Wakasa Nagakura

Wakasa Nagakura is a senior research Scientist at the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE). She has a PhD from Columbia University, where she studied mathematics development in young children and the influence of culture, specifically cognitive scaffolding by mothers and teachers in teaching situations, under Dr. Herbert Ginsburg.

Her current research interests include the development of mathematical thinking and teaching, learning progressions in mathematics and literacy, cultural or social influence on students’ achievement, and teachers’ use of formative assessments. At CPRE, Nagakura worked as a team member on the Learning Trajectories in Mathematics project. Nagakura’s current projects include the review and revision of Thailand’s national math and science standards and projects for the Center on Continuous Instructional Improvement.