About our authors
Dr. Sharon Vaughn is the Manuel J. Justiz Endowed Chair in Education and executive director of The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at The University of Texas at Austin. Sharon Vaughn was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Learning Disabilities and the Co-Editor of Learning Disabilities Research and Practice. She is the recipient of the AERA SIG distinguished researcher award and The University of Texas Distinguished Faculty award. She is the author of numerous books and research articles that address the reading and social outcomes of students with learning difficulties. She is currently the Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on several Institute for Education Sciences, National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, and U.S. Department of Education research grants investigating effective interventions for students with reading difficulties and students who are English learners. She is the author of more than 35 books, 250 peer-reviewed research articles, and 65 chapters that address issues related to research and practice with learning problems. She has worked nationally and internationally with educators from Japan, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Australia, and Singapore. She works closely with educators implementing evidence-based practices for students with disabilities.
Candace S. Bos earned her master's degree from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida in 1974 and her doctorate at The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona in 1979. Dr. Bos was a Professor of Learning Disabilities in the Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation, and School Psychology at The University of Arizona. She had been active in research and teacher preparation in learning disabilities for the past 20 years where she had directed the graduate program in learning disabilities. She was well known for her work in developing and implementing interdisciplinary personnel preparation programs in learning disabilities with emphasis across learning, language, and reading disabilities and bilingual/multicultural education. Her research focused on best practices and intervention strategies for promoting effective reading and content area learning for students with learning disabilities. She was also recognized for her research in professional development with general and special education teachers that promoted the integration of students with learning and attention problems in general education classrooms. She published more than 100 articles and books, as well as several programs for learning disabled children.
Jeanne Shay Schumm earned her undergraduate degree from Elon College (now University), master's degree from Florida International University, and her doctorate at the University of Miami. After teaching at Louisiana State University, she joined the faculty of the University of Miami. She taught and conducted research at the university for 24 years until she retired as Professor Emerita of the institution. The focus of her work has been in three areas: teacher education, program evaluation, and community service and has resulted in numerous presentations at professional conferences, articles, book chapters, and textbooks. While at the University of Miami, Dr. Schumm taught graduate and undergraduate courses in literacy assessment and instruction. Her research concentrated on instructional strategies for teaching literacy and she worked on many federally funded grants. For eight years she was Chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning. During her tenure as Chair, she collaborated with colleagues to increase the number of professional development schools to provide undergraduate students with a wide experience in diverse school settings. The number of off-campus graduate programs in Miami-Dade County and throughout the Caribbean was also expanded. She served as President of the Teacher Education Division of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers. She was a member of a number of teacher education related committees with the International Literacy Association: Urban Diversity, Professional Ethics, and the Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals. Her interest in program evaluation stemmed from her doctoral coursework in Policy and Public Affairs. Eventually, she conducted program reviews at the University of Miami, both internally in the School of Education and with other schools and departments. She also conducted program evaluations for the Florida Department of Education and the South Florida Annenberg Challenge. Dr. Schumm's community service in the Miami-Dade County began in 1992 with a federal grant program entitled Student Literacy Corps. She developed curricular materials for college students to tutor elementary school children in literacy. Eventually, Miami-Dade County expanded this program and she served as a consultant in refining the curriculum. The materials were also used in her undergraduate practicum course conducted at the university's Henry S. West Laboratory School.
