Heather Sherwood

Heather Sherwood leads research, evaluation, and R&D initiatives that deepen understanding of effective strategies to enhance the quality and equity of education. Her current research focuses on the integration of computational thinking (CT) within elementary curricula. A former elementary-grade teacher, she has over 20 years of expertise in pre-K–8 instructional design, teacher support, and family engagement.

Sherwood is the principal investigator of CT Readiness for All, a study that investigates the potential of a CT self-assessment tool to help elementary schools provide equitable access to CT education for students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in computer science careers. Previously, she co-led EDC’s Building Computational Thinking Readiness project.

Sherwood’s findings appear in publications such as Education Sciences, the International Journal on Integrating Technology in Education, and the Global Family Research Project. She regularly presents her research at the annual conferences of the American Educational Research Association and the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness.

Sherwood holds an MA in Digital Media Design for Learning from New York University and a BA in Education and Communications from Monmouth University.