Accolades: Read About the News and Accomplishments from our Students, Alumni and Faculty/Staff

Posted on September 14, 2014December 7, 2021 by

Accolades – below are news and notes from our alumni, faculty, staff, and students. We are proud of all the amazing accomplishments by our Neag family. If you have an accolade to share, we want to hear from you! Please send any news items (and story ideas) to shawn.kornegay@uconn.edu

Students

Regina Hopkins, an EDLR doctoral student, was just named 2014-2016 UCFA Jackson Scholar. The Jackson Scholars Network is an exceptional opportunity for graduate students of color to take advantage of formal networking, mentoring, and professional development opportunities to enhance their pathway as professors of educational leadership.

Alumni

Brianna Clark, an alumna of the sport management undergrad and master’s program, is the co-author of “I Didn’t Want to Look Stupid”: Exploring the Impact of an All-Women Leisure Education Class. She is also an assistant professor at Temple University.

Jennifer W. Graham was selected as a 2014-2015 National Association of Independent Schools Teacher of the Future award. She is a 2 Summers 2013-2014 student who teaches Computer Science and Media Arts. In addition, she also instructs classes on Digital Design, Digital Media Communications, and Foundations of Computer Principles and Media at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, CT.

Terry A. Osborn, PhD ‘98, was named interim regional chancellor for academic and student affairs at USF Sarasota-Manatee. She will also serve as interim regional chancellor as a nationwide search takes place for a more permanent candidate.

Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis ‘05, ‘06 founder & executive director of Classes 4 Classes and teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School, has a book deal with G.P. Putnam’s Sons. The book, “Choosing Hope: Moving Forward from Your Life’s Darkest Hour,” will be released next spring.

Alumni Passing

The following Neag alums have passed away:

Margaret A. Hanlon (’69)

Sharon E. Hayes (‘85)

Faith V. Jones (’63)

Kevin J. Swick Ph.D. (’70)

Dr. Richard T. Day (’71)

Donald V. Nelson (’75)

Anna M. Posiadala (’75)

Donald R. Bronsard Ph.D. (’76)

Leda T. Hirsch Ph.D. (’81)

Raymond V. Kalinowski (’65)

Henrietta M. Recko (’78)

Paul R. Burch (’64)

Faculty

HuskyTeach: The Next Generation STEM Teachers was awarded a grant of $1,199, 568 by the National Science Foundation in support of the project. The project is under the direction of John H. Settlage, J. Evan Ward, Penny Vlahos, George B. McManus, and Suzanne M. Wilson.

Faculty, students, and alumni are members of the Neag Nemesis softball team, who finished in first place with a record of 13-1 at the UConn Summer Softball Championship. This is Neag Nemesis’s fourth championship.

Tamika La Salle was selected as an Early Career Scholar for the School of Psychology Research Collaboration Conference. She was also invited to participate as an Early Career Scholar in the 2015 conference in Orlando, Florida.

Catherine Little and Jonathan Plucker were elected to NAGC. They have NAGC individual and lifetime memberships to the NAGC Board of Directors. Little was named Treasurer, with her term ending August 2016. Plucker was named At-Large Member, with his term ending August 2017.

D. Betsy McCoach was elected a fellow of the American Psychological Association.

Natalie Olinghouse received the highest average score by the Research Committee of the Council for Learning Disabilities for her article, “Preparing Students with Learning Disabilities for Large-scale Writing Assessments.” As the lead author, she is invited to present her work at the Must Reads session at the fall CLD conference in Philadelphia, and attend an awards ceremony in recognition of her honor.

George Sugai was invited to serve as an expert on school climate at a conference sponsored by America Achieves, a national nonprofit organization. The conference, Convening of World Leading Schools in Washington, DC, will have approximately 350 school and district leaders from the United States and Spain attending this conference, which will cover education law, policy, and strategy with a mission to improve public education.

Have a College Degree? Become a Teacher in One Year

Posted on September 3, 2014December 9, 2016 by

TCPCG alumnus Zuleyka Torres-Morales (pictured on the right) explains biology of the human anatomy to her student, Kassandra Grant.

The Neag School of Education is hosting open house sessions for the One-Year Teacher Certification Program

Do you have the dream of applying your college degree to improving education for students? Do you know of anyone who would be a great teacher? If you’ve ever thought about becoming a teacher – or know of someone — now is the time to do something about it and make a difference in the lives of children.

You can earn an M.A. and Teacher Certification in one year through UConn’s Neag School of Education. The Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG) is holding the following Information Sessions:

Avery Point (math and science focus)

Sept. 30 and Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m.

Community and Professional Building, Room 304

For more information and to RSVP: megan.pichette@uconn.edu or (860) 405-9302.

Greater Hartford Campus, West Hartford (all subject areas)

Sept. 23 and Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m.

Library Building Auditorium

For more information and to RSVP: monica.gat@uconn.edu or (860) 570-9283

Waterbury Campus (all subject areas)

Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Multi-purpose Room 113

For more information and to RSVP: ann_marie.niesobecki@uconn.edu or

(203) 236-9926

Link for TCPCG web

Generous, Compassionate, Forward-Thinking, Skilled: Colleagues Pay Tribute to Thomas C. DeFranco

Posted on August 8, 2014February 17, 2023 by

After five years as dean of the Neag School of Education, Thomas C. DeFranco, Ph.D., has returned to life as a full-time mathematics professor in both the Neag School and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

Known for what Institute for Teaching & Learning (ITL) Assistant Professor in Residence Amit Savkar calls the “three Cs”—a commitment to education, compassion towards faculty and concern for students—DeFranco has been recognized numerous times since his arrival at UConn in 1991. Among other awards, in 2001 he was named a University Teaching Fellow, one of UConn’s highest honors, and in 2008 he received a Teaching Innovation Award from the American Association of University Professors’ Connecticut chapter. His vision and creativity also played key roles in the Neag School being chosen as a Teachers for a New Era site and receiving a major grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Last year, the care and detail he put into recruiting and hiring 17 new faculty members—all of them proven or emerging leaders in their areas of expertise—also received recognition, as did the charge he gave them and the Neag School’s already exemplary, existing faculty members: to work together “to refocus and re-envision not just how we want to move forward as a school, but how we want to impact educational practices and policies overall. The scholars we now have in place have the potential to make a huge difference in improving the way students learn and, perhaps even more importantly, the way they live,” DeFranco said.

Many colleagues and friends say DeFranco’s dedication to closing the achievement gap and affecting meaningful, nationwide education reform will become part of his legacy and earn him praise for years to come. However, equally significant are the lives he’s touched.

Thomas DeFranco provides guidance to his former student and protege, Amit Savkar.

“Tom is the reason I have chosen to be in education,” added Savkar, ITL’s assistant director of faculty development. The two met when Savkar was a graduate student enrolled in a pedagogy class DeFranco was teaching. “He is my guru. I am now pursuing a second Ph.D. in education as a result of his inspiration. I would consider it a success if I can be 1/100th of the teacher Tom is today.”

From Thomas DeFranco, in sharing his thoughts to the faculty and staff. “As I transition back to the faculty I wanted to let you know how fortunate I have been to work along side all of you and serve as dean of the Neag School. Your warm wishes and notes over the past few months not only touched me but also served as a reminder as to why we do our jobs. I am very proud of what we all have accomplished over the past few years and the best is yet to come. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all that you have done to make this a great school and great place to work.”

Here are just a few of the others who have been impacted by DeFranco’s expertise, drive and caring:

Former UConn President Philip Austin: Tom’s overall leadership and coordination of the project that led to the Neag School being designated one of 11 “Teachers for a New Era” institution allowed me to observe his substantial intellectual and program development talents. I learned to respect him greatly, as well as saw why he is widely known and respected across campus. I have enjoyed working with Tom over the years and thank him for his contributions to the Neag School and the university overall.

Emanuel Makiaris, UConn graduate and creator of the Neag School’s Irene and Emanuel Makiaris Scholarship: When Irene and I first met Tom to discuss establishing a scholarship for the benefit of deserving Neag School of Education students, we were immediately impressed with how easily we were able to relate to, and be comfortable with, Tom. He has always been personable, engaging, approachable, unpretentious—truly a what-you-see-is-what-you-get person. One of Tom’s most endearing characteristics is the pride he takes in Neag students. If you have some time on your hands, ask him to talk about the young people under his tutelage. He will be glad to tell you! One of our greatest pleasures has been meeting the scholarship recipients and their families. Their unbelievable enthusiasm and appreciation for their Neag experience are enduring testaments to Tom.

UConn School of Pharmacy Dean Emeritus and Professor of Pharmacy Practice Robert McCarthy: Whenever I talk to somebody in the U.S. about teacher preparation programs, they know about the Neag School and the exceptional leadership Tom has provided. He is a down-to-earth person who has accomplished so much. Dedication to purpose has been a hallmark of his career. He also embodies the caring we would want in all higher education leaders. I think he will be remembered by his students as their “best” and “favorite” teacher. I can think of no better legacy.

Provost Emeritus Peter Nicholls: I spent a lot of time with Tom in the early part of 2007, when a group of us went to Dubai and spent several days working with Dubai Education Council members on the possibility of establishing a UConn branch in the United Arab Emirates. They were very interested in possible education coursework and certificates we might be able to offer, and Tom’s expertise was invaluable as we worked up proposals. Ultimately, our plans for a Dubai campus did not materialize. But the visit was a success, and Tom’s contributions were crucial to that. He is also incredibly committed to students. Many administrators who teach take on small-enrollment graduate courses, or a class for select undergraduates in the honors program. Not Tom. Even while serving as dean, he regularly taught a monster section of Calculus involving hundreds of undergraduates and the coordination of many graduate teaching assistants. He also found time to express a great deal of concern for the individual students in his class. One of Tom’s students told me he was the best and most caring math instructor she had ever encountered.

Associate Professor of Mathematics Megan Staples: One of my first memories of Tom was probably the second time I met him, at a Psychology of Mathematics Education-North American Chapter conference. I was not yet working at UConn. I don’t think I had even applied yet. My dad had died about a month before, and Tom had somehow learned this. I remember being quite touched as he went out of his way to offer me condolences in a very sincere, heartfelt way. I did not know Tom well at that point, and our relationship did not require any interaction around my father’s death. I was both impressed and touched, as I’ve been many times since then. Tom is such a strong member of the Neag family because he has played so many different roles and knows the school up and down, in and out. He has a passion for students and student learning. He is excited to hear about student successes. He quietly roots for them. And he wants students to enjoy, have a good experience and to find power and excitement in ideas. His teaching speaks to this. Even in large lecture halls, he finds ways to engage students.

Associate Professor of Mathematics Mary Truxaw: I met Tom when I was a teacher at Mansfield Middle School and was aspiring to return to graduate school. His encouragement to pursue my Ph.D. shifted my life and my career—and taking classes with him was great. My all-time favorite class was his graduate-level problem solving class. At the time, I was still a full-time teacher and taking classes at night. I would come to class tired, but always left feeling energized. The problems were always challenging, but the class felt like play. Tom’s enthusiasm for mathematics was and is contagious, perhaps because he believes in what he does and follows up on his beliefs. Tom listens to others and lets them know that he values their ideas. He is remarkably generous with his time. I’m so proud to know him.

Mathematics Professor Emeritus Charles Vinsonhaler: Tom’s accomplishments in teaching, research and service have left an indelible mark of quality on UConn. I met him over 20 years ago, when he began building bridges between the Department of Mathematics and the math education faculty in the Neag School. Working with Tom was like a deep breath of fresh air. He was passionate about student learning—as opposed to a tradition of concern about faculty teaching—and it is not an exaggeration to say that Tom played a major role in changing the culture of the Department of Mathematics with regard to learning and instruction. With me, he coauthored a problem solving textbook for a math course that is running today, 15 years later. Tom was also a partner in developing a pedagogy course for new TAs in the math department and later volunteered to teach large lecture sections of Calculus each semester—a practice he has continued. To say his instruction is well received is a huge understatement. His student evaluations are among the very highest in the Math Department, as well as in the Neag School. Tom has also demonstrated an amazing ability to maintain a high-quality research program in the midst of all his other activities. All this sits atop his massive duties as Dean of the Neag School, the pinnacle of a long string of administrative appointments.

Associate Dean Marijke Kehrhahn: Before I came to UConn I had served in leadership positions in both the public and the non-profit sectors, and so I was excited to accept leadership roles in the Neag School, first as Director of Teacher Education and then as Associate Dean. Little did I know that Tom DeFranco, with whom I have worked side-by-side for the last ten years, would be one of my best mentors in developing my leadership style. Tom is one of the few people I know who truly leads from the heart. Strongly-principled and compassionate, he carefully considers decisions and is most concerned about how decisions will impact people. In many situations where a different leader might have simply made a decision and moved on, Tom met with the individuals who would be affected, considered their views, and developed solutions that balanced the best interests of the Neag School with the human factors. As dean, Tom was also a great example of the popular “management by walking around” approach. He came in early, stayed late, and spent a lot of time roaming the school and talking with faculty, staff, and students. Through these activities he developed a reputation as a caring, dependable, and dedicated leader, well-loved and well-respected. His many accomplishments as dean show that, even in this day of technology, velocity, and complexity, one does not need to sacrifice kindness, empathy, and thoughtfulness to achieve great things.

Accolades: Read About the News and Accomplishments from our Students, Alumni and Faculty/Staff

Posted on August 8, 2014March 12, 2021 by

Students

Mary Almeida, a graduate student in the Two Summers Program, was honored as Enfield’s Teacher of the Year. She’s a tech-savvy first grade teacher, who utilizes iPads as part of her classroom instructions.

Brittany Larkin, a student in the sport management program, was accepted by TEAM USA for a summer internship with the U.S. Olympic Committee. She is one of 53 minority student leaders from across the US in the program, and she will spend the summer interacting and learning from the professional staff in Colorado as part of the (Finding Leaders Among Minorities Everywhere) Program. The FLAME program provides students with an in-depth look at the Olympic and Paralympic movements and personal exploration of the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect. The program also offers a pathway for talented youth to become further involved in the Olympic and Paralympic movements, either through the USOC’s internship program, or other career and volunteer opportunities.

Justis Lopez spent part of his summer break as a policy intern for the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) in Washington, DC. COE is dedicated to furthering the expansion of college opportunities for low-income, first-generation students, veterans and students with disabilities throughout the United States. COE represents the federal TRIO Programs (Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math/Science, Veterans’ Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers, and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program) to help students overcome class, social, academic, and cultural barriers in higher education. As the public policy intern, his responsibilities included attending weekly meetings at the White House with the office of public engagement to help draft education proposals on behalf of the TRIO programs to be considered by congress.

Alumni

The UConn Alumni Association is recognizing two Neag alums at the UConn Alumni Association’s Annual Awards Ceremony in October:

Kaitlin M. Roig-DeBellis ’05, ’06, Executive Director & Founder, Classes 4 Classes, Inc. is being honored with the Humanitarian of the Year.
Douglas P. Donaldson ’73, ’78, Vice President and Development Agent, Subway Development Corporation of New England, is being honored with the University Service Award.

The following Neag alums have passed away:

Lina W. Armitage (‘57)

Janice E. Bedell (’66)

Shirley Bratten (’69)

John F. Brosnan (’89)

Nellie M. Duncan (’70)

Roberta K. Feldman (’43)

Ellen D. Gallo (’60)

Anna G. Goulet (’70)

Malcolm D. Gray (’70)

Barbara E. Kelley (’56)

Joann M. Kondash (’76)

Esther Hayes Laubin (’34)

Peter R. LeClair (’86)

Arthur P. Maxson (’60)

Francis P. Pellegrino (’67)

Elizabeth F. Raines (‘60)

Carl E. Van De Bogart (’70)

Edward S. Pira (’50)

Sigfredo Quiones- Crespo (’81)

Mae Y. Rosenstein (’57)

Harold D. Smith, Jr. (’65)

Patricia S. Zapac (’64)

John Livieri (’58)

Margaret E. Wardle (’51)

Gertrude S. Morrison (’70)

Christie Attanasio (IB/M Elementary, ’13) was named the Fairfax County, Virginia Outstanding First Year Teacher. Last year she applied to seven schools and got seven offers.

Elsie Fetterman ‘49, ’60, ’64, ’66 of Amherst received a Daughters of the Revolution grant for the restoration of a temple in Connecticut, that she helped found over 50 years ago.

Amy Labas, ’02 MA, has been named the Coordinator of Athletics and Extra-Curricular Activities for Plainville Community Schools. Labas vacated her post as Lyman Hall athletic director after the school year and recently has been named the Coordinator of Athletics and Extra-Curricular Activities for Plainville Community Schools.

Vanessa Montorsi, director of counseling for Chesire Public Schools, was honored selected as School Counselor of the Year by the Connecticut School Counseling Association.

Saad Toor, ’14 (TCPCG), has a has accepted a job in Saudi Arabia as a history/social studies teacher. He will be moving there in August.

Zato Kadambaya was selected as one of the Coaches for the Connecticut Dream Team. The State of Connecticut has partnered with LearnZillion to develop CCSS high quality lessons and resources. The state chose about 97 teachers and about nine coaches and Zato is coaching for the mathematics. In addition, he is one of the National Dream Team coach for mathematics. He recently had three days of work with the National Dream Team in New Orleans, where they had over 200 educators from 42 states (USA), Singapore, Scotland and Tunisia.

Faculty

The Neag School of Education has two new online certificate programs, sport management and school law

The UConn Mentor Connection received a $20,000 grant from Fairfield County Community Foundation to support five Fairfield County students attending this summer’s program.

Neag School of Education was selected to participate with AACTE’s program to actively recruit students to become minority male teachers.

Faculty in the Neag School hosted a group of teachers for professional development on working with new Common Core standards to teach math through a summer workshop “Bridging Practices among Connecticut Mathematics Educators.”

The Neag School of Education was awarded three projects (with four current faculty represented) out of 48 Institute of Educational Studies (IES) new research awards: Mike Coyne (Co-PI), Teaching the Vocabulary of Comprehension: A Technology-Enhanced System to Enhance At-Risk 3rd Graders’ Acquisition and Application of Essential Vocabulary; Liz Howard (Co-I)Writing for English Language Learners (WELLs): Exploring the Relationship Between Writing Instruction and Student Outcomes; and Sandra Chafouleas (PD, Co-PI), Betsy McCoach (Co-PI), Jennifer Dineen (Co-PI – UConn Public Policy), Amy Briesch (Co-PI – Northeastern U and UConn grad) Exploring the Status and Impact of School-Based Behavior Screening Practices in a National Sample: Implications for Systems, Policy, and Research.

Keith Barker is on the Steering Committee for the New England Conference for Student Success Conference at UMass.

Laura Burton and a sport management Ph.D. alumnus, Jon Welty Peachey, served as guest editors for a special issue in the Journal of Intercollegiate Sport entitled “Ethical Leadership in Intercollegiate Sport.” It includes contributions from some of the leading scholars and athletic administrators in the field.

Joseph Cooper co-authored an article in the Journal of Intercollegiate Sport, entitled “The Transfer Effect: A Critical Race Theory Examination of Black Male Transfer Student Athletes’ Experiences.”

Rachelle Perusse has been asked to serve as a panelist at the White House on the topic of “how we prepare our master’s level school counseling students to provide equity-based career and college readiness.” This was in response to the American School Counselor Association Conference, where First Lady Michelle Obama gave a keynote address on her new initiative titled “Reach Higher.” In her speech, she mentioned that she would be working with the Harvard Graduate School of Education to bring together a select few to convene on the topic of College and Career Readiness. Perusse will be the only counselor educator speaking on this topic.

Suzanne Wilson was selected as a member of a small group of reviewers for the Spencer Foundation’s ambitious new grant program, the “Lyle Spencer Research Awards: Advancing Understanding of Education Practice and Its Improvement.” With this program, they aim to reinforce their commitment to intellectually ambitious research, oriented ultimately to improving the practice of education, and independent of any particular reform agendas or methodological strictures. Annually, through a highly competitive award process, they’ll provide research grants of up to $1,000,000 each to a small number of outstanding proposals. This program is a reaffirmation of Spencer’s well-established tradition of supporting intellectually rigorous education research, but even more it is an effort to create much-needed space for creative and ambitious research projects that promise to advance our understanding of educational practice and its improvement.

UConn Launching New Online Graduate Certificate in School Law

Posted on August 8, 2014February 17, 2023 by

UConn’s Neag School of Education is launching an online graduate certificate in School Law, beginning in the spring of 2015. The 12-credit program is designed to help educators, administrators, policy makers and parents gain the expertise needed to cut through confusing “legalese” and better understand the legal dimensions of K-12 education. Participants will gain the knowledge needed to make decisions that are both legally and educationally sound, as well as to ensure that classroom, school and district educational practices comply with state and federal regulations.

How to interpret and apply special education laws, and effectively advocate for students with disabilities, will also be covered, said Assistant Professor Allison Lombardi, Ph.D., who will teach program classes with lead instructor Professor Preston Green, J.D., Ed.D. Lessening educators’ and administrators’ fear of litigation will also be addressed.

“Surveys suggest that educators often avoid taking actions that they believe are educationally sound to avoid litigation,” Green said. “Noted educational law professor Sarah Redfield also observes that educators often make wrong educational decisions to avoid litigation, when a ‘right’ one would also be legally justifiable.”

“One of the things we want to show educators is that, in many cases, they have a great deal of legal latitude in making educational decisions—more than they are aware of. We’re excited about this program, and the fact that it’s online, because it will provide students with timely training that they can access in a flexible manner,” he continued. “Educational administrators, teachers, psychologists, counselors and policymakers can all benefit from enrolling.”

The curriculum consists of four three-credit online courses offered during the fall, spring and summer semesters. Courses offered this spring 2015 semester, include Legal Issues in School Employment and Legal Issues in Student and Parent Rights.

Legal Issues in School Employment will examine matters related to employment in K-12 education, such as tenure, employment discrimination, due process and collective bargaining. Modules will include certification and licensure, tenure, employees’ speech rights, privacy, due process, employment discrimination and collective bargaining.

Legal Issues in Student and Parent Rights will examine topics as diverse as search and seizure, student discipline, speech and religion, and homeless children. Modules include an introduction to educational law, religion, expression and association, search and seizure, school attendance (including rights of homeless children), instructional program, due process, tort liability, defamation and student records.

“Every day, school leaders and teachers face challenges related to understanding and adhering to state and federal education laws and regulations,” said Neag Associate Professor-in-Residence and Online Program Director Jae-Eun Joo, Ed.D. “This unique and important online learning opportunity will provide educators with both conceptual and procedural knowledge of school law that will help them make both legally and educationally sound decisions. Acceptable user policies for social media and cyber-bullying in the contexts of K-12 education will be among the many current and cutting-edge topics covered, which we believe will be very exciting.”

Students able to take more than one class a semester can complete the certificate in less than a year. Students can also take individual courses at a slower pace. For more information or to apply, visit http://schoollaw.uconn.edu/ or contact Donna Campbell at 860-486-0184 or ecampus@uconn.edu.

Is This Really How We Should Test Reading Development in Kids?

Posted on August 8, 2014April 1, 2025 by Rachael Gabriel

Connecticut has passed legislation that includes new requirements for diagnostic screening tools for reading in kindergarten through the third grade. Word on the street is that the new requirements align well with one assessment in particular: DIBELS, or Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, an early literacy assessment used in over 15,000 schools nationwide, including many in Connecticut. Why is this a problem?

DIBELS often labels thoughtful readers as needing “intensive remediation” by only considering a reader’s speed and accuracy, in the same way that Body Mass Index (BMI) often misses the boat by, for example, labeling Brad Pit (circa Fight Club years) and England’s entire rugby team “obese” by only considering the ratio of height to weight.

Because DIBELS measures awareness of letter sounds by asking kids to read nonsense words, students who change nonsense words into real words in an effort to make them make sense are often categorized as in need of “intensive” remediation.

Because DIBELS measures progress by the number of words students can read in 60 seconds, students who self-monitor for meaning by slowing down, or those who reread to ensure understanding, are often categorized as in need of “intensive” remediation.   Because DIBELS measures comprehension by the number of words students say when retelling a story, students who are more succinct or simply leave out filler words (because they understand what a summary retell should be) are categorized needing “intensive” remediation for their sophisticated efforts towards comprehension.   Because DIBELS can determine everything from student grouping to teacher evaluation ratings, instructional time is likely lost to a focus on contrived assessment tasks rather than reading thoughtfully for meaning.

This is bad news for students who struggle with reading.   The main benefit of DIBELS (and BMI for that matter) is its efficiency. All alternatives to DIBELS require some teacher judgment and more than 60 seconds, so they don’t meet the state’s new criteria for reading screening tools, which must:

1. Measure phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. (That’s a lot for any single test. DIBELS only measures comprehension and vocabulary only by proxy.)

2. Provide opportunities for periodic formative assessment during the school year. (It’s hard to give a comprehensive assessment more than 2-3 times per year. DIBELS can be used repeatedly since it only takes 60 seconds.)

3. Produce data that is useful for informing individual and classroom instruction. (Comprehensive assessments usually compare students to themselves, not each other. DIBELS can inform grouping and measure progress over time since it has little to do with actual reading.)

4. Be compatible with current best practices in reading instruction and research. (This would require an emphasis on meaning, motivation and engagement, not the often meaning-free tasks of DIBELS.)   So, DIBELS doesn’t meet the state’s new criteria either. Nothing does. As much as we’d love a foolproof, efficient, standardized and valid assessment of reading, that takes less than a minute to administer, it doesn’t exist. We are left with the best-we-have-but-not-that-great logic that underlies everything from standardized tests of academic achievement to BMI.   Is DIBELS one of the best we have for rapidly screening for reading difficulty? Yes, unfortunately.

Is it potentially dangerous because of the way it defines reading for the purposes of assessment? Yes, definitely.

So what are we to do? Proceed with caution.  Supporters of DIBELS argue that it is only ever to be used as a single indicator. But, the last decade of standardized testing has convincingly demonstrated that what is tested will be taught: exactly how it is tested. Similarly, what is suggested by the glossy, colored charts assessment data DIBELS software automatically generates, will be believed.   Just like a 20-minute consult with a doctor is always better than health advice from an online calculator, a one-on-one conference with a teacher or reading specialist will always be better than DIBELS at diagnosing and understanding reading difficulty, ability and progress.   Though I have no doubt that DIBELS will continue to be used for all its glossy efficiency, adults and children must be continually reminded that it should never be the guiding force behind reading instruction. Adults should know better than to rely on DIBELS because children deserve better than an education built around timed tests of nonsense and rapidly read words.

Source: This article first appeared in the Washington Post, in the blog Answer Sheet by Valerie Strauss

DIBELS, or Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, is a set of procedures and measures developed at the University of Oregon for assessing literacy development in students from kindergarten through sixth grade. The DIBELS website says that the measures — one-minute fluency exercises – were “specifically designed to assess the five early literacy components: Phonological Awareness, Alphabetic Principle, Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Fluency with Connected Text,” but critics say its validity is very weak. (Here’s an extensive critique.) Nonetheless, DIBELS has become widely used in schools around the country since 2001 – reaching some 2 million children a year. In this post, Rachael Gabriel, an assistant professor of reading education in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut, write about continuing problems with DIBELS and how struggling readers are affected.

Report: ‘Excellence Gap’ Growing Among American Students

Posted on August 8, 2014December 31, 2020 by

The circle of high-achieving American students is becoming a preserve for the white and well-off, with potentially severe consequences for the country’s promise of equal opportunity, according to a new report by UConn professor Jonathan Plucker and colleagues at two other universities.

“Talent on the Sidelines: Excellence Gaps and the Persistence of America’s Permanent Talent Underclass” examines the underreported problem of students from particular racial and socioeconomic backgrounds dominating the ranks of those who perform best on national assessment tests.

While a great deal of attention and resources have been focused on the achievement gap among students, which measures basic proficiency in subjects like math and reading, almost none have been devoted to the “excellence gap” at the highest achievement levels.

The report follows on an earlier study led by Plucker, which was issued in 2010. At the time, Plucker said there was the possibility that the excellence gap might narrow. The new data, however, show that the opposite has happened: the gap between white, relatively affluent students and their poorer, nonwhite classmates has only widened.

“The current study should crush anyone’s optimism about the country’s success in developing academic talent,” says Plucker, professor of educational leadership in the Neag School of Education. “The data we explored for this report, along with a growing body of research, provide considerable evidence that America has a permanent talent underclass.”

The report, which uses data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress and state assessments, shows that while the percentage of white students scoring at the advanced level in Grade 4 mathematics increased from 2.9 percent to 9 percent between 1996 and 2011, the percentage of high-scoring black students barely budged, reaching 1.1 percent in 2011.

The changes in math scores based on economic background were even more dramatic, with students who were ineligible for free or reduced-price lunches improving from 3.1 percent in the advanced range in 1996 to 11.4 percent in 2011. Less affluent students, meanwhile, went from 0.3 percent scoring in the advanced range to 1.8 percent.

The report, which Plucker compiled along with DePauw University’s Jacob Hardesty and Michigan State University’s Nathan Burroughs, also tracked reading scores and compared high-achieving American students’ performance to their international peers, a comparison that found U.S. students lagging.

The report also offers state-by-state comparisons, where the lack of non-white and poorer students among the highest achievers can be even more stark than the national average. In North Carolina, for example, the percentage of black students with advanced scores in Grade 4 math rounds to zero, while in Texas, an impressive 17 percent of more well-off students have advanced scores in that category, compared to just 3 percent of students who receive free or reduced-price lunches. Individual state profiles are available at the report website.

The report also contains policy recommendations, ranging from requiring states to include the performances of advanced students in accountability systems, to bringing federal resources – which are now essentially non-existent for excellence education – to bear. Closing the gap will also require an acknowledgement of the role childhood poverty plays in reducing many students’ chance at a quality education.

“If the diversity of our school-age population isn’t represented among our high-achieving students,” says Plucker, “we can make the argument that we’ve failed to achieve either equity or excellence, with serious implications for America’s future.”

Common Core: Public Opinion and Partisan Politics

Posted on August 8, 2014October 17, 2018 by

Thursday, September 4, 2014 | 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Panel discussion will begin at 6:45 p.m.
CASE Headquarters
1307 New York Ave., N.W. | Washington, DC | Map

commoncore The UConn Poll recently shared survey findings about the Common Core initiative and public opinion suggests that people are skeptical. You’re invited to an exciting evening networking, discussion and debate.

Panel moderator Casey Cobb PhD, associate dean and professor in the UConn’s Neag School of Education will lead a spirited discussion among panelists followed by Q & A.

Registration Now Closed –

This program is being co-sponsored by UConn’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Department of Public Policy, the Neag School of Education, and the Alumni Association. Complimentary appetizers and a cash bar will be available. Please contact Caitlin Trinh (caitlin.trinh@uconn.edu or 860.486.1202) with any questions.

Neag Graduate Students Bring Student Affairs Expertise to Scotland

Posted on August 8, 2014February 17, 2023 by

HESA students gathered with UConn Provost Emeritus Peter Nicholls at the University of Glasgow. Pictured L-R Caroline Green, Em Loisel, Eileen Rodriguez, Jackie Lee, Ty McNamee, Dr. Nicholls

“The Glasgow Five” is not the name of a new European rock band or infamous team of criminals, but the nickname adopted by the five Neag School of Education students who recently spent three weeks in Scotland studying how the University of Glasgow could best use social media to recruit, prepare and support international students.

It was the second trip of its kind for UConn students working toward a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA), but by no means the last, said HESA professor and UConn Provost Emeritus Peter Nicholls, Ph.D., who played a lead role in coordinating the visit.

The first visit, in the summer of 2013, involved a different team of five HESA students working alongside University of Glasgow staff. Their project involved a detailed analysis of expectations of incoming international undergraduates to the University of Glasgow, and the development of recommendations for the University to meet those expectations. This initial visit was such a success that the University of Glasgow was keen to welcome another team in the summer of 2014.

“I don’t think there could be better praise than that,” said Nicholls, “and their job was huge. This was not a vacation. Our students developed research questions, mapped out a methodology, conducted focus groups, analyzed data, interpreted statistics and then presented what turned out to be concise and compelling recommendations for improvements. University of Glasgow staff were very impressed by the analytical approach and the quality of the assessment analysis that our students performed during the summer of 2013.”

HESA students gathered at the University of Glasgow for their research project. Pictured (L to R): Ty McNamee, Eileen Rodriguez, Caroline Green, Em Loisel, Jackie Lee

Using the knowledge they had gained during their first year of study in the 44-credit HESA program, the second group of five students, comprising of Caroline Green, Jackie Lee, Em Loisel, Ty McNamee and Eileen Rodriguez conducted their project on the use of social media by prospective and current University of Glasgow students. As a part of this project, there was regular contact between the five students and HESA faculty in Storrs, who monitored their progress and provided needed support and troubleshooting.

Their findings became a part of the University of Glasgow’s institution-wide social media strategy—a needed part of university marketing that most expect to grow.

“Like in so many areas of life, social media has become an essential part of both Student Affairs and the overall higher education learning process,” said HESA Program Director and Department of Educational Leadership Extension Professor Sue Saunders, Ph.D. “Facebook, blogs, Flickr, Twitter and similar social platforms are redefining how students speak to universities and how universities engage with students, potential students, alumni and other constituencies. All of us involved in higher education, regardless of our roles, need to learn social media practices, which are constantly evolving.”

Because having a global perspective is essential for students considering almost any field today, this Higher Education and Student Affairs International Experience (HESA IE) program will continue, Nicholls said. Brought out of retirement in 2013 to begin the program, Nicholls will spend the rest of 2014 strengthening and expanding the opportunities it provides to HESA students, which he hopes might soon include those at other Universitas 21 schools.

UConn is one of just four universities in the United States to belong to Universitas 21, a global network of 24 research-intensive universities dedicated to fostering global citizenship, advancing institutional innovation and facilitating an exchange of ideas and knowledge that might otherwise never have occurred. The University of Glasgow is also a member.

Like those who traveled to Scotland in 2013 and 2014, future HESA IE students will be tasked with addressing a Student Affairs-related problem posed by the partner institution and, upon their return to UConn, complete a three-credit elective that explores the application of higher education and student affairs concepts in a global context. Nicholls and Neag School Associate Dean Marijke Kehrhahn, Ph.D., will teach the class in fall 2014.

“Like the HESA program and Neag School of Education overall, the foundational pedagogy of the international experience is to connect classroom theories with actual practices by putting students into challenging real-world situations,” Nicholls said.

“The hardest part of the International Experience for our students is to analyze a real world problem, and propose meaningful recommendations for the host institution within a very compressed timeframe and in unfamiliar surroundings,” Nicholls added. “But there’s something really special that occurs when a small group of extremely dedicated, motivated students work together with the mindset that they’re going to make the most of every moment. Add the fact that these students have received outstanding training in research methods, and it all comes together beautifully.”

For student Jackie Lee, that experience in Scotland felt like just a moment ago: “We definitely found the experience to be impactful both personally and professionally. We believe what we’ve learned is beneficial to share with others and hope to keep moving forward, sharing ideas, best practices and supporting fellow student service professionals worldwide.”

Click here to learn more about their research.

Mental Illness Shouldn’t Be Kept In Closet

Posted on August 8, 2014December 7, 2021 by

How special it is when celebrity athletes use their gifts to “win” at causes other than sports.

Royce White is a collegiate-turned-professional basketball player. Like many outstanding college players, White gained national attention in high school, which led to an NCAA career. After his sophomore year at Iowa State University, White entered the NBA draft, eventually playing for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and two teams in the NBA’s D League.

What makes this 23-year-old basketball player different from others? Royce White is fighting a mental illness, and he is using his voice and platform to make a difference for others facing the same challenges.

Diagnosed with both generalized anxiety disorder and pteromerhanophobia (fear of flying), White’s illnesses have caused many challenges related to playing the game he loves.

Instead of trying to hide it, however, he’s opened up a conversation about mental health, standing up for a population that has remained silent for too long. “My advocacy for mental health will be there regardless of whether I’m playing or not,” White told USA Today.

In that same article, White challenged others with mental illnesses to speak up and suggested that major sports organizations like the NBA do the same, becoming advocates for mental health awareness.

The spotlight White casts on mental illnesses needs to not just stay there, but grow wider and brighter.

Last year, as part of my graduate teacher preparation program, I traveled to London where I worked with a young woman who heard as many as seven voices inside her head each day, which even with the best possible treatment made it difficult for her to achieve academic success. On days the voices were quiet, she was able was able to read and write. Other days, when the voices screamed, she could do almost nothing.

Her voices were a part of her identity, but she constantly feared they made her too different to be accepted or understood. Even on quiet days, the idea that peers might reject or laugh at her was debilitating, and it broke my heart. Working with her showed me the importance of acceptance, no matter what a person’s race, culture, disability or illness is.

As many as one in four Americans experiences mental illness. One in 17 Americans lives with serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Mental illness is not something that makes people different and monstrous. It is a part of our human identity.

All of our worlds shook when we experienced the tragic shootings at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown sparked by a young man’s apparent mental illness, and they continue to shake with every school and public shooting that occurs.

President Barack Obama’s recent signing of Michigan Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s “Excellence in Mental Health Act” is a progressive step toward positive change. Designed to provide expanded access to community mental health services, the bill represents the first of many things we, as a society, need to do to strengthen, enrich and improve the lives of those with mental illness.

Teachers also need to better understand how to best teach and support students with mental illness. School staff are often the first to identify the possibility of mental illness. I propose that teacher preparation programs include at least an overview of common mental health signs and symptoms as part of in their curriculum. The silence needs to stop. The fear needs to disappear. This is a call to action, because as Royce White said, we’re not doing enough

Only when we acknowledge and work as a team for mental health change, we will all be champions.

Lisa Kivell, 22, of Stamford recently received her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut.