Catherine Lewis, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator

Currently a senior research scientist at Mills College, Catherine Lewis comes from several generations of public school teachers. Fluent in Japanese, has conducted research in Japanese and U.S. schools for 25 years. Her writings and videotapes, including 'Lesson Study: A Handbook of Teacher-Led Instructional Change' and 'Can You Lift 100 Kilograms?' have introduced many U.S. educators to lesson study. A graduate of Harvard University (B.A.) and Stanford University (Ph.D.), she directs the NSF-funded project, 'Lesson Study: Case Studies of an Emerging Reform', and is author of more than 40 publications on elementary education and child development, including the award-winning book Educating Hearts and Minds: Reflections on Japanese Preschool and Elementary Education (Cambridge University Press, 1995).

Rebecca Perry, Ph.D.
Co Principal Investigator

Rebecca Perry oversees instrument design and the collection, management, and analysis of data from all lesson study sites. Her primary research foci include documenting implementation progress and challenges, extending the research on teacher learning, and using theory of action research to support improvements in ongoing innovations.  Rebecca graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (B.S.) and Stanford University (Ph.D.).  The current lesson study work extends her prior research experiences, focused on teacher professional communities, policy implementation, and education reform efforts at the national, state and local levels.

Shelley Friedkin, B.A.(Hons), M.A.
Project Coordinator

Shelley Friedkin has coordinated this NSF funded project since 2000. She is responsible for the administration, finance, website and video production. Shelley graduated from Brunel University in England with a teaching credential specializing in the arts. She was an elementary school teacher in Central London before coming to live in the US. Shelley is also a doctoral student in the educational leadership program at Mills College. She is interested in teachers' collection and use of data during the Lesson Study process.

Elizabeth (Betsy) King, M.Ed., M.A.
Research Assistant /Doctoral Student

Betsy King is currently studying the implementation of Lesson Study by the staff of a local middle school with a diverse student population. She taught at the International School of Bangkok for ten years, where she served on math curriculum committees and as grade level chair. Her teaching experience in California includes elementary school and high school math. She is now graduate research assistant for the Lesson Study Group at Mills College and a doctoral student in the educational leadership program at Mills College. Betsy’s research concerns include educational equity and improvement of mathematics achievement for all students. She is interested in teachers' use of Lesson Study to foster student motivation and learning.

Elizabeth K. Baker, MPH , M.A., M.Ed.
Research Assistant/Doctoral Student

Elizabeth is currently examining the process of Lesson Study within the context of training pre-service math and science teachers in Oakland, CA . In 2001, she was invited as a Mills exchange scholar to spend three months in Japan observing science and math research lessons. Elizabeth is now graduate research assistant for the Lesson Study Group at Mills College and a doctoral student in the educational leadership program at Mills College. She is interested in teacher retention as well as issues of educational reform in math and science.