Karen Beard

Karen Stansberry Beard, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Educational Administration and an Educational Policy affiliate. She is 2025 President, University Council of 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
  • Race and Education Policy
  • Social Policy
• Educational Achievement
• Educational Administration
  • Ethics
  • Organizational Leadership and Change
  • School and Community Relations
  • Social and Political Contexts
• Educational Psychology
  • Positive psychology
• Equity
• 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. (in Press) Flow Under Threat: Stereotype Threat and Flow Theory Integration in Support of Marginalized Student Academic Engagement and Psychological Well-Being. Journal of Educational Psychology.
• 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. (In Press). Family engagement efficacy beliefs: Exploring educators’ mindsets for building relationships with parents using the FEEB-E survey. School Community Journal, 35(1).
• 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 https://www.ucea.org/governance.php
• 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

1. Beard, K. S. (in Press) Flow Under Threat: Stereotype Threat and Flow Theory Integration in Support of Marginalized Student Academic Engagement and Psychological Well-Being. Journal of Educational Psychology
2. Bachman, H. F. & Beard, K. S. (In Press). Family engagement efficacy beliefs: Exploring educators’ mindsets for building relationships with parents using the FEEB-E surveySchool Community Journal, 35(1).
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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. OnlineFirst - https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543231217459
6. 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
7. 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.
8. 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
9. 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.
10. 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 
11. 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 
12. 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 
13. 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 
14. 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 
15. 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
16. 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. 
17. 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  
18. 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
19. 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. 
20. 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 
21. 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 
22. 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 
23. 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 
24. 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 
25. 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