A Dean’s Impact

CEHD Dean Gary T. Henry responded to critical needs in the state of Delaware during his tenure

After five years of service, Gary T. Henry, dean of the University of Delaware College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), will conclude his term as dean on August 15, 2024 and join the faculty after his return from a sabbatical. With the support of CEHD faculty and staff, Henry has accomplished many strategic goals in the service of Delaware children, families and their communities. 

In partnership with CEHD faculty and staff, Henry strengthened the CEHD teacher and school leadership “pipeline,” which includes how students and professionals begin their relationship with CEHD, matriculate through its programs or services, begin or continue their work in Delaware schools and continue their relationship with CEHD through professional learning and/or school partnerships. Henry also strengthened partnerships between CEHD and the state and has responded to critical needs in Delaware with new initiatives and programs.

“I am honored to have worked with so many state and community partners during my tenure as dean, as well as the amazing staff and faculty in our College,” Henry said. “I am particularly proud of our ability to grow our faculty expertise over the years and increase our College’s research productivity. I’m also proud of all that we have accomplished together for Delaware’s most vulnerable children, families and communities.”

CEHD’s teacher and school leader pipeline 

During Henry’s tenure as dean, he prioritized CEHD’s teacher and school leader pipeline, recognizing Delaware’s critical need for qualified teachers and school leaders amid a national shortage of education professionals. He focused his efforts on initiatives that would support the creation and retention of a diverse education workforce within Delaware to reflect the state’s increasingly diverse student body. 

For example, through the hiring of a dedicated recruiter for teacher preparation programs in CEHD’s Center for Excellence and Equity in Teacher Preparation and CEHD’s signature Teachers of Tomorrow and Teacher Residency programs, Henry supported the active recruitment of teacher education students from underrepresented backgrounds. Teachers of Tomorrow introduces underrepresented high school students to the field of education through an immersive, two-week institute at UD, and the Teacher Residency program offers students a paid, year-long student teaching experience in high-need Delaware schools. Once students graduate from the residency program, they teach within Delaware schools for three years.

In May 2023, Ani’yja Wilson was the first Teachers of Tomorrow participant to fully progress through CEHD’s teacher pipeline, graduating with her elementary teacher education degree after completing her residency in Appoquinimink School District. Wilson now teaches first-grade at Evan G. Shortlidge Academy in Wilmington, Delaware. 

“All of the residents that we had [during the 2022-23 school] year are now members of the Appoquinimink School District as teachers of record,” said Dominic Banks, director of talent acquisition and strategic staffing for the district, in a conversation about UD’s residency program. “We’re looking at the residency program as one of our pipelines, allowing participants to go from teacher resident to teacher of record.”

Henry’s Dean’s Diversity in Education Scholarship also eased the financial barriers to education and promoted access to high-quality teacher education programs for future CEHD students from underrepresented backgrounds.

CEHD’s systemic approach to school improvement 

Recognizing the importance of a systemic approach to school improvement, Henry also established CEHD’s School Success Center in 2022. The center brought together UD’s former Professional Development Center for Educators (PDCE), known for its excellence in instructional support, and the Delaware Academy for School Leadership (DASL), known for its excellence in leadership preparation. 

The School Success Center now partners with schools to offer differentiated coaching services for school leadership, expert-facilitated professional learning programs in literacy instruction, math instruction and multi-tiered systems of support, focusing on student screening, diagnostic assessment, intervention design, progress monitoring and more.

“Merging PDCE and DASL to create the School Success Center supports current research on improvement,” said Michael Saylor, director of educator excellence at the DDOE, at the launch of CEHD’s SSC. “We know that we need strong instructional leaders in our schools that can support their teachers in strong pedagogy. The new center models this comprehensive approach. Supporting schools takes collaboration and breaking down silos.”

Responding to critical needs in Delaware 

In addition to supporting high need schools through the Teacher Residency program and the School Success Center, Henry also responded to critical needs in Delaware with CEHD’s new associate’s program in early childhood education (ECE) and master of social work program.

Through the associate’s program in ECE, CEHD is working to meet the demand for high-quality ECE teachers through a flexible, accessible and primarily online degree program designed for working professionals. This degree offering also comes at a critical time for Delaware teachers, as the DDOE will soon require ECE professionals to hold a certificate in child development or an associate degree.

Similarly, Henry responded to the critical need for social workers in Delaware by building CEHD’s new master of social work program. Through research-informed coursework taught by faculty experts, community-engaged practica and specialization areas that meet community needs, the program will prepare students to address the social problems affecting our diverse communities.

“Given the growing need for social workers and the staggering shortage of professionals to fill these jobs — nationally and here within the state of Delaware — it is critical that we work together to attract, prepare and graduate highly-effective social work professionals,” said Representative Valerie Longhurst of the Delaware House of Representatives about the forthcoming program. “I look forward to the launch of the University of Delaware’s new master of social work program, and for many of its graduates to remain in state as they pursue their professional careers.”

A national climb in college rankings 

In order to respond to Delaware’s most critical needs, Henry also recognized the need to strengthen CEHD’s overall graduate programs, increase the college’s national visibility and deepen its current instructional and research expertise with talented new faculty. 

During Henry’s tenure, CEHD’s online programs advanced to the top 6% in the nation, and its overall graduate programs in education advanced to the top 13%, according to U.S. News and World Report. CEHD also welcomed 37 new faculty members with expertise in curriculum and instruction, education and social policy, evaluation and measurement, human development and family sciences, school psychology, special education and more.

“Gary’s commitment to improving conditions and outcomes for children, families and educators in the state of Delaware and beyond was evident in everything he did,” said Laura Desimone, CEHD director of research and interim director of CEHD’s School of Education. “Gary has a very unique mix of being one of the nation’s leading scholars and thinkers, while simultaneously having a true commitment and passion for using his knowledge and skills to help make other people’s lives better. Through his creativity and leadership, CEHD has built new programs that will improve programs and services for children, adolescents and families, improve training for educational leaders in the state, create opportunities for Delaware agencies to partner with university faculty to evaluate their programs and policies to allow them to shape and improve them to better serve their constituencies.”

After a sabbatical during the 2024-25 academic year, Henry will continue to engage in research activities, mentor graduate students and work with community partners to improve education in Delaware as a professor in CEHD’s School of Education and the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration. Rena Hallam, professor in CEHD’s Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, will serve as interim dean for the next academic year. 

Article by Jessica Henderson. Photo by Ashley Barnas.