Dr. Diane Bryant is a professor of learning disabilities in the Department of Special Education at The University of Texas at Austin and a fellow in the Cissy McDaniel Parker fellowship. Bryant received her doctorate from the University of New Mexico in 1986. She has taught students with learning disabilities and has served as an administrator in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, public schools. Currently, she serves as the principal investigator for the Validation of Early Mathematics Interventions Project, which is funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, and the 3-Tier Mathematics Project, which is funded by the Texas Education Agency. She has published numerous articles in refereed journals on instructional strategies for students with learning disabilities and is the co-author of three textbooks and three tests. Most recently, she has been involved in research studies involving the development of assessment measures to identify students who are at risk for early mathematics difficulties and the validation of early mathematics interventions for struggling primary-grade students (Tiers II and III).
Institute Fellows and Researchers
Institute Director
Diane Bryant
Institute Fellow
Brian R. Bryant
Dr. Brian R. Bryant serves as co-principal investigator for the Validation of Early Mathematics Interventions Project, which is funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, and project coordinator of the 3-Tier Mathematics Project, which is funded by the Texas Education Agency. Bryant's undergraduate degree in elementary education and graduate degree in special education are from the University of Southern Maine (formerly the University of Maine at Portland-Gorham), and he obtained his doctorate from The University of Texas at Austin. He taught special education in Maine public schools for 2 years in K–8 and 1 year at the high school level. He has served as a visiting professor or as an adjunct at UT Austin, Florida Atlantic University, the University of Louisville, Pacific Lutheran University, and the University of Hawaii. His research interests are in mathematics and reading learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities (particularly in the area of support systems), and assistive technology. He has published numerous tests, articles, books, and chapters in books.
David Chard
Dr. David Chard has served as the dean of the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development since the fall of 2007. Chard also served as associate dean for the College of Education at the University of Oregon. He has held faculty appointments at both Boston University and The University of Texas at Austin and in the late 1990s served as associate director of the Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts at UT Austin. Chard earned a Ph.D. in special education at the University of Oregon in 1995 and a B.S. in mathematics and chemistry education from Central Michigan University in 1985. His scholarly focus has been on the role of instruction in the development of basic literacy and numeracy skills for students with learning disabilities or those at risk for school failure. He has co-directed a number of federally funded model demonstration projects and research studies, and he has directed or co-directed several state and regional grants and contracts that have examined the improvement of schools and student achievement through the development of teachers’ knowledge and practice. Chard has published several research articles; co-authored and contributed to multiple book chapters; and either written or co-written numerous technical reports, monographs, and training guides. A frequent presenter at national and international education conferences, he has taught courses on behavior management, special education reading and writing, learning disabilities, and special education law. To contact Chard, visit the Southern Methodist University website.
Barbara J. Dougherty
Anne Foegen
Dr. Anne Foegen is an associate professor of special education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Iowa State University. Foegen received her doctorate at the University of Minnesota in 1995. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in assessment, instructional methods for students with learning disabilities, and mathematics methods for struggling secondary learners. Her research explores the development and implementation of progress-monitoring measures in mathematics across the K–12 grade range. She has pioneered research efforts to develop and evaluate progress-monitoring measures in algebra. Foegen has disseminated her work in papers published in The Journal of Special Education and Remedial and Special Education; in presentations for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Council for Exceptional Children, and the Pacific Coast Research conferences; and through collaborative consulting activities with the Iowa Department of Education and school districts in Iowa and across the nation. To contact Foegen, visit the Iowa State University website.
Leanne Ketterlin Geller
Dr. Leanne Ketterlin Geller is an associate professor in education policy and leadership at Southern Methodist University. Geller's research focuses on the development and validation of formative assessment systems in mathematics that provide instructionally relevant information to support students with diverse needs. Her work centers on using technology to provide flexible assessment systems through the integration of accommodations and principles of universal design. She disseminates her research findings through publications and presentations in the areas of mathematics education, measurement and assessment, and special education. Her experience as a science teacher in public high schools and her training as a K–12 administrator inform her research. To contact Geller, visit the Southern Methodist University website.
Russell Gersten
Dr. Russell Gersten is the president of RG Research Group and executive director of Instructional Research Group in Los Alamitos, California. Gersten is also professor emeritus in the College for Education at the University of Oregon. He received his doctorate in special education from the University of Oregon in 1978. He is a nationally recognized expert in both quantitative and qualitative research and evaluation methodologies. He has conducted two syntheses of intervention research on teaching mathematics to low-achieving students and students with learning disabilities. He served as an adviser for the mathematics component of the Title I evaluation in 2003. He also recently completed a research project on developing valid measures for early screening of students with mathematics disabilities and is currently pursuing research on early preventive interventions. To contact Gersten, visit the Instructional Research Group website.
Karen Karp
Dr. Karen Karp is a professor of mathematics education in the Department of Teaching and Learning in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Louisville. Formerly an elementary teacher, Karp’s research interests include teaching mathematics to students with disabilities, gender equity and mathematics education, and integrating mathematics and children’s literature. She serves on several boards and committees, such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Board of Directors (2008–2011), as the past president of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, and on the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education Board of Examiners. She has authored several articles and chapters, and the books Elementary and Middle School Mathematics: Teaching Developmentally (with Van de Walle and Bay Williams) and Feisty Females: Inspiring Girls to Think Mathematically (with Brown, Allen, and Allen). She has won several teaching awards, including the University of Louisville President’s Distinguished Teaching Award and the Helen Cunningham Educator Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics at the Post-Secondary Level. To contact Karp, visit the University of Louisville website.
Helen Taylor Martin
Dr. Helen Taylor Martin received her Ph.D. in educational psychology from Stanford. She also holds an M.S. in cognitive psychology and a B.A. in linguistics. She has worked in research and development in curriculum and design of instructional systems on projects such as the Adventures of Jasper Woodbury and the Algebra Project. She has also worked as an elementary school teacher, particularly in the area of mathematics. She is currently an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and is an affiliate faculty member in Developmental Psychology and the Learning Technology Center at The University of Texas at Austin. She collaborates extensively with partners in the College of Education, the College of Engineering, the Physics Department, and the Texas Advanced Computing Center at UT Austin; computer science and learning science at the University of Washington; and the Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic. To contact her, visit the Department of Curriculum and Instruction website.
Researchers
Barbara Scholer Bryant
Barbara Scholer Bryant is the coordinator of the 3-Tier Mathematics Bilingual Intervention Pilot Project. She coaches classroom teachers who are implementing interventions and coordinates the Spanish curriculum development. She was a SERP school coordinator and interventionist, conducting daily mathematics intervention lessons and assessments with kindergarten, first-, and second-grade at-risk students. She earned her bachelor of arts degree in social work from The College of St. Benedict in Minnesota. She has Texas Teacher Certification in pre-K through 6, Bilingual, ESL, Reading Recovery, and Descubriendo La Lectura. She has 23 years of experience in education. Her research interests include the prevention of reading and mathematics difficulties for students who are English language learners and optimizing educational outcomes for Spanish-speaking children.
John McKenna
John McKenna is a doctoral student in the Department of Special Education with a concentration in learning disabilities and behavior disorders. McKenna earned a bachelor of arts degree in English at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a master of education degree in special education from Boston University. Prior to working as a graduate research assistant, he held a variety of positions in day and residential programs in New England, including the New England Salem Children’s Trust, Italian Home for Children, and Walker Home and School. He most recently served as head teacher at the Elementary Stabilization Program, an extension of Newton Public Schools’ Inclusion Program. His current research interests include the responsible inclusion of students with emotional and behavioral disabilities, systems of mental health and educational support, and strategies for empowering children with emotional and behavioral disorders and their caregivers.
Kati Morrison
Kati Morrison is a doctoral student in the Department of Educational Psychology, focusing in school psychology. Morrison earned her bachelor of arts degree in international relations and psychology and her master of arts degree in sociology while at Stanford University. She received her teaching certificate through California State, Monterey Bay. She has taught second and third grades for the past 7 years in both public and independent schools. She is a graduate research assistant for the 3-Tier Mathematics Project.
Kathleen Hughes Pfannenstiel
Dr. Kathleen Hughes Pfannenstiel obtained her Ph.D. from the Department of Special Education with a concentration in learning disabilities and behavior disorders. She earned her bachelor of science degree in special education: high-incidence disabilities from Northern Illinois University and her master’s of education degree in education psychology from The University of Texas at Austin. Prior to working at UT Austin, she was a special educator and special education department head in both Illinois and Central Texas. Her research interests include programs for students with behavior disorders and the reduction of at-risk behavior to decrease dropout rates. She is also interested in mathematic interventions for students with learning disabilities in middle school. Currently, she serves as project supervisor for the Validation of Early Mathematics Interventions Project, an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) grant. She supervises the IES team and provides small-group instruction to elementary students identified as being at risk of failure in mathematics.
Cathy Pool
Cathy Pool is the coordinator of the 3-Tier Mathematics Intervention Scale-Up Project. Pool coordinates the statewide implementation of the intervention lessons for 22 schools. She was a SERP school coordinator and interventionist, conducting daily mathematics intervention lessons and assessments with kindergarten, first-, and second-grade at-risk students. She earned her bachelor of science degree from The University of Texas at Austin. She has taught for more than 20 years in elementary schools with at-risk populations. Her research interests include preventing mathematics difficulties for at-risk students and providing mathematics intervention professional development for teachers.
Jennifer Ross
Jennifer Ross is a master’s student in the Department of Special Education with a concentration in learning disabilities and behavioral disorders. Ross earned her bachelor of science degree in sociology and criminology with a minor in child, adult, and family services at Iowa State University. She has tutored struggling students at the elementary level for 3 years and worked at a day camp for children with special needs. She is currently a graduate research assistant for the Validation of Early Mathematics Interventions Project.
JC Sanders
JC Sanders is currently working on the development of the Grades 3 and 4 Tier 2 Mathematics Intervention. Sanders earned her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies for elementary education, specializing in special education, from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. She is currently in the master’s program for educational leadership through Concordia University Online. Sanders has more than 9 years of teaching experience, working with students with special needs in first through eighth grades. Her research interests include developing mathematics curricula for students struggling in school and understanding the role assistive technology can play in helping students with disabilities.
Mikyung Shin
Mikyung Shin is a doctoral student in the Department of Special Education with a concentration in learning disabilities and behavior disorders. Shin earned her bachelor of arts in special education and English language and literature from Ewha Womans University in Korea and her master of arts in special education from The University of Texas at Austin. She has more than 4 years of experience in Austin and Korea as a teacher, tutor, and assistant, teaching students with special needs and struggling learners from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Currently, she is a graduate research assistant. Her research interests include effective mathematics intervention for upper-elementary and secondary students with mathematics difficulties and disabilities.
Jennifer Tausiani
Jennifer Tausiani earned her bachelor of science degree from The University of Texas at El Paso, where she majored in mathematics and minored in physics. Tausiani has 4 years of teaching experience and is highly qualified in secondary mathematics. Currently, she is the mathematics specialist for the Secondary Special Education Observation and Intervention Study. Her research interests include the preparation of mathematics teachers and teaching mathematics to secondary students with special needs.
Courtney Valentine
Courtney Valentine is a doctoral student in the Department of Educational Psychology, focusing in school psychology. Valentine earned her bachelor of arts degree in human development and psychology from Boston College and her master of education degree in risk and prevention from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has worked with youth in a variety of settings, from group homes to schools. She also has worked on several school-based prevention programs, focusing on social-emotional learning and substance abuse prevention. She is a graduate research assistant for the 3-Tier Mathematics Project.