Megan Hopkins

Dr. Megan Hopkins’ research focuses on policy and leadership with a specific emphasis on the education of multilingual learner students in the K-12 education system. Over the last decade, she has engaged in numerous applied research projects that examine the implementation of state policies related to bilingual education programming and the preparation of teachers of multilingual learners. She co-leads a research-practice partnership that leverages and conducts research to build state education agency leaders’ capacity to advance equity for multilingual learners in their unique contexts. Dr. Hopkins serves as co-advisor to the English Learner Collaborative of the Council of Chief State School Officers, the largest professional association for state education agency leaders in the country. Her work has been published widely in the form of academic journal articles, books, and policy reports and briefs.

Ph.D.

University of California, Los Angeles, 2011
Education (Specialization in Urban Schooling)
Cognate in Public Policy

M.Ed.

Harvard University, 2006

International Education Policy

B.A.

Indiana University, 2002

Spanish 

Representative publications are listed below. For a more complete list, please visit Google Scholar.

Hopkins, M., & Gautsch, L. (2023). Addressing English learner teacher shortages: Strategies for state education agency leaders. Council of Chief State School Officers.

Hopkins, M., Weddle, H., Lavadenz, M., Murillo, M. A., & Vahdani, T. (2022). Examining the English learner policy ecology: How educators navigated the provision of designated English language development (ELD) support at the secondary level. Peabody Journal of Education, 97(1), 47-61.

Hopkins, M., Weddle, H., Castillo, M., Costa, J., Edwards, K., Elliot, S., Gautsch, L., Lowenhaupt, R., & Salas, V. (2022). Upholding multilingual learners’ civil rights under ESSA and beyond: State leadership and the contextual factors shaping federal policy implementation. American Journal of Education, 128(4), 591-616.

Hopkins, M., Weddle, H., Bjorklund, Jr., P., Umansky, I. M., & Dabach, D. B. (2021). “It’s created by a community”: Local context mediating districts’ approaches to serving immigrant and refugee newcomers. AERA Open, 7(1), 1-13.

Santos, M., & Hopkins, M. (2020). Creating schools and systems that support asset-based, high-quality instruction for multilingual learners. In Improving Education for Multilingual and English Learner Students: Research to Practice (pp. 413-504). California Department of Education.

Hopkins, M., & Weddle, H. (2020). Restart and recovery—access and equity for English learner students and families during COVID-19: Recommendations for state leaders. Council of Chief State School Officers. 

Callahan, R., Gautsch, L., Hopkins, M., & Unda, M. (2020). Equity and state immigrant inclusivity: English learner education in ESSA. Educational Policy, 1-43.

Hopkins, M., Gluckman, M., & Vahdani, T. (2019). Emergent change: An organizational analysis of elementary teacher learning about English learner instruction in a suburban new immigrant destination. American Educational Research Journal, 56(6), 2295-2332.

Umansky, I., Hopkins, M., Dabach, D. B., Porter, L., Thompson, K., Pompa, D. (2018). Understanding and supporting the educational needs of recently arrived immigrant English learner students: Lessons for state and local education agencies. Council of Chief State School Officers.

Hopkins, M., Malsbary, C. B., & Morales, P. Z. (2016). Responsive federal policy for bi/multilingual students. The Education Law and Policy Review, 3, 31-57.

Hopkins, M. (2016). Beliefs in context: Understanding language policy implementation at a systems level. Educational Policy, 30(4), 573-605.

Hopkins, M., Lowenhaupt, R., & Sweet, T. (2015). Organizing English learner instruction in new immigrant destinations: District infrastructure and subject-specific school practice. American Educational Research Journal, 52(3), 408-439.

Hopkins, M., Thompson, K., Linquanti, R., Hakuta, K., & August, D. (2013). Fully accounting for English learner performance: A key issue in ESEA reauthorization. Educational Researcher, 42(2), 101-108.

Hopkins, M. (2012). Arizona’s teacher policies and their relationship with English learner instructional practice. Language Policy, 11(1), 81-99.

Gándara, P., & Hopkins, M. (Eds.). (2010). Forbidden language: English learners and restrictive language policies. Teachers College Press.

Dr. Hopkins teaches courses across the undergraduate and graduate programs in Education Studies focused on bilingual education, education policy, and qualitative and quantitative research methods.