RESEARCH NARRATIVE

Dr. Vasquez Heilig’s scholarship blends a thread of equity and excellence in education and public policy, placing an emphasis on understanding how local, state, and federal policies affect urban students. He analyzes the effects and intricacies of school choice, high-stakes testing, accountability and educator quality on both student achievement and non-academic outcomes. Notably, his research delves into the nuances of neoliberal education policy, shedding light on the impact of education reform measures and the challenges faced by marginalized student populations. Furthermore, he examines the influence of technology and media in shaping educational narratives.

2023 – Present Western Michigan University

Scholarly activity: In 2023, we delved deep into several critical educational policy themes in 3 publications and a new book. The work, “Consequential research in education,” underscored the importance of translating educational theory into actionable practices, particularly drawing inspiration from Rich Milner. We further explored the intersections of democracy, school finance policy, and racial dynamics in America, with the work set to appear in the esteemed Peabody Journal of Education. Notably, I co-edited my first book titled “Equity & access: An analysis of educational leadership preparation, policy, & practice” in 2023. This publication underscores the pivotal themes of equality and accessibility within the sphere of educational leadership, highlighting the importance of preparation, policy considerations, and practical applications. Furthermore, an article is in press at the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal, which delves into the historical impact of policy regimes on school finance and educational policy inequities.

2019 – 2023 University of Kentucky

Scholarly Activity: From 2019-2022, I authored or co-authored a total of 11 publications, addressing topics such as the racial segregation in charter schools, the role of digital media in education discourse, and the challenges faced by immigrant newcomers in urban high schools. Our collaboration in a law review led to a national media-cited piece on the ethnoracial and gender diversity of faculty in U.S. higher educational institutions. We also contributed to the new edition of the Handbook of Research on School Choice, providing a nuanced examination of market-based school choice research. In addition to these, we also made contributions to book chapters where we scrutinized the ethos of school choice for Black parents and highlighted the transformative role of social media in influencing education policy conversations.

2014 – 2019 California State University, Sacramento

Scholarly Activity: From 2014 to 2018, we made significant contributions to the education and public policy discourse with 21 published articles, book chapters, and policy reports. We collaboratively authored 9 articles in professional journals, addressing topics ranging from high-stakes testing myths to the role of charter schools in communities of color. We also delved into the broader implications of educational policies on marginalized communities, examining the segregation of special populations and the dynamics of urban school enrollment. Additionally, we also published in the legal sphere, with two articles in law reviews that critically evaluated the racial and special needs dynamics in charter schools. In four book chapters, we explored and reframed debates on charter schools and Teach For America, as well as the examination of teacher quality in relation to English Learners in Latino growth states. Moreover, we produced a series of education policy reports, reviews, and briefs, underscoring our commitment to disseminating research insights to broader audiences. A standout in this collection was a co-authored review, “Teach For America: A return to the evidence,” which offered a comprehensive examination of the program’s impact and has been cited in the national media such as the show Adam Ruins Everything.

2006 – 2013 University of Texas at Austin

Scholarly Activity: From 2006 to 2013, we extensively explored educational inequities, reforms, and policies, contributing 32 published articles, book chapters, and policy reports. We scrutinized topics like the illusion of inclusion through standards, the interaction between high-stakes tests and English language learners, and the impacts of school accountability on minority students. We also participated in dialogue on African American, Latina/o, and English Language Learner students’ persistent school segregation nearly 50 years post-Jim Crow. Our contributions extend to co-authored articles on topics such as the state of African American male crime and education, the disappearance of high school English language learners, and the potential of school-based youth courts as alternatives to the school-to-prison pipeline. We also delved into law, co-authoring articles in law reviews examining issues like diversity in the post-Parents Involved era and the impacts of alternative certification and Teach For America on the search for high-quality teachers. Our writing also appeared in handbooks and book chapters, discussing topics like the narrowing of knowledge and curriculum for African Americans and the experiences of Black male students at Hispanic-serving institutions. We also actively engaged in educational policy discourse through reports and briefs, analyzing educational data in Texas and the efficacy of vouchers, among other issues. The assortment and depth of works during this period underscore the commitment to understanding and addressing multifaceted educational disparities and reforms.

FIRST AND SINGLE AUTHORED ARTICLES IN PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS (*REFEREED/PEER-REVIEWED)

Vasquez Heilig. J. (2023). Consequential research in education: Bridging the gap between theory and action inspired by the ideas of Rich Milner. Journal of Education Human Resources, 41(3), 391-394 https://doi: 10.3138/jehr-41.03.01

Vasquez Heilig. J., Brewer, J., Kim, A. & Sanchez, M. (2020). A digital ethnography of Teach For America: Analysis of the Truth For America podcast. Urban Education, https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085920953880*

Vasquez Heilig. J., Brewer, J. and Williams, Y. (2019). Choice without inclusion?: Comparing the intensity of racial segregation in charters and public schools at the local, state and national levels. Journal of Education Sciences, 9(3), 1-17.*

Vasquez Heilig. J & Brewer, J (2019). Making the Case for Academia’s engagement in knowledge: Mobilization and purposeful public scholarship in social media. Critical Questions in Education, 10(2), 81-91.*

Vasquez Heilig. J., Brewer, J. & Pedraza, J. (2018). Examining the myth of accountability, high–stakes testing and the achievement gap. Journal of Family Strengths, 18(1), 1-14.*

Vasquez Heilig, J. & Clark, B. (2018). New insights and directions: Considering the impact of charter school attributes on communities of color, Journal of Transformative Leadership and Policy Studies, 7(1), 3-9.*

Vasquez Heilig, J., Romero, L. & Hopkins, M. (2017). Coign of vantage and action: Considering California’ local accountability and school finance plans for English learners, Education Policy Analysis Archives, 25(15), 1-24.*

Vasquez Heilig, J., Ward, D.R., Weisman, E. & Cole, H. (2014). Community–based school finance and accountability: A new era for local control in education policy? Urban Education, 49(8), 871-894. doi: 10.11770/0042085914557647*

Vasquez Heilig, J. (2013). Reframing the refrain: Choice as a Civil Rights issue. Texas Education Review. 1(1), 83-94.*

Vasquez Heilig, J. & Holme, J. (2013). Nearly 50 years post-Jim Crow: Persisting and expansive school segregation for African American, Latina/o and ELL students in Texas. Education and Urban Society, 45(5), 609-632. doi: 10.1177/0013124513486289*

Vasquez Heilig, J., Brown, K. & Brown, A. (2012). The illusion of inclusion: Race and standards. Harvard Educational Review, 83(3), 403-424.*

Vasquez Heilig, J., Young, M. & Williams, A. (2012). At–risk student averse: Risk management and accountability. Journal of Educational Administration, 50(5), 562-585.*

Vasquez Heilig, J. (2011). As good as advertised?: Tracking urban student progress through high school in an environment of accountability. American Secondary Education, 39(3), 17-41.*

Vasquez Heilig, J. (2011). Understanding the interaction between high–stakes graduation tests and English language learners. Teachers College Record, 113(12), 2633–2669.* Vasquez Heilig, J., Dietz,

Vasquez Heilig, J., Dietz, L. & Volonnino, M. (2011). From Jim Crow to the Top 10% Plan: A historical analysis of Latina/o access to a selective flagship university. Enrollment Management Journal: Student Access, Finance, and Success in Higher Education, 5(3), 83-109.*

Vasquez Heilig, J., Reddick, R., Hamilton, C. & Dietz, L. (2011). Actuating equity?: Historical and contemporary analyses of African American access to selective higher education from Sweatt to the Top 10% Law. Harvard Journal of African American Public Policy, 27(1), 11-27.*

Vasquez Heilig, J., Rodriguez, C., & Somers, P. (2011). Immigrant DREAMs: The Texas 10% admissions plan, ELL student college choice and academic success. Journal of Latinos and Education, 10(2), 106-126.*

Vasquez Heilig, J., Williams, A., McNeil, L & Lee, C. (2011). Is choice a panacea? An analysis of black secondary student attrition from KIPP, other private charters and urban districts. Berkeley Review of Education, 2(2), 153-178.*

Vasquez Heilig, J., Cole, H. & Aguilar, A. (2010). From Dewey to No Child Left Behind: The evolution and devolution of public arts education. Arts Education Policy Review, 111(4), 136-145.*

Vasquez Heilig, J., Williams, A. & Jez, S. (2010). Inputs and student achievement: An analysis of Latina/oserving urban elementary schools. Association of Mexican American Educators Journal, 10(1), 48-58.*

Vasquez Heilig, J. & Darling-Hammond, L. (2008). Accountability Texas–style: The progress and learning of urban minority students in a high–stakes testing context. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. 30(2), 75-110.* 

CO-AUTHORED ARTICLES IN PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS (*REFEREED/PEERREVIEWED)

Martínez, D. G., Osworth, D., Knight, D. S., & Vasquez Heilig, J. (in press). Southern Hospitality: Democracy and school finance policy praxis in a racialized America. Peabody Journal of Education. doi: 10.1080/0161956X.2023.2261308

Matias, C., Hannegan-Martinez, S. & Vasquez Heilig, J. (2021) Interrogating democracy, education, and modern white supremacy: A (Re)Constitution towards racially just democratic teacher education. Teachers College Record.*

Noureddine, I. & Vasquez Heilig, J. (2020) The Role of Schools: Middle Eastern and North African Newcomers’ Challenges in Restorative Versus Non-Restorative Ethea High Schools. Multicultural Education Review, 12(4), 284-305.* doi: 10.1080/2005615X.2020.1842670*

Brewer, J & Vasquez Heilig. J. (2019). The digitally connect academic: Public scholarship and activism in the era of the internet. Critical Questions in Education, 10(2), 78-80.*

Brewer, J., Vasquez Heilig, J., Gunderson, M. & Brown, J. (2018).  Chi–Town Educator and Community–Based Activism: Confronting a Legacy of Education Privatization in the Nation’s Windy City. Thresholds in Education, 41(3), 138-152.*

Portales, J., & Vasquez Heilig, J. (2015). Understanding universal vouchers and urban public schools in Santiago de Chile: Educational administrators’ responses to choice. Multidisciplinary Journal of Educational Research, 5(2), 194-237.*

Horsford, S. & Vasquez Heilig, J. (2014). Community-based education reform in urban contexts: Implications for leadership, policy, and accountability. Urban Education, 49(8), 1-4. doi: 10.1177/0042085914557647*

Pazey, B., Vasquez Heilig, J., Cole, H. & Sumbera, M. (2014). The more things change, the more they stay the same: Comparing Special Education students’ experiences of accountability reform across two decades.Urban Review, 47(3), 365-392. doi:10.1007/s11256-014-0312-7*

Portales, J. & Vasquez-Heilig, J. (2014). Understanding how universal vouchers have impacted urban school districts’ enrollment in Chile. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 22(68). Retrieved from http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/1427/1314*

Hamilton, M., Vasquez Heilig, J. & Pazey, B. (2013). A nostrum of school reform?: Turning around reconstituted urban Texas high schools. Urban Education, 20(10), 1-34. doi:10.1177/0042085913475636*

López, F., Vasquez Heilig, J. & Schram, J. (2013). A story within a story: Culturally Responsive Schooling and American Indian and Alaska Native achievement in the National Indian Education Study. American Journal of Education, 119(4), 513-538.*

Holme, J. & Vasquez Heilig, J. (2012). High stakes decisions: The legal landscape of gatekeeping exit exams and the implications for schools and leaders. Journal of School Leadership, 22(6), 1177-1197.*

Reddick, R. & Vasquez Heilig, J. (2012). The current and dire state of African American male crime and education in the Central Southwest: Are mentoring constellations a promising strategy? Journal of African American Males in Education, 3(1), 29-46.*

Gururaj, S., Vasquez Heilig, J., & Somers, P. (2010). Graduate student persistence: A meta–analysis of evidence from three decades. Journal of Student Financial Aid, 40(1), 31-46.*

McNeil, L. M., Coppola, E., Radigan, J., & Vasquez Heilig, J. (2008). Avoidable losses: High–stakes accountability and the dropout crisis. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 16(3). Retrieved from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v16n3/*

Valenzuela, A., Fuller, E., & Vasquez Heilig, J. (2006). The disappearance of high school English language learners from Texas high schools. Williams Review, 1(1), 166-200.*

Darling-Hammond, L., Holtzman, D. J., Gatlin, S. J., & Vasquez Heilig, J. (2005). Does teacher preparation matter? Evidence about teacher certification, Teach for America, and teacher effectiveness. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 13(42). Retrieved from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v13n42/*

FIRST AND CO-AUTHORED ARTICLES IN LAW REVIEWS

Martinez, D., Vasquez Heilig, J., Osworth, D., Knight, D. & Diaz, H. (in press). Understanding the legacy of dysconscious policy regimes: Implications for inequitable school finance and educational policy. Loyola University Chicago Law Journal.

Martinez, D. & Vasquez Heilig, J. (2022). An Opportunity to Learn: Engaging in the praxis of school finance policy and civil rights. Law & Inequality: A Journal of Theory and Practice, 40(2), 311-334.

Vasquez Heilig. J., Flores, I., Souza, A., Barry, J., & Barcelo Monroy, S. (2019). Considering the ethnoracial and gender diversity of faculty in US college and university intellectual communities. Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy, 2(1), 1-31.

Vasquez Heilig, J., Nelson, S., & Kronzer, M. (2018). Does the African American need separate charter schools? Law & Inequality: A Journal of Theory and Practice, 36(2), 247-267.

Vasquez Heilig, J. Holme, J., LeClair, A. V., Redd, L., & Ward, D. (2016). Separate and unequal?: The problematic segregation of special populations in charter schools relative to traditional public schools. Stanford Law & Policy Review, 27(2), 251-293.

Richards, M., Stroub, K., Vasquez Heilig, J. & Volonnino, M. (2012). Achieving diversity in the Parents Involved era: Evidence for geographic integration plans in metropolitan school districts. Berkeley Journal of African-American Law & Policy, 14(1), 65-94.

Cole, H. & Vasquez Heilig, J. (2011). Developing a school-based youth court: A potential alternative to the school to prison pipeline. Journal of Law and Education, 4(2), 1-17.

Vasquez Heilig, J., Cole, H. & Springel, M. (2011). Alternative certification and Teach For America: The search for high quality teachers. Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy, 20(3), 388-412.

HANDBOOKS

Kim, A., Brewer, T. J. & Vasquez Heilig, J. (2022). Planting toxic seeds in fertile soil: The knowledge acquisition, achievement, and behavioral beliefs inculcated into Teach For America corps members of color. In C. Gist and T. Bristol (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Teachers of Color (pp. XX-XX). Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.*

Vasquez Heilig. J., Brewer, J. & Adamson, F. (2019). The politics of market-based school choice research: A comingling of ideology, methods and funding, In M. Berends, A. Primus and M. Springer (Eds.) Handbook of Research on School Choice, 2nd (pp. 335-350). New York, NY: Routledge.*

Cole, H., Vasquez Heilig, J., Fernandez, T., Clifford, M., & Garcia, R. (2015). Social Justice in action: Urban school leaders address the school to prison pipeline via a youth court. In M. Khalifa, C. Grant, N.W. Arnold and A. Osanloo (Eds.), Handbook of Urban Educational Leadership (pp. 320-328). New York, NY: Rowman and Littlefield.*

Vasquez Heilig, J., Khalifa, M., & Tillman, L. (2013). Why have NCLB and high–stakes reforms failed?: Reframing the discourse with a post–colonial lens. In K. Lomotey and R. Milner (Eds.), Handbook of Urban Education (pp. 523-537). New York, NY: Routledge.*

Vasquez Heilig, J. & Nichols, S. (2013). A quandary for school leaders: Equity, high-stakes testing and accountability. In L. C. Tillman &. J. J. Scheurich (Eds), Handbook of Research on Educational Leadership for Diversity and Equity (pp. 409-435). New York, NY: Routledge.*

BOOKS

Fowler, J., Vasquez Heilig, J., Jouganatos, S., & Johnson, A. (Eds.). (2023). Equity & access: An analysis of educational leadership preparation, policy, & practice. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

BOOK CHAPTERS

Vasquez Heilig, J. (2021). Scrutinizing the school choice Equity Ethos for Black parents. In D. Berliner & C. Hermanns (Eds.), Public Education: The Cornerstone of American Democracy, (pp. XX-XX). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Ravitch, R, Vasquez Heilig, J. & Brewer, J. (2021). Why we’re bloggers: Utilizing blogs and social media to influence education policy conversations and decisions. In A. Urick, D. DeMatthews, & T. Ford (Eds.), Maximizing the policy-relevance of research for school improvement, (pp. 375-386). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Muñoz, C. Vasquez Heilig, J & Del Real, M. (2019) Property functions of Whiteness: Counter-narrative analysis of Teach For America and their partnership with Black and Latinx fraternities and sororities. In K. Gillion, C. Beatty, & C. Salinas (Eds.), New directions for student affairs: Critical considerations of race, ethnicity, and culture in fraternity/sorority life, (61-71) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishing.

Vasquez Heilig, J,. Brewer, T.J. & White, T. (2018). What Instead?: Reframing the debate about charter schools, Teach For America, and testing. In R. Ahlquist, P. Gorski and T. Montano (Eds.), Assault on Kids and Teachers: Countering privatization, deficit ideologies and standardization of U.S. schools, (pp. 201-217) New York: Peter Lang.

Vasquez Heilig, J., Marachi, R., & Cruz, D. (2016). Mismatched assumptions: Motivation, grit, and high-stakes testing. In S. Nichols (Ed.), Educational policies and youth in the 21st century: Problems, potential, and progress, (pp. 145-157).  Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Vasquez Heilig, J,. Lopez, F., & Torre, D. (2014). Examining teacher quality, educational policy and English Learners in Latina/o growth states. In S. Horsford and C. Wilson (Eds.), Advancing equity and achievement in America’s diverse schools, (pp. 41-56) New York: Routledge.

Rodríguez, A. A., Vasquez Heilig, J. & Prochnow, A. (2014). Higher education, the G.I. Bill, and the post-war lives of WWII Latino veterans and their families. In M. Rivas-Rodriguez & B. Olguin (Eds.), Latina/os & World War II: Mobility, agency and ideology, Austin: University of Texas Press.

Brown, A.L., Vasquez Heilig, J. & Brown, K. D. (2013). From segregated, to integrated, to narrowed knowledge: curriculum revision for African Americans, from Pre-Brown to the present. In J. K. Donnor and A. D. Dixson (Eds.), The resegregation of schools: Race and education in the twenty-first century, (27-43) New York: Routledge.

Reddick, R. J., Heilig, J. V., & Valdez, P. L. (2012). Bridging a Black-Brown divide: Black male students at Hispanic-serving institutions In A. A. Hilton, J. L. Wood, & C. W. Lewis (Eds.), Black males in postsecondary education: Examining their experiences in diverse institutional contexts, (pp. 183-208). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

EDUCATION POLICY REPORTS, BRIEFS, AND FIELD PUBLICATIONS

Vasquez Heilig, J. (2018). NEPC Review: “Bigger Bang, Fewer Bucks?” (University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform, February 2018). Boulder, CO: National Education Policy Center.

Vasquez Heilig, J. (2015). Should Louisiana and the Recovery School District receive accolades for being last and nearly last? Tucson, AZ: The Network for Public Education.

Vasquez Heilig, J., LeClair, A.V., Lemke, M., & McMurrey, A. (2014). Remarkable or poppycock?: Lessons from school voucher research and data. Austin, TX: Texas Center for Education Policy, University of Texas at Austin.

Vasquez Heilig, J. & Riley, J. C. (2014). Dallas Home Rule takeover. Austin, TX: Texas Center for Education Policy, University of Texas at Austin.

Vasquez Heilig, J. & Jez, S. (2014). Teach For America: A return to the evidence. Boulder, CO: National Education Policy Center. University of Colorado.

Vasquez Heilig, J., Jez, S. & Reddick, R. (2012). Is Texas leading its peers and the nation?: A Decadal Analysis of Educational Data. The Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis. University of Texas at Austin.

Vasquez Heilig, J. & Portales. (2012). Are vouchers a panacea?: Data from international implementation.Austin, TX: The Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis, University of Texas at Austin.

Reddick, R & Vasquez Heilig, J. (2011). Considering African American population, crime, education and mentoring constellations. Boulé Western Region Public Policy Committee.

Vasquez Heilig, J. & Jez, S. (2010). Teach For America: A review of the evidence. Boulder, CO: National Education Policy Center, University of Colorado.

Vasquez Heilig, J. & Reddick, R. (2008, August 13). Perspectives: Black males in the educational pipeline. Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Retrieved fromhttp://diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_11550.shtml

Harris, D., Prosky, M,. Bach, A., Vasquez Heilig, J., & Hussar, K. (2005). Overview of actions taken by high schools to improve instruction. In Betheny Gross & Margaret E. Goertz. (Eds)., Holding high hopes: How high schools respond to state accountability policies. CPRE Research Report Series. RR-056. Consortium for Policy Research in Education. University of Pennsylvania.

BIOGRAPHY

Martínez, D. G., & Lizarraga, A. (submitted). Julian Vasquez Heilig: Unifying research, public scholarship, civil rights advocacy, and educational equity and leadership. In B. A. Geier (Ed.), The Palgrave Handbook of Educational Thinkers (pp. xx-xx). Palgrave Macmillan Cham, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81037-5