Betty J. Alford is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Secondary Education and Educational Leadership at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) in Nacogdoches, Texas, in addition to serving as doctoral program coordinator and teaching in both the principal preparation and doctoral programs at the university. Since 1999, she has served as lead writer for federal and state educational partnership grants totaling over ten million dollars.
Mary Catherine Niño is Associate Director for Project ENLACE, a school-university professional development partnership aimed at increasing English language learner achievement at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Dr. Niño was a secondary English, Social Studies, and Reading teacher for ten years in Texas before entering educational leadership. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in English and graduate degrees in Educational Leadership.
Sally Spencer, Ed.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at California State University, Northridge, where she teaches courses in assessment, special education teaching methods, reading instruction, and collaborative processes.
Jodi O’Meara is a curriculum specialist for students with special needs and a professional developer for educators and administrators. She has presented at state, national and international conferences. With over 15 years experience as a teacher and administrator of general education, special education and gifted education, she recognizes the diverse needs of students and teachers.
Dr. Helen Patrick is a Professor of Educational Psychology in Purdue University’s College of Education. Her teaching and research focus on promoting positive classroom environments that promote students’ learning, understanding, and motivation. She has worked in numerous elementary schools in Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana.
Dr. Panayota (Youli) Mantzicopoulos is Professor of Educational Psychology in Purdue University’s College of Education. Her interests include early personal-social development and learning in diverse environments. Her research has examined the effectiveness of early grade-retention practices, the development of self-competence beliefs, early teacher-child relationships, and shared-reading of informational texts as a context for learning both at home and school.
Denise Daniels is a professor of child development at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, and a former associate professor of educational psychology at Northern Illinois University. She received her Ph.D. in Education and Developmental Studies from UCLA in 1992. She draws from nearly 20 years of experience teaching educators and other child professionals at undergraduate and graduate levels.
Michael Middleton is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Education Department at the University of New Hampshire where he researches and examines the relation of classroom and culture to adolescent identity and motivation in diverse community settings. Currently, he holds the John and H.
Kevin Perks is a program and research associate with Learning Innovations at WestEd who works with schools and districts across the country to support motivation, engagement and achievement in such areas as standards-based education, literacy, and educational reform. Most recently, Kevin has been working with districts to support the implementation of the Common Core State Standards across all content areas.
Dr. Heather A. Davis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Counselor Education at North Carolina State University. Trained as an educational psychologist, her teaching interests surround helping pre-service and practicing teachers use theories of development to meet their students' needs.