Project ASPIRE: Advancing School Psychology Innovative Training to Recruit Equity-Focused Practitioners

Principal Researchers:

  • Dr. Bryn Harris
  • Dr. Rachel Stein
 Project ASPIRE will provide support to diverse school psychology students to serve high-need schools using equity-focused mental health practices, with an emphasis on serving bilingual, early childhood, and low-income children populations in partnership with Denver Public Schools. The grant will fund two groups of students, beginning fall 2023 and 2024 and support them throughout their training trajectory.

Understanding How EdD Students View Educational Research

Student Researchers:

Dara Marin Prais In this study, four types of qualitative data analysis methods were used to explore EdD student views of educational research. The findings indicated that although EdD students were able to identify the attributes of research, and understand the importance of research within their own educational practices, they lacked the necessary knowledge of research methodology. Recommendations for EdD research course designs were identified based on the research findings.

Rasch Analysis of the COI Questionnaire

Student Researchers:

Janice Thorpe This presentation focused on the principal questionnaire used to examine online learning known as the Community of Inquiry (CoI) questionnaire (Caskurlu, 2018; Diaz, Swan, Ice, & Kupczynski, 2010; Shea et al., 2014) using Rasch model analysis.

The Importance of Cultural Validity

Student Researchers:

Crystal Luce Multicultural and cultural validity are newer concepts that address the role of culture in the evaluation and assessment and thus not routine in analysis. The Structured Trauma-Related Experiences & Symptoms Screener (STRESS), is an instrument used to measure PTSD in children and though it is used to measure PTSD in children from multiple cultures, it was not validated with the various populations.

Confirming LGBTW+ Minority Stress Theory with Structural Equation Modeling

Student Researchers:

Ngoc Phan This study explored the relationship between the LGBTQ+ community’s personal characteristics to mental health stress based on the Meyer’s (2003) model of Minority Stress.

The Development and Validation of Teen Beliefs on Relationship Abuse Measure (TBRAM)

Student Researchers:

Chen Zong The purpose of this study was to validate an original and innovative survey focused on both teens’ personal beliefs and how they perceived their peers’ beliefs regarding relationship abuse.

Analysis of the Intensive Parenting Questionnaire Using Rasch Modeling

Student Researchers:

Shani O’Brien This video discusses the use of IRT and Rasch modeling to validate the Intensive Parenting Attitude Questionnaire (IPAQ). Exploratory factor analysis, dimensionality, misfitting items, scale use, item difficulty and Differential Item Functioning (DIF) are discussed.

The Differentiated Impact of Distributed Leadership for Novice and Experienced Teachers

Student Researchers:

Miriam Howland Cummings Using a statewide survey administered to K-12 teachers in public schools, two structural equation models were developed to examine distributed leadership and its relationship to novice and experienced teachers’ job satisfaction.

National Science Foundation Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) Grant

Principal Researchers:

Jacqueline Leonard of the University of Wyoming The Bessie Coleman Project: Using Computer Modeling and Flight Simulation to Create STEM Pathways, funded by the National Science Foundation’s ITEST program, provides unique learning opportunities for underrepresented students in the Rocky Mountain and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States by leveraging Universal Design for Learning.

Preschool Quality Grant

Principal Researchers:

Diana Schaack, assistant professor at SEHD
Vi-Nhuan Le at NORC Diana Schaack, assistant professor at SEHD, and Vi-Nhuan Le at NORC serve as co-PIs for the grant. Their work will support the State of Arkansas in scaling high-quality pre-kindergarten programs in order to support young children’s social-emotional, cognitive and language skills.

Teacher Residency Grant

Principal Researchers:

Rebecca Kantor, Dean, School of Education and Human Development, CU Denver
Karen Riley, Dean, Morgridge College of Education, University of Denver Colorado Department of Education, CU Denver, Denver Public Schools and the University of Denver received a $400,000 grant from the Institute of Education Sciences to study what makes teacher residencies effective as a teacher preparation strategy and how to share approaches to assess teacher candidates’ performance.

Research and Practice Partnership Grant

Principal Researchers:

Kent Seidel
Julie Oxenford O’Brian A recent Hewlett Foundation grant will support CU Denver researchers in collaboration with numerous rural Colorado districts as they refine and expand their Student-Centered Accountability Program (S-CAP).

Student-Centered Learning Grant

Principal Researchers:

Shelley Zion
 The Critical Civic Inquiry: Student-Centered Learning grant, funded by Jobs for the Future, will investigate how students can be supported to take ownership of their learning and how learning can occur anytime, anywhere.

Five-Year Evaluation of Major National Science Foundation Grant

Principal Researchers:

Bonnie Walters SEHD’s Evaluation Center, led by Bonnie Walters, executive director, will receive $229,680 to evaluate a $3 million National Science Foundation grant called Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program.