SOE Presents at 2024 AERA Annual Meeting
School of Education (SOE) EdD program alum Dr. Francesca Smith, '23, was awarded the 2024 Outstanding Dissertation Award by the Bilingual Education Research Special Interest Group (SIG 12) of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). The award is her second prestigious honor for the dissertation after winning the 2023 Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) Dissertation in Practice of the Year Award.
"At my dissertation defense last year, my mom shared with me for the first time that when she was searching for a kindergarten program to enroll me in - as she and my dad were recent immigrants from Mexico - she was told by a school administrator that she needs to stop speaking to me in Spanish if she wanted me to enroll and succeed in their program," Smith reflected during her acceptance speech at AERA's 2024 Annual Meeting. "Thankfully, she did not enroll me there, and we continued to speak Spanish at home. Now, as a multilingual adult and educator, it's an honor to have my work acknowledged and share this space with so many inspiring individuals advocating for the gift of bilingual education and the assets of multilingualism."
Titled “Asset-Based Biliteracy: Recentering Emergent Bilingual Students in Dual Language English Reading Instruction,” the dissertation focuses on the topic of biliteracy, which Colorín Colorado, an educational service of the Washington Educational Telecommunications Association (WETA), defines as “the ability to effectively communicate or understand written thoughts and ideas through the grammatical systems, vocabularies, and written symbols of two different languages.”
A key consideration for her research agenda was whether dual-language schools in the U.S. – which attract students with linguistic, racial, and socioeconomic privilege – are intentionally supporting the specific needs and assets of emergent bilingual (EB) students from Latinx families.
The dissertation’s principal research examined how early intervention in a first-grade dual-language classroom could refocus EB students via both structured literacy instruction and parent partnership using cultural practices and bodies of knowledge that are embedded in the daily practices and routines of families, also known as funds of knowledge.
“The power of dual-language education is that students learn to read in two languages, which is a gift in and of itself, but is a particularly powerful gift for students from Latinx immigrant backgrounds and Spanish-speaking homes,” Smith said in 2023. “These students can use this gift to sustain their cultural roots but also to gain a research-proven academic advantage through learning in their native language. Maintaining this promise of dual-language education for equity and empowerment was at the center of my work.”
SIG 12 was exceptionally moved by Smith’s findings: an 11-week exploration of “how a teacher could build upon EB students’ Spanish language and literacy competencies within small-group English instruction at the beginning of their formal bilingual education” resulted in quantitative findings showing “that grounding early English reading instruction in the transfer and non-transfer of Spanish literacy skills supported students’ progress toward grade-level expectations for English decoding and letter sound knowledge” the group reported, among other significant findings.
According to aera.net, SIG 12 seeks to “build community and the exchange of information regarding issues related to the education of multilingual learners; provide a variety of formats for examining current perspectives, theories, trends, and topics related to bilingual education; encourage qualitative and quantitative, basic, applied, and policy research in the area of bilingual education; and promote innovative methods and inclusive research in bilingual education and provide a forum for innovative approaches in this field of inquiry.”
"I am so grateful to the Bilingual Education Research SIG's recognition and the opportunity to connect with so many brilliant leaders in the bilingual education field at AERA. At past AERA meetings and, specifically, at the Bilingual Education Research presentations, I was able to connect with several scholars who provided the foundations of my research. It was exciting to be a part of the conversations in the field and have my work validated in that space," Smith said. "I also want express sincere gratitude to the members of my dissertation committee, Alida Anderson, Katarina Brito, and Amelia Tseng, as well as to the rest of my EdD and SOE community at American University."
SOE’s EdD in Education Policy and Leadership program is becoming well-known in the field of education’s academic circles for its acclaimed award-winning dissertations. In addition to Dr. Smith’s wins, last year, program alum Dr. Cheyenne E. Batista, '22, received Outstanding Dissertation awards from both AERA (2023, Division A) and CPED (2022) for her dissertation, “’I Am Not Scary. I Am Strong. There’s a Difference.’ Disrupting Misogynoir and Transforming Interpersonal Conflict for Black Women Education Leaders: A Multiple Case Study.”
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SOE Research Highlighted at 2024 AERA Annual Meeting SOE Faculty, Students, and Staff Presented
American University's School of Education was significantly represented among the 2,500 sessions that took place at the American Educational Research Association's (AERA) 2024 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia April 11-14. Themed "Dismantling Racial Injustice and Constructing Educational Possibilities: A Call to Action," the meeting was held entirely in-person this year.
Presentations from SOE faculty included (view the entire program here):
Thursday, April 11
9:00-10:30 a.m.
Dr. Amaarah DeCuir, Senior Professorial Lecturer, "Muslim Student Experiences of Anti-Muslim Racism: Stories From Elementary and Middle School" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 110A
Dr. Heather Hairston, Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, "The Language of Black Girls' Love Lessons: Black Girls’ Teachings on Love through Literacy" at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 3, Room 307
Dr. Brian McGowan, Provost Associate Professor (pictured above, left), "Toward a Conceptualization of Mentoring for Black People in STEM: A Multigenerational-Multidirectional Approach" in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 112A
10:50 a.m.-12:20 p.m.
Dr. Rodney K. Hopson, Acting Co-Dean and Professor, "Teaching and Learning Black Studies: Towards an Evidence-Based Model for Curricular and Cultural Transformation in U.S. Schools and Systems" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 200, Room 201B
2:30-4:00 p.m.
Dr. Alida Anderson, Professor, "Identifying Sources of Preservice Teachers' Dyslexia Knowledge to Guide Teacher Education" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 104B
Dr. Emily G. Peterson, Assistant Professor (pictured above, left), "The Development of High School Students’ Spatial Thinking: Spatial Education and Individual Differences" in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall A
Dr. Asia S. Thomas Uzomba, Postdoctoral Fellow, "Where the Mirror Starts to Crack: Anna Julia Cooper, Womanist Teaching, and Sustainable Teacher Education" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 104A
4:20-5:50 p.m.
Master of Arts in Teaching students MaryBeth Burst, James Ling, Nicole Jutras, Patrick Wai, Joshua Weisbard (pictured together, below) presented as part of the Round Table discussion "Centering Community in Formative Secondary Geometry and Statistics Lessons" facilitated by Dr. Deepa Srikantaiah, Adjunct Professorial Lecturer (pictured below, far right), in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
Assistant Professor Dr. Kenjus Watson was a panelist for the discussion "Forging a Research Agenda on the Role of Mental Health in Advancing Racial Equity" in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 119B
Friday, April 12
9:35-11:05 a.m.
Dr. Antonio L. Ellis, Senior Professorial Lecturer and Director of the Institute on Education Equity and Justice (pictured below, far right), and Dr. Phelton C. Moss, Senior Professorial Lecturer (pictured below, second from right), "Advocacy for Speech- and Language-Impaired Students of Color: Uncovering the Silence" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
Dr. Toks S. Fashola, Senior Professorial Lecturer, "Undergraduate Teaching Assistants and STEM Gateway Courses in the Historically Black College and University Setting" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
Dr. Eugene Pringle, Senior Professorial Lecturer (pictured above, far left), "Teacher Preparation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as Transformative Incubators of Social Activism" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
11:25 a.m.-12:55 p.m.
Dr. Amaarah DeCuir, Senior Professorial Lecturer, chaired "Equity Focused Leadership Possibilities and Practices" at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 4, Room 409
Dr. Robert Shand, Assistant Professor (pictured above), Dr. kecia hayes, Senior Professorial Lecturer, and Dr. Reuben Jacobson, Director of Education Policy and Leadership Program and Senior Professorial Lecturer, "Reimagining Whole-School Reform: The Intersection of Community Schools and School Turnaround" at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 4, Franklin 10
3:05-4:35 p.m.
Danielle G. Sodani, Director of the Institute for Innovation in Education (pictured below, far right), Dr. Lauren M. Shea, Research Assistant Professor-in Residence (pictured below, far left), Anne M. Karabell, Instructor, and Dr. Sarah Irvine Belson, Professor, "Dual and Multi-Languages: How Teachers, Parents and Communities can Build Bridges" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 107A
4:55-6:25 p.m.
Dr. Sarah Irvine Belson, Professor, and Danielle G. Sodani, Director of the Institute for Innovation in Education, "Literacy Instruction Innovation in Special Education" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
5:30-7:00 p.m.
SOE Reception at AERA 2024 - Sonesta Philadelphia Riddenhouse Square Hotel
6:45-8:15 p.m.
Dr. Francesca Smith, EdD '23, received the Outstanding Dissertation Award at the Bilingual Education Research Special Interest Group business meeting - Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 109B
Saturday, April 13
7:45-9:15 a.m.
Dr. Jasmine Rogers, Adjunct Instructor, "An Exploration of Black Language in Structured Literacy Lessons" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 111B
9:35-11:05 a.m.
Dr. Amaarah DeCuir, Senior Professorial Lecturer, "Secular School Values Impact Muslim Student Experiences" at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 4, Room 404
Dr. Sung Ryung Lyu, Assistant Professor (pictured above, right), "Transformative Identity Formation: A Collaborative Autoethnographic Exploration of Womxn of Color Researchers' Experiences in Higher Education" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 104B
3:05-4:35 p.m.
Dr. Toks S. Fashola, Senior Professorial Lecturer, "Quantitative Research Shapes Educational Policy and Practice: Are You In?" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 204 AB
Dr. Rodney K. Hopson, Acting Co-Dean and Professor, chaired "The 27th Conversations With Senior Scholars on Advancing Research and Professional Development Related to Black Education" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 204 AB
Dr. Sung Ryung Lyu, Assistant Professor, "Empowering Educators: The Power of Action Research in Teacher Development, Growth, and Transformation" at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 4, Room 404
4:55-6:25 p.m.
AERA President and SOE Advisory Board member Dr. Tyrone Howard (pictured above) delivered the AERA Presidential Address, "Examining Our Past to Imagine a Better Future: Recognition and Redress of Racial Injustice in Education" at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Upper Grand Hall, Ballroom AB
6:45-8:15 p.m.
Dr. Antonio L. Ellis, Senior Professorial Lecturer / Book Signing of "Teachers as Critical Storytellers: Effective Teachers and Windows" at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown; Floor: Level 4, Franklin 2 Division G Business Meeting / Hosted by Teachers College Press
Sunday, April 14
7:45-9:15 a.m.
Dr. Emily G. Peterson, Assistant Professor, "Accect and Motivation in Mathematics Education" in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 108A
Dr. Brian McGowan, Provost Associate Professor, "Mentoring Relationships and Black People in STEM" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 200, Room 201B
Dr. Robert Shand, Assistant Professor, chaired "Analyses of School Finance Equity and the Impact of Resources in the U.S. and Abroad" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
9:35-11:05 a.m.
Dr. Amaarah DeCuir, Senior Professorial Lecturer, "Muslim Student Leaders Disrupt Anti-Muslim Racisms" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 117
Dr. William N. Thomas IV, Director of EdD Program and Professorial Lecturer, chaired "Stakeholder Perspectives in Charter Schools" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
11:25 a.m.-12:55 p.m.
Dr. Amaarah DeCuir, Senior Professorial Lecturer (pictured below, far left), discussant for "Social Justice Beliefs and Actions" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 118A
1:15-2:45 p.m.
Dr. Brian McGowan, Provost Associate Professor, presented a paper by Dr. Corbin M. Campbell, Acting Co-Dean and Professor "Systemic Levers that Support Broad-Scale Institutional Change for Equity-Based Teaching: An Organizational Landscape Analysis" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 103A
Dr. Emily G. Peterson, Assistant Professor, chaired "Emotions and Motivation in Technology-Based Environments" in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 108B
3:05-4:35 p.m.
Dr. Amaarah DeCuir, Senior Professorial Lecturer, and Dr. William N. Thomas IV, Director of EdD Program and Professorial Lecturer (pictured below), "An Inaugural Faculty Fellowship: A Collaborative Action Research Study of Faculty-Led Antiracist Programming" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Second Floor, Exhibit Hall B
View the entire program here.
The AERA Annual Meeting is the largest gathering of scholars in the field of education research, with typically 13,000 of its 24,000 members in attendance. It is an event to showcase groundbreaking, innovative studies in a diverse array of areas: from early education through higher education, from digital learning to second language literacy. Ideas and data are presented and discussed that will shape tomorrow’s education practices and policies, and where to connect with leading thinkers from the U.S. and around the world.
Photographs by Lumumba Dunduza