University of Vermont

Faculty Biography | Penny Bishop

Penny Bishop is Professor of Middle Level Education at the University of Vermont where she teaches future middle grades educators and conducts research on schooling for young adolescents. She directs the Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education. Dr. Bishop has served as Principal Investigator on numerous grants, bringing over $7 million dollars to Vermont schools to improve the learning and lives of middle grades students. A former middle level English and Social Studies teacher, Penny serves as chair of the Association for Middle Level Education's Research Advisory Board and is immediate past chair of the American Educational Research Association's group on Middle Level Education Research. She is co-author of five books on effective middle grades practice. Penny previously served as policy advisor on fellowship to the New Zealand Ministry of Education, providing input and research on effective schooling policies for students in the middle years in that country.

• Expertise
• Projects
• Scholarship
• Awards
• Associations

Areas of Expertise:

Adolescent Development; Collaboration; Educational Policy; Religion and Education; School Transformation; Teacher Education; Technology and Learning

Current Projects:

Technology Integration Professional Development, Vermont Middle Grades Professional Development Collaborative

Scholarship

Selected Publications

• Bishop, P. & Downes, J. (in press). Technology and learning in the middle grades. In G. Andrews (Ed.). What Research Says to the Middle Level Practitioner (2nd ed.). Westerville, OH: NMSA.
  Abstract:
• Nelson, E., & Bishop, P. (in press). Students as action research partners: A New Zealand example. Middle School Journal
  Abstract:
• Downes, J. & Bishop, P. (2012). Engaging digital natives: Learning from young adolescents technology lives. Middle School Journal, 43(5), pp. 6-15.
  Abstract:
• Bishop, P. (2012). Multiple discourses and missing voices. In M. Vagle (Ed.). Not a Stage! A Critical Reconception of Young Adolescent Education. New York: Peter Lang Publishing. pp. 163-174.
  Abstract:
• Andrews, C., & Bishop, P. (2012). Middle years transitions across the globe. Middle School Journal, 44(1), 8-14.
  Abstract:

Awards & Honors

• The Joseph Anthony Abruscato Award for Excellence in Scholarship from College of Education and Social Services, University of Vermont: Awarded to CESS Scholar for Excellence in Research (2012)
• Jackie Gribbons Leadership Award from Vermont Women in Higher Education: The Jackie Gribbons Leadership Award is presented to a woman who has demonstrated leadership ability, served as a model and mentor, developed innovative programs, and contributed significantly to the institution and profession. (2010)
• Critics Choice Book Award from American Educational Studies Association: Nash, R. J. & Bishop, P. A. (2010). Teaching adolescents religious literacy in a post-9/11 world. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing. Each year, a committee of AESA members selects outstanding books that may be of interest to those in educational studies. These books are designated as AESA Critics' Choice Award winners. The Critics' Choice Award serves to recognize and increase awareness of recent scholarship deemed to be outstanding in its field and of potential interest to members of the Association. (2010)
• Sir Ian Axford Public Policy Fellowship from Fulbright New Zealand: Established by the New Zealand Government in partnership with the private sector to reinforce links between New Zealand and the United States, Ian Axford (New Zealand) Fellowships in Public Policy give outstanding American professionals opportunities to research, travel and gain practical experience in public policy in New Zealand, including first-hand knowledge of economic, social and political reforms and management of the government sector. The programme has three goals: To reinforce New Zealand-United States links by enabling Americans of high intellectual ability and leadership potential to come to New Zealand to gain experience and build contacts in the field of public policy development; To help improve the practice of public policy in New Zealand and the United States by the cross-fertilization of ideas and experience in the two countries; and to build a network of public policy experts on both sides of the Pacific. (2008)

Professional Associations

• American Educational Research Association (AERA), National Middle School Association (NMSA), New England League of Middle Schools (NELMS)