Education

 

Ed. D. HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Cambridge, MA. Graduate School of Education, 1988. Human Development.

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Ed. M. HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Cambridge, MA. Graduate School of Education, 1984. Non-specialized.

 

Drs. RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT, Utrecht, Netherlands. Institute of Pedagogical and Andragological Sciences, 1983. Clinical Pedagogy.

 

Kand. RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT, Utrecht, Netherlands. Institute of Pedagogical and Andragological Sciences, 1979. B. A. in Pedagogy.

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Positions

 

2018 –                

PROFESSOR, Department of Special Education and Educational Leadership, School of Education, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY

 

2019 –                

EDITOR, International Journal of Complexity in Education

 

2018 –                

EDITORIAL BOARD, Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology and Life Sciences. Member          

 

1986 –                

INDEPENDENT CONSULTING. Previous clients: Institute for Student Achievement, Lake Success, NY; MGT of America, Tallahassee, FL; Seton Hall University, Dept. of Educational Leadership, Orange, NJ; National Urban Technology Center, New York, NY; Newark Public Schools, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Testing, Newark, NJ; Multidisciplinary Institute of Neuropsychological Development, Cambridge, MA

 

2024                   

VISITING SCHOLAR. Teachers College/Columbia University, New York, NY

 

2019 – 2025      

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, U.S. Northeast Chapter of the Complex Systems Society. Member (Elected Position)

 

2020 – 2021      

DIRECTOR OF ASSESSMENT, School of Education, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY

 

2015 – 2018      

ASSOCIATE EDITOR, Complicity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education.

 

2011 – 2020      

ASSESSMENT COORDINATOR, School of Education, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY

 

2011 – 2018      

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, Department of Educational Leadership, School of Education, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY

 

2015 – 2018      

PROGRAM CHAIR, Chaos and Complexity Theories in Education – AERA Special Interest Group (Elected Position)

 

2012 – 2014      

GUEST EDITOR, Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology and Life Sciences. Special Issue on Nonlinear Dynamical Systems in Education

 

2010 – 2011      

PROJECT DIRECTOR, Strategic Education Research Partnership Institute, Cambridge, MA

 

2009                   

GUEST LECTURES, College of Education & Human Services, Seton Hall University. South Orange, NJ

 

2007 – 2009      

SENIOR EDUCATION RESEARCH AND EVALUATION OFFICER, Center for School and Community Services, Academy for Educational Development. New York, NY

 

2006 – 2007      

EVALUATION DIRECTOR, Institute for Education and Social Policy, New York University. New York, NY

 

2005 – 2007      

PRESIDENT, Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology and Life Sciences (Elected Position)

 

2004 – 2006      

SENIOR EVALUATION ASSOCIATE, The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation. New York, NY

 

1998 – 2004      

SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, Metis Associates, Inc. New York, NY

 

1996 – 1998      

ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, York College/ CUNY. Department of Psychology and Political Science, Jamaica, NY; Hofstra University, Department of Curriculum and Teaching; Department of Counseling, Research Special Education, and Rehabilitation, Hempstead, NY; College of Staten Island/CUNY, School of Education

 

1990 – 1995      

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, Education. Adelphi University, School of Education, Garden City, NY

 

1988 – 1990      

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, Psychology. Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY.  Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology

 

1987 – 1988      

ADJUNCT LECTURER, Psychology. University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA & Education. Lesley College, Cambridge, MA

 

1985 – 1988      

RESEARCH & TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS, Education. Harvard University, Graduate School of Education. Cambridge, MA

 

1981 – 1982      

INTERNSHIP, Psychiatric Center "Zon & Schild," Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Amersfoort, Netherlands

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Recent Publications

 

Koopmans, M. (2023). Growing points for a synthesis between the sciences of learning, school reform, and inequity: Insights from complex dynamical systems theory. Review of Research in Education, 47, 606-635. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X231209980

 

Koopmans, M. (2023). Radical novelty and self-transcending constructions in the education system: Creating equity and sustainable schooling. [Review of the books Systems thinking for sustainable schooling: A mindshift for educators to lead and achieve quality schools. By Karolyn. J. Snyder, and Kristen M. Snyder (Eds.); Achieving equity and justice in education through the work of systems change. By Jennifer Neitzel].  International Journal of Complexity in Education, 4(2), 93-103. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26262/ijce.v4i2.9817

 

Koopmans, M. (2023). Ten essential titles in complexity theory and nonlinear dynamics: A subjective overview. Complexity Theories in Education: Essential Readings Series. Essential Readings Series - COMPLEXITY THEORIES IN EDUCATION (weebly.com)

 

Koopmans, M. (2023). Roughness as a fractal property in univariate time series data. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology, and Life Sciences, 27(2), 149-168.

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Koopmans, M., & Stamovlasis, D. (2022). Complex systems and education: From theory to research to practice. Proceedings of the satellite of the satellite of the conference on complex systems 2021. International Journal of Complexity in Education, 3(2), 1-5.

 

Koopmans, M., & Stamovlasis, D. (2021). Breaking new ground in complexity and education. Proceedings of the fifth satellite symposium on complex systems and education: Research and practice. International Journal of Complexity in Education, 2(2), 1-4.

 

Koopmans, M. (2021). On the distinction between fractal and seasonal dependencies in time series data. Fractals, 29(7), Article No. 2150180. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0218348X21501802

 

Stamovlasis, D., & Koopmans, M. (2021). Complexity in education: The new era is growing – Editorial. International Journal of Complexity in Education, 2(1), 1-2.

 

Koopmans, M. (2021). Using time series to analyze long-range fractal patterns (Sage University Papers on Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences, Vol. 185). Sage.

 

Koopmans, M. (2020). Problem formation and problem resolution in American schools. International Journal of Complexity in Education, 1(2), 165-183.

 

Koopmans, M., & Stamovlasis, D. (2020). Complexity in education: A new era begins – Editorial. International Journal of Complexity in Education, 1(1), 1-7. https://complexityineducation.com/index.php/ljce

 

Koopmans, M. (2020). Using time series analysis to estimate complex regular cycles in daily high school attendance. Fluctuation and Noise Letters, 19(1). DOI: 10.1142/S0219477520500030.

 

Koopmans, M. (2020). Education is a dynamical system: Challenges for research. Journal of Experimental Education, 88(3), 258-274.  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00220973.2019.1566199

 

Koopmans, M. (2019). Fractality and power law distributions: Shifting perspectives in educational research. Northeast Journal of Complex Systems, 1, Article 2. https://orb.binghamton.edu/nejcs/vol1/iss1/2/

 

Koopmans, M., & Sayama, H. (Eds.) (2018). Special issue: Proceedings of the Second Satellite Symposium on Complex Systems and Education [Symposium]. Conference on Complex Systems, Cancun, Mexico, September 20, 2017. Complicity: An International Journal for Complexity and Education, 18(1), 1-44.

 

Koopmans, M., & Sayama, H. (2018). Editorial introduction. Complicity: An International Journal for Complexity and Education, 18(1), 1-3.

 

Koopmans, M. (2018). Exploring the effects of creating small high schools on daily attendance: A statistical case study. Complicity: An International Journal for Complexity and Education, 18(1), 19-30.

 

Koopmans, M. (2018). On the pervasiveness of long range memory processes in daily high school attendance rates. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology and Life Sciences, 22(2), 243-262.

 

Koopmans, M. (2017). Nonlinear processes in time-ordered observations: Self-organized criticality in daily high school attendance. Complicity: An International Journal for Complexity and Education, 14(2), 78-87.

 

Stamovlasis, D., & Koopmans, M. (2017). Editorial introduction. Complicity: An International Journal for Complexity and Education, 14(2), 1-6.

 

Koopmans, M. (2017). Perspectives on complexity, its definition and applications in the field. Complicity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education, 14(1), 16-35.

 

Stamovlasis, D., & Koopmans, M. (Eds.) (2017). Special issue: Proceedings of the Symposium on Complex Systems in Education: Questions, methods and implications for practice [Symposium]. Conference on Complex Systems, Amsterdam, Netherlands; September 20, 2016. Complicity: An International Journal for Complexity and Education, 14(2), 1-115.

 

Koopmans, M. (2017). Estimating perturbation and meta-stability in the daily attendance rates of six small high schools. Fluctuation and Noise Letters, 16(3). doi: 10.1142/S0219477517500213.

 

Koopmans, M. (2017). Using data to improve practice. [Review of the book Action research in the classroom: Helping teachers assess and improve their work by Sr. M. A. Jacobs and B. S. Cooper]. Global Education Review, 4(1), 118-119.

 

Koopmans, M. (2017). Mixed methods in search of a problem: Perspectives from complexity theory. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 11(1), 16-18. doi:10.1177/1558689816676662.

 

Koopmans, M. (2016). Addressing the policy churn in public education in the United States. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology and Life Sciences, 20(3), 401-422.

 

Koopmans, M. (2016). Betting on people. [Essay review of the book The prize: Who is in charge of America’s schools? by D. Russakoff]. Education Review // Reseñas Educativas, 23 (June). http://edrev.asu.edu/index.php/ER/article/view/2036

 

Koopmans, M. (2016). Investigating the long memory process in daily high school attendance data. In M. Koopmans, & D. Stamovlasis (Eds.) Complex dynamical systems in education: Concepts, methods and applications (pp. 299-321). Springer.

 

Koopmans, M. (2016). Ergodicity and the merits of the single case. In M. Koopmans, & D. Stamovlasis (Eds.) Complex dynamical systems in education: Concepts, methods and applications (pp. 119-139). Springer.

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Koopmans, M., & Stamovlasis, D. (2016). Introduction to education as a complex dynamical system. In M. Koopmans, & D. Stamovlasis (Eds.) Complex dynamical systems in education: Concepts, methods and applications (pp. 1-7). Springer.

 

Koopmans, M., & Stamovlasis, D. (Eds.) (2016). Complex dynamical systems in education: Concepts, methods and applications. Springer.

 

Koopmans, M. (2015). When time makes a difference: Addressing ergodicity and complexity in education. Complicity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education, 12(2), 5-25.

 

Koopmans, M. (2015). Large-Scale studies and their impact on theory and professional practice. Challenging Organisations and Society: Reflective Hybrids, 4(2), 782-795.

 

Koopmans, M. (2015). Lessons on whole system reform. [Review of the book Leading Educational Change, edited by H. J. Malone]. Global Education Review, 2(1), 56-57.

 

Koopmans, M. (2015). A dynamical view of high school attendance: An assessment of short-term and long-term dependencies in five urban schools. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology and Life Sciences, 19, 65-80.

 

Koopmans, M. (2014). Change, self-organization and the search for causality in educational research and practice. Complicity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education, 11, 20-39.

 

Koopmans, M. (2014). Nonlinear change and the black box problem in educational research. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology and Life Sciences, 18, 5-22.

 

Stamovlasis, D. & Koopmans, M. (2014). Editorial introduction: Education is a dynamical system. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology and Life Sciences, 18, 1-4.

 

Koopmans, M. (2012). [Review of the book New Thinking in complexity for the social sciences and humanities by Ton Jörg]. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology and Life Sciences, 16, 498-500.

 

Koopmans, M. (2012). An appreciation of the Yellow Book past 20. SCTPLS Newsletter, 20, 6-7.

 

Koopmans, M. (2009). Epilogue: Psychology at the edge of chaos. In S. J. Guastello, M. Koopmans, & D. Pincus (Eds.) Chaos and complexity in psychology: The theory of nonlinear dynamical systems (Pp. 506-526). Cambridge University Press.

 

Guastello, S. J., Koopmans, M., & Pincus, D. (Eds.) (2009). Chaos and complexity in psychology: The theory of nonlinear dynamical systems. Cambridge University Press.

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Presentations

 

• American Educational Research Association (2023, 2022, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2008, 2007, 2004, 2003, 2002, 1998, 1996, 1994, 1993, 1989, 1988, 1987)

• Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology and Life Sciences (2022, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2006, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1998, 1997, 1996)

• Data Science, Statistics and Visualization (2022)

• International Conference on Computational Statistics (2022)

• Conference on Complex Systems (2023, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016)

• International Nonlinear Science Conference (2019, 2017, 2014, 2012, 2003)

• Modern Modeling Methods Conference – M3 (2018, 2015, 2014)

• Annual Winter Chaos/Snowflake Conference (2017, 2013, 2012, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2001, 2000, 1998, 1997, 1996)

• Mixed Methods International Research Association (2016)

• Assessment Network of New York (2015)

• American Evaluation Association (2006, 2001, 2000)

• International Congress of Psychology (1996)

• International Social Science Methodology Conference (1996)

• National Council on Family Relations (1996, 1995)

• American Psychological Society (2001, 1997)

• American Psychological Association (1995, 1992)

• Eastern Psychological Association (1998)

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Peer Review

 

• Journals: Sensors, Mathematics, Applied System Innovation, Journal of Mathematics and Computer Science,  Behavioral Sciences, Classroom Discourse, Sustainability, Fluctuation and Noise Letters, Systems, Language Teaching Research, Journal of Nonlinear Sciences and Applications, Journal of Mixed Methods Research, Physica A, Educational Researcher, Global Education Review, Military Medical Research, American Educational Research Journal, Complicity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education, Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology, and Life Sciences, Northeast Journal of Complex Systems, Perspectives on Psychological Science, and Complexity

• Conferences: American Educational Research Association (AERA 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2015, 2014, 2013), International Conference on Complex Systems (2020, 2018), Northeastern Regional Conference on Complex Systems (2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018); the International Conference on Physics, Mathematics and Statistics (2018)

• Other: Routledge, Peter Lang, Elsevier, MIT Press, the Medical Research Council (UK), National Science Centre (Poland)

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Courses Taught

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• Graduate level:

  • Statistics (introductory through advanced level)

  • Educational Research/Action Research

  • Special Topics in Education: Master’s Thesis Seminar

  • Using Data for Instruction and Educational Policy

  • Organizational Dynamics and School Culture

  • Curriculum and Learning: Theories into Practice

  • Governance and Policy Issues for School District Leaders

  • Cognition and Instruction

  • Assessment and Testing in Bilingual Education

  • Classroom Assessment

  • Child and Adolescent Development

  • Educational Foundations from Diverse Perspectives

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• Undergraduate level:

  • Child, Adolescent and Life Span Development

  • Personality Psychology

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Current Committees at Mercy University

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• Graduate Curriculum Committee (GCC)

• Personnel, Promotion and Tenure (PPT)

• Institutional Review Board (IRB)

• Senate Academic Standard, Procedures and Regulations (ASPR) 

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Memberships and Affiliations

 

• American Educational Research Association (AERA), including the following divisions and special interest groups (SIG):

  • Division D: Measurement and Research Methodologies

  • SIG #17: Complexity Theories in Education

  • SIG #37: Educational Statisticians

  • SIG #155: Educational Change

• Complex Systems Society (CCS), including:

  • US Northeast Chapter of CCS

• American Statistical Association (ASA), including:

  • New York City Metropolitan Area Chapter

• International Statistical Institute (ISI), including:

  • International Association for Statistical Computing (IASC)

• Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology and Life Sciences

• Association for Supervision and Curriculum