Hayley Weddle is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Foundations, Organizations, and Policy at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research addresses how leaders across K-12 and higher education implement policies in ways that enable or constrain equity. Across her work, Dr. Weddle is committed to developing reciprocal partnerships between educational leaders, policymakers, and researchers. She is currently leading a national partnership of researchers and state education agency leaders focused on advancing equity for multilingual learners. As an instructor, she enjoys teaching courses on pressing equity issues in education policy as well as qualitative research methods.
In addition to her research, Dr. Weddle currently serves as co-advisor for the national Council of Chief State School Officers English Learners Collaborative. She also previously served as the 2019-2020 Student Regent on the University of California Board of Regents, representing undergraduate and graduate students across the UC system. She holds an M.A. in Higher Education Leadership from San Diego State University and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of California, San Diego.
Educational Systems, Macro Policy, and Politics (PhD and MA Course)
Advanced Qualitative Analysis (PhD Course)
Critical Issues in Higher Education Governance (MA Course)
How leaders implement education policies
Research-practice partnerships and collaborative capacity building
Systems of support for multilingual learner students and families
Weddle, H., Hopkins, M., Lowenhaupt, B., and Kangas, S. (2024). Shared responsibility for multilingual learners across levels of the education system. Educational Researcher. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X241227913
Weddle, H. (2023). Engaging in research-practice partnerships with policy intermediaries: A case study of collaboration with state education agency leaders. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737231213082
Weddle, H., Lockton, M., & Datnow, A. (2023). Fostering, tailoring, and negotiating: The complexities of collaborative coaching in schools under pressure to improve. Educational Researcher. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X231187372
Principal Investigator, “Using Research to Promote Systemic Change for Multilingual Learners: A Case Study of Research-Practice Partnership Engagement with State Leaders,” William T. Grant Foundation, $610,000 (Funded: 2022-2025).
Co-Investigator, “Examining Distance Learning Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Michigan Department of Education, $150,000. (Funded: 2021-23).
Co-Investigator, “Addressing Equity and Access for ELs in State COVID-19 Guidance: A Research-Policy Partnership,” Council of Chief State School Officers, $60,000. (Funded: 2020-21).
University of Pittsburgh School of Education Dean’s Distinguished Teaching Award (2024).
Outstanding Reviewer Award, American Educational Research Journal (2024).
UC Student Regent, University of California Board of Regents (2018—2020). Selected to represent over 280,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students across ten UC campuses as the sole voting student on the governing body of the University of California.
Dr. Weddle currently serves as co-advisor for the Council of Chief State School Officers English Learners Collaborative. In this role, she facilitates capacity building for state education agency leaders across the country to support their efforts to advance equity for multilingual learners across policy and practice.
Through the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP), Dr. Weddle co-chairs the Qualitative Policy Scholars Community Group. In this role, she fosters community building and professional learning for qualitative researchers interested in impacting policy.
Dr. Weddle is also a faculty affiliate with the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC) at Michigan State University. In this role, she leads qualitative research examining how state, district, and community leaders support students’ equitable access to learning opportunities.
In 2020-21, Dr. Weddle served on the California Recovery with Equity Task Force chaired by Governor Newsom’s senior higher education advisor. She was selected as one of 15 education leaders in California to collaboratively develop an equity-focused plan to guide the state’s higher education recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.