Jose Eos Trinidad is Assistant Professor of Education Policy at the University of California Berkeley. He is a sociologist focused on the study of organizations outside schools and the study of schools as organizations. He received his Joint PhD in Sociology and Comparative Human Development from the University of Chicago.
Research
Bringing together the sociologies of organizations and education, his research interrogates education policy, civil society, and institutional change. He is author of Subtle Webs: How Local Organizations Shape US Education (Oxford, 2025) and of more than 40 peer-reviewed articles in journals like Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis; Educational Researcher; Socius; Sociology of Education; Sociology Compass; and Social Science & Medicine
His research primarily investigates the interaction between schools and "outside" research, philanthropic, and nonprofit organizations — with consequences for our understanding of public policy implementation, school improvement, and civil society. His current research looks at these cross-sector partnerships (1) in large urban school districts like Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City, (2) with quantitative datasets assembled from US nonprofit tax records, and (3) in new civic organizations in developing countries. To understand policies and politics holistically, he is a multi-method researcher using quantitative causal inference strategies, qualitative interviews, and network analysis.
View his curriculum vitae.
View his Google Scholar.
View his journal PDFs.
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Teaching
He teaches courses on causal inference (advanced quantitative methods), organizational theory, and education inequality and policy.
Note for PhD Applicants
Please feel free to send me an email to introduce yourself and your work to me. One of the most important considerations with graduate school application is finding a fit between you and your potential advisor. In my case, I am happy to be an advisor if you have any of these interests: (1) cross-sector partnerships between schools, districts, and "outside" philanthropic or nonprofit organizations; (2) education policy research using quantitative methods and organizational theories; and (3) sociology of education.
Seven Key Ideas
TLDR: Jose Eos Trinidad brings together rich theoretical insights with new empirical cases and sophisticated methods to deepen our understanding of organizations and education. Here are seven key insights from his research:
1. Organizational theory can be synthesized into seven perspectives with the acronym SCRIPTS: structure, culture, relations, institutions, professions, transformation, and social conflict. In his attempt to support leaders and researchers in utilizing different theories, he wrote this article and uses it in his course on Organizational Theory.
2. In a decentralized education system, changes can happen as "outside" organizations are connected across local areas creating an invisible infrastructure of support. His book, Subtle Webs: How Local Organizations Shape US Education, details the many ways and strategies this happens. He also teaches a course on the Ecology of School Improvement.
3. In a highly centralized education system, like in developing countries, changes can happen through the use of strategic networks to bring about bureaucratic effectiveness. In an article with Sociology of Education titled "Educational Change through Bureaucratic Effectiveness: The Role of Mid-Level Networks," he describes the way a Philippine nonprofit helped education policies by introducing and connecting mid-level staff.
4. Education nonprofits have become important actors in education policy and politics, and can be categorized in various ways. In his Educational Researcher article, he groups "school improvement organizations" into direct school support, research/ advocacy, and funding. In his Journal of Education article, he also used nonprofit tax data to categorize the broader landscape inclusive of Parent-Teacher Associations, K-12 institutions, scholarship organizations, and professional education service nonprofits.
5. The intersection sociological and psychological perspectives can provide new insights on student achievement. His Social Psychology of Education paper notes the interplay of growth mindset and socioeconomic status as GM was predictive of achievement only for rich students. His Socius paper highlights how school accountability policies can have detrimental effects on students' motivation to learn. His Studies in Ed Evaluationpaper notes how the disjuncture between parental aspirations and student expectations can negatively impact student outcomes. He integrates these sociological and psychological insights into his course on Education Inequalities in and beyond Schools.
6. The impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are context-dependent and new methods can more accurately show these mechanisms. His Social Science & Medicinepaper illustrates how the effects of ACEs differ according to one's context of disadvantage. He teaches this method in his course on Causal Inference for Policy and Education Research.
7. During crises like COVID-19 and organizational change processes, leaders need both organizational actions and an acknowledgement of the competing values/ priorities. A number of papers he wrote during COVID-19 discussed that no single decision is correct and that it helps for school leaders to be clear about the competing priorities during times of crisis.
Publications
Books
Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2025. Subtle Webs: How Local Organizations Shape US Education. Oxford and New York City: Oxford University Press.
Journals
[43] Trinidad, Jose Eos. Forthcoming. “Educational Change through Bureaucratic Effectiveness: The Role of Mid-Level Networks.” Sociology of Education.
[42] Jacob, Jonathan, and Jose Eos Trinidad. Forthcoming. “District Demographic Predictors of Anti-CRT and Anti-LGBT Education Disruptions.” American Journal of Education. [equal first authorship].
[41] Trinidad, Jose Eos, Daniel Lancet, and Lin-Chiun Wang. 2025. “The Ecology of US Education Nonprofits.” Journal of Education, online first, 1-17, doi: 10.1177/00220574251336095.
[40] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2025. “Mapping Organizational Theory with SCRIPTS.” Sociology Compass 19(4), 1-13. doi: 10.1111/soc4.70059.
[39] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2025. “From Accountability to Algorithms: Interorganizational Learning and the Transformation of Quantification in Education.” Qualitative Sociology, online first, 1-35. doi: 10.1007/s11133-024-09590-w
[38] Tsai, Hsin-Ta, and Jose Eos Trinidad. 2025. “Effect of International Roommates on College Outcomes: Evidence from Students of Disadvantaged Backgrounds.” Educational Policy, online first, 1-30. doi: 10.1177/08959048251315481
[37] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2024. “From Boardrooms to Classrooms: How Interorganizational Networks Influence Education Policy Adoption.” Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, online first: 1-26. doi: 10.3102/01623737241254791
[36] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2024. “Positionality in the Politics of Education: Strategies and Constraints of Education Reformers.” Educational Policy online first: 1-33. doi: 10.1177/08959048231220038
[35] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2024. “Interviewing K-12 Education Experts and Elites.” Frontiers in Education 1: 1-7, doi: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1286151
[34] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2023. “Rethinking School Improvement Organizations: Understanding their Variety, Benefits, Risks, and Future Directions.” Educational Researcher online first: 1-8. doi: 10.3102/0013189X231179116
[33] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2023. “The Irony of Accountability: How a Performance-Inducing Policy Reduces Motivation to Perform.” Socius 9: 1-15. doi: 10.1177/23780231231180387
[32] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2023. “An Organizational Sociology of Education: Using Structural, Network, and Ecological Perspectives in the Study of Schools.” Sociological Inquiry. online first. 1-26. doi: 10.1111/soin.12583
[31] Ngo, Galvin Radley, Davijay Leighton Engay, Janela Leemae Gaw, George Milbrain D. Kho, Lorenzo Lagamon, Kerima Ruth Sonaco, Lars Michaelsen Salamante, and Jose Eos Trinidad. 2023. “Student-Centered Learning During COVID-19: Lessons from Paulo Freire and Teaching in Higher Education.” Philippine Sociological Review 71: 96-112. doi: 10.2307/48750343
[30] Trinidad, Jose Eos, Assumpta Nina San Andres, Peter Louise Garnace, & Stanley Guevara. 2023. "Effective Subunits in Ineffective Systems: Simultaneous Tight and Loose Coupling in Higher Education Data Use." Acta Sociologica online first: 1-16. doi: 10.1177/00016993221145369
[29] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2022. “Meaning-Making, Negotiation, and Change in School Accountability, Or What Sociology Can Offer Policy Studies.” Sociological Inquiry online first:1–26. doi: 10.1111/soin.12485.
[28] Trinidad, Jose Eos, and Ronnel B. King. 2022. “Ability Grouping Predicts Inequality, Not Achievement Gains in Philippine Schools: Findings from PISA 2018.” Educational Research for Policy and Practice 21(2): 305-322. doi: 10.1007/s10671-021-09307-8.
[27] Leung, Christy Y.Y., Jose Eos Trinidad, and Dana Suskind. 2022. Increases in Language Input are Sustained among Mothers of Low SES: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial. Parenting: Science and Practice, online first: 1-33. doi: 10.1080/15295192.2022.2115912.
[26] Leung, Christy Y.Y., Jose Eos Trinidad, and Dana Suskind. 2022. Video-Based Anticipatory Guidance on Early Cognitive and Language Development in the First Six Months: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Pediatrics online first: 1-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.03.008.
[25] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2021. “Social Consequences and Contexts of Adverse Childhood Experiences.” Social Science & Medicine 277:1–9. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113897.
^ Media coverage: invited podcast feature for Down the Research Rabbit Hole
[24] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2021. “Childhood Adversity and Deviant Peers: Considering Behavioral Selection and Cultural Socialization Pathways.” Children and Youth Services Review 121:1–11. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105844.
[23] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2021. “Structural Limitations and Functional Alternatives Reducing Suspensions and Preserving Racial Suspension Gaps.” Race Ethnicity and Education 24(1):96–111. doi: 10.1080/13613324.2018.1538119.
^ Winner: Earl S. and Esther Johnson Prize for Best MA Thesis
[22] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2021. “Equity, Engagement, and Health: School Organisational Issues and Priorities during COVID-19.” Journal of Educational Administration and History 53(1):67–80. doi: 10.1080/00220620.2020.1858764.
[21] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2021. “Teacher Satisfaction and Burnout during COVID-19: What Organizational Factors Help?” International Journal of Leadership in Education online first:1–19. doi: 10.1080/13603124.2021.2006795.
[20] Trinidad, Jose Eos, and Enrique Niño P. Leviste. 2021. “Toward Greater Access and Impact: Directions for a Sociological Understanding of Philippine Higher Education.” Industry and Higher Education 35(3):201–10. doi: 10.1177/0950422220954062.
[19] Trinidad, Jose Eos, Maxine Diane Raz, and Iva Melissa Magsalin. 2021. “‘More than Professional Skills:’ Student Perspectives on Higher Education’s Purpose.” Teaching in Higher Education online first:1–15. doi: 10.1080/13562517.2021.1891043.
[18] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2021. “Nuancing Interdisciplinarity: Between and Beyond Liberal Arts and Professional Education.” Perspectives in the Arts and Humanities Asia 10(2):209–30. doi: 10.13185/PAHA2020.10202.
[17] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2021. “Dialogue, Discernment, and Creative Tensions in Jesuit Higher Education.” International Studies in Catholic Education online first:1–17. doi: 10.1080/19422539.2020.1858638.
[16] Leyretana, Kaela, and Jose Eos Trinidad. 2021. “Predicting or Preventing Lifelong Learning? The Role of Employment, Time, Cost, and Prior Achievement.” Journal of Adult and Continuing Education online first:1–16. doi: 10.1177/14779714211054555.
[15] Haw, Joseph Y., Ronnel B. King, and Jose Eos Trinidad. 2021. “Need Supportive Teaching Is Associated with Greater Reading Achievement: What the Philippines Can Learn from PISA 2018.” International Journal of Educational Research 110:1–11. doi: 10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101864.
[14] King, Ronnel B., and Jose Eos Trinidad. 2021. “Growth Mindset Predicts Achievement Only among Rich Students: Examining the Interplay between Mindset and Socioeconomic Status.” Social Psychology of Education 24(3):635–52. doi: 10.1007/s11218-021-09616-z.
[13] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2020. “Material Resources, School Climate, and Achievement Variations in the Philippines: Insights from PISA 2018.” International Journal of Educational Development 75:1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2020.102174.
[12] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2020. “Religion and the Creation of Normal Appearance: Findings from a Philippine Prison.” Social Sciences and Missions 33(1–2):105–27. doi: 10.1163/18748945-03201018.
[11] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2020. “Will It Matter Who I’m in School with? Differential Influence of Collective Expectations on Urban and Rural US Schools.” International Studies in Sociology of Education 29(4):344–65. doi: 10.1080/09620214.2019.1673791.
[10] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2020. “Understanding Student-Centred Learning in Higher Education: Students’ and Teachers’ Perceptions, Challenges, and Cognitive Gaps.” Journal of Further and Higher Education 44(8):1013–23. doi: 1.1080/0309877X.2019.1636214.
[9] Trinidad, Jose Eos, Galvin Radley Ngo, Ana Martina Nevada, and Jeanne Angelica Morales. 2020. “Engaging and/or Effective? Students’ Evaluation of Pedagogical Practices in Higher Education.” College Teaching 68(4):161–71. doi: 10.1080/87567555.2020.1769017.
[8] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2019. “Teacher Response Process to Bureaucratic Control: Individual and Group Dynamics Influencing Teacher Responses.” Leadership and Policy in Schools 18(4):533–43. doi: 10.1080/15700763.2018.1475573
[7] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2019. “Collective Expectations Protecting and Preventing Academic Achievement.” Education and Urban Society 51(9):1147–71. doi: 10.1177/0013124518785444.
[6] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2019. “Stable, Unstable, and Later Self-Expectations’ Influence on Educational Outcomes.” Educational Research and Evaluation 25(3–4):163–78. doi: 10.1080/13803611.2019.1676789.
[5] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2019. “Understanding When Parental Aspirations Negatively Affect Student Outcomes: The Case of Aspiration-Expectation Inconsistency.” Studies in Educational Evaluation 60(1):179–88. doi: 10.1016/j.stueduc.2019.01.004.
[4] Trinidad, Jose Eos, and Galvin Radley Ngo. 2019. “Technology’s Roles in Student-Centred Learning in Higher Education.” IJAR – International Journal of Action Research 15(1):81–94. doi: 10.3224/ijar.v15i1.06.
[3] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2018. “Towards a Model for Evaluating Spiritual Recollections.” International Journal of Children’s Spirituality 23(3):230–47. doi: 10.1080/1364436X.2018.1456411.
[2] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2018. “Using Pre-Test and Post-Test Data to Understand Spirituality Programs: Opportunities and Limitations.” International Journal of Children’s Spirituality 23(4):412–28. doi: 10.1080/1364436X.2018.1538044.
[1] Trinidad, Jose Eos. 2017. “Interdisciplinarity and Ignatian Pedagogy.” Perspectives in the Arts and Humanities Asia 7(2):1–17.
Interests and Professional Affiliations
- American Sociological Association
- American Educational Research Association
- Sociology of Education Association
Interests
Causal Inference
Education Policy and Systems Research
Sociology of Education
Sociology of Organizations
