Ain A. Grooms, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She studies K-12 educational equity, with a particular focus on equity and access for students of color and students from traditionally disenfranchised communities. She uses the intersection of race and place to examine the impact of educational policy on student achievement and associated outcomes. Her current research projects focus on whether and how educational leaders and related stakeholders in schools, districts, and states design and sustain equity-focused policies and practices, with particular emphasis on the retention of educators of color, the development of principal pipelines, and the implementation of computer science education policy. Prior to joining the academy, Dr. Grooms worked as a founding administrator of a charter high school in Boston, MA, a college advisor at a youth development organization in New York City, NY, and as a policy analyst at a research and policy organization in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Grooms has published in Urban Education, Peabody Journal of Education, Educational Policy, Education and Urban Society, the Journal of Research on Leadership Education, and has presented her research at local, national, and international conferences.
Select Publications
- Mahatmya, D., Grooms, A., Kim, J., McGinnis, D., & Johnson, E. (2022). Burnout and race-related stress among women of color K-12 educators. Journal of Education Human Resources, 40(1), 58-89. Online Publication/Abstract.
- Marshall, S. L., & Grooms, A. (2022). Industry’s push for computer science education: Is computer science really for all?. Policy Futures in Education Online Publication/Abstract.
- Grooms, A., & Galvez Bohorquez, D. (2022). What’s your excuse?: Sensemaking about chronic absenteeism in a rural, Latinx high school. Journal of School Leadership, 32(4), 384-405. Online Publication/Abstract.
- Grooms, A., Mahatmya, D., & Johnson, E. (2021). The retention of educators of color amidst institutionalized racism. Educational Policy, 35(2), 180-212. Online Publication/Abstract.
- Grooms, A., & Childs, J. (2021). “We need to do better by kids”: Changing routines in US schools in response to COVID-19 school closures. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 26(2), 135-156. Online Publication/Abstract.
- Grooms, A. (2019). Turbulence in St. Louis County: School transfers, opportunity hoarding, and the legacy of Brown. Peabody Journal of Education, 94(4), 403-419. Online Publication/Abstract.
- Childs, J., & Grooms, A. (2018). Improving school attendance through collaboration: A catalyst for community involvement and change. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 23(1-2), 122-138.