Partners

ACE: A Community for Education (formerly ACEE: AmeriCorps for Community Engagement and Education) is housed within the Charles A. Dana Center at UT Austin. ACE works to ensure that all children develop a strong foundation in early literacy skills during their first years in school. Dana Center Director Dr. Philip Uri Treisman founded ACE in 1994. Dr. Mary Ellen Issacs is the director.

The Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development at Southern Methodist University helps current and future teachers, counselors, therapists, and the community harness the power of education through degree offerings, human development programs, continuing studies courses, and faculty research on education-related topics. Dr. David J. Chard, a fellow in MCPER's Mathematics Institute for Learning Disabilities and Difficulties, is the dean of the school.

The Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University—a federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service—supports the self-determination, community integration, and quality of life of people with disabilities and their families, and is part of a national network of similar centers across the country. Dr. Deborah C. Simmons, a co-investigator on multiple MCPER projects, conducts research at the center.

The Children’s Learning Institute, housed in the The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, combines data and studies from the fields of psychology, neurodevelopment, education, and child development to provide proven learning solutions derived from, and supported by, documented research. Although several programs came together to form the Children’s Learning Institute in 2003, its documented research represents work that started as far back as 1990. Dr. Carolyn A. Denton, an associate professor in the Children's Learning Institute, is the co-principal investigator for Project II of the Texas Center for Learning Disabilities at MCPER.

The Department of Kinesiology and Health Education at UT Austin provides diverse educational experiences and training that include the physiological, psychological, and historical aspects of sport and exercise, health education, sport management, and physical education teacher preparation. John Bartholomew—principal investigator of the Building the Evidence Base for Physically Active Academic Games study, for which MCPER conducts data analysis—is a professor and associate chair of the department. Bartholomew also is a fellow of the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Endowed Faculty Fellows Fund in the College of Education. 

The Department of Psychology at the University of Houston uses psychological theory, techniques, and research methods to solve real-world problems. Its goal is to solve important human problems and to use these problems as critical vehicles for dynamic teaching and the enhancement of psychological theory and practice. Dr. Jack M. Fletcher, a member of the department, is the principal investigator of the Texas Center for Learning Disabilities at MCPER.

The Florida Center for Reading Research at Florida State University has a four-part mission: (1) to conduct basic research on reading, reading growth, reading assessment, and reading instruction that contributes to the scientific knowledge of reading and benefits students in Florida and throughout the nation; (2) to disseminate information about research-based practices related to literacy instruction and assessment for children in preschool through 12th grade; (3) to conduct applied research that has an immediate impact on policy and practices related to literacy instruction in Florida; and (4) to provide technical assistance to Florida’s schools and to the State Department of Education to improve literacy outcomes of students from prekindergarten through 12th grade. Barbara Foorman is currently the Eppes Professor of Education and director of the center. Foorman also is director of the Literacy Strand of the Center on Instruction, a partner to the Special Education/Response to Intervention Strand, a MCPER project.

The Instructional Research Group is an educational research institute in Los Alamitos, CA, that specializes in large-scale program evaluation field research in the areas of reading, mathematics, education of English language learners, and professional development. Current projects involve developing classroom observation instruments and other methods for assessing implementation and randomized controlled trials examining the impact of professional development in reading, response to intervention in mathematics and reading, and teaching English language learners. Russell Gersten is the executive director. Gersten also is director of the Mathematics Strand of the Center on Instruction, a partner to the Special Education/Response to Intervention Strand, a MCPER project.

The Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley, investigates, creates, and evaluates educational materials and methods, professional development programs, and hands-on learning experiences for its science center, schools, communities, and homes. The Lawrence Hall of Science develops programs for environments ranging from informal to after-school to formal K–12 classrooms to inspire and foster learning of science and mathematics for all, especially those who have limited access to science. Craig Strang is the associate director. Strang also is the director of the Science/STEM Strand of the Center on Instruction, a partner to the Special Education/Response to Intervention Strand, a MCPER project.

The School of Education at the University of Colorado at Boulder is nationally recognized for its model teacher education and graduate programs and for its excellence in research methodology, educational policy, and classroom research. Equally important are its close ties with neighboring partner school districts and with educators throughout Colorado. Dr. Janette Klingner, a professor in the School of Education, is one of the investigators for the Collaborative Strategic Reading study at MCPER.

The Texas Child Study Center was conceived by Dr. Kevin Stark, a member of the MCPER Board of Directors, and Dr. William Streusand, chief of psychiatry at Dell Children’s Medical Center (a member of the Seton Healthcare Family). The center consists of an outpatient clinic that offers children’s mental health services, training for mental health professionals and graduate students, intervention services for families, and research opportunities for faculty members and students.

The Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics (TIMES) in the Department of Psychology at the University of Houston is a multidisciplinary center that applies measurement, evaluation, and statistics to improve behavioral, psychological, and educational outcomes through research, training, and dissemination. TIMES faculty member Dr. David J. Francis is the principal investigator for Project I of the Texas Center for Learning Disabilities at MCPER and the English Language Learning Strand of the Center on Instruction, a partner to the Special Education/Response to Intervention Strand, a MCPER project.

The Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts in the College of Education of UT Austin provides leadership to educators in effective instruction through its diversified research, technical assistance, and professional development projects. From translating research into practice to providing online professional development, the Vaughn Gross Center emphasizes scientifically based reading research and instruction. Several researchers at the center lead MCPER research and technical assistance projects.