Academics

A Thomas Billings

Professional Details

Spring Courses

Professional Biography

I was tenured in 1999 and promoted to associate professor in 2001 in the Education Department. I am also a member of the Graduate Faculty. I have served on numerous department committees and often have held leadership on campus-wide committees such as co-chair of the Council of Teaching and Learning, chair of the Graduate Education Council, and served a number of times on the MSCA Executive Board.

I am a proud alumnus of Salem State College and serve on the Alumni Board of Directors and Friends of Education. I was honored to receive the Elizabeth Wade Award for Outstanding Service by the SSC Alumni Association in 2004 and was asked to be keynote speaker at the December 2008 Student Leaders Dinner.

Professional Interests

I have spent nearly 15 years working with numerous high schools interested in reinventing themselves into 21st century high schools. For more than 10 years, I worked with the LAB at Brown University and helped design a model for change that implemented the principles of NASSP’s Breaking Ranks I and II. Our major focus was around Personalized Learning in high schools.

For the past two years, I have been working with the Comprehensive Secondary School Restructuring group. This combines the best of what we have accomplished at Brown with an emphasis on personalized learning through restructuring schools with the necessary support systems.

Responsibilities

•  EDU 252A - The Contemporary High School (three sections)

•  Coordinator of M.Ed.: Secondary Education

•  Liason Coordinator of all MAT/M.Ed. Graduate Programs

Selected Publications

• Contributing Author, Personalized Learning: Preparing High School Students to Create Their Futures, a collaborative work with the Education Alliance at Brown University. Scarecrow Press. Reston, Virginia. 2003.

• Small Learning Communities Grant Winners Action Research with CSSR, published results due August 2009.

• Researcher/Investigator with Regional Education Lab, Brown University, to investigate four Massachusetts high schools reforming according to National Association of Secondary School Principals "Breaking Ranks" model. 1998-2005.

• Coordinated/Facilitated grant application and acquisition of an $800,000 U.S. Department of Education grant for Peabody High School, Peabody, MA. 2005.

• Salem State College Council on Teaching and Learning Research Grant Winner with Professor Sablock, Geology Department, for "Pilot Program for the Study of GLS 100 for Early Childhood and Elementary Education." 2000.

• Public Agenda Focus Group Member and Contributor, "Different Drummers: How Teachers of Teachers View Public Education." 1997.

Selected Presentations

• Presenter. CSSR Principals Showcase. San Diego, CA. February 2008.

• Facilitator/Presenter. "Creating Opportunities for Authentic Student Involvement/Voice." High School Showcase @ Brown University. Warwick, RI. February 2005.

• Facilitator/Presenter. "Working with Unions Toward Common Goals." High School Showcase @ Brown University. Warwick, RI. February 2005.

• Workshop Presenter/Designer. "Involving Students: An Important Step in Personalized High Schools." Brown University Breaking Ranks Summer Institute: Personalizing High Schools for Student Success. Mystic, CT. July 2004.

• Facilitator. "Leadership for Personal Learning." National Association of Secondary School Principals National Convention. Orlando, FL. February 2004.

• Speaker. "Discover the Power of Advisories." National Association of Secondary School Principals National Convention. San Diego, CA. February 2003.