Karen Beard

Karen Stansberry Beard, Ph.D., is a Professor of Educational Administration and an Educational Policy affiliate. She is the 2026 Immediate Past President of the University Council for Educational Administration (https://www.ucea.org/governance.php). At OSU, Karen teaches Positive Psychology in Educational Administration, The Social and Political Contexts of Education, Ethics, and School and Community Relations.

• PhD, Educational Administration, The Ohio State University, 2008
• MA, Educational Administration, The Ohio State University, 1989
• BS, Elementary Education, K-8, The Ohio State University, 1983

• Education Policy
  • Educational Policy in U.S. Context
• Educational Administration
  • Educational Achievement
  • Ethics
  • Organizational Leadership and Change
  • School and Community Relations
  • Social and Political Contexts
• Educational Psychology
  • Positive psychology
• Ethics
• Teacher Education Policy and Leadership
• Urban Education

Dr. Beard’s overall goal of advancing equity in quality-of-life outcomes continues to be realized through three lines of inquiry: Educational Administration, Positive Psychology, and Leadership Development. As a result of her foundational interest in civil rights legislation, she has researched positive psychology in school leadership, teaching and learning, and the implementation of policy supportive of cross-cultural understanding (African American and Latine) for over two decades. Karen has been recognized nationally and internationally for the cutting-edge research these lines of inquiry have generated. She has received multiple teaching and research accolades and maintained leadership in service as she pursues “best practices” and predictors of effective organizational leadership and conditions supportive of administrator, teacher, and student well-being.

Her dissertation introduced Positive Psychology into the field, where she is also the first known scholar to introduce flow theory into Educational Administration and Leadership. Central to this line of inquiry is the intentional exploration of positive psychology and related constructs (e.g., flow, PERMA(H), and academic optimism) in organizational leadership and policy implementation. These foci undergird her publications as well as her presentation activities across the United States and internationally. Creative works developed from her research include:

An Ethical Decision-Making Framework

• Beard, K. S. (2025). Sensemaking and Engagement in Ethical Decision-Making (SEED): A United States Decision-Making Framework for Educational Administration and School Leadership. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432241309749

Theories

• Beard, K. S. (2025). Flow under threat: Stereotype threat and flow theory integration in support of marginalized student academic achievement, engagement, and psychological well-being. Journal of Educational Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000951
• Beard, K. S. (2018). Toward a theory of Engaged School Leadership: Positive psychology and principal candidates’ sense of engagement and their preparedness to lead engagement. Journal of School Leadership, 28(6), 742-771. https://doi.org/10.1177/105268461802800603

Measurement Scales

• Bachman, H. F. & Beard, K. S. (2025). Family engagement efficacy beliefs: Exploring educators’ mindsets for building relationships with parents using the FEEB-E survey School Community Journal, 35(1). http://www.schoolcommunitynetwork.org/SCJ.aspx  (search Vol 35, No 1 – Spring/Summer 2025)
• Zhan, X., Anthony, A. B., Goddard, R., & Beard, K. S. (2023). Development, factor structure, and reliability of the Shared Instructional Leadership Scale in public secondary schools. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 51(1), 75-94. Development, factor structure, and reliability of the Shared Instructional Leadership Scale in public secondary schools
• Zhan, X. (2016). Development and Analysis of Two Instruments: The Shared Instructional Leadership Scale (SILS) and the Instructional Program Coherence Scale (IPCS). The Ohio State University. The Instructional Program Coherence Scale
• Beard, K. S., & Hoy, W. K. (2010). The nature, meaning, and measure of teacher flow in elementary schools: A test of rival hypotheses. Educational Administration Quarterly, 46(3), 426-458.The nature, meaning, and measure of teacher flow in elementary schools: A test of rival hypotheses.
• Beard, K. S., Hoy, W. K., & Hoy, A. W. (2010). Academic optimism of individual teachers: Confirming a new construct. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(5), 1136-1144. Academic optimism of individual teachers: Confirming a new construct.

Teaching Cases

• Beard, K. S., & Gates, S. E. (2019). Providing a passport to the future for foster youth: A case for educational leadership and policy. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 22(1), 3-14.Providing a passport to the future for foster youth: A case for educational leadership and policy.
• Beard, K. S. (2017). Promises kept or opportunities lost: A wicked problem in educational leadership. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 20(3), 86-103. Promises kept or opportunities lost: A wicked problem in educational leadership.

• 2025 President, University Council of Educational Administration http://go.osu.edu/Karen-Beard-UCEA-president
  • Beard, K. S. (2025, November). UCEA Presidential Address. Kasserian Ingera de la Comunidad: Inquiry, Sensemaking, and Engagement in Leadership Preparation. UCEA Review 67(1), 1-10.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QBwLRel2XI
  • Beard, K. S. (2025, May). UCEA 4th Presidential Lecture. Leading What Works to Cultivate Climates that Promote Student Success, and Student and Faculty Well-being (in Uncertainty?) Presidential Presentation of Positive Schooling Strategies and Research in Educational Administration. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhwdVfrsNs0
• 2022 The Ohio State University Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching Announced/Presented by Kay Wolfe (March 22, 2022). This award is the highest teaching award for faculty with only 10 recipients out of over 7,000 teaching and associated faculty: https://universityawards.osu.edu/archives/distinguished-teaching-alumni
• EHE Black Legacy Series Recipient (February 28, 2022) https://edge.ehe.osu.edu/2022/05/11/ehe-legacies-black-legacy-series-2022/
• 2020 The Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership Paula Silver Case Award Providing a passport to the future for foster youth: A case for educational leadership and policy & Promises kept or opportunities lost: A wicked problem in educational leadership. 
• 2020 The Rudine Bishop Award Recipient for The College of Education and Human Ecology Diversity Enhancement Award
• 2018 The Ohio State Education and Human Ecology College Teaching Award
• 2016 The Journal of Urban Education’s Outstanding Service Award
• 2010 Miami University of Ohio University Teaching Award
• 2009 William Loadman Research Award for Educational Administration – Best Dissertation

• Beard, K.S. (2026, Winter). UCEA Presidential Address 2025: Kasserian Ingera de la Comunidad: Inquiry, Sensemaking, and Engagement in Leadership Preparation. UCEA Review 67(1),1-10. https://www.ucea.org/docs/UCEAReview2026Winter_022726.pdf
• Armstrong, R., & Beard, K. S. (2026). Interrogating school leader sense-making: An examination of the influence of leader identity on school discipline. Journal of Educational Administration. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-07-2025-0257
• O’Herrick, A. P., & Beard, K. S. (2026). Black Girls and School Discipline: A QuantCrit Examination of Discipline Policy, Racialized Female Discipline, and Academic Outcomes. Urban Education, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00420859261417307
• Beard, K. S. (2025). Flow under threat: Stereotype threat and flow theory integration in support of marginalized student academic achievement, engagement, and psychological well-being. Journal of Educational Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000951
• Bachman, H. F., & Beard, K. S. (2025). Family engagement efficacy beliefs of educators: confirming a new measure. Teachers and Teaching, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2025.2497793
• Bachman, H. F. and Beard, K. S. (2025). Family engagement efficacy beliefs: Exploring educators’ mindsets for building relationships with parents using the FEEB-E survey. School Community Journal, 35(1), 137-168. https://www.adi.org/journal/SS2025/BachmanBeard.pdf
• Beard, K. S. (2025). Sensemaking and Engagement in Ethical Decision-Making (SEED): A United States Decision-Making Framework for Educational Administration and School Leadership. Educational Management Administration & Leadership 0(0). Accepted January 10, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432241309749
• Beard, K. S., Shortt, M. Xie, K. (2024). The Emergence and Escalation of Online Racial Discrimination in Digital Spaces: A Systematic Review. Review of Educational Research, 95(1), 89-122. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543231217459
• Beard, K.S. (2024). Flow in Heroism and Leadership. In: Allison, S.T., Beggan, J.K., Goethals, G.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Heroism Studies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48129-1_11
• Stewart, N. D., Beard, K. S., & Kim, M. (2023). Using Quantitative Critical Race Methodology to Explore Teachers’ Perceived Beliefs. Educational Policy. Educational Policy https://doi.org/10.1177/08959048231174879
• Zhan, X., Anthony, A. B., Goddard, R., & Beard, K. S. (2023). Development, factor structure, and reliability of the Shared Instructional Leadership Scale in public secondary schools. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 51(1), 75-94.
• Beard, K. S. (2022). When Day Comes We Ask Ourselves, Where Can We find Light in This Never-Ending Shade?: An Introduction to Time for Change. Education and Urban Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/00131245221107230
• Bachman, H.F., Daniel, T.K., Beard, K. S. (2022). Do the Societal Benefits from Ability Grouping in Schools Outweigh the Potential Discriminatory Effect?: A Review of IntegrateNYC. West Education Law Reporter.
• Beard, K. S., Vakil, J.B., Chao, T., Hilty, C. (2021). Time for Change: Understanding Teacher Social-Emotional Learning Supports for Anti-Racism and Student Well-Being During COVID-19, and Beyond. Education and Urban Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/00131245211062527 
• Beard, K. S., Thompson, S. I. (2021). Breaking Barriers: District and School Administrators Engaging Family, and Community as a Key Determinant of Student Success. Urban Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085920987284 
• Watkins, S., Anthony, A. A., Beard, K. S. (2020). Principals’ Sensemaking of Leading Under Accountability and Innovation Policies. Leadership and Policy in Schools.  https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2020.1734207 
• Beard, K. S. (2019). Getting on track: Aligning the achievement gap conversation with ethical educational practice. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 22(1), 30-54. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2018.1503821 
• Beard, K. S., Gates, S. (2019). Providing a passport to the future for foster youth: A case for educational leadership and policy. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 22(1), 3-14. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555458918782334 
• Beard, K. S. (2018). Toward a theory of Engaged School Leadership: Positive psychology and principal candidates’ sense of engagement and their preparedness to lead engagement. The Psychology of Educational Leadership Special Edition of The Journal of School Leadership 28(6), 742-771. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2018.1503821
• Beard, K. S. (2018). Standing in the gap: Theory and practice impacting educational opportunity and achievement gaps. Urban Education, 53(5), 668-696.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085915613553. 
• Beard, K. S., Adeeko, O. (2018). Charter School Authorization: A New Gateway to Excellence and Equity. Journal of Transformative Leadership and Policy Studies, 7(1), 15-26.  https://doi.org/10.36851/jtlps.v7i1.495  
• Beard, K. S., Arnold, N. W., Douglas, T. (2018). Special Issue Introduction: The Psychology of Educational Leadership. Journal of School Leadership 28(6), 712-117. https://doi.org/10.1177/105268461802800601
• Beard K. S. (2017). Promises kept or opportunities lost: A wicked problem in educational leadership. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 20(3), 86-103.  https://doi.org/10.1177/1555458916685749. 
• Beard, K. S. (2015). Theoretically Speaking: An Interview with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on Flow Theory Development and Its Usefulness in Addressing Contemporary Challenges in Education. Educational Psychology Review, 27(2), 353-364. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-014-9291-1 
• Beard, K. S. (2013). Character in action: A case of authentic educational leadership that advanced equity and excellence. Journal of School Leadership, 23(6), 1015-1046.  https://doi.org/10.1177/105268461302300605 
• Beard, K. S. (2012). Making the case for the outlier: Researcher reflections of an African-American female deputy superintendent who decided to close the achievement gap. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 25(1), 57-71.  https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2011.647724 
• Beard, K. S., Hoy, W.K. (2010). The nature, meaning, and measure of teacher flow in elementary schools: A test of rival hypotheses. Educational Administration Quarterly, 46(3), 426-458.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X10375294 
• Beard, K. S., Hoy, W. K., & Woolfolk Hoy, A. (2010). Academic optimism of individual teachers: Confirming a new construct. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(5), 1136-1144.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.02.003 
• Beard, K. S., Brown, K.M. (2008). ‘Trusting schools to meet the academic needs of African American students?’ Suburban mothers’ perspectives. The International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 21(5), 471-485.  https://doi.org/10.1080/09518390802297763