Disability Studies in Education, Bilingual Special Education, Special Education, Bilingual Education, Sociolinguistics, Immigrant Issues
My line of inquiry explores the educational experiences of the children and families who live at the intersection of disability and multilingualism. My current research focus examines the exclusion of bilingual Latino children with disabilities from the inclusion movement within public education.
Current Projects
From Mother to Teacher: The experiences of Spanish-speaking mothers of English Language Learners with disabilities during Covid-19 related remote schooling; Principal Investigator Using a qualitative design centering Spanish-speaking immigrant mothers of Emergent Bilinguals with Disabilities in NYC, this study aims to uncover how the shift to RS has exacerbated educational inequities that arise in placing Emergent Bilinguals with Disabilities in traditional monolingual-English settings, limited access to technology and school-home disconnects. The results can inform policymakers and school districts around the country on changes needed to effectively support these children and families Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of the Intersections between Bilingualism and Disability; Co-Principal Investigator with Rebecca Linares at CU-Boulder This study looks at the experiences and participation of pre-service teachers enrolled in a special topics course designed to explore the intersections of multilingualism and disability. This study examines pre-service teachers' familiarity with student populations labeled as Emergent Bilinguals (also referred to as English Language Learners) and Students with Disabilities. Specifically, the goal is to assess the degree to which pre-service teachers' thinking shifted around the reality that K-12 students can, and should be, dually-classified as Emergent Bilinguals with Disabilities (EBDs) depending on their backgrounds and needs. The goal of this study is also to examine the degree to which pre-service teachers see it as their responsibility to meet the needs of dually-classified students and the ways they describe doing this as future teachers.
Descriptive Inquiry for Minoritized Students; Principal Investigator - PAUSED AS A RESULT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC Descriptive inquiry is a method of gathering student data through observation while diminishing judgment and highlighting student strengths through a collaborative process involving teachers and family members. This was a practice developed in rural Vermont in the 1960s and since then has been adopted within progressive schools. The goal of the proposed mixed methods study is to see if a process like descriptive inquiry can lead to academic growth and increased social-emotional support for children of color and students with disabilities. Additionally, can the collaborative community developed through the descriptive inquiry processes help teachers feel more supported thus leading to increased teacher satisfaction and teacher retention.
Mind, Math, and Multiliteracies Institute (M3I); Researcher The Mind, Math, and Multiliteracies Institute (M3I) is a three-week, credit-bearing summer institute that enables special educators in the District of Columbia to develop standards-based content knowledge, employ evidence-based differentiation strategies in Math and English Language Arts (ELA), and employ culturally-relevant, asset-based approaches to fostering social and emotional learning of students with disabilities (SWD) in grades 3 through 12. M3I equips special educators in the District of Columbia to lead peer professional development resulting in increased instructional efficacy throughout DC. M3I is adroitly designed to respond to the needs of DC special educators and SWDs.
Northwell / Shanti Bhavan Consultancy; Researcher In collaboration with, and at the request of, the Shanti Bhavan Children's' Project, which runs a private boarding school for children who are part of the "untouchable" caste in Karnataka, Northwell Health was invited to contribute to a rural health initiative which would identify and meet the health care and public health needs of the 7-10 surrounding villages from which Shanti Bhavan draws its student population. As the only educator on the Northwell team, my role is two-fold: 1. to share best practices needed to support the academic and social-emotional development of students who have endured trauma (personal or relational) and 2. provide pedagogical support on how to advance emergent bilingual student's English literacy.
Past Projects
CUNY-NYSIEB The CUNY-New York State Initiative on Emergent Bilinguals (NYSIEB) is a collaborative project of the Research Institute for the Study of Language in Urban Society (RISLUS) and the Ph.D. Program in Urban Education funded by the New York State Education Department. The primary focus of this project is to improve the educational outcomes for emergent bilinguals, more commonly referred to as English Language Learners. The project's is stance that for schools to be successful at meeting the needs of emergent bilingual students they must develop ecologies of bilingualism that build on the home language practices of their students. In line with this goal, students are referred to as emergent bilinguals to make their bilingualism central to how one understand the needs of this population of students. As a member of the CUNY-NYSIEB team my role is to support schools through professional development as well as further the project through data collection and analysis.
The CUNY PIPELINE PROGRAM The Pipeline Program is a CUNY-wide initiative designed to provide educational and financial support to CUNY undergraduates from groups currently underrepresented in our nation's universities who are interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in preparation for college-level teaching and advanced research. As a Presidential MAGNET Fellow, I support undergraduate students who are accepted into the Pipeline program through mentorship and guidance throughout the application process as well as supporting their scholarship and academic development as they prepare to present at the Annual Pipeline Conference.