¾«¶«´«Ã½

2024-25

Summer 2025: Professor Michael S. Harris assumes the position of Dean ad interim of the Simmons School as former Leon Simmons Endowed Dean Stephanie L. Knight begins a two-year sabbatical.

Spring 2025: US News & World Report announces its 2025-26 rankings with the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Simmons School ranked again in the top 50, placing Simmons in the top 18% of all schools nationally, the top 11 of all private universities nationally, the top 3 of all public and private colleges in Texas, and the #1 private graduate education school in the Southwest.

Spring 2025: After 8 years of service to the Simmons School, Dean Stephanie L. Knight announces that she plans to take a sabbatical, the first ever in her distinguished career as an education researcher and academic leader. Provost Loboa appoints Professor Michael Harris of the Department of Education Policy and Leadership as the Simmons School’s Dean ad interim beginning on June 1.

Spring 2025: The University’s TEIL Cluster, which functions under the auspices of the Simmons School, is formally renamed the Center for Technology-Enhanced Immersive Learning (TEIL) Research with primary research areas in Immersive Learning Design, AI in Education & health, AI-Enhanced Learning Analytics, and Embodied Learning. Drs. Eric G. Bing and Anthony Cuevas are formally named Co-Directors of the interdisciplinary TEIL cluster and labs.

Spring 2025: Professor Leanne Ketterlin Geller receives the largest research award ever made to ¾«¶«´«Ã½ ($14M) from the US Department of Education to scale a math intervention to improve students’ fraction skills.

Spring 2025: In collaboration with the Dallas Sports Commission (DSC), the Department of APSM’s Sport Management program hosts ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s first Global Sports Business Summit. Sport Management Director, Peter Carton, J.D., of the Simmons School worked with the DSC and major sports franchises--including the Dallas Cowboys, Mavericks, FC Dallas, Texas Rangers, Wings, and the PGA of America—to produce a motivating and information-loaded program for a packed audience.

Spring 2025: Scholars from universities in South Korea and Taiwan joined ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Simmons faculty at the 2025 International Visiting Scholars Symposium hosted by Simmons. Spearheaded by Dr. Jiun-Yu “Jerry” Wu of the Simmons School, the event included thought-provoking discussions about research conducted by the international research collaborators.

Fall 2024: The Simmons School launches an online , which explores the process of learning through courses on cognition theories, instructional design, and the uses of technology and AI in learning.

Fall 2024: With the University’s admission to the ACC in fall 2023, the B.S. in Sport Management welcomes many new ¾«¶«´«Ã½ team athletes to the program, and the Simmons School looks forward to collaborating on athletics and physiology research with other nationally recognized universities in the conference.

2023-24

Summer 2024: The Department of Education Policy and Leadership launches it new graduate Principal Certification Program.

Spring 2024: The Department of Teaching and Learning offers the first classes in an Educational Diagnostician specialization program that prepares diagnosticians to identify students with special learning needs and then design individualized instructional programs that redress their needs.

Spring 2024: The Department of Graduate Liberal Studies and Dispute Resolution officially changes their name to Human-Centered Interdisciplinary Studies (HCIS).

Fall 2023: ¾«¶«´«Ã½ announces a research cluster in the area of technology-enhanced immersive learning (TEIL). In service to this research objective, Simmons recruits three tenure-line professors to collaborate on the development of large-scale TEIL projects that investigate the use of game-based and immersive-learning technologies for assessment, behavior change and social emotional learning, literacy, special education, bilingual/ESL education, urban education, STEM, data science and artificial intelligence/machine learning.

2022-23

Fall 2022: The Dispute Resolution program merged with the Graduate Liberal Studies programs (MLS & DLS) to form a new department whose offerings examine both the human condition and contemporary problems from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives.

Fall 2022: The US Department of Education’s FY 2021 Education Innovation and Research Competition awarded Professor Leanne Ketterlin Geller an $8 million grant to enhance instructional practices to meet the high needs of students experiencing math difficulties in grades 4-8. The grant is in ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s history.

2021-22

 

Spring 2022:  Released in March 2022, the U.S. News and World Report graduate school rankings for 2023 place the Simmons School in the top 18% of graduate education schools nationally, among the top 12 private schools of education nationally, and as the best private school of education in Texas.

Spring 2022: Record numbers of Simmons professors and doctoral students attend and present at the American Education Research Association (AERA) 2022 Conference.

2020-21

Spring 2021:  Released in spring 2021, the U.S. News and World Report graduate school rankings for 2022 place the Simmons School in the top 15 of private schools of education nationally and the top 3 of all public and private schools in Texas.

2019-20

 

Spring 2020:  In response to federal and state directives regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the University moves its administrative and academic operations online in mid-March. The 2^nd half of the Spring 2020 courses and all of the Summer I (2020) courses are delivered in a remote-learning format.

Spring 2020:  Released in spring 2020, the U.S. News and World Report rankings place the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Simmons School in the top third of best graduate education schools in the nation and in the top 25 private graduate education schools.

January 2020:  After 50 years and multiple manifestations, the Writer's Path non-credit program closes its doors in order to allow its director and instructors to devote more time to their publishing careers.

January 2020: The graduate Counseling program opens the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Center for Family Counseling on ¾«¶«´«Ã½'s main campus near downtown Dallas.

February 2019: Simmons is named a winner in the national to develop a smartphone game to teach reading to low-literate adults.

Summer 2019:  The graduate Counseling moves from ¾«¶«´«Ã½'s Plano facility to main campus.

2018-19

January 2019:  The Teacher Development Studio was renamed the Center for VR Learning Innovation to represent the broader focus of the Design and Simulation labs to address all areas of Education and Human Development. The Center focuses on immersive technologies in education broadly, including teacher education, education leadership, applied physiology and medical education.

 

Fall 2018:  The Toyota USA Foundation, ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s Simmons School, and Dallas ISD formed a partnership to develop a K-8th grade STEM-focused school in West Dallas. The innovative school opens in fall 2021 with 7^th & 8^th grades and in subsequent years adds PreK – 6th grades.

August 2018: Dispute Resolution moves to main campus.

Summer/Fall 2018: Counseling program becomes CACREP accredited.

2017-18

June 2018: Simmons is named a semi-finalist in the national XPRIZE competition to develop a smartphone game to teach reading to low-literate adults.

 

2018: Simmons researchers, led by Professor Eric Bing, develop a Virtual Reality Surgery Simulation to train surgeons in Zambia.

Fall 2017: Master of Science in Health Promotion Management program launched.

2016-17

May 2017: The gift of a MakerTruck enables Simmons and Lyle to partner to develop a mobile STEM lab.

 

May 2017: Inaugural Paving the Way to Inclusion Conference hosted at The George W. Bush Presidential Center with keynote speaker Gloria Ladson-Billings.

April 2017: Stephanie Knight, associate dean and professor of education in the College of Education at Pennsylvania State University, named dean of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Simmons School of Education and Human Development.

March 2017: The Olamaie Curtiss Graney Design Lab was named as part of the Teacher Development Studio.

September 2016: College Access/¾«¶«´«Ã½ became vendor w/DISD for College Knowledge contract.

2015-16

June 2016: Simmons Professor Paige Ware is appointed Dean ad interim of the Simmons School.

 

June 2016: After 9 years of service to the School, Dean David Chard leaves ¾«¶«´«Ã½ to become President of Wheelock College in Boston.

Spring 2016:  A $1-million endowment is established to support Simmons faculty positions.

February 2016: The Teacher Development Studio was created in 2016 with the opening of Harold Simmons Hall. It included a Design Lab, Teaching Simulation Lab and Assessment Lab for teacher education.

February 2016: Harold Clark Simmons Hall dedicated.

January 2016: The Simmons School's Luminary Awards ceremony is held and honors Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy and Nakia Douglas; Raise Your Hand Texas; and the All Stars Project.

Fall 2015: The Ed.D. in Education Leadership with 2 tracks—Higher Education and Pre-K through Grade12 Education Leadership—is launched.

Fall 2015:The Doctor of Liberal Studies (DLS) program is launched as companion program to the MLS.

Fall 2015:  The Health Management concentration in the APSM major is launched.

Fall 2015:  A major in Educational Studies is established; it is the School’s second UG major.

Fall 2015:  In partnership with MINT and the Shelton School, Teaching & Learning creates an M.Ed. specialization in Montessori education.

2014-15

January 2015:  The Simmons School's Luminary Awards ceremony is held and honors Michael Sorrell, President of Paul Quinn College; Scottish Rite Hospital; and Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America.

 

Fall 2014:  The Sport Performance Leadership program is launched.

September 2014: The Integrative Physiology Laboratory (Department of APW) is opened in September 2014 following a year of development.

September 2014: ¾«¶«´«Ã½ breaks ground on Harold Clark Simmons Hall.

2013-14

May 2014: The Center on Communities and Education (CCE) is endowed by Russell and Dori Budd, and the Center’s name is formally changed to The Budd Center: Involving Communities in Education.

 

January 2014: The Simmons School's Luminary Awards ceremony is held and honors the East Dallas Community Schools (EDCS), Tex Protects, Children's Defense Fund, and Stand for Children. 

Fall 2013: The Center on Research and Evaluation (CORE) is established with the objective of providing high-quality evaluation services that improve the well-being of children and families.

Fall 2013: M.Ed. in Special Education program is launched.

Fall 2013:  M.S. in Sport Management is launched in partnership with the Cox School of Business.

2012-13

February 21, 2013:  Announcement of a $25-million gift from Harold C. and Annette Caldwell Simmons to expand the programs and academic positions at the Simmons School of Education and Human Development and fund the construction of Harold Clark Simmons Hall, the second of two Simmons School buildings.

 

January 2013: The Simmons School's 2013 Luminary Awards ceremony honored the Dallas Arboretum, Daniel P. King, and America's Promise Alliance.

November 2012:  Department of Education Policy & Leadership's Education Policy and Leadership Conference: "Transitions: Plugging the Leaks in the Pipeline."

August 2012: The Center on Communities and Education (CCE) is created and its School Zone program is honored as a "game changer" by the West Dallas Chamber of Commerce.

2011-12

June 2012:  Dean David Chard is sworn-in by U.S. Secretary of State Arne Duncan as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences.

 

Spring 2012:  M.Ed. in Urban School Leadership becomes a part of the Alliance to Reform Educational Leadership with the Bush Institute.

February 2012: Inaugural Research in Mathematics Education (RME) Research-to-Practice Conference held with more than 140 individuals in attendance.

Spring 2012: Upward Bound Math begins a Math-Science program.

Spring 2012: The McNair Scholars Program is established.

2012: The College Access Program receives a $2.4 Million dollar grant to implement the Educational Talent Search program.

January 2012:  The Simmons School's 2012 Luminary Awards ceremony honored The Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers, Avance, and Joan Ganz Cooney and Sesame Workshop.

2011: The Simmons School's 2011 Luminary Awards ceremony honored Israel Cordero, Neuhaus Education Center, and Teach for America.

November 2011:  Department of Education Policy & Leadership's inaugural Education Policy and Leadership Conference.

Fall 2011:  M.Ed. in Urban School Leadership launched in partnership with the Teaching Trust.

2011: The Research in Mathematics Education center is established.

Fall 2011:  M.Ed. in Higher Education launched.

2010 - 2011

Spring 2011:  The Dispute Resolution graduate program enters a partnership with the international, nonprofit Mediators Beyond Borders group. 

 

Fall 2010:  Simmons opens the Center for Academic Progress and Success (CAPS) center, which offers academic support services to children and teens.

Fall 2010:  The M.Ed. in Reading and Writing is launched.

September 24, 2010:  Dedication of Annette Caldwell Simmons Hall.

August 9, 2010:  Simmons School faculty and staff take occupancy of the new Simmons Hall.

August 2010:  The name of the Institute for Reading Research (IRR) is changed to the Institute for Evidence-Based Education (IEBE) in order to reflect the Institute's service to a broader variety of academic areas.

2009 - 2010

Spring 2010:  ¾«¶«´«Ã½'s Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development co-sponsored the first two symposia in conjunction with the George W. Bush Institute on Afghan women, education and energy.

 

Fall 2009:  First semester in which undergraduate APSM courses are offered. First group of APSM majors inducted on November 8, 2009.

November 19, 2009: ¾«¶«´«Ã½'s Simmons School honors three outstanding education leaders with its first annual Simmons Luminary Awards : former U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, longtime Texas State Board of Education member Geraldine "Tincy" Miller, and St. Philip's School headmaster Dr. Terry J. Flowers.

2009: Former First Lady Laura Bush returns to ¾«¶«´«Ã½ as the Commencement speaker for the class of 2009.

2008 - 2009

Summer 2009:  M.Ed. in Accelerated School Leadership launched.

 

Spring 2009: ¾«¶«´«Ã½'s bilingual education graduate program celebrates its 30th anniversary.

2009: The Department of Teaching and Learning begins a M.Ed. in partnership with the Neuhaus Education Center in Houston.

2008: National Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs names Professor Rick Halperin, faculty member in the MLS program and director of ¾«¶«´«Ã½'s Human Rights Program, as the year's recipient of its National Faculty Award.

December 5, 2008:  ¾«¶«´«Ã½ breaks ground on Annette Caldwell Simmons Hall.

2008: Girls Talk Back program is created, a one-week summer camp for young women entering the 11th grade allowing attendees to live on campus and take three courses pertaining to professional etiquette, communication and writing.

December 2008: () The Board of Trustees approves the creation of the Department of Education Policy & Leadership with an academic focus on preparing educators for leadership roles in complex school settings.

December 2008: () Applied Physiology and Sport Management undergraduate major is approved by the Board of Trustees.

Fall 2008: () Establishment of the Locomotor Performance Laboratory in the Department of Applied Physiology and Wellness; Dr. Peter Weyand is made director.

Fall 2008: () The Center for Family Counseling, a service center within the Department of Dispute Resolution and Counseling, opens at ¾«¶«´«Ã½-in-Plano.

October 2008: () Dr. Karen Vickery, director of the School's Learning Therapy Program, receives an International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council (IMSLEC) Innovator Award as an Outstanding Educator in a University.

2008: The Counseling Program's Center for Family Counseling opens a satellite clinic at the Resource Center in the Oaklawn area.

2007 - 2008

April 2008:  Assistant Professor Paige Ware is selected as a recipient of the National Academy of Education Spencer Fellowship.

 

November 9, 2007:   from Harold C. and Annette C. Simmons provides an endowment for ¾«¶«´«Ã½'s School of Education and Human Development and the lead gift for a new building to house the School. The School is renamed the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development.

2007: Ph.D. in Education (with a research focus) is established.

2006 - 2007

June 2007: David J. Chard, associate dean of the College of Education at the University of Oregon, is named dean of ¾«¶«´«Ã½'s School of Education and Human Development and, as such, becomes the School's first permanent academic dean.

 

2006: The M.S. in Counseling program is established and creates the new Department of Dispute Resolution and Counseling.

June 2006: Dr. Narayan Bhat, Dedman professor emeritus, is named Dean ad interim while the University conducts a formal search for a dean: July 2006 – August 2007.

Summer 2006:  The last summer in which a centralized summer school offered under the management of the Division of Education and Lifelong Learning.

June 2006:  Bob Patterson, the School's first administrative dean, retires.

2005 - 2006

2006: Dispute Resolution program adds a Master's degree.

 

November 2005:  Dedication ceremony of the School of Education and Human Development; U.S. Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings, delivers keynote address.

October 2005:  Professor Bill Pulte, director of the Bilingual Education Program and associate professor of linguistic anthropology at ¾«¶«´«Ã½, receives the 2005 Higher Education Honoree award from the Texas Association for Bilingual Education (TABE).

2004 - 2005

March 7, 2005: ¾«¶«´«Ã½ renews its commitment to the field of professional education by creating the School of Education and Human Development with specific areas of focus. ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Board of Trustees votes to create the School in order to fill critical needs in the advancement of teacher training and research on language acquisition and literacy.

 

2003: Institute for Reading Research receives more than $9 million in grants and contracts.

2003 - 2004

2003: The Center for Mediation & Conflict Management is established to serve the communities of North Texas.

 

2002 - 2003

 

 

Fall 2002:  The M.Ed. is launched.

2001 - 2002

2002:  With the help of a $1.5 million federal grant, ¾«¶«´«Ã½ launches a graduate program that prepares teachers to teach gifted bilingual students.

2001: Texas Instruments (TI) Foundation funds ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Institute for Reading Research with a $1.5 million to endow the faculty chair.

2000 - 2001

November 2000:  ¾«¶«´«Ã½ merges its Center for Teacher Preparation with the Division of Extended and Continuing Studies to create a new academic unit, the Division of Education and Lifelong Learning.

 

1990 - 2000

1998: The Dispute Resolution Program is launched as a graduate certificate program.

1998: The Division of Evening, Summer, and Continuing Studies becomes the Division of Extended and Continuing Studies.

1998: Dispute Resolution program begins at the ¾«¶«´«Ã½-in-Plano campus. The first students to complete the program in 1999 earn graduate certificates in Dispute Resolution.

1990: The Music Educators Summer Workshop Series begins.

Summer 1990: The Master in Bilingual Education program is launched.

1990 (or before): The Division of Education and Lifelong Learning is renamed: the Division of Evening, Summer, and Continuing Studies.

1980 - 1990

1988: After much lobbying, an ¾«¶«´«Ã½ educational facility is created in north Dallas, called ¾«¶«´«Ã½-in-Legacy. It later becomes known as ¾«¶«´«Ã½-in-Plano.

1987: Dr. Jamie Williams, who served on the Simmons Executive Board from 2009 – 2022, developed and launched the school’s Learning Therapy Program (accredited by both IMSLEC and IDA), which prepares teachers for Practitioner and Therapist level certificates. Dr. Williams' directorship was followed by Joyce Pike, Nell Carvel, and Karen Vickery.

1984: Bob Patterson, formerly dean of Extended and Continuing Studies, is appointed dean of the Division of Education and Lifelong Learning. Dr. Patterson championed early efforts to establish an ¾«¶«´«Ã½ School of Education.

Mid 1980s: Division of Evening, Summer and Continuing Studies is created as the University extension division with the ability to offer evening courses at reduced tuition for part-time students.

1983: The Talented and Gifted Program begins—a 3-week on-campus program offering credit and non-credit college courses for qualified students having completed the seventh, eighth, or ninth grades.

1970 - 1980

1978: The College Experience program for high school youth is launched.

1976: Margaret McDermott, Dallas philanthropist and civic leader, receives an Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree from ¾«¶«´«Ã½.

1975: The national Association of Graduate Liberal Studies organization is founded with ¾«¶«´«Ã½ as a Charter Member.

1974: Sheryl Leach, creator of the children's program Barney and advocate for quality, nonviolent children's programming, graduates with a B.A. in Elementary Education from ¾«¶«´«Ã½.

Early 1970s: All degree offerings within the Division are discontinued, although a minor in elementary or secondary education that leads to teacher certification remains. A Center for Teacher Certification is created.

1950 - 1970

1969: The first MLA course is taught.

1969: Former First Lady Laura Bush graduates from ¾«¶«´«Ã½ with a degree in Elementary Education.

1968-9: Master of Liberal Arts program is announced, and 352 students began studies in the degree program during the first fall term. Professor Fred Bryson directs the program.

1967: The ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Upward Bound program established.

1960s: Three departments within the School of Humanities and Sciences provide courses that prepare students for elementary teaching, secondary teaching, or related careers in school guidance, physical education, and speech pathology.

1960s: The University's noncredit evening enrichment courses, previously offered through Dallas College, are moved into an independent unit named the School of Continuing Education.

1956: The Informal Courses for Adults program begins.

1950: Doak Walker, the only Heisman Trophy Winner in ¾«¶«´«Ã½'s history, graduates with a degree in Physical Education.

1940 - 1950

1948: Lawrence Herkimer, founder of the National Cheerleader's Association and creator of pom-poms, graduates from ¾«¶«´«Ã½ with a B.S. Physical Education and develops the famous "Herkie" jump during his tenure as an ¾«¶«´«Ã½ cheerleader.

1930 - 1940

1935: The School's roots are firmly embedded in Dallas College, the downtown evening college of ¾«¶«´«Ã½. Dallas College is directed by Dr. Clough and offers residence, correspondence, extension and group study courses.

1920 - 1930

1923 - 1934: The School of University Extension is created and constitutes the first iteration of the School of Education, directed by George Obadiah Clough, Ph.D.