Dr. James Jennings

Education Department

Dr. James Jennings

Dr. Jennings Website Picture

Cynthia Cook Sandefur Odyssey Professor of Education and History

Chair, Education Department

Office: Mills Center 107
Phone: (501) 450-1283
E-mail: jennings@hendrix.edu  

Educational Background 

  • Ed.D., Vanderbilt University 
  • M.E., University of Arkansas 
  • B.S.E., Northwestern University 

Dr. James Jennings is an associate professor for education and history (with tenure), and he serves as the unit chairperson. He has been employed by Hendrix College since 1992. Dr. Jennings has a Bachelor of Science in Education degree from Northwestern University, in Evanston, Illinois. The degree is in secondary education, with concentrations (completed all of the course requirements for a major) in history and political science. He has a Master of Education degree, in educational administration, from the University of Arkansas (in Fayetteville). Finally, he has a Doctor of Education degree, in educational leadership, from Vanderbilt University. 

He is licensed to teach secondary social studies (grades 7-12) in Arkansas. He is licensed to serve as a secondary school principal in Arkansas. Also, he is a Pathwise Observation System trainer of trainers, and he is a certified Praxis III new teacher assessor for the Arkansas Department of Education. 

Research and Teaching Interests  

  • "Turnaround" schools in the Lower Mississippi Delta Region 

Affiliations  

  • Member of Phi Delta Kappa 
  • Member of National Council of the Social Studies 

Licensure/Certification  

  • Secondary Social Studies Teacher, Arkansas, Grades 7-12 
  • Middle School Certification 
  • Secondary Principal, Arkansas 
  • Tenure, Full Professor, Hendrix College 
  • Pathwise Observation System Trainer of Trainers 
  • Certified Praxis III Assessor for the Arkansas Department of Education 

Publications 

  • “Level Five Culture in High-Achieving, High-Poverty Schools,” Journal of
    Teaching Children of Poverty, Spring 2010. 
  • “Parent Involvement Strategies for Inner-City Schools.” NASSP Bulletin
    December 1992. 
  • “Closing the Achievement Gap: A Model for Success.” ERIC Document
    Reproduction Service - Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood
    Education. ED 356 865 

Presentations 

  • "The new Arkansas Teacher Evaluation Model." Presentation (six hours) to
    faculty of Bob Courtway Middle School, August 2011. 
  • "The new Arkansas Teacher Evaluation Model." Presentation to faculty of Carl
    Stuart Middle School, August 2011. 
  • "Turnaround Strategies," "Parent Involvement," "Charter plan," "Backmapping,"
    etc., - presentations made to the faculties of Cloverdale Aerospace
    Technology Conversion Charter Middle School and Lincoln Middle Academy of
    Excellence Conversion Charter School, 2010-2011.  
  • Presentation at the Annual Conference (San Diego, CA) of the Association of
    Teacher Educators, February 2006. “Successful Title I Schoolwide Projects
    and the Implications for Teacher Education.” 
  • “Developing Integrated Science and Mathematics Units Using the Dimensions of
    Learning Model, Infusion, and Technology.” Nine monthly sessions for
    teachers from the Holly Grove, Lee County, Lonoke, and Marvell School
    Districts, School Year- 1997-98.  
  • “Using Dimensions of Learning to Develop Instructional Units.” Two workshops
    for teachers in the Lee County School District. Spring 1997.  
  • “Curriculum, Critical Thinking Skills and Performance Assessment in Science
    and Mathematics.” 12 school districts, 1995-96 
  • “Constructivism in the Classroom.” Conducted a workshop for all teachers at the
    Henderson Jr. High Health Sciences Magnet School. May 1996. 
  • “A Constructivist Framework for Selecting Materials and Textbooks that Support
    a District’s Newly Developed K-12 Science Curriculum.” Co-presenter; five
    sites in Arkansas; 36 school districts, Fall 1994. 
  • “Arkansas Science Frameworks.” Co-presenter in a series of workshops for 13
    school districts. Conducted an 8-hour workshop (2 sessions) in February 1994
    on curriculum development. (Eisenhower Grant) 
  • “Closing the Achievement Gap: A Model for Success.” Paper presented at the
    Southern Regional Council of Educational Administrators Annual Conference
    at Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, November 8-10, 1992. 
  • “Closing the Achievement Gap: A Model for Success.” Paper presented at the Mid
    -South Educational Research Association Annual Conference in Knoxville,
    Tennessee, November 11-13, 1992. 

Grants 

  • Wrote schoolwide turnaround charter plan for Cloverdale Middle School - approved by the Arkansas State Board of Education, February 2010 
  • Wrote schoolwide turnaround charter plan for Lincoln Middle School - approved by the Arkansas State Board of Education, January 2010 
  • Wrote charter school funding grants for Cloverdale Aerospace Technology Conversion Charter Middle School and Lincoln Middle Academy of Excellence Conversion Charter School ($440,000 each) - approved by the Arkansas Department of Education 
  • Co-author of $6M School Improvement Grant for Cloverdale Aerospace Technology Conversion Charter Middle School - three-year grant (2010-2012)  
  • Hendrix Odyssey Professor Three-Year Research Grant – Implementation of the Above the Line Project in high-poverty, low-performing schools in the Arkansas Delta. Compares experimental and control schools. 2009-2012  
  • Odyssey Grant, Hendrix College – Planning and Implementation of the Above the Line Project – Remediation and enrichment in literacy, math, and grammar for third graders in the Forrest City School District, July-August 2008 
  • Arkansas Department of Education Charter School Office Grant for the Hendrix College Charter School Leadership Institute, July 2008, July 2007, and July 2006 – train prospective charter school leaders www.hendrix.edu/charterleadership  
  • Odyssey Grant, Hendrix College – Planning and Implementation of the Above the Line Project – Remediation and enrichment in literacy, math, and science for third graders in the Forrest City School District, January – June, 2007 
  • Walton Family Foundation Charter School Planning Grant, December 2005 
  • Faculty Travel Grant to Kenya to study educational system (2 weeks), Summer 2001. 
  • Faculty Travel Grant to Kenya to study educational system (2 weeks), Summer 2000. 
  • Pyeatt Grant to study the cultural geography of Panama, Summer 1995
  • American Educational Research Association (AERA) grant to study Chapter 1 schoolwide projects in the Delta Region, March 1992. Final report (“Chapter 1 Schoolwide Projects in the Delta”) approved by AERA in February 1994.