djbutler.org
Donnell Butler
It's always worthwhile to make others aware of their worth. -- Malcolm Forbes
Donnell J. Butler
Princeton University
Department of Sociology
228 Wallace Hall
Princeton, NJ 08544
Office: 609-333-6963
Fax: 609-258-1039
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
VisualCV
Donnell is the project director for the Campus Life in America Student Survey (CLASS). The CLASS project is a study aimed at improving educational outcomes for all students attending racially and ethnically diverse colleges and universities. The study asks three questions: (1) how engaged are today's undergraduates in diversity-related experiences; (2) how do students evaluate those experiences; and (3) what can colleges and universities do from the standpoint of their policies and programs to maximize the educational benefits of diversity. Data for the pilot phase of the CLASS project have been gathered from more than 12,000 freshman and juniors in the fall of 2004. During the 2006-2007 academic year, follow-up survey data has been collected from more than 2,500 of the students who were incoming freshmen in 2004. These data have been supplemented by on-campus interviews with roughly 100 campus administrators. The CLASS project operates within the Princeton University Office of Population Research and is supported with funds from the Ford Foundation.
Donnell is the coordinator of the Opening Doors and Paving the Way Forum. The Forum is comprised of experts and practitioners from the nation's leading education programs, high schools, colleges, and universities that are working to address the enormous gap between the rich and poor in college matriculation. In response to a November 9-10, 2006 meeting of forum participants, three initiatives are in-progress: (1) maintenance of a national network of programs and professionals working to prepare promising students from economically disadvantaged families for success at selective colleges and universities; (2) production of a white paper that describes he problem with unequal college access, the social and structural challenges of preparing low-income students for college, and the strategies that successful programs have used to overcome those challenges for thousands of low-income students; (3) development of a comprehensive “how to” manual for colleges, universities, and community-based organizations that seek to engage in college access and preparation work for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The Opening Doors and Paving the Way Forum is supported with funds from The Goldman Sachs Foundation.
Donnell is the evaluation specialist for the Princeton University Preparatory Program (PUPP). PUPP an intensive academic and cultural enrichment program that prepares local area high school students from low-income backgrounds to apply to and succeed at highly selective colleges and universities.
Donnell is the data analyst for the Princeton University Program in Teacher Preparation (Teacher Prep). The Program in Teacher Preparation at Princeton University is a uniquely designed interdepartmental course of study that prepares undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni to become certified teachers at the elementary or secondary level.