Areas of Interest

• Reading achievement of middle school students.
• student motivation.
• Teachers of culturally and linguistically diverse students.
• Teacher training programs.

Keyword Interest

• Motivation
• Achievement Gap
• Educational Equity
• Reading engagement
• Teacher Education

Current Research Topic/Field-Based Project

Research Topic:
IES grant to implement new preschool curriculum in Birmingham-based Head start Program.

• Support and study teacher adoption of effective strategies for teaching language.
• Measure curriculum impact on longitudinal development of vocabulary and literacy ability (from PK through Grade 1).
• Measure the relationship between the frequency and complexity of teacher-child conversations and children's growth.

Former Experience

• AmeriCorps member, school programs and neighborhood revitalization, Oakland, California.
• Certified to teach grades 5-9 social studies in Massachusetts.
• Grade 6 Social Studies Teacher, Massachusetts.
• Director of Technology, Brimmer and May School, Massachusetts.

Education

• B.A. (1993): Russian, Boston College
• M.A.T. (1997): Social Studies, Tufts University