Personnel

Bob Algozzine, Co-Director, Behavior                                           

Nancy Cooke, Co-Director, Reading

Richard White, Behavior Research Associate

Mary Beth Marr, Reading Research Associate

Kate Algozzine, Behavior Intervention Specialist

Shawnna Helf, Reading Intervention Specialist

Kelly Anderson, School Services Coordinator

Bob Algozzine [Ph. D., The Pennsylvania State University] is Co-Director of the Project. He is a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Coordinator of the Research Program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Dr. Algozzine has extensive experience in teaching introductory special education and behavior management courses; offers extensive staff development for LEAs; mentors faculty on all matters of professional development and research, and teaches and advises doctoral and master’s degree students in special education, research, and program evaluation. He is one of two lead editors of Exceptional Children, the flagship journal published by the Council for Exceptional Children. Dr. Algozzine maintains active contact with the local public school system and served on the Task Force that was responsible for the current special education programs being implemented in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system. He has completed manuscripts demonstrating expertise in areas of competence required for this project and has provided numerous professional development workshops on improving behavior and reading performance as well. He has twenty-five years of research experience on broad issues in special education. He has taught students classified as seriously emotionally disturbed and has authored popular books and textbooks describing methods for managing emotional and social behavior problems. Dr. Algozzine is widely requested as a speaker for professional development conferences on behavior management. [rfalgozz@uncc.edu]

Nancy Cooke [Ph.D., Ohio State University] (.50 FTE) is Co-Director of the Project. She is an Associate professor in the Department of Special Education and Child Development and has taught reading and language arts courses to undergraduate and graduate students in special education for 18 years. She has provided service to the community by establishing a summer institute for undergraduate students in which they learned reading methods by teaching young disadvantaged children in a “literacy camp.” She currently provides reading consultation and support to two non-profit, private schools serving some of Charlotte’s poorest neighborhoods. She has published research in reading strategies and is currently involved in a research project with second and third graders comparing two Direct Instruction programs.

Richard White [Ed.D., Indiana University] is Behavior Research Associate for the Project. He is Professor of Special Education in the Department of Special Education and Child Development at UNC Charlotte. He teaches courses in behavioral disorders and classroom management. His major research areas include behavioral disorders, school-wide interventions, effective educational strategies for youth with behavioral disorders and their families, and minority teacher recruitment. He is a charter member of the ECAC Board and has provided support to the state’s parent information and training center since its inception in 1984. He currently supports development of systems of care with ECAC as part of a grant with the state mental health system. He has been a partner with the 100 Black Men of Charlotte for the Charlotte site of the national project on disproportionality. He was very recently the Regional Services and Membership Chair of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders and is currently President of the North Carolina Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders.

Kate Algozzine [M. S., University of Florida] is Behavior Intervention Specialist for the Project. She has taught students with and without disabilities in public and private schools in Florida and North Carolina. She has extensive experience in both quantitative and qualitative research methods, experience teaching undergraduate (English) and graduate (Gifted Education) courses at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, extensive background in reading assessment and instruction as well as behavior intervention programs, and professional publications in education and other areas, including curriculum materials, research articles, and personal opinion pieces.

Shawnna Helf [Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Charlotte] is Reading Intervention Specialist for the project.

Mary Beth Marr [Ph.D., University of Minnesota] is Reading Research Associate for the Project. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Reading and Elementary Education and recently served as Project Coordinator for the Improving the Lives of Children Project. Dr. Marr has extensive experience in teaching beginning and advanced literacy courses and in supervising research and other activities related to improving outcomes for children experiencing difficulties learning to read. She provides professional development presentations for teachers, parents, and other professionals on topics related to improving reading performance. She advises and supervises undergraduate and graduate students interested in becoming literacy specialists. She has extensive experience in broad areas related to literacy and her articles on improving reading performance have appeared in prestigious journals. Dr. Marr is currently teaching at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC marrmary@meredith.edu.

Kelly Anderson [Ed. D., University of North Carolina Greensboro] is School Services Associate for the Project. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Special Education at UNC Charlotte. Prior to her employment at UNC Charlotte she was a teacher of the year with the Cabarrus County Schools and was Assistant Director of Special Education for the county. She teaches courses for general educators on inclusion and effective modifications for special needs students. Her research areas address inclusion and administrative practices that support inclusion. She currently works with Cabarrus County special education teachers seeking National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification.  She provided highly rated workshops for the 100 Black Men initiative at Briarwood Elementary School, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.