Pearson’s Matthew Gaertner Honored With 2011 Charles F. Elton Best Paper Award
Award-Winning Research Focuses on New Approach to Affirmative Action
New Orleans, June 06, 2012
Today, Matthew Gaertner, Associate Research Scientist at Pearson, accepted the 2011 Charles F. Elton Best Paper Award for his study, “Assessing a New Approach to Class-Based Affirmative Action.” This prestigious award is presented for the paper that most clearly exemplifies standards of excellence and makes a significant contribution to the field of institutional research and decision making in higher education.
Gaertner is presenting his paper to his peers from around the world today at a gathering of higher education professionals working in institutional research, assessment, planning and related postsecondary education fields. He conducted the research on which his award-winning paper is based while he was pursuing his doctorate at the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU). Anticipating legal challenges to race-based affirmative action, CU explored new statistical approaches to support class-based affirmative action. Gaertner’s research follows the development, implementation and evaluation of this method of identifying disadvantaged and overachieving applicants in undergraduate admissions.
As the paper details, the results of Gaertner’s study suggest low-income and minority students are more likely to be admitted to CU when class-conscious admissions criteria are used. Analyses of historical data also suggest that college success for those admitted under class-based affirmative action is possible, although certainly not guaranteed. Gaertner concludes that these findings argue for the provision of robust academic support for low-income, marginally qualified students once they arrive on campus.
At Pearson, Gaertner is a major contributor to the work of the company’s Center for College and Career Success, where research focuses on identifying and measuring the skills needed to be successful in college and careers, determining pathways for students to be college and career ready, tracking their progress along the pathway, and evaluating effective ways to keep students on track.
Congratulating Gaertner on this honor, Center Director Katie McClarty, Ph.D., said, “Matt deserves high praise for earning this prestigious honor from the premier professional organization for institutional researchers. Our award-winning scientists, like Matt, who take leading-edge approaches to exploring critical topics in education, provide the foundation that will allow us to develop new strategies to allow all students access to high quality, personalized and affordable educational opportunities that prepare them for success in college and careers.”
About Pearson
Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, has global reach and market-leading businesses in education, business information and consumer publishing (NYSE: PSO). For more information, visit http://www.pearsonassessments.com.
For more information: Adam Gaber, Pearson, 800-745-8489 / adam.gaber@pearson.com / @apgaber (twitter)
