I completed my Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction (Major: Special Education) within the School of Teacher Education at Florida State University in December 2014. During that time I was also an Institute of Education Sciences Fellow in the Pre-Doctoral Interdisciplinary Research Training program at the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR). Most recently, I was employed as an Assistant in Research with FCRR and coordinated two multi-site, federally funded grant projects. Prior to my doctoral training, I was a school psychologist and special education administrator for 11 years in the state of Michigan.
My current research agenda focuses on literacy instruction for students with/at-risk for learning disabilities and other high-incidence disabilities, with a specific focus on reading and writing. Specifically, I conceptualize my research within the context of layers or tiers of service delivery within the school setting for students with learning disabilities or learning difficulties. Thus, in addition to examining the content, efficacy, and feasibility of supplemental interventions, my research also investigates core (i.e., General Education) literacy instruction in order to identify typical classroom practices, and their relationship to outcomes for students with learning disabilities. Additionally, my research interests include the assessment of, and relations among, literacy skills such as reading, writing, spelling, and oral language.
