Elizabeth Howard

Associate Professor


Titles:

Associate Professor

Academic Degrees:

Ed.D. Human Development and Psychology, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2003
M.A. Educational Psychology, University of California at Berkeley, 1993
B.A. Spanish Language and Literature, University of Maryland, 1987

Areas of Expertise:

Dual Language Education

Biliteracy Development

Sociocultural Competence and Identity Development

Emergent Bilingual Learners

Biography:

Liz Howard is an associate professor of bilingual education in the department of Curriculum and Instruction. Her current research focuses on the development of sociocultural competence among dual language students in the U.S. and Costa Rica, and she was recently awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to investigate the development of sociocultural competence among dual language students and its relationship to equitable bilingualism and biliteracy outcomes. Previously, she has served as the principal investigator or co-PI of three large-scale, federally funded studies of the literacy development of Spanish-English bilinguals – a recently completed study of argument writing among Latino 4th grade students, a cross-linguistic vocabulary intervention for middle schoolers, and a longitudinal study focusing on cross-linguistic influences on the spelling development of students in the upper elementary grades. She was also the co-PI of a faculty learning community designed to build the capacity of teacher education faculty members to support pre-service teachers’ learning about emergent bilinguals. Prior to coming to UConn, she was a senior research associate with the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) in Washington, DC, where she directed a number of projects related to dual language education and biliteracy development, including the longitudinal CREDE Study of Two-Way Immersion. In addition, she has worked as a bilingual elementary school teacher in California and Costa Rica, and has also taught adult ESL and literacy courses as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica.

Funded Research:

External Awards

Principal Investigator, Reimagining Dual Language Education: Promoting Equitable Bilingualism and Biliteracy Outcomes through a Focus on Sociocultural Competence. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, International Research and Studies Grants. October 2020 – September 2024. Total funding: $179,151.

Senior Investigator, New Mexico Charter School Study. Eleanor Harvill and Rachel McCormick, Abt Associates, Principal Investigators. Arnold Ventures. April 2019 – April 2021. Total funding: $500,000.

Co-PI, Writing for English Language Learners (WELLs): Exploring Instruction and Outcomes. Mileidis Gort, Principal Investigator. U.S. Department of Education, Institute for Education Sciences (IES). September 2014 – August 2019. Total funding: $1,420,910

Arteagoitia, I. & Howard, E., Principal Investigators, Content-Based Vocabulary Instruction: Using Cognates to Promote the Vocabulary Development and Reading Comprehension of Native Spanish-Speaking Adolescents. (Sub-project 4 of Vocabulary Instruction and Assessment for Spanish speakers (VIAS); Diane August, Principal Investigator). U.S. Department of Education, Institute for Education Sciences (IES). June 2007 – May 2013. Total funding: $1,828,906

Principal Investigator, Spelling as an Indicator of English Literacy Development (Sub-project 3 of Acquiring Literacy in English: Intralinguistic, Cross-linguistic, and Developmental Factors; Diane August, Principal Investigator). Joint funding through the Eunice K. Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES) as part of the Development of Literacy among Spanish-Speakers (DeLSS) research initiative. September 2000 – May 2007. Total funding: $1,374,445

Co-PI, TWIOP: Two-Way Immersion Observation Protocol. Donna Christian, Principal Investigator. Goldman Sachs. June 2005 – August 2006. Total funding: $100,000

Project Director, Two-Way Immersion Education. Donna Christian and Fred Genesee, Principal Investigators. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). Administered through the Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE), UC Santa Cruz, Roland Tharp, Principal Investigator. September 1996 – June 2004. Total funding: $1,688,221

Project Director, Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education. National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA). March 2003-September 2003. Total funding: $83,502

Principal Investigator, Two-Way Immersion Education Teacher-Researcher Collaborative. Spencer Foundation. January 1999 – August 2001. Total funding: $30,000

 

Internal Awards

Principal Investigator, Fostering Sociocultural Competence in Dual Language Education through Interdisciplinary Collaboration. Dean’s Research Incentive Award, University of Connecticut. October 2020 – January 2022. Total funding: $10,000.

Co-PI, Project PREPARE-ELLs: Preparing Responsive Educators who Promote Access and Realize Excellence with their English Language Learners. Thomas Levine, PI. Carnegie Foundation through Teachers for a New Era (TNE) at the University of Connecticut. June 2009 – May 2014. Total funding: $245,295.

Elizabeth Howard & Angela López-Velásquez, Principal Investigators, Preparing Teachers to Work Effectively in Dual Language Education Programs. Carnegie Foundation through Teachers for a New Era (TNE) at the University of Connecticut. June 2011 – June 2012. Total funding: $5,000.

Co-PI, Project PREPARE-ELLs (Preparing Responsive Educators who Promote Access and Realize Excellence with English Language Learners). Thomas Levine, PI. University of Connecticut Faculty Large Grant Program. September 2010-August 2011. Total funding: $24,975.

Selected Publications:

Books

Howard, E. R. & Simpson, S. (2024). Dual language tandem teaching: Coordinating instruction across languages through cross-linguistic pedagogies. Velázquez Press.

Scanlan, M., Hunter, C., & Howard, E. R. (Eds.) (2019). Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Education: Designing Networks that Transform Schools. Harvard Education Press.

Levine, T. H., Howard, E. R. & Moss, D. M., Eds. (2014). Preparing classroom teachers to succeed with second language learners: Lessons from a faculty learning community. Routledge.

Howard, E. R., & Sugarman, J. (2007). Realizing the vision of two-way immersion: Fostering effective programs and classrooms. Center for Applied Linguistics and Delta Systems, Co.

Book Chapters

Zhao, M. & Howard, E.R. (2024). Mandarin literacy performance of first-grade dual language students from Mandarin, English, and Spanish home-language backgrounds. In K. Sung (Ed.), Chinese-English Dual Language Immersion Programs: Content Area Instruction, Learners, and Evaluations. Lexington.

Howard, E. R. & Zhao, M. (2024). Academic and language outcomes in Spanish-English DLBE programs. In J. A. Freire, C. Alfaro, & E. de Jong (Eds.), The Handbook of Dual Language Bilingual Education. Routledge.

Howard, E. (2023). Navigating the seven c’s to promote bilingualism and biliteracy through place-based anchor projects. In K. F. Davidson, S. M. Johnson, & L. J. Randolph, jr (Eds.) How we take action: Social justice in K-16 language classrooms. Information Age Publishing.

Howard, E. R. & López-Velásquez, A. M. (2019). The challenges of recruiting and retaining dual language teachers. In DeMatthews, D. and Izquierdo, E. (Eds.), Dual Language Education: Teaching and Leading Through Two Languages. Springer.

Arteagoitia, I. & Howard, E. R. (2015). The role of the native language in the literacy development of Latino students in the U.S. In J. Cenoz & D. Gorter (Eds.), Multilingual education: Between language learning and translanguaging. (pp. 89-115). Cambridge University Press.

Lindholm-Leary, K. & Howard, E. R. (2008). Language development and academic achievement in two-way immersion programs. In T. Fortune and D. Teddick, Eds., Pathways to multilingualism. Multilingual Matters.

Journal Articles

Whiting, E., Feinauer, E., Beller, S. N. & Howard, E. R. (in press). School leadership envisions sociocultural competence: A case study of one dual language bilingual education school in Central America. International Journal of Multilingual Education.

Feinauer, E., DeJordy, R. & Howard, E. R. (2023). Using social network analysis to investigate sociocultural competence among kindergarteners in a two-way immersion classroom. Bilingual Research Journal, 46 (3-4), 290-310.

Silva-Enos, S., Howard, E.R., Feinauer, E., & Whiting, E. (2022). Tensions Between Equity and Elitism for Local Scholarship Students in an International School. Globalisation, Societies, and Education. DOI: 10.1080/14767724.2022.2155933

Whiting, E., Feinauer, E., Beller, S. N., & Howard, E. R. (2021). Kindergarteners’ perceptions of belonging and inclusion in a two-way immersion classroom. International Journal of Inclusive Education.

Neugebauer, S. & Howard, E. R. (2021). Exploring conceptions of reading risk and program-specific literacy outcomes for Spanish-speakers in dual language and English-medium programs. Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education, 9(2).

Howard, E. R. & Neugebauer, S. R. (2015). Moving towards biliteracy: Varying paths of bilingual writers in two-way immersion programs. Revista Miriada Hispanica, 10.

Neugebauer, S., Kieffer, M. & Howard, E. R. (2015). Multidimensionality and mediation in the roles of lexical knowledge in reading comprehension for Spanish-speaking language minority learners. Learning and Individual Differences, 39, 24-38.

Feinauer, E. & Howard, E. R. (2014). Attending to the third goal: Cross-cultural competence and identity development in two-way immersion programs. Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education, 2(2), 257-272.

Howard, E. R., Páez, M. M., August, D. L., Barr, C. D., Kenyon, D., & Malabonga, V. (2014). The importance of SES, home and school language and literacy practices, and oral vocabulary in bilingual children’s English reading development. Bilingual Research Journal, 37(2), 120-141.

Green, J. D., Gonzalez, E. M., López-Velásquez, A. & Howard, E. R. (2013). Hands-on professional development: Middle school teachers’ experiences with a curriculum intervention research project. Middle School Journal, 45(2), 27-32.

Howard, E. R., Green, J. D. & Arteagoitia, A. (2012). Can yu rid guat ay rot? A developmental investigation of cross-linguistic spelling errors among Spanish-English bilingual students. Bilingual Research Journal, 35(2).

deJong, E. & Howard, E. (2009). Integration in two-way immersion. Equalizing linguistic benefits for all students. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 12(1), 81-99.

Monographs 

Howard, E.R. & Simpson, S. (2023). Navigating tensions between translanguaging and separation of languages in dual language education. Monograph Series, Volume 7. Dual Language Education of New Mexico.

Bernard, C. F., Abramo, J. M., & Howard, E. R. (Eds.) (2022). A Resource Guide for Implementing Sheltered Instruction for English Learners in Music. National Association for Music Education.

McCormick, R., Harvill, E., Mendez, J., Shea, M., Pahl, M., Rodríguez, M., Rogers, D., & Howard, E. (2021). The New Mexico Charter School Study: Final Report. Abt Associates.

Howard, E. R., Lindholm-Leary, K. J., Rogers, D., Olague, N., Medina, J., Kennedy, B., Sugarman, J., & Christian, D. (2018). Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education – Third Edition – Center for Applied Linguistics (cal.org). Center for Applied Linguistics, Dual Language Education of New Mexico, and Santilla.

Howard, E. & Gonzalez, E. M. (2013). Words in Motion: An academic vocabulary curriculum for Spanish-English bilingual middle school students. (Monograph Series, Volume 5). Dual Language Education of New Mexico.

Howard, E.R., Sugarman, J., & Coburn, C. (2006). Adapting the sheltered instruction observation protocol (SIOP) for two-way immersion: An introduction to the TWIOP. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.

Howard, E.R., Sugarman, J., Perdomo, M., & Adger, C., Eds. (2005). The two-way immersion toolkit. Providence, RI: The Education Alliance at Brown University.

Howard, E. R., Christian, D., & Genesee, F. (2004). The development of bilingualism and biliteracy from grades 3 to 5: A summary of findings from the CAL/CREDE study of two-way immersion education. (Research Report 13). Santa Cruz, CA and Washington, DC: Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE).

Howard, E., Olague, N. and Rogers, D. (2003). The dual language program planner: A guide for designing and implementing dual language programs. Santa Cruz, CA and Washington, DC: Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE).

Howard, E., Sugarman, J., and Christian, D. (2003). Trends in two-way immersion education: A review of the research. (Technical Report 63). Baltimore, MD: Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR).

Howard, E. and Christian, D. (2002). Two-way 101: Designing and implementing two-way immersion programs at the elementary level. (Educational Practice Report 9). Santa Cruz, CA and Washington, DC: Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE).

Honors/Awards:

Spencer Research Training Grant; Harvard University

Title VII Fellow; Harvard University

Associations/Committees/Outreach:

National Dual Language Forum

El Instituto

In the News:

UConn Researchers to Reimagine Dual Language Education

http://www.wnpr.org/post/state-continues-struggle-recruit-teachers-english-learners

http://dailycampus.com/stories/2018/9/24/connecticut-schools-face-funding-issues-for-students-displaced-by-hurricane-maria

“Vocabulary study may boost learning among Spanish-speaking adolescents” UConn Advance, v 26, n22, 3/3/08

“School’s video depicts new path to dual literacy” The Boston Globe, 2/21/08

Contact Information
Emailelizabeth.howard@uconn.edu
Phone860 486 9275
Office LocationGentry 408
LinkResearchGate