Faculty Directory
Andrew Miller
Associate Professor
Andrew Miller
Ph.D.
Contact
Campion 216
Telephone: 617-552-3732
Email: andrew.miller.6@bc.edu
Education
- Ph.D., Boston College
- M.Ed. University of Notre Dame
- B.A., University of Notre Dame
Courses
Transforming the Field of Catholic Education
Ethics and Equity in Education
Organizational Theory
Seminar on Education Reform
Theories of Leadership
Research Methods (Ed.D./PSAP)
Research Interests
Catholic educational leadership models, the organizational make-up of Catholic elementary and secondary schools, educational policies impacting the Catholic school sector in the U.S., the intersection of Catholic school governance/leadership models and the sustainability of Catholic schools, and equity of urban Catholic elementary schools
Expertise
- Catholic Education
- Educational Leadership & Policy
- Urban Education
Department
Profile
Andrew F. Miller's is an educational leadership and policy scholar who conducts research in and about U.S. Catholic PreK-12 schools and systems, exploring if/how Catholic school leaders provide a socially just, transformative education for the students who attend America's Catholic schools. The research he conducts focuses on three major lines of inquiry: (1) understanding the internal organizational dynamics of U.S. Catholic school systems; (2) assessing how Catholic school and system leaders navigate contemporary policy environments; and (3) examining the ways different Catholic, public, and charter systems have attempted to pursue organizational change.
Dr. Miller has been committed to enhancing the quality of teaching, learning, and leadership in Catholic schools throughout his career. Prior to his academic appointment, Dr. Miller worked as a middle school teacher at St. George Catholic School in Fort Worth, TX, as an instructional coach with the Urban Catholic Teacher Corps of Boston College, and as Director of Academics at the Archdiocese of Boston Catholic Schools Office.
As a faculty member in the Educational Leadership and Higher Education department, Dr. Miller teaches and advises graduate students in the M.Ed. Educational Leadership and Policy program (particularly Catholic Leadership Cohort and UCTC dual-degree students). He also teaches several core content and research methods courses in the Educational Leadership Ed.D. program (PSAP).
Dr. Miller earned his Ph.D. from the Lynch School in 2017 where his work focused on the intersections of teacher preparation and education reform policy. Miller was a co-author (with Marilyn Cochran-Smith and other members of the Teacher Education and Education Reform research team) of Reclaiming Accountability in Teacher Education, which has won awards from AERA, the Society of Professors of Education, and the American Educational Studies' Association.
Select Publications
Miller, A. F., Ezeugwu, G.*, Reyes, J., & Wyttenbach, M. (2026). Navigating system leadership in intentionally decentralized systems of schools: An analysis of U.S. Catholic school superintendents’ perspectives. Educational Administration Quarterly. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X261425655.
Burke, K. J., & Miller, A. F. (2025). The cruel optimism of Catholic schooling in the United States. International Studies in Catholic Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/19422539.2025.2561875.
Miller, A. F., Giunco, K.*, Vera, M. M.*, Friedman, A., Cownie, C., Rosen-Reynoso, M., & Smith, A. (2025). Can decentralized school systems pursue common ends?: An analysis of urban Catholic school and system leaders’ perception of reform. Urban Education, 60(7), 2153-2186. https://doi.org/10.1177/00420859241279450.
Miller, A. F., Vera, M. M.*, & Giunco, K.* (2025). How should leaders “sustain the legacy” of urban Catholic schools? An exploration of Catholic school and system leader perspectives. Journal of Educational Administration, 63(1), 77-93. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-09-2023-0230.
Hegseth, W., & Miller, A. F. (2025). Taking a stance: A comparative study of education-systems-in-environment. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 47(4), 1266-1289. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737241296900.
Miller, A. F. (2024). Will parental choice save Catholic schools? Interrogating the Catholic school sector’s relationship to private school choice advocacy in the U.S. Religion & Education, 51(4), 342-360. https://doi.org/10.1080/15507394.2024.2413837.
Miller, A. F. (2024). “I didn’t care about enrollment:” Catholic school leader perceptions of organizational decision-making in the COVID era. Journal of School Choice, 18(3), 407-431. https://doi.org/10.1080/15582159.2024.2350819.
Miller, A. F., & Burke, K. J. (2023). Making Catholic schools research relevant: Assessing contemporary trends in the field of Catholic education. Educational Researcher, 52(1), 39-47. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X221136560.
Miller, A. F., Reyes, J., Wyttenbach, M., & Ezeugwu, G.* (2022). The limits of the “system of schools” approach: Superintendent perspectives on change efforts in U.S. Catholic school systems. Journal of Educational Change, 24(4), 943-970. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-022-09475-1.
Miller, A. F., Noble, A. D., & McQuillan, P. J. (2022). Understanding leadership for adaptive change in Catholic schools: A complexity perspective. Journal of Catholic Education, 25(1), 54-83. https://doi.org/10.15365/joce.2501032022.
Select Grants and Fellowships
Key Collaborator (2024). Reckoning with the past, present, and possibility of American Catholic schools: Reconceptualizing a future in worship and justice. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Teacher-Scholar Vital Worship Grants. PI: Courtney O’Grady, University of Alabama. ($22,858)
Principal Investigator (2023-2024). (Re)designing educational infrastructure to promote equity and wellbeing: A comparative study of public, charter, and Catholic educational systems. Research Incentive Grant, Boston College. Co-PIs: Whitney Hegseth, Michael O’Connor. ($14,890)
Principal Investigator (2022-2023). Formation in times of crisis: A comparative study of public, charter, and Catholic educational systems. Research into Formative Education, Boston College. Co-PIs: Whitney Hegseth, Michael O’Connor. ($14,225)
Co-Principal Investigator (2022-2025). How Catholic School Networks Foster Innovative and Transformative Pedagogies of Character Formation. Character through Community: Strengthening Character Development through Communities of Practice, John Templeton Foundation. PI: Martin Scanlan. Key Collaborators: Melodie Wyttenbach and Elena Sada, Boston College Roche Center. ($529,590)
Principal Investigator (2021-2022). Organizational and leadership responses to COVID-19 in Catholic schools. Warmenhoven Fellows Research Grant, Boston College. Co-PIs: Charlie Cownie, Myra Rosen-Reynoso, Michael O’Connor. ($38,342)
Principal Investigator (2020-2021). Assessing and evaluating shifts in Catholic school governance. Warmenhoven Fellows Research Grant, Boston College. Co-PIs: Melodie Wyttenbach, John Reyes. ($45,000)
Select Presentations
Miller, A.F., & O’Connor, M.T. (April 8, 2019). Moving beyond enrollment: A framework for encouraging critical perspectives and embracing diversity in Catholic education. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Toronto, ON.
Miller, A.F., & Keefe, E.S. (April 16, 2018). Creating jaw-droppingly effective rookie teachers: Teacher preparation at Sposato Graduate School of Education (Match Education). In M.Cochran-Smith (chair) and A.M. Villegas (discussant), Teacher preparation at new graduate schools of education: Studying a controversial innovation. Symposium presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York, NY.
Baker, M., & Miller, A.F. (April 28, 2017). Reclaiming accountability: Promising practices and directions forward. In M. Cochran-Smith (chair) and A.L. Goodwin (discussant), Getting accountability right in teacher education. Symposium presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Antonio, TX.
Cochran-Smith, M., Carney, M.C., Miller, A.F., & Sanchez, J.G. (April 6, 2017). Teacher preparation at new graduate schools of education: Studying a controversial innovation. Symposium presented at the Annual Meeting of the New England Educational Research Organization, Portsmouth, NH.
Cochran-Smith, M., Miller, A.F., & Carney, M.C. (November 29, 2016). Relocating teacher preparation: New graduate schools of education and their implications. Keynote address at the Boston College Lynch School of Education Endowed Chairs Colloquium, Chestnut Hill, MA.
Miller, A.F., & Keefe, E.S. (April 11, 2016). Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation’s new efforts to professionalize teacher education through accreditation and accountability. In M. Cochran-Smith (chair) and K. Kumashiro (discussant), Fixing teacher preparation: Analysis and critique of major reform initiatives. Symposium presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Washington, D.C.
Cochran-Smith, M., Stern, R., Sanchez, J.G., Miller, A.F., Keefe, E.S., Fernandez, M.B., Chang, W.C., Carney, M.C., Burton, S., & Baker, M. (April 10, 2016). Teacher education accountability initiatives: What’s the evidence? In M. Cochran-Smith (chair), Public scholarship and teacher education for diverse democracies. Symposium conducted at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Washington, D.C.
Miller, A.F., & Keefe, E.S. (May 1, 2015). CAEP: Professionalizing teacher education through accreditation and accountability. In M. Cochran-Smith (chair), Education reform and teacher education: Critiquing four initiatives. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the New England Educational Research Organization, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Miller, A.F. (April 18, 2015). The social field of “No Excuses” charter schools and management organizations: A critical inquiry into the beliefs and practices of an emerging orthodoxy for urban education. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, Illinois.
Miller, A.F., & O’Connor, M.T. (May 2, 2014). Critical foundations, intersecting agendas: Rethinking the discourse of Catholic schools and school choice. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the New England Educational Research Organization, Mount Snow, Vermont.
Miller, A.F. (May 1, 2014). The democratic possibilities and limitations of “No Excuses” charter schools. In M. Cochran-Smith (chair), Can democracy and equity survive education reform? Symposium conducted at the Annual Meeting of the New England Educational Research Organization, Mount Snow, Vermont.
Ryan, A., Paugh, P.C., Enterline, S., Doyle, K., Miller, A.F., Wendell, K., Gilbert, M., Vandenberg, L.E., Gonsalves, L.M., & Power, C. (April 7, 2014). A tale of two universities: The edTPA in Massachusetts. In A. Ryan (chair) and M. Cochran-Smith (discussant), Context matters: Unpacking the national teacher assessments and the edTPA in four states. Symposium conducted at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Ryan, A., Enterline, S., Doyle, K., Miller, A.F. (April 5, 2014). The consequences of compliance: Exploring the edTPA and outcomes for teacher candidates. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Ryan, A., Power, C., & Miller, A.F. (May 1, 2013). Unintended consequences: A case study of professional development experiences in a small-school setting. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, California.
Enterline, S., Ryan, A., Doyle, K., & Miller, A.F. (April 30, 2013). Implementing the Teacher Performance Assessment: Challenges, lessons, and next steps. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, California.
Enterline, S., Ryan, A., Doyle, K., & Miller, A.F. (April 19, 2013). Implementing the Teacher Performance Assessment: Challenges, lessons, and next steps. In M. Cochran-Smith, E. Losee, & M. Regan (Chairs), Implementing the Teacher Performance Assessment in Massachusetts. Symposium conducted at the Annual Meeting of the New England Educational Research Organization, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
HONORS AND AWARDS
2025 AERA Religion & Education SIG Emerging Scholar Award
2019 AERA Division K Exemplary Research in Teaching and Teacher Education Award for "Reclaiming Accountability in Teacher Education"