With Capstone Projects, Master’s Students at The Broad Center Put Yale Education to Work

In his role as director of research and program evaluation in the special education office of New York City’s public school system, Jared Danker ’25 saw firsthand how important paraprofessional classroom support is for students with a wide range of disabilities. He also discovered that, paradoxically, having one-on-one support from a paraprofessional sometimes limited opportunities for students to develop independence.

As a student in The Broad Center at Yale SOM’s Master’s Degree in Public Education program, Danker had the opportunity to address the issue. In the program, which is designed to give public-school system leaders the frameworks and tools to deepen their impact on their home school system, all students complete a capstone project generating actionable solutions to an issue affecting their day-to-day work.

“The capstone was a really great lab site for applying all the coursework I have learned,” Danker said.

This summer, Danker and his peers presented their capstone projects, a culminating experience in the 14-month master’s program, which is designed to develop transformational leaders across large public-school systems and allows students to earn a master’s degree while working full-time in K-12 education. In the capstone course, students apply classroom insights to challenges within their own organizations, working closely with Broad alumni advisers throughout the process. Each student addressed an issue meaningful to the community in which they work.

Danker focused on using paraprofessional support effectively to help students with disabilities build the skills and confidence they need to thrive independently. The project situates paraprofessionals not as permanent providers of support, but as partners in fostering growth, self-reliance, and meaningful inclusion. “Our vision is that students leave the system with as much independence as possible,” he said. “My project was about re-envisioning what it means to have a paraprofessional on your individualized education program.”

Through the capstone project, Danker facilitated case studies, consulted other districts to gather best practices, and assembled a team of experts to develop an independence plan, a guiding document for paraprofessionals. The project both drew on his longstanding strengths as a researcher and gave him the opportunity to take on a new project management role. He hopes to pilot this plan with leadership approval.

“As someone who used to live, work, and do stakeholder engagement in New York City, I especially enjoyed helping Jared with his capstone,” said Jenna Conway, Danker’s adviser and a 2014 graduate of The Broad Residency. “I could see the gears turning as he took on an enormous challenge that we both knew would have real and immediate impact on some of NYC’s most vulnerable students.”

Megan Williams ’25, who manages grants at the Washington, D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education, focused on improving educational programs in juvenile detention facilities. To strengthen program monitoring and consistency, she developed a robust framework that combines subgrantee self-assessments with comprehensive reviews.

Williams’ approach uses monitoring as a tool for continuous improvement. She designed her framework to help subgrantees improve program quality and student outcomes like GED attainment and reduced recidivism.

“Education unlocks a lot of doors, especially for our vulnerable populations,” Williams said. The framework will be piloted next year with the potential to scale across other grant programs.

Another master’s student, Erin Nusnbaum ’25, investigated the gap between school safety investments and students’ perceptions of safety. Nusnbaum, who serves as the director of policy management at Fulton County Schools in Atlanta, Georgia, had observed that, despite significant safety investments, students continued to give safety low rankings in the district’s annual survey. To better understand the student perspective, she conducted focus groups with more than 200 students across 24 schools.

Through these conversations, Nusnbaum uncovered new insights, like concerns about bathroom safety and teacher support. Her findings sparked districtwide conversations and prompted leaders to explore new ways to engage students and ensure their voices and perspectives are heard. Importantly, Nusnbaum’s work also revealed that previous annual surveys were not capturing the full student experience.

“Leadership isn’t about having all the right answers; it’s about asking the right questions,” she said. “When you pair thoughtful questions with true listening, it can be really transformational.”

As the faculty lead for the capstone course, Shana Young guided the cohort from project conception to final presentations. She sees the capstone project, which encourages students to grow as leaders and drive meaningful change, as reflective of the program’s mission.

“The work that they’re doing has the opportunity to change the lives of students, teachers, schools, and the communities that they serve,” Young said. “Collectively, the scale of their impact is exciting.”