Dr. Sarah Woulfin

Biography

Sarah Woulfin is a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin, where her research focuses on the relationship between education policy and equitable instruction. Utilizing a research-practice partnership approach, she formulates relevant questions and engages practitioners to transform practice substantively. Her investigations employ lenses of organizational sociology and qualitative methods to address pressing issues of school improvement, concentrating on enhancing professional learning opportunities for instructional leadership. By analyzing the institutional structures and organizational conditions within districts and schools, she examines how leaders and teachers implement policy and how these infrastructures impact educational change. Woulfin's work has been published in several prestigious outlets, including the American Journal of Education and Educational Administration Quarterly. Additionally, she co-authored the book 'Making Coaching Matter' published by Teachers College Press. Her research has received funding from the Spencer Foundation and the Wallace Foundation. From 2019 to 2023, she served as co-editor of the 'Educational Researcher'. Before her academic career, Woulfin was an urban public school teacher and reading coach, dedicated to strengthening students' literacy skills and promoting equitable outcomes.

Research Interests

Courses