Ronald Ferguson is an MIT-trained economist who has taught at Harvard University since 1983. His teaching and publications cover a variety of issues in education and economic development. In addition to teaching and writing, Dr. Ferguson consults actively with school departments and agencies at all levels of government on efforts to raise achievement levels and close achievement gaps. He is the creator of the Tripod Project for School Improvement, including the widely used Tripod Student Survey Assessments, the faculty co-chair and director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University, and was recently faculty co-chair of the Pathways to Prosperity Initiative on adolescent-to-adult transitions at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. After 31 years as full-time faculty, he has recently moved into an adjunct position.

Most of his research since the mid-1990s has focused on racial achievement gaps, appearing in publications of the National Research Council, the Brookings Institution, and the US Department of Education, in addition to various books and journals. His most recent book is Toward Excellence with Equity: An emerging vision for closing the achievement gap, published by Harvard Education Press. Dr. Ferguson earned an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and Ph.D. from MIT, both in economics.

Visit our library to view Ronald Ferguson's papers related to learning mindsets.

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