SPECIAL POPULATIONS RESOURCES

  • June 01, 2009
 
 

DATA/REPORTS

"Children in Immigrant Families - The U.S. and 50 States," 2007
Child Trends and Center for Social and Demographic Analysis
http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2007_04_
This brief examines national origins, language and early education in newcomer families. It finds children of immigrants frequently need special help in education to overcome challenges stemming from socioeconomic status, cultural differences, limited English language skills or parents’ low levels of formal education. The brief – prepared by the research organization Child Trends and the Center for Social and Demographic Analysis at the University at Albany, State University of New York – includes links to state and local data.

 
 
Lessons Learned: New Teachers Talk About Their Jobs, Challenges and Long-Range Plans," 2008
Public Agenda
http://www.publicagenda.org/LessonsLearned3/
The third in a series of reports on new teachers finds two specific areas in which teacher training may be lacking: preparedness for the diversity of the contemporary American classroom and teaching students with special needs.
 
 
 
Russlynn Ali
Executive Director
The Education Trust-West
 
Address:
155 Grand Ave., Suite 1025
Oakland, CA 94612
 
Phone: 510.465.6444, ext.304
 
 
 
Ali is the founding executive director of the Education Trust-West, the West Coast partner of the national policy and advocacy organization. Education Trust works for the high academic achievement of all students at all levels, with an emphasis on serving Latino, African American, Native American and low-income students.
 
Jason Amos
Communications Director
Alliance for Excellent Education
 
Phone:
202.828.0828
 
 
 
The national policy, research and advocacy organization focuses on the 6 million students who are most at risk of leaving high school without a diploma or the means for a productive future. The Alliance compiles data, statistical analyses and legislative summaries. It also publishes a biweekly newsletter on national education news and events.
 
 
Arthur Anastopoulos Ph.D.
Associate Professor Dept of Psychology
UNC-Greensboro
 
Address:
278 Bruce M. Eberhart Bldg
Greensboro, NC 27412
 
Phone:
336.256.0006
 
E-mail:
ada@uncg.edu
 
 
Anastopoulos is interested in child and adolescent psychopathology, with a special interest in the assessment and treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, including parent-child relations and parent training.
 
Don Bailey
Director and Senior Scientist
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
 
Address:
Campus Box 8180, 105 Smith Level Rd.
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
 
Phone:
919.966.4250
 
 
 
The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center is one of the nation's oldest multidisciplinary centers for the study of young children and their families. Most of the institute’s work addresses young children ages birth to 8 years. They have a special focus on children who experience biological or environmental factors that challenge early development and learning. 
 

Robert Balfanz
Associate Research Scientist
Johns Hopkins University
Center for Social Organization of Schools
 
Address:
3003 N. Charles Street Suite 200
Baltimore, MD 21218
 
Phone:
410.516.8800
 
 
 
Balfanz's translates research findings into effective reforms for high-poverty secondary schools. He has published widely on secondary school reform, high school dropouts, and instructional interventions in high-poverty schools. Recent work includes "Locating the Dropout Crisis," with co-author Nettie Legters, in which the number and location of high schools with high dropout rates are identified. In addition, Balfanz is co-director of the Talent Development High School with Career Academies, a comprehensive reform model for large high schools facing serious problems with student attendance, discipline, achievement scores, and dropout rates.
 
 
David Beaulieu
Director
Center for Indian Education
Arizona State University
 
Phone:
480.727.6405
 
 
 
Beaulieu is an enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, White Earth Reservation, and has been director of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Indian Education since 1997. 
 

Rebecca Bigler
Director, Professor
University of Texas at Austin
Gender and Racial Attitudes Lab
 
Address:
1 University Station A8000
Austin , TX 78712-0187
 
Phone:
512.471.6261
 
 
 
The Gender and Racial Atittudies Lab conducts research on children’s intergroup attitudes, including social stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. Its areas of study include the consequences of gender and racial attitudes for children’s development, how children’s intergroup attitudes affect conceptions of the self, factors that contribute to the formation of intergroup attitudes (e.g., stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination), and mechanisms of gender and racial attitude change. 
 
 
Randy Capps Ph.D.
Senior Policy Analyst
Immigration Studies
Migration Policy Institute
 
Address:
1400 16th St. NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036
 
Phone:
202.266.1938
 
 
 
Capps researches welfare and immigration policy. Formerly an analyst at the Urban Institute, his recent report, “The Health and Well-Being of Young Children of Immigrants,” centered on the 5.1 million children of immigrants under age 6 in the U.S. and their access to TANF, food stamps, center-based child care and schooling. Other areas of study include illegal immigration, the application and eligibility determination process for immigrants, and the role of immigrants in the No Child Left Behind Act.
 
 
David Card Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
Department of Economics
University of California, Berkeley
 
Address:
University of California, Berkeley
549 Evans Hall #3880
Berkeley, CA 94720-3880
 
Phone:
510.642.5222
 
 
 
Cards' research focuses on economics, education and immigration, such as labor market competition between immigrants and natives and inequalities between the earnings of blacks and whites. Card has published widely on issues regarding welfare reform; the effects of Medicaid programs; pension and retirement; labor supply; school financing and the distribution of education resources; wage structure; unions and strikes; and unemployment. 
 
 
Kevin Carey
Research and Policy Manager
Education Sector
 
Address:
1201 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 850
Washington, DC 20036
 
Phone:
202.552.2840
 
 
 
The independent education policy think tank focuses on developing solutions to pressing problems and to serving as an honest broker of evidence in key education debates. Its Education Sector Explainers series aims to simplify complicated issues such as No Child Left Behind and school accountability. And its Eduwonk.com blog, by co-director Andrew Rotherham, gives chatty leads on breaking news and behind-the-scenes machinations.
 
 
Prudence L. Carter Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Sociology
Sociology Department
Harvard University
 
Address:
504 William James Hall
33 Kirkland St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
 
Phone:
617.495.7569
 
 
 
Carter is an expert on cultural explanations for differences in social mobility among teens of varied racial and ethnic backgrounds. Her latest book, “Keepin’ It Real: School Success Beyond Black and White” (Oxford University Press, 2005), focuses on the intersections of race, ethnicity, class and gender, and their influences on culture and academic achievement among low-income African-American and Latino youths.
 
 
Kathy Christie
Vice President
Information Management & ECS Clearinghouse
Education Commission of the States
 
Address:
700 Broadway, #1200
Denver, CO 80203
 
Phone:
303.299.3613
 
 
 
ECS keeps policymakers informed by gathering, analyzing and disseminating information about current and emerging issues, trends and innovations in state education policy. Christie serves as vice president for Knowledge Management & ECS Clearinghouse, where staff collect and analyze research, track state and district reforms and analyze the various reforms in the states. 
 
 
Kevin Corcoran
Communication Director
Lumina Foundation
 
Phone:
317.951.5493
 
 
 
The Indianapolis-based, private, independent foundation aims to expand access to postsecondary education, particularly for students of low income or other underrepresented background. It also seeks to improve opportunities for adult learners. Lumina grants support research, innovation, communication and evaluation, as well as policy education and leadership development.
 

Clemencia Cosentino de Cohen
Research Associate
Program for Education and Equity Research
The Urban Institute
 
Address:
2100 M Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20037
 
Phone:
202.833.7200
 
 
 
De Cohen has extensively studied immigrant children and students and education. Her most recent study, “Revitalizing the Nation's Talent Pool in STEM,” examines underrepresented minority students completing bachelor's degrees and pursuing graduate studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 
 

Tracee Eason
Administrative Coordinator
Education Writers Association
 
Phone:
202.452.9830
 
 
Web:
www.ewa.org...

The professional organization of education reporters has more than 1,000 members nationally. Its resource center provides summaries and links on education topics from preschool to higher education.

 

John Eckenrode Ph.D.
Director
National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect
Cornell University
 
Address:
G21 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
 
Phone:
607.255.0834
 
 
 
NDACAN facilitates the secondary analysis of data relevant to the study of child abuse and neglect by providing access to data, recent research and other resources. Eckenrode has researched the characteristics of official child maltreatment reports and the academic effects of child abuse and neglect.
 
 
Scott Emerick
Communications Associate
Center for Teaching Quality
 
Phone:
919.241.1562
 
 
 
A research-based advocacy organization launched in 1999, the center focuses on the conditions of teaching, leadership and skill improvement opportunities for teachers and student achievement issues. Its Web site provides extensive reports and presentations on education reform. It publishes a free, electronic newsletter, Teaching Quality: Best Practices & Policies.
 
 
Tom Ewing
Press Relations Director
Policy Information Center
Educational Testing Service
 
Address:
Rosedale Road
Princeton, NJ 08541
 
Phone:
609.683.2803
 
 
 
The private, nonprofit organization focuses on educational measurement and research, primarily through testing. It develops and administers millions of achievement and admissions each year in the United States and 180 other countries. ETS headquarters are in Lawrenceville, N.J.
 
 
Richard Fry Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate
Pew Hispanic Center
 
Address:
1615 L St. N.W., Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
 
Phone:
202.419.3600
 
 
 
The center works to improve understanding of the U.S. Hispanic population and to chronicle Latinos' growing impact on the entire nation. Fry researches education and employment trends among Hispanics. Previously, he was a senior economist at the Educational Testing Service (ETS), where he focused on trends in U.S. college enrollment. At the U.S. Department of Labor, his research focused on immigrants.
 
 
Frank Furstenberg Ph.D.
Chair, Zellerbach Family Professor of Sociology
Network on Transitions to Adulthood
University of Pennsylvania
 
Address:
3718 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104
 
Phone:
215.898.6718
 
 
 
The network examines the changing nature of early adulthood and the policies, programs and institutions that support young people as they move into adulthood. Funded by the MacArthur Foundation, the network documents cultural and social shifts and explores how families, government and social institutions shape the course of young adults’ development. Furstenberg's current research focuses on the family in the context of disadvantaged urban neighborhoods, adolescent sexual behavior, cross national research on children's well-being and urban education. His most recent book is "Managing to Make It: Urban Families in High-Risk Neighborhoods." His previous books and articles center on children, youth, families and the public.
 
 
Francesca Gany M.D.
Founder and Director
Center for Immigrant Health/Division of Primary Care
New York University School of Medicine

Address:
550 First Ave., OBV, CD-402
New York, NY 10016

Phone:
212.263.8783

E-mail:
fg12@nyu.edu

Web:
http://www.med.nyu.edu/cih/about/index.html...

 
Dr. Gany has an extensive background in research, curriculum development, education, and program and policy development as it relates to immigrant health. She has served on a number of projects that have increased access to healthcare for New York’s large immigrant population. She teaches primary care, immigrant health, and health policy and medical economics. 
 
 
George Giuliani
Executive Director
National Association of Special Education Teachers
 
Phone:
800.754.4421, Ext. 105
 
 
 
NASET, a national membership organization, is dedicated to meeting the needs of special education teachers and those preparing for the field. Its fact sheets, available via free registration, cover topics such as certification or the percent of special-ed teachers by racial group. It’s based in Washington, D.C.
 
 
Madelyn Gould Ph.D.
Professor in Clinical Public Health
Epidemiology
Columbia University 
 
Address:
1051 Riverside Dr, Annex 216
New York, NY
 
Phone:
212.543.5329
 
 
 
Gould is also a research scientist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Gould has worked on projects that examine risk factors for teenage suicide, various aspects of cluster suicides, the impact of the media on suicide, the effect of suicide on fellow students, and the utility of telephone crisis services for teenagers. A study she worked on found that simply asking troubled students about any suicidal impulses appears to ease their distress and might make some of them less likely to try killing themselves.
 

Michael Griffith
Policy Analyst
Information Management & ECS Clearinghouse
Education Commission of the States
 
Address:
700 Broadway, #1200
Denver, CO 80203
 
Phone:
303.299.3625
 
 
 
ECS keeps policymakers informed by gathering, analyzing and disseminating information about current and emerging issues, trends and innovations in state education policy. Griffith is a policy analyst specializing in school finance. He provides technical assistance to policymakers on several key finance issues, including: adequacy, financing at-risk student populations, equity, special education financing, state budget/tax issues and pay-for-performance. 
 
 
James Guthrie
Professor, Director
Department of Leadership, Policy and Organizations
Vanderbilt University
 
Address:
Peabody # 317
230 Appleton Place
Nashville, TN 37203-5721
 
Phone:
615.322.7372
 
 
 
Guthrie’s research concentrates on educational policy issues and resource allocation consequences. More specifically, he is concerned with school finance, both K-12 and higher education, legal issues of equity and adequacy, international education school finance systems, education reform strategies, educational accountability, political processes and education, and theories of education reform. 
 
 
Kati Haycock
Director
Education Trust, Inc.
 
Address:
1250 H St. NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005
 
Phone:
202.293.1217, x311
 
 
 
The Education Trust works for the high academic achievement of all students at all levels, pre-kindergarten through college, and focuses on closing the achievement gaps that separate low-income students and students of color from other youth. Haycock and her colleagues are often invited by Congressional Committees to testify on educational improvement issues in both K-12 and higher education. 
 

Thomas Hertz Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Economics
Department of Economics
American University
 
Address:
4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016
 
Phone:
202.885.2756
 
 
 
Hertz's areas of interests include poverty, minimum wage, race and gender-based wage differentials and wealth gaps, and the process of intergenerational transmission of economic status. His 2006 report, “Understanding Mobility in America,” studied inequalities in the economic mobility of black and white families. The report found that education, race, health and state of residence are four key channels by which economic status is transmitted from parent to child. 
 

Frederick Hess
Director of Education Policy Studies
American Enterprise Institute
 
Address:
1150 Seventeenth St. NW
Washington, DC 20036
 
Phone:
202.828.6031
 
 
 
AEI is a private, conservative-leaning nonprofit institution dedicated to research and education on issues of government, politics, economics and social welfare. Frederick Hess directs its education policy studies. The resident scholar specializes in issues such as No Child Left Behind, school choice, education politics and accountability. 
 

Kenneth Hilton Ph.D.
Executive Director
Research & Evaluation
Rush-Henrietta Central School District
 
Address:
2034 Lehigh Station Road
Henrietta, NY 14467
 
Phone:
585.359.5018
 
 
 
Kenneth Hilton, Ph.D., is the executive director of research and evaluation at Rush-Henrietta Central School District in suburban Rochester, N.Y. He has also served as the director of social studies education and the director of special projects in the district. Hilton taught high school social studies in Pennsylvania and college courses at Nazareth College in Rochester. He has published articles in various historical reviews and written several textbooks, including “American Society” (American Book Company, 1978), “They Changed America” (Walch Publishing, 1985) and “Document-Based Assessments in U.S. History” (Walch Publishing, 1998, 2006). Hilton received his doctoral and master’s degrees from Syracuse University and his bachelor’s degree from Hiram College.
 

Erin McNamara Horvat Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Urban Education
College of Education
Temple University
 
Phone:
215.204.8263
 
 
 
Horvat's areas of interests include: sociology of education; access and equity; race, class and education; African American students; urban schools; and the achievement gap. She co-authored, "Beyond Acting White: Reframing the Debate on Black Student Achievement" (Rowman and Littlefield). 
 
 
Brian Jacob
Assistant Professor
Public Policy
 
Address:
Kennedy School of Government
79 John F. Kennedy St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
 
Phone:
617.384.7968
 
 
 
Jacob's current research focuses on urban school reform with a particular emphasis on standards and accountability initiatives. He has examined the effect of school choice and high-stakes testing on student achievement, the incidence of teacher cheating within educational accountabiltiy systems, the relationship between school and juvenile delinquency, and the impact of public housing demolitions on educational opportunities for children. 
 

Susan Kellam
Senior communications adviser
Brookings Institution
 
Address:
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20036
 
Phone:
202.797.6310
 
 
 
Kellam promotes Brookings, a think tank supporting a wide scope of research. Its Center on Children and Families examines policies affecting the well-being of U.S. children and their parents, especially children in less advantaged families. Directed by Ron Haskins and Isabel Sawhill, it co-publishes the twice-yearly journal Future of Children.
 

Judith Kleinfeld
Professor of Psychology and Director
Boys' Project
University of Alaska Fairbanks
 
Address:
Fairbanks, AK 99712
 
Phone:
907.474.5266
 
 
 
Kleinfeld directs the Boys’ Project, a network of researchers, policymakers, parents, teachers and others concerned with issues facing boys. She co-directs the Northern Studies Program, an interdisciplinary program studying regional problems and policy issues. Kleinfeld's research focuses on gender and education, and she has published widely in the field. Kleinfeld received her doctorate from Harvard University, where she specialized in the education of culturally diverse children. 
 

Nettie Legters
Co-Director, Associate Research Assistant
Johns Hopkins University
Talent Development High School with Career Academies (TDHS)
 
Address:
3003 N. Charles Street Suite 200
Baltimore, MD 21218
 
Phone:
410.516.8800
 
 
 
The Talent Development High School with Career Academies is a comprehensive reform model for large high schools facing serious problems with student attendance, discipline, achievement scores and dropout rates. Legter's co-wrote "Locating the Dropout Crisis," with Robert Balfanz, in which the number and location of high schools with high dropout rates are identified. 
 

Peter Leone Ph.D.
Director
National Center on Education, Disability and Juvenile Justice
University of Maryland
 
Address:
1308 Benjamin Building
College Park, MD 20742
 
Phone:
301.405.6489
 
 
 
Leone is a professor of special education. He directs the center, which operates on contracts and limited state funding. Leon's research focuses on behavior disorders, education rights of incarcerated youth, and juvenile justice settings. He has experience in field-based research and direct service. Leone also has been an expert and monitor in class-action litigation involving juvenile corrections in several states.
 
 
Henry Levin
Director, National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education
Economics, Education
Teachers College, Columbia University
 
Address:
Columbia University
Thompson Hall 230
New York, NY 10027
 
Phone:
212.678.3857
 
 
 
Levin is a William Heard Kilpatrick Professor of Economics and Education at Columbia University. Much of his research and writing has focused on the cost-effectiveness of educational approaches, school reform, and educational vouchers. Dr. Levin conceived and advanced Accelerated Schools, a reform program designed to accelerate the learning of disadvantaged youngsters in order to bring them into the educational mainstream by the end of elementary school. 


Jennifer Lindholm
Project Director
Higher Education Research Institute
 
Address:
University of California, Los Angeles
3005 Moore Hall, Box 951521
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1521
 
Phone:
310.825.1925
 
 
 
The Higher Education Research Institute serves as an interdisciplinary center for research, evaluation, information, policy studies and training in postsecondary education. Lindholm is an expert on the structural and cultural dimensions of academic work; the career development, work experiences and professional behavior of college and university faculty; and issues related to institutional change within colleges and universities. 
 
 
John Wills Lloyd Ph.D.
Curry School of Education
University of Virginia
 
Address:
P.O. Box 400261
Charlottesville, VA 22904
 
Phone:
434.924.0747
 
 
 
Lloyd’s primary focus is special education, particularly learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, and early reading instruction. 
 
 
Phyllis Magrab
Professor and Director
University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development
 
Address:
3307 M St NW, Ste 401
Washington, DC 20007
 
Phone:
202.687.8837
 
 
 
The center serves, supports and partners with children, youth and families with special health care needs and developmental disabilities.
 
 
Mary Maushard
Communications Administrator
Center for Social Organization of Schools
 
Address:
3003 N. Charles St., Suite 200
Baltimore, MD 21218
 
Phone:
410.516.8810
 
 
 
Maushard is the public relations officer at the Center for Social Organization of Schools, an educational research and development center at Johns Hopkins University. The Center maintains a staff of sociologists, psychologists, social psychologists and educators who conduct programmatic research to improve the education system.
 
 
Barbara Medina Ph.D.
Director, English Language Acquisition Unit
ELAU
Colorado Department of Education
 
Address:
201 E. Colfax Ave Rm40
Denver, CO 80203
 
Phone:
303.866.6758
 
 
Medina is the director of the Colorado Department of Education’s English Language Acquisition Unit. The ELAU aims to provide linguistic, social and academic support for all migrant, immigrant and refugee English language learners. It encompasses programs – such as the federal Title I and Title III, as well as state efforts – for nearly 100,000 pre-K-12 students in the state’s public schools. 
 
 
Maria Robledo Montecel Ph.D.
Executive Director
Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA)
 
Address:
5835 Callaghan Rd., Suite 350
San Antonio, TX 78228
 
Phone:
210.444.1710
 
 
 
IDRA has conducted research in immigrant education, including a study on the impact of NAFTA, commissioned by the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Governor’s Office. Through its project, Creative Collaboratives: Empowering Immigrant Students and Families Through Education, IDRA coordinated two community collaboratives that addressed the educational needs of secondary-level recent immigrant students. 
 
 
Pedro Noguera
Professor
Steinhardt School of Education
New York University
 
Address:
82 Washington Square East
New York, NY 10003
 
 
 
An urban sociologist, Noguera’s scholarship and research focuses on the ways in which schools are influenced by social and economic conditions in the urban environment. He has served as an advisor and engaged in collaborative research with several large urban school districts throughout the U.S. He has also done research on issues related to education and economic and social development in the Caribbean, Latin America and several other countries throughout the world.
 
 
Sam Odom
Director
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG)
 
Address:
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CB#8180
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-818
 
Phone:
919.966.2622
 
 
 
FPG consists of more than 200 researchers, students and staff working on projects dealing with parent and family support; early care and education; child health and development; early identification and intervention; equity, access and inclusion; and early childhood policy. They publish “Snapshots,” which provides an overview of recently published research ( http://www.fpg.unc.edu/news/fpg_snapshots.cfm). FPG distributes a monthly e-newsletter that highlights their latest research and resources (http://www.fpg.unc.edu/news/enews.cfm).
 

Gary Orfield
Director, Professor
Harvard University
Civil Rights Project
 
Address:
125 Mount Auburn St., 3rd Floor
Cambridge, MA 02138
 
Phone:
617.496.4824
 
 
 
Orfield is interested in the study of civil rights, education policy (in particular, No Child Left Behind), urban policy, and minority opportunity. He is cofounder and director of the Civil Rights Project at Harvard. Recent works include studies of changing patterns of school desegregation and the impact of diversity on the educational experiences of law students. He is co-Founder and director of the Civil Rights Project (CRP), an initiative that is developing and publishing a new generation of research on multiracial civil rights issues. CRP has produced major reports on desegregation, student diversity, school discipline, special education and dropouts. 
 
 
Alba Ortiz
Professor
Dept. of Special Education
University of Texas
 
Phone:
512.471.6244
 
 
 
Ortiz's research focuses on developing models for the effective education of minority and non-English speaking students (including special education); preventing academic under achievement of Hispanic students; and assessment of language proficiency of second language learners.
 
 
Alejandro Portes Ph.D.
Professor, Director
Center for Migration and Development (CMD)
Princeton University
 
Address:
Wallace Hall
Princeton, NJ 08544
 
Phone:
609.258.4870
 
 
 
In addition to his position as co-founder and director of Princeton’s Center for Migration and Development, Portes is Chair of the Department of Sociology, as well as a faculty member of Princeton’s Office of Population Research. Portes’ research interests focus on immigration, Third World urbanization, and major issues faced by the U.S. Hispanic population, such as the assimilation of second-generation immigrant. 
 
 
Michael Rosenberg Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
Department of Special Education
Johns Hopkins University
 
Address:
Baltimore, MD
 
Phone:
410.516.8275
 
 
 
Rosenberg is implementing an applied multimedia approach for comprehensive behavior management model in educational settings. He is also engaged in the evaluation of a number of initiatives involving compliance to federal requirements for students with special educational needs in urban environments. Rosenberg is also active in research efforts related to personnel shortages in special education and is coordinating the certification and licensure research team under the auspices of the recently funded Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education, a joint effort by Hopkins, Vanderbilt University and the University of Florida. 
 
 
Rubén Rumbaut Ph.D.
Professor
School of Social Sciences
University of California, Irvine
 
Address:
3151 Social Science Plaza
Mail Code: 5100
Irvine, CA 92697
 
Phone:
949.824.2495
 
 
 
Rumbaut has co-directed the landmark Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study since 1991. He also directs, in collaboration with a team of UCI and UCLA colleagues, a large-scale study of immigration and intergenerational mobility in metropolitan Los Angeles and does comparative research on transitions to adulthood. Rumbaut's research has focused on immigrants and assimilation, language and bilingualism, ethnic identity, intergenerational relations in immigrant families, educational achievement and aspirations, social mobility, crime and incarceration, and health and mental health. He co-wrote “Immigrant America: A Portrait” (University of California Press, 2006) and “Multiple Origins, Uncertain Destinies: Hispanics and the American Future” (National Academies Press, 2006).
 
 
Robert B. Rutherford Jr. Ph.D.
Professor
Special Education Program
Arizona State University
 
Address:
Farmer 412
Tempe, AZ 85287
 
Phone:
480.965.1450
 
 
 
Rutherford is a principal investigator with the National Center on Education, Disability and Juvenile Justice. He researches curriculum and instruction for students with emotional and behavioral disorders, and special education programming in the juvenile justice system.
 
 
Karen Sanchez-Griego
State Director
 
Address:
ENLACE New Mexico, School of Law
MSC11 6070, 1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
 
Phone:
505.277.0069
 
 
 
ENLACE New Mexico (“Engaging Latino Communities for Education”) is an initiative to increase opportunities for Latinos to enter and complete college. Funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, ENLACE operates in six other states: Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas. 
 
 
Isabel Sawhill
Vice President, Director
Economic Studies
The Brookings Institution's Center on Children and Families
 
Address:
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20036
 
Phone:
202.797.6058
 
 
 
Sawhill is vice president and director of the Economic Studies program at the Brookings Institution and a senior editor of The Future of Children. She co-directs the Welfare Reform and Beyond Initiative at Brookings and serves part-time as president of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Her research focuses on children, education, the federal budget, poverty and inequality, social welfare policy and teen pregnancy. 
 
 
Martin Seligman
Professor
Psychology
University of Pennsylvania
 
Address:
University of Pennsylvania
3815 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
 
Phone:
215.898.7173
 
 
 
Seligman is president of the American Psychological Association. His areas of study include positive psychology, learned helplessness, depression, and optimism and pessimism. 
 
 
Elisa Shipon-Blum M.D.
Director
Selective Mutism Anxiety Research and Treatment Center (Smart)
 
Address:
505 N. Old York Road
Jenkintown, PA 19046
 
Phone:
215.887.5748
 
 
 
Dr. Shipon-Blum is a clinical assistant professor of psychology & family medicine at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She also is a board certified family physician who specializes in Selective Mutism. Dr. Shipon-Blum has developed Social Communication Anxiety Treatment (SCAT) from her years studying & researching individuals with Selective Mutism. 
 
 
Margaret Simms
Senior Fellow
Low-Income Working Families project
Urban Institute
 
Address:
2100 M St NW
Washington, DC 20037
 
Phone:
202.261.5283 (press)
 
 
Simms, a nationally recognized expert on the economic well-being of African Americans, joined the Institute in 2007, following 21 years with the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. She directs the Institute’s Low-Income Working Families project, a research initiative exploring challenges faced by 9 million families and their 19 million children. 
 
 
Robert Slavin Ph.D.
Principal Research Scientist
Center for Social Organization of Schools
Johns Hopkins University
 
Address:
3003 North Charles St., Suite 200
Baltimore, MD 21218
 
Phone:
410.516.8809
 
 
 
Slavin researches the education of students at risk. He has authored or co-authored books, including Educational Psychology: Theory into Practice (Allyn & Bacon, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1997), School and Classroom Organization (Erlbaum, 1989), Effective Programs for Students at Risk (Allyn & Bacon, 1989), Cooperative Learning: Theory, Research, and Practice (Allyn & Bacon, 1990, 1995), Preventing Early School Failure (Allyn & Bacon, 1994), Every Child, Every School: Success for All (Corwin, 1996), and Show Me the Evidence: Proven and Promising Programs for America’s Schools (Corwin, 1998). 
 
 
Samuel Stringfield
Professor
Departments of Teaching and Learning
niversity of Louisville
 
Address:
College of Education and Human Development
Louisville, KY 40292
 
Phone:
502.852.0615
 
 
 
Stringfield has studied the ways in which poor children are already at a disadvantage educationally from lack of social and educational resources. He studies systemic educational reform and is a co-editor of the Journal of Education for Students Placed At Risk.
 
 
John Thomasian
Center Director
The Center for Best Practices, National Governors Association
 
Phone:
202.624.5300
 
 
 
Basically a consulting firm for governors, the Washington-based center has five divisions: education, environment, health, homeland security and workforce programs. Its education division provides information on best practices in early childhood, elementary, secondary and postsecondary education. Its weekly electronic magazine, Front and Center, covers trends, policies and issues affecting states.
 
 
Martha Thurlow
Director
National Center on Educational Outcomes
University of Minnesota
 
Address:
350 Elliott Hall
75 East River Road
Minneapolis, MN
 
Phone:
612.624.4826
 
 
 
NCEO provides national leadership in the participation of students with disabilities in national and state assessments, standards-setting efforts and graduation requirements.
 
 
Marta Tienda Ph.D.
Research Associate, Professor
Office of Population Research
Princeton University
 
Address:
Princeton University
Wallace Hall
Princeton, NJ 08544-2091
 
Phone:
609.258.5808
 
 
 
In addition to being director of the Office of Population Research, Tienda is a professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton University. Her research focuses on social inequalities regarding race and ethnic differences, such as poverty, welfare, education and employment.
 
 
Vincent Tinto
Chair, Higher Education Program
School of Education
Syracuse University
 
Phone:
315.443.4763
 
 
 
Vinto's research interests include student retention in college, especially for underrepresented and underprepared students in urban two and four-year colleges.
 
 
Kenneth S. Trump
President and CEO
National School Safety and Security Services
 
Address:
P.O. Box 110123
Cleveland, OH 44111
 
Phone:
216.251.3067
 
 
 
National School Safety and Security Services is a consulting firm specializing in school security and school emergency / crisis preparedness training, school security assessments, and school safety consulting for K-12 schools and public safety providers. Trump focuses on K-12 school security and school emergency / crisis preparedness issues, school security assessments, and school safety consulting services. 
 
 
Hill Walker Ph.D.
Co-director
Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior
University of Oregon
 
Address:
1265 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
 
Phone:
541.346.2583
 
 
 
Hill has a long-standing interest in behavioral assessment and in the development of effective intervention procedures for use in school settings with a range of behavior disorders. He has been engaged in applied research since 1966. His research interests include social skills assessment, curriculum development and intervention, longitudinal studies of aggression and antisocial behavior, and the development of early screening procedures for detecting students who are at-risk for social-behavioral adjustment problems and/or later school drop-out of school.
 

John Weisz
Professor, CEO
Judge Baker Children's Center
Harvard University
 
Address:
53 Parker Hill Avenue
Boston, MA 02120-3225
 
Phone:
617.278.4280
 
 
 
Weisz' written work includes books and articles focused primarily on youth problem behavior and disorders, cultural factors in development and dysfunction, and psychotherapy for children and adolescents. He is president and CEO of Judge Baker Children's Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children whose emotional and behavioral problems threaten to limit their potential. 
 
 
Ross Wiener
Policy Director
Education Trust
 
Address:
1250 H St. NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005
 
Phone:
202.293.1217, ext.297
 
 
 
Through advocacy, research and analysis, the Education Trust promotes academic achievement -- especially among minority and low-income students. Wiener directs the policy team, where he uses data, research and examples from the field to determine what can be done to close achievement gaps. His focuses include vocational and technical education, graduation rates, higher education, low-income students, minority students and teacher quality. Weiner also has experience in federal civil rights laws in schools, including cases involving desegregation, disability rights, harassment and services for limited-English proficient students.
 

James Youniss Ph.D.
Wylma R. and James R. Curtin Professor of Psychology
Catholic University of America
Life Cycle Institute
 
Address:
Washington, DC 20064
 
Phone:
202.329.5999
 
 
 
James Youniss, Ph.D., is the Wylma R. and James R. Curtin Professor of Psychology at The Catholic University of America. He studied the social and moral development of children and youth for over four decades. For the past 12 years, he has focused on civic and political awakening in youth, especially as it is stimulated by community service done in the context of clear value traditions. He is the author and editor of several books including “Parents and Peers in Social Development” (University of Chicago Press, 1980); “Adolescent Relations with Mothers, Fathers, and Friends” (University of Chicago Press, 1985); “Community Service and Social Responsibility in Youth” (University of Chicago Press, 1997); “Roots of Civic Identity: International Perspectives” (Cambridge, 1999); and “Catholic Schools at the Crossroads” (Teachers College Press, 2000). 
 
 
 
Nancy Adler
Director
National Association for Bilingual Education
 
Phone:
202.898.1829
 
 
 
NABE represents both English language learners and bilingual education professionals. It has affiliates in 23 states, with a combined membership of more than 20,000 bilingual and English-as-a-second-language teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, university professions, researchers, advocates, policymakers and parents.
 
 
MaryLee Allen
Director
Child Welfare & Mental Health
Children's Defense Fund
 
Address:
25 E St. N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
 
Phone:
202.628.8787
 
 
 
The division is responsible for CDF's programmatic and policy work on behalf of children most vulnerable to being left behind. Nationally, the division plays a leadership role in expanding supports for families to enable them to better nurture and protect their children, preventing family crises from intensifying, and promoting permanent families when crises occur. 
 
 
Jeanne Allen
President and Founder
Center for Education Reform (CER)
 
Address:
1001 Connecticut Ave NW
Suite 204
Washington, DC 20036
 
Phone:
202.822.9000
 
 
 
CER creates opportunities for and challenges obstacles to better education for America's communities. CER seeks to combine education policy with grassroots advocacy to work within the nation's communities to foster positive and bold education reforms. CER advocates reforms that produce high standards, accountability and freedom, such as strong charter school laws, school choice programs for children most in need, common sense teacher initiatives, and proven instructional programs.
 
 
Jacqueline Ancess
Associate Director
Columbia University
The National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, and Teaching
 
Address:
Teachers College
411 Main Hall, TC Box 110
New York, NY 10027
 
Phone:
212.678.3432
 
 
 
NCREST supports school restructuring efforts by documenting successful initiatives, teacher learning, assessment, the documentation of successful school reform efforts in elementary and secondary schools, educational technology in schools, and the development of local, state, and national policies based on practice. NCREST is involved in a variety of projects including Professional Development Schools, teacher learning, assessment, the documentation of successful school reform efforts in elementary and secondary schools, educational technology in schools, and the development of local, state, and national policies based on practice.
 
 
Robert Blomeyer Ph.D.
Senior Program Associate
Education
Learning Point Associates
 
Address:
1120 East Diehl Road, Suite 200
Naperville, IL 60563
 
Phone:
800.252.0283
 
 
 
Learning Point Associates, a program of the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL), helps schools and districts plan, create and evaluate school programs. Blomeyer’s work focuses on the integration of technologies – particularly the Internet – with teaching and learning. He co-authored a project on the effects of K-12 online learning on student academic performance and the effects of technology use on reading performance in the middle grades. 
 
 
Craig Bowman
Executive Director
National Youth Advocacy Coalition
 
Address:
1638 R Street, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009
 
Phone:
202.319.7596
 
 
 
The National Youth Advocacy Coalition is the only national organization focused solely on improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth through advocacy, education, and information. 
 
 
Jan Bray M.S.
Executive Director
Education
Association for Career and Technical Education
 
Address:
1410 King St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
 
Phone:
703.683.9315
 
 
 
The association is composed of more than 28,000 career and technical educators, administrators, researchers, guidance counselors and others involved in planning and conducting career and technical education programs at the secondary, post-secondary and adult levels.
 
 
B.J. Bryant
Executive Director
Education
American Association for Employment in Education (AAEE)
 
Address:
3040 Riverside Drive, Suite 125
Columbus, OH 43221
 
Phone:
614.485.1111
 
E-mail:
aaee@osu.edu
 
 
AAEE disseminates information on the educational marketplace, promote ethical standards and practices in the employment process and provide opportunities for training, networking, and the exchange of information between educators. Bryant is an expert on the market for teachers, such as teacher shortages and supply and demand.
 
 
Eliza Byard Ph.D.
Deputy Executive Director
Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
 
Address:
90 Broad Street, 2nd floor
New York, NY 10004
 
Phone:
212.727.0135
 
 
 
GLSEN is a national education organization dedicated to ending bias and harassment directed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students in K-12 schools. GLSEN publishes an annual report: the National School Climate Survey, the only national survey to document the experiences of students who identify as LGBT in America's schools. 
 
 
Patrick Callan
President
National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education
 
Address:
152 North Third Street, Suite 705
San Jose, CA 95112
 
Phone:
408.271.2699
 
 
 
The National Center was established in 1998 to promote the creation of public policies that enhance all Americans’ opportunities to pursue and achieve a quality higher education. Callan previously was Executive Director of the California Higher Education Policy Center. He has written and spoken extensively on education and public policy. 
 
 
Richard Lee Colvin
Director
Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media
 
Phone:
212.870.1072
 
 
 
Hechinger provides seminars and publications that better equip journalists to produce fair, accurate and insightful reporting on education. The center is part of Columbia University’s Teachers College.
 
 
Angela Covert
Education Consultant
Education
Center on Education Policy
 
Address:
1001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 522
Washington, DC
 
Phone:
202.822.8065
 
 
 
Covert serves on the board of directors at CEP, which is a national, independent advocate for public education and for more effective public schools. The Center seeks to define the role of public education and the need to improve the academic quality of public schools. 
 
 
Lindsay Young Craig
Communications Director
Manhattan Institute for Policy Research
 
Address:
52 Vanderbilt Ave., 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10017
 
Phone:
212.599.7000
 
 
 
The New York-based think tank’s Center for Civic Innovation includes education reform in its areas of study. It lists two primary goals for public education: more school choice (including charter schools and school vouchers) and greater accountability.
 
 
Terry Cross
Executive Director
National Indian Child Welfare Association
 
Address:
5100 SW Macadam Ave., Suite 300
Portland, OR 97201
 
Phone:
503.222.4044, Ext. 112
 
 
 
Cross, an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation of Indians, is the association's developer and founder. He has at least 32 years of experience in child welfare, including a decade working directly with children and families. He also served on the faculty of Oregon's Portland State University School of Social Work. He has developed curricula for parents and for tribal child welfare staff. He also has written about culturally competent social services. 
 
 
Michael Dannenberg
Director
Education Policy Program
New America Foundation
 
Address:
1899 L Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
 
Phone:
202.986.2700
 
 
 
Dannenberg founded the New America Foundation’s Education Policy Program, a nonpartisan think tank that investigates the efficiency of federal education funding, especially in regard to the student loan crunch. Dannenberg's focus is No Child Left Behind Act, the federal education budget, college admissions, financial aid and student loan policy. 
 
 
Laura Derrick
President
Education
National Home Education Network
 
Address:
PMB 157
5114 Balcones Woods Dr. #307
Austin, TX 78759
 
Phone:
512.345.4895
 
 
 
NHEN encourages and facilitates the vital grassroots work of state and local homeschooling groups and individuals by providing information, fostering networking and promoting public relations on a national level. 
 
 
Kevin Dwyer
Principal Research Scientist
Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice
National Association of School Psychologists
 
Address:
4340 East West Highway
#402
Bethesda, MD 20814
 
Phone:
301.229.8251
 
 
 
Dwyer is a leading national expert on children’s mental health. Dwyer was President of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), a professional organization representing more than 21,000 school psychologists. Dwyer acted as principal investigator for the federally funded school violence prevention project, which distributed in September 1998 Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools to the nation’s 115,000 schools." "Safeguarding Our Children: An Action Guide" is a follow-up document he co-authored last year with David Osher of AIR for the U. S. Departments of Education and Justice. 
 
 
Chester Finn
President
Thomas B. Fordham Institute
 
Address:
1627 K St. NW
Ste. 600
Washington, DC 20006
 
Phone:
202.223.5452
 
 
 
Finn is a leading conservative voice in the ongoing debate over K-12 standards and accountability, and a close observer and critic of policy emanating from the White House, Capitol Hill and the U.S. Department of Education. His areas of interest include special education, core curriculum, charter schools and student assessment.
 
 
Michael Fix
Vice President and Director of Studies
Migration Policy Institute
 
Address:
1400 16th St. N.W., Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036
 
Phone:
202.266.1924
 
 
 
Fix's work focuses on immigrant integration, citizenship policy, immigrant children and families, the education of immigrant students, the effect of welfare reform on immigrants and the impact of immigrants on the U.S. labor force. Fix served as a principal research associate at the Urban Institute, where he directed the Immigration Studies Program from 1998 through 2004. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ panel on the redesign of the U.S. citizenship test.
 
 
Karen Flippo
Executive Director
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
 
Phone:
703.739.4400
 
 
 
The association, based in Alexandria, Va., represents 55 state and territorial councils working on developmental disability issues, including education.
 
 
Jane Floethe-Ford
Director, Educational Services
Parents Helping Parents
 
Address:
3041 Olcott St
Santa Clara, CA 95054
 
Phone:
408.727.5775, ext. 115
 
E-mail:
jane@php.com
 
 
PHP is a family resource center that benefits children with special needs. This includes children of all ages who need special services because of but not limited to illness, accidents, birth defects, neurological conditions, premature birth, learning or physical disabilities, mental health issues and ADHD.
 
 
Jane Floethe-Ford
Director of Education
Parents Helping Parents
 
Address:
3041 Olcott St
Santa Clara, CA 95054
 
Phone:
408.727.5775, ext. 115
 
E-mail:
jane@php.com
 
 
PHP is a family resource center that advocates for children with special needs. This includes children of all ages who need special social, educational or other services because of but not limited to illness, accidents, birth defects, neurological conditions, premature birth, learning or physical disabilities, mental health issues and ADHD. 
 

Karen Gallagher
Senior Associate
Arts Education Partnership
 
Phone:
202.336.7028
 
 
 
The national coalition of more than 140 arts, education, business, philanthropic and government organizations promotes quality arts education in schools. AEP has a searchable database with information on states’ arts education policies. AEP was founded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Department of Education, in cooperation with the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and the Council of Chief State School Officers. It’s housed at the CCSSO’s offices in Washington, D.C.
 
 
Eugene Garcia
Chairman
National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics
 
Phone:
480.965.1315
 
 
 
Established at Arizona State University in 2004, the task force aims to improve Hispanic children’s educational readiness and close the achievement gap. Comprised of policymakers, business and community leaders, strategists, early childhood educators and researchers, the task force published a March 2007 report with statistics, major findings and policy recommendations. The site includes contacts and additional resources.
 
 
Stephanie Germeraad
Public Affairs Officer
Education Trust
 
Phone:
202.293.1217, Ext. 354
 
 
 
The national nonprofit works for the high academic achievement of all students, especially Latino, African American, Native American and low-income youths. From offices in Washington, D.C., and Oakland, Calif., it provides research, analysis, lobbying and technical assistance.
 
 
Mark Goodman
Executive Director
 
Address:
1815 N. Fort Myer Drive
Suite 900
Arlington, VA 22209
 
Phone:
703.807.1904
 
 
 
Student Press Law Center has been the nation's only legal assistance agency devoted exclusively to educating high school and college journalists about the rights and responsibilities embodied in the First Amendment and supporting the student news media in their struggle to cover important issues free from censorship. 
 
 
Tia Gordon
Communications Director
Institute for Higher Education Policy
 
Phone:
202.861.8223, Ext. 221
 
 
 
The institute works to improve access to higher education for low-income, minority, first-generation and other disadvantaged groups. Founded in 1993, it’s based in Washington, D.C.
 
 
Libby Gray
Director
Project Reality
 
Address:
1701 E. Lake Avenue
Suite# 371
Glenview, IL 60025
 
Phone:
847.729.3298
 
 
Project Reality specializes in the development, teaching and evaluation of abstinence programs. Gray is regularly involved in media communications on the subject of abstinence. 
 
 
Mark H. Greenberg
Senior Fellow
Center for American Progress
 
Address:
1015 15th St. NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005
 
Phone:
202.906.8000
 
 
 
Greenberg is executive director of the Task Force on Poverty at the Center for American Progress. Prior to that, Greenberg was Senior Staff Attorney at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). He has focused on issues relating to federal and state welfare reform and workforce issues affecting low-income families, with particular attention to employment, education and training, child care and early education policy, and other supports for low-income families. Prior to coming to CLASP, Greenberg worked at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid in Florida and the Western Center on Law and Poverty in Los Angeles. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. 
 
 
Charles Haynes
Director
Education
First Amendment Center
 
Address:
1101 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22209
 
Phone:
703.528.0800
 
 
 
The First Amendment Center works to preserve and protect First Amendment freedoms through information and education. The center serves as a forum for the study and exploration of free-expression issues, including freedom of speech, freedom of the press and of religion, and the rights to assemble and to petition the government. Haynes is best known for his work on religious liberty issues in schools and communities throughout the nation.
 
 
Wayne Ho
Executive Director
Coalition for Asian American Children & Families (CACF)
 
Address:
50 Broad St., Suite 1701
New York, NY 10004
 
Phone:
212.809.4675, ext. 101
 
E-mail:
who@cacf.org
 
 
The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) is an advocacy organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Asian Pacific American children in New York City. CACF is the nation's only pan-Asian children's advocacy organization. 
 
 
Jerry Irvine
Communication Director
New America Foundation
 
Address:
1899 L Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
 
Phone:
301.801.3356
 
 
 
The think tank’s Education Policy Program focuses on modernizing systems of school finance, teaching and learning, and college financial aid. The foundation’s Federal Education Budget Project provides ongoing, in-depth study and analysis. Its Early Education Initiative urges reforms concentrated on pre-K through grade 3. Its HigherEdWatch.org blog highlights analysis, reporting and commentary. 
 
 
Judith Jackson MSW
National Office Consultant
National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW)
 
Address:
2305 Martin Luther King Ave. S.E.
Washington, DC 20020
 
Phone:
202.678.4570
 
 
 
NABSW was founded to address the social welfare needs of black people across the country. Jackson focuses the organization’s efforts in four areas: family preservation/child Welfare, youth development, health and wellness and civil liberties. Jackson is also interested in issues regarding blacks and education, family and community. 
 
 
Kevin Jennings
Executive Director
Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
 
Address:
90 Broad Street, 2nd floor
New York, NY 10004
 
Phone:
212.727.0135
 
 
 
The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network wants to assure that everyone in the school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
 
 
John Jennings
President and CEO
Education
Center on Education Policy (CEP)
 
Address:
1001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 522
Washington, DC 20036
 
Phone:
202.822.8065
 
 
 
Jennings founded the Center on Education Policy, a national independent advocate for public education and for more effective public schools. He previously served as subcommittee staff director and then as general counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Education and Labor. 
 
 
Dixie Jordan
Director
Families and Advocates Partnership for Education
PACER Center
 
Address:
210 E. Madison
Riverton, WY 82501
 
Phone:
307.851.5097
 
 
 
PACER provides information and training to support the education of children with disabilities and is supported by the U.S. Department of Education. Jordan is the parent of a son with mental health concerns and has worked for nearly 20 years to reform children's mental health systems. Jordan is the parent of a son with mental health concerns, and director of the national Families and Advocates Partnership for Education at the PACER (Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights) Center. Based in Minneapolis, PACER provides information and training to support the education of children with disabilities, and is supported by the U.S. Department of Education. Jordan, who is based in Wyoming, has worked for nearly 20 years to reform children’s mental health systems, and is an advocate for making families’ knowledge and strengths the foundation for effective mental health services for children. 
 
 
Irwin Kirsch
Senior Research Director
Educational Testing Service
 
Address:
Rosedale Road
Princeton, NJ 08541
 
Phone:
609.734.1516
 
 
 
Kirsch was the lead author of the study, “America’s Perfect Storm: Three Forces Changing Our Nation's Future,” which examined the challenges of inadequate literacy skills, a changing economy and a diverse population and workforce. 
 
 
Jeffrey Kuhner
Communications Director
Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
 
Phone:
202.223.5452
 
 
 
The nonprofit foundation, affiliated with the like-named institute, shares its belief that all children deserve a high-quality K-12 education at the school of their choice. The foundation supports research, publications and projects in education reform. It produces a weekly bulletin, The Education Gadfly.
 
 
William Lassiter
Manager
Center for the Prevention of School Violence
 
Address:
1801 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1801
 
Phone:
919.733.3388 Ext. 332
 
 
 
The Center for the Prevention of School Violence serves as a resource center and think tank for efforts that promote safer schools and foster positive youth development. The Center's efforts in support of safer schools are directed at understanding the problems of school violence and developing solutions to them.
 
 
Allison Looney
Assistant Editor
 
Address:
700 Broadway
Suite 1200
Denver, CO 80203-3460
 
Phone:
303.299.3600 main
 
 
 
The Education Commission of the States is a nonpartisan, interstate compact that supports the exchange of information, ideas and experiences among state policymakers and education leaders. Its membership includes 49 states, the District of Columbia and three territories. Each is represented by seven commissioners, including the governor. ECS’s Web site provides national overviews – plus state-by-state breakouts – of education issues, policies and key players. The site serves as a gateway to other resources, providing links to nearly 50 other major agencies and organizations. 
 
 
Peter Magnuson
Senior Director of Communications
Association for Career and Technical Education
 
Phone:
703.683.3111, Ext. 341
 
 
 
ACTE is the largest national education association focused on career preparation for youth and adults. It’s based in Alexandria, Va.
 
 
James Martinez
Media Relations
National Parent Teacher Association
 
Phone:
312.670.6782, Ext. 325
 
 
 
The nation’s largest volunteer child advocacy association provides parents with resources on health, technology, safety and student achievement. Its site provides summaries of key education issues.
 
 
C. Kevin Morrison
Attorney
Bryant Law Firm
 
Address:
950 Kennedy Building
321 S. Boston Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74103-3313
 
Phone:
918.587.4200
 
 
Kevin Morrison is an attorney and child advocate. Formerly of Tulsa Children's Law, he handles legal matters involving children, including representing parents and children involved in juvenile court proceedings, adoptions, guardianships and special education matters. Morrison has significant experience in the juvenile court system. In 1994 he began representing children in abuse and neglect cases on a pro bono basis while continuing his commercial litigation practice. A few years later he left private practice to become an assistant district attorney in Tulsa County’s juvenile court, where he handled a civil child abuse docket adjudicating custody and termination of parental rights issues. In 2001 he became a judge in the Tulsa County juvenile court where he was responsible for emergency custody hearings and the juvenile delinquency detention docket. In 2002 Morrison moved to the Washington, D.C. area, serving as a senior attorney with the National Juvenile Justice Prosecution Center, where he trained juvenile court prosecutors, and wrote and spoke on juvenile justice issues. Morrison is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma law school and received his bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University. 
 
 
David Osher
Managing Research Scientist and Director
Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice
American Institutes for Research, Pelavin Research Center
 
Address:
1000 Thomas Jefferson St. N.W., Suite 400
Washington, DC 20007
 
Phone:
202.944.5373
 
 
 
Osher focuses his work on knowledge use, violence prevention, schoolwide and community-wide interventions for youth with emotional and behavioral disorders and their families, and building meaningful collaborations at federal, state, and local levels. Osher is Principal Investigator of The Center for Effective Collaboration & Practice; The Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health; The National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Violence Prevention; The National Coordinator Training and Technical Assistance Center for the Safe and Drug Free Schools Program; The National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At Risk; and of research that focuses on the impact of specific types on prevention and treatment interventions. Osher has authored, co-authored, or edited over 150 books, monographs, chapters, articles, and reports. He helped the U. S. Department of Education develop The National Agenda for Improving Results for Children and Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance and is an expert on making collaboration work. 
 
 
Linda Puntney
Executive Director
Journalism Education Association
 
Address:
Kansas State University
103 Kedzie Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506-1505
 
Phone:
785.532.7822
 
 
 
The Journalism Education Association is the only independent national scholastic journalism organization for teachers and advisers.
 
 
Suzanne Ripley
Vice President and Director
Academy for Educational Development
National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)
 
Address:
P.O. Box 1492
Washington, DC 20013-1492
 
Phone:
202.884.8200
 
 
 
NICHCY is an information clearinghouse that provides information, referrals and publications on disabilities and disability-related issues, particularly those involving youth. Ripley advises families and educators on how best to serve children with special needs. Her focuses include special education, the rights of disabled children and early intervention. 
 
 
Roy Romer
Chairman and lead spokesman
Strong American Schools/ED in '08
 
Address:
1150 17th St. N.W., Suite 875
Washington, DC 20036
 
Phone:
202.552.4560
 
 
 
Strong American Schools is a nonpartisan public awareness campaign that aims to make education a top priority in the 2008 presidential election. Before joining Strong American Schools and ED in 08, Romer spent 12 years as Governor of Colorado and six years as the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Romer chaired the Education Commission of the States in 1994 and 1995, and was the first chairman of the National Education Goals Panel. Romer also served as co-vice chairman of Achieve, an effort by the nation's governors and major corporate leaders to reform education by the use of standards and assessments. 
 

Roger Rosenthal
Executive Director
The Migrant Legal Action Program
 
Address:
2001 S Street, NW Suite 310
Washington, DC 20009
 
Phone:
202.462.7744
 
 
 
The Migrant Legal Action Program (MLAP) is a national advocacy center which provides legal representation to and works on behalf of indigent migrant and seasonal farmworkers. MLAP works to enforce rights and to improve public policies affecting farmworkers' working and housing conditions, education, health, nutrition, and general welfare. 
 
 
Amy Saltzman
Communications Director
Appleseed
 
Address:
727 15th St., NW, 11th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
 
Phone:
202.347.7960
 
 
 
Appleseed works at the local level, establishing and networking independent public interest law centers that identify and address issues community-by-community. As a legal pro bono network, Appleseed centers focus on public education, health care, child welfare, justice and immigration. Appleseed released the report, “It Takes a Parent: Transforming Education in the Wake of the No Child Left Behind Act.”
 

Annetta Seecharran
Executive Director
South Asian Youth Action
 
Address:
54-05 Seabury St.
Elmhurst, NY 11373
 
Phone:
718.651.3484
 
 
 
Annetta Seecharran is the executive director of South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), a community-based organization dedicated to creating social change and opportunities to help South Asian youth realize their fullest potential. Prior to joining SAYA! she spent five years at the International Youth Foundation, serving as program manager for YouthNet International, a network of youth development organizations in over 30 countries. Seecharran also founded YouthActionNet, a global initiative promoting youth social entrepreneurship. In addition to her extensive work with youth in New York City’s African American and Latino communities, she has worked with abandoned and disabled children in India and coordinated after-school programs in Poland. She serves on the boards of directors of the New York Immigration Coalition, Peoples Production House, and The Rajkumari Center for Indo-Caribbean Arts and Culture. Seecharran also advises numerous initiatives serving immigrants. She earned a master’s degree in international political economy and development at Fordham University, a bachelor’s degree in political science from Manhattanville College, and executive management certificates from Harvard Business School and Columbia Business School.
 
 
Tammy Seltzer
Senior Staff Attorney
Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
 
Address:
1101 15th St. N.W., Suite 1212
Washington, DC 20005
 
Phone:
202.467.5730, ext. 116
 
 
 
Tammy Seltzer is a senior staff attorney at the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, a national nonprofit public interest organization formed in 1972 to advance the legal rights of people with mental disabilities. She is working on a project to prevent the unnecessary criminalization of mentally ill adults who have committed nonviolent offenses. She also is involved in a project to improve special education services for children and teens with emotional and behavioral problems who are at risk of arrest and detention. Seltzer has given technical assistance to states and mental health advocates on issues in children’s mental health. Bazelon recently published her reports “Suspending Disbelief,” in which she analyzed the positive behavioral support provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); and “Teaming Up,” which describes how IDEA and Medicaid can be used to provide comprehensive mental health and support services for children and youth. Her law degree is from the David Clark School of Law at the University of the District of Columbia, and she earned her bachelor’s degree in public policy from Cornell University.
 
 
Carole Shauffer
Executive Director
Youth Law Center
 
Address:
417 Montgomery St., Suite 900
San Francisco, CA 94104
 
Phone:
415.543.3379
 
 
 
The center -- with offices in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. -- works nationally to ensure humane treatment of children in adult jails, juvenile detention facilities, state institutions and child welfare systems. It pushes for improvement through training, technical assistance, negotiation or, as a last resort, litigation. Shauffer has extensive experience in child welfare and juvenile justice reform. She has written about special education in juvenile institutions, coordination of services to children, the rights of gay youth and the reasonable efforts requirement. 
 
 
J. Michael Smith
President and Co-Founder
Home School Legal Defense Association
 
Address:
P.O. Box 3000
Purcellville, VA 20134-9000
 
Phone:
540.338.5600
 
 
 
Established to protect the right of parents to teach their children at home, HSLDA now represents over 80,000 member families. A lawyer, Smith became involved in defending homeschoolers after he and his wife Elizabeth decided to homeschool their children. They have four children, three of whom were homeschooled. The Web site has state contact information: http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/default.asp
 
 
Mary Stanik
Director of Communication
The Public Education Network
 
Phone:
202.628.7460 (main)
 
 
 
PEN is a national association of local education funds and individuals promoting public school reform in low-income communities nationwide. Its weekly, e-mailed NewsBlast summarizes related news stories.
 
 
Ronald Stephens
Executive Director
National School Safety Center
 
Address:
141 Duesenberg Drive, Suite 11
Westlake Village, CA 91362
 
Phone:
805.373.9977
 
 
 
The NSSC advocates for school safety; trains educators and law enforcers in the areas of school crime prevention and safe school planning; provides on-site technical assistance to school districts and communities facing significant safe school crises; and assesses school site safety for individual schools or school districts interested in developing or analyzing their school safety plans.
 
 
Mary Ann Strombitski
Communications Director
Education Commission of the States
 
Phone:
303.296.8332
 
 
 
Based in Denver, the nonpartisan, interstate compact helps states develop effective policy and practice. It represents state leaders – including governors, legislators and higher education officials—and it provides an index and numerous publications on educational issues, individual state data and e-newsletters. ECS offers a link to Education Week’s extensive daily news roundup. It serves as a gateway to other good resources, providing links to nearly 50 other major agencies and organizations, such as the Council of Chief State School Officers, the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National PTA.
 
 
Lloyd Thacker
Executive Director
The Education Conservancy
 
Address:
805 SW Broadway, Suite 1600
Portland, OR 97205
 
Phone:
503.290.0083
 
 
 
Thacker is founder of the Education Conservancy, which helps students, colleges and high schools overcome commercial interference in college admissions. Its mission is to return control of college admissions to those who are directly involved in education: students, colleges, parents and high schools. 
 

Paul Timm
Vice President
RETA Security
 
Address:
PO Box 1236
Lombard, IL 60148
 
Phone:
630.932.9322
 
 
 
RETA Security, Inc. is a security consulting and engineering firm that provides security solutions to government and commercial clients. RETA provides assessments and services that evaluate safe school programs. 
 

Gerald Tirozzi
Executive Director
National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)
 
Address:
1904 Association Drive
Reston, VA 20191
 
Phone:
703.860.0200
 
 
 
Gerald N. Tirozzi has spent over 40 years in the educational field. Other positions he has held include: assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education at the U.S. Department of Education, (under Secretary Richard W. Riley), Connecticut's Commissioner of Education, college president, superintendent, principal, guidance counselor and teacher. Tirozzi holds a doctorate in educational administration from Michigan State University. 
 
 
Thomas Toch
Co-Founder and Co-Director
Education Sector
 
Address:
1201 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 850
Washington, DC 20036
 
Phone:
202.552.2841
 
 
 
Toch is co-founder and co-director of Education Sector, an independent education policy think tank. Prior to launching Education Sector in 2005, Toch spent three years as writer-in-residence at the National Center on Education and Economy and director of its policy forums program; three years as a guest scholar at the Brookings Institution, and a decade as a writer at U.S. News and World Report. He taught education policy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1999. As a member of the staff that launched Education Week in the early 1980s, Toch served variously as writer, commentary editor and co-managing editor. He has written two books on education policy and has contributed to The New York Times, The New Republic and other national newspapers and magazines. His focuses include testing, teacher quality, school choice and charter schools, education and the economy and education governance.
 
 
Marla Ucelli
Director of District Redesign
Brown University
Annenberg Institute for Social Reform
 
Address:
Brown University
Box 1985
Providence, RI 02912
 
Phone:
401.863.7990
 
 
 
The Annenberg Institute is an independent center at Brown University that promotes quality education for disadvantaged children and communities. Ucelli is director of District Redesign, and her focus is on the future of urban districts. She was associate director in the Equal Opportunity Division at the New York City-based Rockefeller Foundation, where she was responsible for the Foundation's efforts to improve the education and development of children going to school in poor urban communities in the U.S.
 
 
Lynda Van Kuren
Senior Communications Director
Council for Exceptional Children
 
Phone:
703.264.9478
 
 
 
The international professional organization is dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. It advocates for governmental policies, sets professional standards and supports professional development, and helps professionals obtain effective conditions and resources. It’s based in Arlington, Va.
 
 
Michele Waslin
Director
Immigration Policy Research
National Council of La Raza
 
Address:
The Raul Yzaguirre Building
1126 16th St., NW
Washington, DC 20036
 
Phone:
202.776.1735
 
 
 
The National Council of La Raza – the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States – works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. NCLR conducts applied research, policy analysis, and advocacy, providing a Latino perspective in five key areas – assets/investments, civil rights/immigration, education, employment and economic status, and health. In addition, it provides capacity-building assistance to its affiliates who work at the state and local level to advance opportunities for individuals and families.
 
 
Reg Weaver
President
National Education Association
 
Address:
1201 16th St. N.W.
Washington, DC 20036
 
Phone:
202.833.4000
 
 
 
NEA is the nation's largest professional employee organization and is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 2.7 million members work at every level of education, from pre-school to university graduate programs. Reg Weaver was elected president in 2002. 
 
 
James H. Wendorf
Executive Director
National Center for Learning Disabilities
 
Address:
381 Park Ave. South, Suite 1401
New York, NY 10016
 
Phone:
212.545.7510
 
 
 
NCLD seeks to ensure that children, adolescents and adults with learning disabilities have every opportunity to succeed in school, work and life. The Web site offers state-specific resources and fact sheets. 
 
 
John I. Wilson
Executive Director
National Education Association
 
Address:
1201 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036-3290
 
Phone:
202.822.7200, Media Calls
 
 
 
The NEA is the nation's largest professional employee organization and is committed to advancing the cause of public education. The NEA's site offers resources, papers, facts and links to information regarding special education issues.
 

Marleen Wong
Director
School Crisis Intervention Unit, Terrorism and Disaster Branch
National Center for Child Traumatic Stress
 
Phone:
310.235.2633, ext. 236
 
 
 
NCTS has 54 sites across the country, and includes three categories: bicoastal coordinating center at UCLA and Duke Universities; intervention, development and evaluation centers (most of which are academic); and community centers. Wong serves as the director of crisis counseling and intervention for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Wong has served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Education, assisting many school districts with the development of mental health recovery programs following school shootings and terrorist attacks. E-mail: marleen.wong@lausd.net 
 
 
Mike Bowler
Communications Director
Institute of Education Sciences
Department of Education
 
Address:
555 New Jersey Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20208
 
Phone:
202.219.1662
 
 
 
The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 established within the U.S. Department of Education, the Institute of Education Sciences. The mission of IES is to provide rigorous evidence on which to ground education practice and policy. It encompasses four centers for research, evaluation, special education research and statistics. The National Center for Education Statistics collects and analyzes data. It oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the “nation’s report card.” NCES produces daily snapshots and annual reports on the condition of education, indicators of school crime and safety, and more.
 
 
Chad Colby
Deputy Press Secretary
Office of Communications and Outreach
U.S. Department of Education, No Child Left Behind
 
Address:
400 Maryland Ave. S.W., 5E115
Washington, DC 20202-8173
 
Phone:
202.401.4401
 
 
 
No Child Left Behind is an education reform effort that is built on four principles: accountability for results, more choices for parents, greater local control and flexibility, and an emphasis on doing what works based on scientific research.
 
 
W. Alan Coulter Ph.D.
Project Director
National Center for Special Education Accountability Monitoring
 
Phone:
504.556.7559
 
 
 
NCSEAM), also known as the National Monitoring Center, is federally funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) of the U.S. Department of Education to assist states, local agencies, and OSEP in the implementation of focused monitoring and evidenced-based decision-making about compliance with federal law so that improved results are achieved for children with disabilities and their families. NCSEAM is housed at the Human Development Center at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans.
 
 
Grace Zamora Durán Ph.D.
Education Research Analyst
Office of Special Education Programs
U.S. Department of Education
 
Address:
330 C Street, SW
Mary Switzer Building, Room 4620
Washington, DC 20202
 
Phone:
202.401.2997
 
 
Zamora Durán works on projects related to the disproportionate representation of urban and impoverished children in special education, culturally/linguistically diverse populations, English Language Learners, gender equity, assessment, and curriculum and instruction. Previously she was an assistant executive director at The Council for Exceptional Children and as a special education teacher.
 
 
Shara Godiwalla
Director
Federal Agency Forum on Child and Family Statistics
 
Phone:
301.458.4256
 
 
 
A collaboration of federal agencies and departments, the forum fosters coordination in collecting and reporting federal statistics on family and social environment, economic circumstances, health and health care, physical environment and safety, behavior and education. It releases an annual report, “America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-being,” each July. For 2007 data, see http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/index.asp. For federal statistics on a range of issues, see www.fedstats.gov 
 
 
Kathleen Leos
Assistant Deputy Secretary
Office of English Language Acquisition
U.S. Department of Education
 
Address:
550 12th St., S.W.
Washington, DC 20024
 
Phone:
202.245.7102
 
 
 
The office aims to ensure that children who are not English proficient, including immigrant children, attain English proficiency and meet the same state academic content and student academic achievement standards as all children are expected to meet.
 
 
Katherine McLane
Press Secretary
No Child Left Behind
U.S. Department of Education
 
Phone:
202.205.4038
 
 
 
No Child Left Behind is an education reform effort that is built on four principles: accountability for results, more choices for parents, greater local control and flexibility, and an emphasis on doing what works based on scientific research.
 
 
Lynn Okagaki Ph.D.
Deputy Director for Science
Institute of Education Sciences
U.S. Department of Education
 
Address:
555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W.
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20208
 
Phone:
202.219.2006
 
 
 
Okagaki is deputy director for science at the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education. She is a developmental psychologist who was professor of Child Development and Family Studies and associate dean of the School of Consumer and Family Sciences at Purdue University. Her research has focused on parenting and minority children’s school achievement and on the socialization of children’s values. 
 
 
Samara Yudof
Press Secretary
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
U.S. Department of Education
 
Phone:
202.401.1576
 
 
 
Part of the U.S. Department of Education, the office aims to improve opportunities and outcomes for people with disabilities of all ages. In supporting No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, OSERS provides a wide array of supports to parents and individuals, school districts and states in three main areas: special education, vocational rehabilitation and research. 

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