About Beth Cooper
Dr. Cooper joined the Ball State University faculty in 2024. She teaches educational leadership courses in the MAE, EdS, and EdD programs to support aspiring principals, educational leaders, and superintendents. She participates on a variety of department, university, and regional committees, mentors students, and serves on dissertation committees.
Dr. Cooper completed her EdD in Educational Leadership and Policy and the Cooperative Superintendency Program at The University of Texas at Austin, a program consistently ranked in the top five in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. She earned a MS in Geography with a focus on Geographic Education from Texas State University, and her BA in Psychology and Secondary Social Studies Certification at Indiana University Bloomington.
During her 30 years working in P-12 public education, she served in roles as teacher, coordinator, director, associate principal, principal, and superintendent. Most recently, Dr. Cooper spent seven years as the Superintendent of The University of Texas at Austin High School Special Purpose District, an innovative, virtual school district supporting students in Texas and beyond and fostering partnerships with school districts and state agencies. In total, she spent 20 years serving in campus and district leadership positions and 10 years teaching math and social studies at the secondary level.
Dr. Cooper’s research interests involve: (1) technology for school leaders with a particular focus on AI uses and policies, (2) the leadership pipeline for principals and superintendents, and (3) practices and policies to support special student populations, such as students in gifted, advanced, emerging bilingual, and first-generation programs. Dr. Cooper routinely presents at state, regional, and national conferences and engages in activities to provide research and data to inform state policy development.
Recent Awards
Dr. Nolan Estes Leadership Ascension Award. (2024). The University of Texas at Austin.
Joe and Teresa Long Graduate Fellowship. (2016). The University of Texas at Austin.
Recent Grants
Texas Workforce Commission. (2022-24). Funding of $3,900,000 to launch an online adult education high school diploma/GED recovery program for the state of Texas.
Texas Education Agency. (2021-24). Funding of $400,000 to launch Pathways in Technology Early College High School program.
EdX, founded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. (2015). Funding of $50,000 to develop Massive Open Online Resource (MOOC) for advanced placement human geography course.
Education
EdD Educational Leadership and Policy – Cooperative Superintendency Program
The University of Texas at Austin
MS Geography – Geographic Education
Texas State University
BA Psychology and Secondary Social Studies Certification
Indiana University Bloomington
Educator Certifications
Indiana: Superintendent, Building Level Administrator, Teacher –Economics, Government, Psychology
Texas: Superintendent, Principal, Teacher – Economics, Secondary Social Studies Composite, Secondary Mathematics, Special Education, and Elementary 1-8.