W. Norton Grubb

Norton Grubb
W. Norton Grubb
Former David Pierpont Gardner Professor of Higher Education, Emeritus,
University of California, Berkeley

W. Norton Grubb was the David Pierpont Gardner Professor of Higher Education, Emeritus, at the University of California, Berkeley. His research examined the role of education in labor markets, the effectiveness of high schools and community colleges, and how educational institutions can reinforce or reduce societal inequities. He authored 14 books and numerous articles on education policy and was instrumental in establishing the Principal Leadership Institute at Berkeley to train principals for urban schools. He also played a key role in shaping policies on career and technical education and was a frequent consultant for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). His work influenced state and national discussions on linking education and workforce development. Grubb received the University of California, Berkeley, Chancellor’s Award for Advancing Institutional Excellence. Grubb earned his BA and PhD in economics from Harvard University.

updated 2025

Contributing topics
Access, quality & alignment in early childhood education
College access & postsecondary success
Continuous school improvement & support
Education finance
Educational governance & policy
Supporting students’ social-emotional, mental & physical health
Understanding, measuring & improving student outcomes
W. Norton Grubb in the Media
: How to Reform Remedial Education
Publications by W. Norton Grubb
PB
Making Sense of Career-Technical Education
Options for California
This policy brief examines accountability in California's education system, calling for a comprehensive approach that measures student outcomes and addresses systemic factors. The authors emphasize stakeholder engagement and local capacity building…
Making the Most of Career-Technical Education: Options for California
Making the Most of Career-Technical Education
Options for California
This policy brief advocates for the expansion of career-technical education (CTE) in California's high schools through a CTE/multiple pathways approach. The authors argue that this approach integrates academic and occupational content, is more…
Straw into Gold, Revenues into Results: Spinning Out the Implications of the Improved School Finance
Straw into Gold, Revenues into Results:
Spinning Out the Implications of the Improved School Finance
Despite the belief that increased spending leads to better educational outcomes, real expenditures per pupil have doubled since the late 1960s, yet problems in schools persist. An improved school finance approach focuses on effective resources in…
The Unending Search for Equity: California Policy, the ‘Improved School Finance,’ and the Williams Case
The Unending Search for Equity
California Policy, the "Improved School Finance," and the Williams Case
This article applies the logic of the ‘‘improved’’ school finance, arguing the need to understand how resources are used at the school and classroom levels. While California policies and most court cases have been seriously inadequate from this…