John Salvia is Professor Emeritus of Special Education at the Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Salvia is also the author of CURRICULUM-BASED ASSESSMENT (Allyn and Bacon), two individual tests, and numerous articles on the assessment of students with disabilities. His research focused on using assessment information to plan and evaluate educational programs and the impact of regular education reforms on assessment practices with exceptional students. Dr. Salvia remains interested in the extent to which students receive appropriate educational assessments.
Jim Ysseldyke, Ph.D., is Birkmaier Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, director of the School Psychology Program, and director of the Center for Reading Research at the University of Minnesota. Widely requested as a staff developer and conference speaker, Ysseldyke brings more than 30 years of research and teaching experience to educational professionals around the globe.As the former director of the federally funded National Center on Educational Outcomes, Ysseldyke conducted research and provided technical support that helped to boost the academic performance of students with disabilities and improve school assessment techniques nationally. Today, he continues to work… to improve the education of students with disabilities.The author of more than 300 publications on special education and school psychology, Ysseldyke is best known for his textbooks on assessment, effective instruction, issues in special education, and other cutting-edge areas of education and school psychology. With A Practical Approach to Special Education for Every Teacher, Ysseldyke seeks to equip educators with practical knowledge and methods that will help them to better engage students in exploring--and meeting--all their potentials.
Sara E. Bolt, PhD, is Assistant Professor of School Psychology at Michigan State University. She has a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota. While completing her graduate studies, she worked as a research assistant at the National Center on Educational Outcomes and as a school psychologist at Heartland Area Education Agency. Dr. Bolt currently conducts research on testing accommodations for students with disabilities as well as on educational assessment practices for special populations generally. nbsp; Andrew T. Roach, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services at Georgia State University. His research focuses on… alternate assessments and the alignment between standards, assessments, and classroom instruction. Dr. Roach received the Early Career Publication Award from the Council for Exceptional Children--Division of Research. He has conducted alignment and related validity studies for alternate assessments in Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, and Wisconsin, and currently serves as coinvestigator on two federally funded investigations of the validity of alternate assessments based on modified achievement standards. Before completing his doctorate, Dr. Roach taught elementary and middle school for 9 years.
Sara Witmer (formerly Sara Bolt) is Associate Professor of School Psychology at Michigan State University. She teaches courses in psychological assessment and intervention to school psychology graduate students. Her research focuses on examining assessment tools that can enhance instructional decision-making for students who are at risk for poor academic outcomes. Dr. Witmer also conducts research on accommodations for diverse learners, students with disabilities, and English language learners, and more generally on methods for the effective inclusion of all students in large-scale assessment and accountability programs.