In, Dan and Denise sit down with Stanford Professor Eric Bettinger to explore the research and real-world applications of growth mindset. They dive into what a growth mindset is, what kinds of interventions work, and how those lessons can help students succeed. Bettinger shares evidence from a large-scale study in Norway that reveals surprising long-term benefits for students exposed to growth mindset concepts. He covers several topics, including:
(03:47) Inside the growth mindset study
(08:53) Long-term impact: Tracking students over time
(13:11) The support system behind lasting change
(17:25) AI, the easy button, and growth mindset
(20:04) Measuring growth beyond the classroom
(25:50) Takeaways for parents and teachers

Eric Bettinger is the Conley DeAngelis Family Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. His research focuses on improving educational outcomes for students, particularly through the lens of economics, decision-making, and policy design. He has conducted extensive research on college success, financial aid, and interventions like growth mindset. Learn more about his work on his faculty profile.
School’s In is your go-to podcast for cutting-edge insights and fresh perspectives on the future of learning. Hosted by Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) Dean Dan Schwartz and Senior Lecturer Denise Pope, each episode dives into the latest research, innovations, and real-world challenges shaping education today.
Stanford GSE is at the forefront of education research and teacher preparation, dedicated to advancing equitable, accessible, and impactful learning experiences for all.
Stay connected with the latest insights—subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads.
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30 min
March 05Kindergarten readiness: Bridging the gap
What would it look like if pediatricians and early childhood educators worked hand in hand to prepare every child for kindergarten?
On this episode of School’s In, Dr. Lisa Chamberlain joins the hosts to explore how health and education systems can work together to support young children and their families. Drawing from her work as both a pediatrician and researcher, Dr. Chamberlain examines what kindergarten readiness means and how pediatric care can play a critical role in early learning and development. They cover several topics, including:
(02:59) The role of pediatricians: Beyond check-ups
(06:24) What does kindergarten readiness look like?
(11:00) Creating a learning environment: Innovations in clinics
(18:50) Funding and sharing data across systems
(24:17) A family-centered approach: Advice for parents and providers

Lisa Chamberlain is a professor of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine and a practicing pediatrician. Her work focuses on early childhood development, health equity, and improving policies and systems of care for children and families. Through research and practice, she explores how healthcare settings can better support learning, development, and family well-being during the critical early years of life. Learn more about her work on her faculty profile.
School’s In is your go-to podcast for cutting-edge insights and fresh perspectives on the future of learning. Hosted by Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) Dean Dan Schwartz and Senior Lecturer Denise Pope, each episode dives into the latest research, innovations, and real-world challenges shaping education today.
Stanford GSE is at the forefront of education research and teacher preparation, dedicated to advancing equitable, accessible, and impactful learning experiences for all.
Stay connected with the latest insights—subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads.
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Got 5 minutes? Take our quick listener survey and help us make School's In even better: podpolls.com/school
29 min
February 19Concussions and kids: What to know and when to act
What do you really know about concussions? Can education increase self-reporting and help prevent long-term damage from brain injuries?
On this episode of School’s In, Dan and Denise are joined by Piya Sorcar, Adjunct Professor, Stanford School of Medicine and founder and CEO of TeachAids and Dr. Daniel Daneshvar, associate professor at Harvard Medical School and a concussion researcher. Together, they discuss concussion symptoms and treatment protocols, how to reach young people in ways that make them most receptive to learning about challenging health topics, and strategies for building partnerships and scaling public health initiatives about brain health for young athletes, parents, and educators. They cover several topics, including:
(04:25) What is a concussion? Understanding an invisible injury
(08:02) Creating CrashCourse: Education that engages and motivates
(12:04) The near-peer effect: Why kids trust other kids
(17:01) Proving it works: The science behind behavior change
(20:13) Scaling the impact
(23:46) Expert takeaways for parents and coaches

Piya Sorcar is an Adjunct Professor, Stanford School of Medicine and the founder and CEO of TeachAids, a nonprofit that creates research-based learning experiences to improve health outcomes. Daniel Daneshvar is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School whose research focuses on the long-term effects of traumatic brain injury and how to improve outcomes through education and intervention. CrashCourse, created by Sorcar's TeachAids with medical advisors including Daniel Daneshvar, delivers interactive concussion education for athletes, coaches, and parents.
School’s In is your go-to podcast for cutting-edge insights and fresh perspectives on the future of learning. Hosted by Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) Dean Dan Schwartz and Senior Lecturer Denise Pope, each episode dives into the latest research, innovations, and real-world challenges shaping education today.
Stanford GSE is at the forefront of education research and teacher preparation, dedicated to advancing equitable, accessible, and impactful learning experiences for all.
Stay connected with the latest insights—subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads.
Mentioned in this episode:
Got 5 minutes? Take our quick listener survey and help us make School's In even better: podpolls.com/school
28 min
February 05Intellectual disabilities and college: Envisioning bright futures
What does truly inclusive education look like for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)?
On this episode of School’s In, Stanford Professor Chris Lemons joins us to explore the idea of “presumed competence” and how educators, schools, and school systems can better serve students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). From outdated assumptions to promising classroom practices, Lemons breaks down what inclusion can, and should, look like. He covers several topics, including:
(02:29) Understanding intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)
(04:05) Reading instruction approaches and interventions
(08:48) Beyond high school: Pathways to college
(18:01) Success stories: Employment and job training
(21:59) The role of AI in special education

Chris Lemons is a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Education whose research focuses on improving academic outcomes for children with intellectual, developmental, and learning disabilities. He is known for developing and evaluating reading interventions for students with down syndrome and other IDD. Before entering academia, Lemons taught in a range of special education settings, from preschool autism programs to middle school life-skills classrooms. Learn more about his work on his faculty profile.
School’s In is your go-to podcast for cutting-edge insights and fresh perspectives on the future of learning. Hosted by Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) Dean Dan Schwartz and Senior Lecturer Denise Pope, each episode dives into the latest research, innovations, and real-world challenges shaping education today.
Stanford GSE is at the forefront of education research and teacher preparation, dedicated to advancing equitable, accessible, and impactful learning experiences for all.
Stay connected with the latest insights—subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads.
Mentioned in this episode:
Got 5 minutes? Take our quick listener survey and help us make School's In even better: podpolls.com/school
27 min
January 22Click, read, learn: The science behind literacy edtech
Can edtech really teach kids to read? What works, what doesn’t, and what does the research say about tools for decoding versus comprehension?
On this episode of School’s In, Stanford Professor Rebecca Silverman joins us to explore how educational technology can meaningfully support reading development. From helping students learn to decode words to supporting deeper reading comprehension, she explains what the latest research tells us about what works and what doesn’t – and the dangers of over-gamification. She covers several topics, including:
(03:34) Differentiation: The promise of literacy edtech
(05:45) Games, motivation, and what the research says
(13:19) Decoding vs. comprehension, and why some skills are harder to teach with tech
(18:03) Effective strategies for teaching comprehension
(22:03) Practical takeaways for parents and educators

Rebecca Silverman is a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Her research explores how children learn to read and how educational tools can help improve literacy outcomes. She began her career as an elementary school teacher, and today her teaching emphasizes the importance of connecting research and classroom practice. Learn more about her work on her faculty profile.
School’s In is your go-to podcast for cutting-edge insights and fresh perspectives on the future of learning. Hosted by Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) Dean Dan Schwartz and Senior Lecturer Denise Pope, each episode dives into the latest research, innovations, and real-world challenges shaping education today.
Stanford GSE is at the forefront of education research and teacher preparation, dedicated to advancing equitable, accessible, and impactful learning experiences for all.
Stay connected with the latest insights—subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads.
Mentioned in this episode:
Got 5 minutes? Take our quick listener survey and help us make School's In even better: podpolls.com/school
28 min
January 08Education’s ethical challenges: Navigating complexity in community
What does it mean to make an ethical decision in the classroom? And how can schools prepare for dilemmas that don’t have a single right answer?
On this episode of School’s In, we’re joined by Stanford GSE Professor Meira Levinson, a leader in the emerging field of educational ethics. She walks us through the complex terrain of real-world ethical decision-making in schools – where competing values, pressures, and priorities often collide. From everyday classroom challenges to district-wide decisions, Meira shares how the field of EdEthics can help educators and policymakers navigate those moments with greater clarity and confidence. She covers several topics, including:
(02:57) Understanding ethical decisions in education
(06:19) The need for a field of educational ethics
(10:00) The myth of the value-free classroom
(11:15) Case study: Ethical dilemmas in the classroom
(18:56) Developing ethical frameworks for educators
(24:22) Ethics as community practice: Advice for working through hard decisions together

Meira Levinson is a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Education whose work focuses on civic education, justice, and the ethics of teaching and learning. She founded JusticeInSchools.org, a site that offers real-world ethical case studies for educators and policymakers. Levinson's current mission is to formally establish the field of educational ethics, aiming to bring clarity, conversation, and support to the morally complex world of schooling. Learn more about her work on her faculty profile.
School’s In is your go-to podcast for cutting-edge insights and fresh perspectives on the future of learning. Hosted by Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) Dean Dan Schwartz and Senior Lecturer Denise Pope, each episode dives into the latest research, innovations, and real-world challenges shaping education today.
Stanford GSE is at the forefront of education research and teacher preparation, dedicated to advancing equitable, accessible, and impactful learning experiences for all.
Stay connected with the latest insights—subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads.
Mentioned in this episode:
Got 5 minutes? Take our quick listener survey and help us make School's In even better: podpolls.com/school
28 min
December 18, 2025Rethinking the “word gap”: What parents really need
Could the “word gap” be more myth than fact? Or is it a useful tool for understanding inequality in early childhood?
On this episode of School’s In, Stanford Assistant Professor Monica Ellwood-Lowe joins the show to unpack one of the most cited – and most debated – ideas in early childhood development: the so-called “word gap,” or idea that children from lower-income families hear fewer words than those from more affluent homes. She explains what the latest research says about the quantity and quality of early language exposure, the effects of structural and economic inequities on parental engagement, and how brain development might differ not because of what children lack, but because of how they adapt. She covers several topics, including:
(03:07) The word gap: Origins and controversy
(05:47) Do parents just need to talk more? How financial and structural stressors affect parental attention
(13:55) Beyond “motherease”: Cultural differences in child language development
(18:20) Parenting, pressure, and perspective

Monica Ellwood-Lowe is an assistant professor at Stanford Graduate School of Education. With a PhD in developmental psychology, she studies how the structure of society shapes caregiving and early child development. She dives into questions about children’s language and brain development that continue to drive her work today. Learn more on her faculty profile.
School’s In is your go-to podcast for cutting-edge insights and fresh perspectives on the future of learning. Hosted by Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) Dean Dan Schwartz and Senior Lecturer Denise Pope, each episode dives into the latest research, innovations, and real-world challenges shaping education today.
Stanford GSE is at the forefront of education research and teacher preparation, dedicated to advancing equitable, accessible, and impactful learning experiences for all.
Stay connected with the latest insights—subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads.
Mentioned in this episode:
Got 5 minutes? Take our quick listener survey and help us make School's In even better: podpolls.com/school
24 min
December 03, 2025AI and the future of human learning
What will it mean to teach and learn in an AI-powered world? Can we use artificial intelligence to enhance, but not replace, the best of what humans do?
Recorded live in Los Angeles at Stanford’s Open Minds event, this episode of School’s In dives into how AI is reshaping education – its promises, pitfalls, and surprises. Dan and Denise welcome Stanford faculty members Judith Ellen Fan, a cognitive scientist, and Christopher Piech, a computer scientist, to the stage for a lively discussion that ranges from motivation and creativity to assessment and cheating. Together, they explore the deeply human elements of human learning and AI design, and the ways that Stanford is shaping the conversation about how humans and machines learn together. They cover several topics, including:
(01:57) Students and AI: Inspiration and creativity
(04:55) Beyond words: Why AI still struggles with human thinking
(09:53) AI's impact on cheating and academic integrity
(18:09) Keeping learning human: Mentors, motivation, and meaningful tasks
(23:59) Designing AI for the future of learning

Christopher Piech is an associate professor of computer science at Stanford University. He develops AI systems that support personalized education, working at the intersection of deep learning and classroom practice to help students learn more effectively and equitably. Learn more about his work on his faculty profile.
Judith Ellen Fan is an assistant professor of psychology and the director of the Cognitive Tools Lab (https://cogtoolslab.github.io/) at Stanford University. Her research focuses on how visual communication supports learning. She bridges cognitive science, computational neuroscience, and artificial intelligence, exploring how tools like drawing can reveal and enhance human understanding. Learn more about her work on her faculty profile.
School’s In is your go-to podcast for cutting-edge insights and fresh perspectives on the future of learning. Hosted by Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) Dean Dan Schwartz and Senior Lecturer Denise Pope, each episode dives into the latest research, innovations, and real-world challenges shaping education today.
Stanford GSE is at the forefront of education research and teacher preparation, dedicated to advancing equitable, accessible, and impactful learning experiences for all.
Stay connected with the latest insights—subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads.
Mentioned in this episode:
Got 5 minutes? Take our quick listener survey and help us make School's In even better: podpolls.com/school
30 min
November 13, 2025Chatbots as therapists? AI’s promise and perils
*Please note: This episode includes discussion of youth mental health, including mentions of suicidal ideation. Listener discretion is advised.*
Could the future of school-based mental health include chatbots—and should it?
On this episode of School’s In, Stanford Assistant Professor Nick Haber joins the show to unpack research on AI chatbots as tools to support young people’s mental health. As an expert in learning sciences and artificial intelligence learning sciences, Haber sheds light on both the promising and the unsettling. , He covers several topics, including:
(03:27) Why study AI chatbots as therapists?
(06:27) The danger: AI therapists in crisis situations
(11:41) Human interaction vs. AI companionship
(15:04) AI and youth mental health
(18:48) From risks to responsibility: Advice for parents and educators

Nick Haber is an assistant professor at Stanford Graduate School of Education. He and his research group develop AI systems meant to mimic and model the ways people learn early in life, exploring their environments through play, social interaction, and curiosity. Learn more about his work on his faculty profile.
School’s In is your go-to podcast for cutting-edge insights and fresh perspectives on the future of learning. Hosted by Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) Dean Dan Schwartz and Senior Lecturer Denise Pope, each episode dives into the latest research, innovations, and real-world challenges shaping education today.
Stanford GSE is at the forefront of education research and teacher preparation, dedicated to advancing equitable, accessible, and impactful learning experiences for all.
Stay connected with the latest insights—subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads.
Mentioned in this episode:
Got 5 minutes? Take our quick listener survey and help us make School's In even better: podpolls.com/school
24 min
October 30, 2025When schools close: Budgets, politics, and the cost to communities
What happens when a school shuts down? And how do those decisions ripple through the students, families, and communities left behind?
On this episode of School’s In, Stanford Assistant Professor Francis Pearman joins us to discuss the complex and often emotional issue of school closures. We dive into why schools close, who is most affected, and how these decisions ripple through communities – especially for low-income students and students of color. Pearman covers several topics including:
(02:21) Why do schools close?
(06:34) How school closures affect local communities
(08:02) Educational consequences for students
(11:25) Are school closures fair? Equity and disproportionality
(16:07) Financial realities and policy tradeoffs
(19:03) Is there a better way? Alternatives and considerations

Francis Pearman is an assistant professor at Stanford Graduate School of Education. His research examines how poverty and inequality shape the life chances of children, particularly through the lens of educational opportunity and urban development. Learn more about his work on his faculty profile.
School’s In is your go-to podcast for cutting-edge insights and fresh perspectives on the future of learning. Hosted by Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) Dean Dan Schwartz and Senior Lecturer Denise Pope, each episode dives into the latest research, innovations, and real-world challenges shaping education today.
Stanford GSE is at the forefront of education research and teacher preparation, dedicated to advancing equitable, accessible, and impactful learning experiences for all.
Stay connected with the latest insights—subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads.
Mentioned in this episode:
Got 5 minutes? Take our quick listener survey and help us make School's In even better: podpolls.com/school
29 min

About School's In

From the publisher's feed

Unlock the future of learning with School’s In, your go-to podcast for cutting-edge insights and enlightening conversations in education. Presented by Stanford Graduate School of Education (Stanford GSE), this podcast is hosted by Dean Dan Schwartz and Senior Lecturer Denise Pope. They invite you to join them as they navigate the complexities of post-pandemic education and discuss the latest research in teaching and learning.

This season on School’s In, we delve into a variety of pressing topics with the help of our fellow Stanford experts. Discover how AI is transforming classrooms and personalizing learning experiences. Learn effective strategies to tackle chronic absenteeism and summer learning loss, and explore solutions for addressing educational inequality and supporting youth mental health. Additionally, we examine the role technology plays in reshaping learning environments. Join us as we discuss the incredible research being done in education today.

Dan Schwartz is a recognized expert in human learning and educational technology. As dean of Stanford GSE, he has led numerous initiatives to advance effective teaching strategies and technologies. He also serves as faculty director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, which aims to advance the science and design of learning to bring effective and equitable solutions to the world.

Denise Pope specializes in student well-being and engagement. A senior lecturer at Stanford GSE, her research focuses on academic stress and its consequences on students' mental health and learning. She is the author of several books and articles that support parents and teachers in creating more positive learning environments, including Doing School: How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students. Pope is also co-founder of the education nonprofit Challenge Success, which promotes equitable practices for balanced lives.

Together, they offer valuable observations and practical advice for parents, caregivers, educators, and anyone connected to the learning community. With a commitment to educational equity and innovation, they bring you expert perspectives and engaging conversations on the critical issues facing learners today.

Stanford GSE is a leader in education research and teaching, known for its commitment to pursuing equitable, accessible, and effective learning for all. The school’s dedication to preparing educators and researchers through interdisciplinary approaches ensures its lasting impact on the field.

“We’re here to help you navigate the complexities of post-pandemic education and stay ahead of the learning curve” says Schwartz, “so join us as we discuss practical solutions to some of education’s most challenging issues.”

Don't miss out on insightful discussions meant to keep you ahead of the learning curve! Subscribe to our newsletter now, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and visit our School’s In website for more updates and episodes. School’s In promises to be an essential resource for anyone passionate about learning.

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School's In episodes

About School's In