Brenda Valdes

Brenda Valdes is a Ph.D. student in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University, specializing in Developmental and Psychological Sciences. Her research focuses on English Learners (ELs), particularly how classification and reclassification processes shape academic trajectories over time. Using quantitative and mixed methods research, she examines how structural and contextual factors such as disability status, parent education, and school environment influence the experiences of subgroups including Long-Term English Learners, Newcomers, and Dually Identified students.

 

Originally from Allende Coahuila, Mexico and San Antonio, Texas, Brenda graduated from San Antonio College and the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she graduated summa cum laude. At Stanford, she serves as a research assistant with the Amado Padilla Lab and the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities, where she partners with school districts to conduct research that centers the strengths of multilingual, immigrant, and historically underserved students. She is also a Haas Center Fellow, reflecting her commitment to community-engaged scholarship and educational equity.