2011 TC Research
Teachers College, Columbia University
Teachers College Columbia University

Research

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Alex J Bowers

Professional Background

Educational Background

Ph.D. in Educational Administration - Michigan State University (2007)
Master of Science in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry & Microbiology - The Pennsylvania State University (1997)
Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry; Secondary Major: Chemistry - Michigan State University (1994)

Scholarly Interests

Organizational behavior, district effectiveness, data-driven decision making, school and district leadership, educational assessment and accountability, student dropout and at-risk identification, school leadership preparation, student and school technology use, and K-12 school facilities funding. Research methods strengths include data visualization and early student outcome prediction, comparative causal effects research design, comparative organization case-study design, large state and national-level database analysis, and longitudinal multi-level student, school and district achievement analysis.

Selected Publications

Google Scholar Profile: http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=aniaFJ4AAAAJ

Recent Presentations:

Bowers, A.J. (2013) Pattern Analysis and Data Visualization of Student Data for Decision Making  http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.654053

Bowers, A.J. (2012) Toward Effective and Efficient School Districts: Facility Finance, Resource Management and Data Driven Decision Making  http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.679400

Recent Publications:

Urick, A., Bowers, A.J. (in press) How does Principal Perception of Academic Climate Measure Up? The Impact of Principal Perceptions on Student Academic Climate and Achievement in High School. Journal of School Leadership.

Bowers, A.J., Sprott, R., Taff, S.A. (2013) Do we Know Who Will Drop Out? A Review of the Predictors of Dropping out of High School: Precision, Sensitivity and Specificity. The High School Journal. 96(2), 77-100.  http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/high_school_journal/v096/96.2.bowers.html

Bowers, A.J., Berland, M. (2013) Does Recreational Computer Use Affect High School Achievement? Educational Technology Research & Development, 61(1), 51-69. doi:10.1007/s11423-012-9274-1

Bowers, A.J., Sprott, R.A. (2012) Why Tenth Graders Fail to Finish High School: A Dropout Typology Latent Class Analysis. The Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk (JESPAR), 17(3), 129-148. doi:10.1080/10824669.2012.692071

Bowers, A.J., Sprott, R. (2012) Examining the Multiple Trajectories Associated with Dropping Out of High School: A Growth Mixture Model Analysis. The Journal of Educational Research, 105(3), 176-195. doi:10.1080/00220671.2011.552075

Nunez, A.M., Bowers, A.J. (2011) Exploring What Leads High School Students to Enroll in Hispanic-Serving Institutions: A multilevel analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 48(6), 1286-1313. doi: 10.3102/0002831211408061

Bowers, A.J., Urick, A. (2011) Does High School Facility Quality Affect Student Achievement? A 2-Level Hierarchical Linear Model. Journal of Education Finance, 37(1), 72-94. (weblink)

Urick, A., Bowers, A.J. (2011) What Influences Principal Perception of Academic Climate?  A Nationally Representative Study of the Direct Effects of Perception on Climate. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 10(3), 322-348. doi:10.1080/15700763.2011.57792

Bowers, A.J. (2011) What's in a Grade? The Multidimensional Nature of What Teacher Assigned Grades Assess in High School. Educational Research & Evaluation, 17(3), 141-159. doi: 10.1080/13803611.2011.597112

White, B., Bowers, A.J. (2011) Principal Effects in Illinois: A Research Brief (IERC 2011-3). Edwardsville, IL: The Illinois Education Research Council, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. http://www.siue.edu/ierc/publications/pdf/2011-3_Principal_Effects.

Bowers, A.J. (2010) Toward Addressing the Issues of Site Selection in District Effectiveness Research: A 2-Level Hierarchical Linear Growth Model. Educational Administration Quarterly,46(3), 395-425. doi:10.1177/0013161X10375271.

Bowers, A.J. (2010) Analyzing the Longitudinal K-12 Grading Histories of Entire Cohorts of Students: Grades, Data Driven Decision Making, Dropping Out and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation (PARE), 15(7), 1-18. http://pareonline.net/pdf/v15n7.pdf

Bowers, A.J. (2010) Grades and Graduation: A Longitudinal Risk Perspective to Identify Student Dropouts. The Journal of Educational Research, 103(3), 191-207.doi:10.1080/00220670903382970

Bowers, A.J., Murakami-Ramalho, E. (2010) The Research Journal Club: Pedagogy of Research in the Preparation of Students in Educational Leadership. Journal of Research on Leadership Education, 5(10), 335-356. doi:10.1177/194277511000501001

Bowers, A.J., Metzger, S.A., Militello, M. (2010) Knowing What Matters: An Expanded Study of School Bond Elections in Michigan, 1998-2006. Journal of Education Finance, 35(4), 374-396. doi:10.1353/jef.0.0024

Bowers, A.J., Metzger, S.A., Militello, M. (2010) Knowing the Odds: Parameters that Predict Passing or Failing School District Bonds. Educational Policy,24(2), 398-420. doi:10.1177/0895904808330169

Militello, M., Gajda, R.H., Bowers, A.J. (2009) The Role of Accountability Policies and Alternative Certification on Principals' Perceptions of Leadership Preparation. Journal of Research on Leadership Education, 4(2), 30-66. doi:10.1177/194277510900400301

Printy, S., Marks, H.M., Bowers, A.J. (2009) Integrated Leadership: How Principals and Teachers Share Instructional Influence. Journal of School Leadership, 19(5), 504-532.(weblink)

Bowers, A.J. (2009) Reconsidering Grades as Data for Decision Making: More than Just Academic Knowledge. Journal of Educational Administration, 47(5), 609-629. doi:10.1108/09578230910981080

Militello, M., Metzger S., Bowers, A.J. (2008) The High School "Space Race": Implications of a Market-Choice Policy Environment for a Michigan Metropolitan region. Education and Urban Society, 41(1), 26-54. doi:10.1177/0013124508321358

Bowers, A.J. (2008) Promoting Excellence: Good to Great, NYC's District 2, and the Case of a High Performing School District, Leadership and Policy in Schools, 7(2), 154-177. doi:10.1080/15700760701681108

honors and awards

2012 Emerging Scholar Award for outstanding contributions to the field, American Educational Research Association (AERA) Division A - Administration, Organization and Leadership

2012 Jack A. Culbertson Award for outstanding early faculty research, University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA)

2012 Outstanding reviewer of the year award for the journal Educational Administration Quarterly (EAQ)

2008 Outstanding reviewer of the year award for the American Educational Research Journal (AERJ), American Educational Research Association (AERA)

biographical information

Dr. Alex J. Bowers is an Associate Professor of Education Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Bowers' research focuses on the intersection of effective school and district leadership, data driven decision making, student grades and test scores, student persistence and dropouts. His work also considers the influence of school finance, facilities, and technology on student achievement. Dr. Bowers is the recipient of multiple awards, including the 2012 American Educational Research Association's (AERA) Emerging Scholar Award for Division A (Administration, Organization and Leadership), the 2012 University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) Jack A. Culbertson Award for outstanding early faculty research, a 2012 outstanding reviewer of the year award for the journal Educational Administration Quarterly (EAQ), and a 2008 AERA outstanding reviewer of the year award for the American Educational Research Journal (AERJ). Dr. Bowers is an editorial board member for the journals Educational Administration Quarterly (EAQ) and the Journal of Education Finance (JEF), and is co-editor of volumes 4 - School and District Leadership in an Era of Accountability (2013) and volume 5 - Using Data in Schools to Inform Leadership and Decision Making (2014) of the Information Age Publishing (IAP) book series International Research on School Leadership. Dr. Bowers most recently served as the 2012-2013 AERA Division A (Administration, Organization and Leadership) annual meeting program chair.

ORL 5521: Introduction to research methods in education

This course meets a departmental requirement for an introductory course on empirical research in education and organizational studies. The goal is to help students be able to access, comprehend, synthesize, and utilize research, to support and facilitate the research efforts of others, and to begin to prepare to conduct their own research. Students read exemplars of published research, along with texts about research design, data collection and analysis, and strategies for assessing the validity and trustworthiness of research. The course covers qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches to research, such as experiments, surveys, case studies, ethnography, and action research.

ORLA 5530: Action research in organizational behavior

Techniques and methods of designing and conducting action research on organizational problems. Various methodological and organizational issues are addressed regarding the use of action research to foster organizational learning and problem solving through systematic inquiry and reflection. Students conduct an action research project.

ORLA 5689: School heads colloquium

Enrollment limited to 20 participants. The purpose of the symposium is to provide renewal and reflection on issues relevant to school leaders through intensive study and collaboration with professional peers from independent and international schools. Topics include moral leadership and current education issues in public and private schools. Participants also conduct research on a topic of interest to their schools. Through on-site visits, students use the diversity of schools in New York City and the rich cultural resources as a laboratory for learning. Permission required.

Centers and Projects

Klingenstein Center for Independent School Leadership
Website: http://www.klingenstein.org

Full-year and Two-Summer master’s  programs and funded fellowships in leadership development for independent school educators. Programs serve early career teachers, mid-career administrators and heads of schools from a broad range of schools around the world.  All Klingenstein Center programs focus on instructional leadership, collaboration and teamwork, a commitment to social justice and diversity, and reflective practice.