New Books Network Jose Eos Trinidad, "Subtle Webs: How Local Organizations Shape US Education" (Oxford UP, 2025)
Jan 15, 2026
In this insightful discussion, Jose Eos Trinidad, an assistant professor at UC Berkeley, explores how local organizations shape U.S. education. He highlights the invisible networks influencing school policies, drawing from his research in cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York. Trinidad discusses the challenges of student dropout rates and introduces concepts like early warning indicators. He examines the benefits and risks of external players in education, urging educators and policymakers to recognize the power of these 'outside-in' changes.
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Research Sparked By Pandemic Access Limits
- Trinidad describes a research focus on organizations outside schools during his pandemic PhD work.
- He traced how researchers, philanthropies, and intermediaries formed a hidden infrastructure shaping schools.
Dropout Rates Became More Manageable
- High school dropout rates fell dramatically from the 2000s to the 2020s in major cities.
- Early warning indicators helped detect risk signals as early as ninth grade to enable interventions.
How Early Warning Indicators Work
- Early warning indicators (EWIs) use attendance, behavior, and course performance to flag students.
- EWIs create dashboards that identify students as red/yellow/green to guide targeted action.
