Ryan Coughlan

Education

Ph.D., Urban Systems, Rutgers University Newark United States

M.S.Ed., Secondary Science Education, The City College of New York, CUNY New York United States

B.A., Environmental Policy, Harvard University Cambridge United States

Books

Coughlan, R., & Kress, T. (2025). Advancing Qualitative Educational Research Design: Authentic and Personal Methods for Knowledge-Building. Routledge.

Tractenberg, P., Roda, A., Coughlan, R., & Dougherty, D. (2020). Making School Integration Work: Lessons from Morris. New York, NY, Teachers College Press.

Sadovnik, A. R., Cookson, P. W., Semel, S. F., & Coughlan, R. W. (2017). Exploring Education: An Introduction to the Foundations of Education. New York, NY, Routledge.

Sadovnik, A. R., & Coughlan, R. W. (2016). Leaders in the Sociology of Education: Intellectual Self-Portraits. Rotterdam, Sense.

Sadovnik, A., Coughlan, R., & Semel, S. (2016). "Schools of Tomorrow," Schools of Today: Progressive Educationin the 21st Century. New York, NY, Peter Lang.

Alan, S., & Coughlan, R. (2015). Sociology of Education: A Critical Reader. New York, NY, Routledge.

Coughlan, R., & Sadovnik, A. Sociology of Education: A Critical Reader. New York, NY, Routledge.

Journal Articles

Roda, A., Coughlan, R., Tractenberg, P., & Dougherty, D. (2021). Making School Integration in New York City: A Long-Term Solution to the Enduring Problem of Segregation and Inequality. The Fordham Urban Law Journal, 48(2). 449-473.

Coughlan, R. W. (2018). Divergent Trends in Neighborhood and School Segregation in the Age of School Choice. Peabody Journal of Education, 93(4). 349-366.

Sadovnik, A. R., Semel, S. F., Coughlan, R. W., Kanze, B., & Tyner-Mullings, A. R. (2017). Progressive Education in the 21st Century: The Enduring Legacy of John Dewey. The Journal of the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era, 16(4). 515-530.

Coughlan, R. W., Sadovnik, A. R., & Semel, S. F. (2014). A History of Informal, Out-of-School Education. Teachers College Record , 116(14). 359-382.

Alternative Grading Structures in Higher Education: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Higher Education Review, In Progress.

Coughlan, R. Racial Isolation and Postsecondary Outcomes. The Review of Higher Education, In Progress.

Coughlan, R., & Nadrich, T. Diversity as Commodity in Higher Education: A Comparison of Reported Racial Demographics and Projections of Racial Diversity through Social Media. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education,

Coughlan, R., Evenbeck, S., & Blake, N. Founded on the Practice of Research-Driven Continuous Improvement: How Guttman Community College Embedded Self-Study from the Outset. Education Sciences,

Trends in Foreign Gifts and Contracts Received by Postsecondary Institutions . Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, In Progress.

Coughlan, R., & Rubin, J. Charter School Segregation by Race, Ethnicity, Disability, and English Proficiency: Centering Local Trends. Education Sciences,

Book Chapters

(2026). Expanding Graduate School Offerings Amidst a Panoply of Crises in Higher Education. Graduate Student Experience Johns Hopkins University Press.

Coughlan, R. (2022). Schools and Education Systems. In Christou, T. (Ed.), Historical Foundations of Education Bloomsbury.

Coughlan, R. (2021). Brown v. Board Did Not Work: Finding a New Pathway to Educational Justice. In Tienken, C., & Mullen, C. (Eds.), The Risky Business of Education Policy New York, NY. Taylor and Francis.

Coughlan, R. (2021). A School for Love. In Kress, T., Lake, R., & Stein, E. (Eds.), Radically Dreaming: Illuminating Freirean Praxis in Turbulent Times Dio Press.

Coughlan, R., Sadovnik, A., Semel, S., & Stuber, J. (2019). Education. In Trevino, J. (Ed.), Investigating Social Problems Sage.

Sadovnik, A. R., & Coughlan, R. W. (2016). Leaders in the Sociology of Education: Lessons Learned. Leaders in the Sociology of Education: Intellectual Self-Portraits Rotterdam. Sense Publishers.

Semel, S., Sadovnik, A., & Coughlan, R. (2016). Progressive Education: Lessons from the Past and the Present. In Sadovnik, A., Semel, S., & Coughlan, R. (Eds.), "Schools of Tomorrow," Schools of Today: What Happened to Progressive Education New York, NY. Peter Lang.

Sadovnik, A., & Coughlan, R. (2015). Urban Education. Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology New York, NY. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Coughlan, R., Sadovnik, A., & Semel, S. (2014). Education. In Trevino, J. (Ed.), Investigating Social Problems Sage.

Sadovnik, A., & Coughlan, R. Theory and Research in the Sociology of Education. In Coughlan, R., & Sadovnik, A. (Eds.), Sociology of Education: A Critical Reader New York, NY. Routledge. In Progress.

Coughlan, R., & Kress, T. Introduction to Authentic and Personal Knowledge-Building. Advancing Qualitative Educational Research Design: Authentic and Personal Methods for Knowledge-Building Routledge.

Coughlan, R., & Kress, T. Recasting Methodological Learning and Research Design. Advancing Qualitative Educational Research Design: Authentic and Personal Methods for Knowledge-Building Routledge.

Media Contributions

Makris, M., Mickelson, N., & Coughlan, R. (2023). Readying Students for the AI Revolution.

Government Reports or Monographs

Coughlan, R., Sanchez, N., & Mastrogiovanni, D. (2022). Tenafly Public School District: School Equity Report.

Tractenberg, P. L., & Coughlan, R. (2018). The New Promise of School Integration and the Old Problem of Extreme Segregation: An Action Plan for New Jersey ti Address Both.

Orfield, G., Ee, J., & Coughlan, R. (2017). New Jersey's Segregated Schools: Trends and Paths Forward.

Backstrand, J., Makris, M., Coughlan, R., Gutwein, C., & Torres, M. (2015). Newark Fairmount Promise Neighborhoods Needs Assessment and Segmentation Analysis.

Backstrand, J., Roda, A., Cohen, L., Coughlan, R., Ferguson, C., Keeton, A., Cara, K., & Rosenblum, E. (2014). Post-Secondary Outcomes of Newark Public School Graduates.

Coughlan, R. South Orange-Maplewood School District: School Equity Report.

Presentations

Coughlan, R., & Goldstein, J. Trends in Foreign Gifts and Contracts Received by Postsecondary Institutions. American Educational Research Association Annual Convening. Los Angeles: American Educational Research Association.

Coughlan, R., & Kress, T. (2025, October 10). Convening CAMI: Showcasing, Advancing, and Creating Community through Innovative Methods in Education Research. American Educational Studies Association Annual Meeting. Albuquerque: American Educational Studies Association.

Coughlan, R., Medina, Y., & Kronen, C. It's Not Just "Doing Technology": EMbedding Computational Thinking into the "Grammar of Schooling". American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. Denver, CO: American Educational Research Association.

D'Souza, A., Coughlan, R., & Perrotta, A. F. Centering Students in Alernative Assessments. CUNY Teaching and Learning Conference. CUNY Graduate Center: The City University of New York.

Coughlan, R., Kress, T., & Bare, K. Gathering a Collective of Educational Researchers for the Advancement ofMethodological Innovation. American Educational Studies Association Annual Meeting. Greenville, SC

Coughlan, R., & Evenbeck, S. Applications from Higher Education Administration Graduate Education in NYC for Your Campus. The Graduate Student Experience: Redesigning Graduate School so that Every Student Can Flourish and Finish. Asheville: Gardner Institute.

Coughlan, R. Racial Isolation and Postsecondary Outcomes. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. Philadelphia: American Educational Research Association.

Coughlan, R. Segregation in New Jersey's District, Charter, and County Vocational-Technical Schools. Segregation in New Jersey's District, Charter, and County Vocational-Technical Schools. New Brunswick: Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University.

Coughlan, R., & Rubin, J. Assessing the Impact of Charters on Public School Segregation. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. Chicago and Virtual: American Educational Research Association.

Coughlan, R., & Nadrich, T. (2025, November 10). Commoditizing Racial Diversity: Comparing Representations of Racial Diversity on Social Media to Reality. Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Meeting. Minneapolis: Association for the Study of Higher Education.

Coughlan, R., & Kress, T. (2025, November 10). Breaking the Mold of Traditional Education Research: Advancing Scholarship with Alternative Research Designs. American Educational Studies Association Annual Meeting. Louisville: American Educational Studies Association.

Coughlan, R., & Ferina, K. TGNCNB Students Seeking Inclusion through the College Selection Process. AESA Annual Meeting. Pittsburgh

Coughlan, R. A School for Love. American Educational Studies Association Annual Conference. Portland, Oregon: American Educational Studies Association.

Coughlan, R., Roda, A., & Paul, T. Making school integration work: Lessons from Morris. Education Reform, Communities and Social Justice Conference. Virtual: Bloustein School of Planning and Policy, Rutgers University.

Coughlan, R. Pursuing New Quantitative Tools for Ending Segregation and Building Equitable Schools (Paper accepted, but conference cancelled due to COVID-19 Pandemic). American Educational Research Association Annual Conference. San Francisco: American Educational Research Association.

Coughlan, R. A Geospatial Analysis of Race and School Choice in New Jersey. Education Reform, Communities and Social Justice Conference. New Brunswick, NJ: Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University.

Coughlan, R., & Rubin, J. The Segregating Rffects of Charter Schools. Dismantling the Architecture of Segregation Conference. Camden, NJ: Rutgers University.

Coughlan, R. Diversity, Integration, and Equity in New Jersey’s Schools: Trends and Paths Forward. Social Equity Leadership Conference. Newark, NJ: Rutgers University.

Tractenberg, P., & Coughlan, R. The New Promise of School Integration and the Old Problem of Extreme Segregation: An Action Plan for New Jersey to Address Both. Beyond Desegregation Conference. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

Coughlan, R. White Isolation in Our Public Schools. Education Reform , Communities, and Social Justice Research Conference. New Brunswick, NJ: Bloustein School of Planning and Policy.

Coughlan, R. A Geospatial Analysis of Shifts in School and Neighborhood Demographics. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. New York, NY: American Educational Research Association.

Roda, A., Coughlan, R., & Bodie, E. If You Build it They Will Come: Crossing District Boundaries to Achieve School Diversity in a Segregated County. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. San Antonio, TX: American Educational Research Association.

Coughlan, R. Schools Un/Bounded: An Analysis of the Bonds Between Schools and Neighborhoods. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.

Coughlan, R. Altering the Relationship Between Neighborhoods and Schools to Improve Life Chances. Education Reform, Communities and Social Justice: Exploring the Intersections. New Brunswick, NJ: Bloustein School of Planning and Policy, Rutgers University.

Makris, M., & Coughlan, R. Teaching and Learning in the Community College: Lessons and Opportunities. American Educational Studies Association Annual Meeting. Seattle, WA: American Educational Studies Association.

Semel, S., Sadovnik, A., & Coughlan, R. “Schools of Tomorrow, Schools of Today Revisited: Lessons from Five Historically Progressive Schools. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.

Coughlan, R. A Geospatial Analysis of the Bonds Between Neighborhoods and Their Schools. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL: American Educational Research Association.

Coughlan, R. Schools Un/Bounded: Neighborhood Collective Efficacy and Educational Outcomes. American Education Studies Association Annual Meeting. San Antonio, TX: American Education Studies Association.

Coughlan, R. A Geospatial Analysis of New York City Elementary School Zones. Urban Affairs Association Annual Meeting. Miami, FL: Urban Affairs Association.

Coughlan, R., Sadovnik, A., & Semel, S. Now More than Ever? Foundations of education and why it matters for teacher preparation. American Educational Studies Association Annual Meeting,. Toronto, Canada: American Educational Studies Association.

Coughlan, R. Connecting Education Reform to Neighborhood Context: Identifying Community Needs and Assets as First Step to Developing Programs to Improve Outcomes. Urban Affairs Association Annual Meeting. San Antonio, TX: Urban Affairs Association.

Coughlan, R., & Nadrich, T. The Commodification of Racial Diversity in Postsecondary Education: A Comparison of Reported Racial Demographics and Procetions of Racial Diversity in Social Media. Marxe Seminar. : Marxe School of Public and International Affairs.

Coughlan, R., Kress, T., & Bare, K. Convening CAMI: Showcasing, Advancing, and Creating Community through Innovative Methods in Education Research. American Educational Studies Association Annual Meeting. Albuquerque, NM: American Educational Studies Association.

Fergus, E., Coughlan, R., & Sadovnik, A. Disrupting Poverty and Educational Inequality. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. San Francisco, CA: American Educational Research Association.

Coughlan, R., & Nadrich, T. Representation Matters: Comparing Diversity Within Academic Socil Media Imagery to Institutional Demographics. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. Denver, CO: American Educational Research Association.

Other Scholarly Works

Research Currently in Progess

Coughlan, R., Medina, Y., & Kronen, C.(n.d.). It’s Not Just “Doing Technology” in the Classroom: Embedding Computational Thinking into the “Grammar of Schooling”. In Progress.

Coughlan, R., & Nadrich, T.(n.d.). The Commodification of Diversity in Postseccondary Schools: The Role of Marketing Directors. In Progress.

Coughlan, R., & Nadrich, T.(n.d.). Higher Education Social Media Account Administration and the Commodification of Racial Diversity in Postsecondary Education. In Progress.

College

University

Professional

Public