Mary Ann Poparad, Ph.D.

Programs/Classes Taught:

Teacher Leader Endorsement--Illinois
Note: Enrollment in these particular post-graduate level courses are limited to individuals who are nominated by their school district administrators (employers), meet specific criteria and are working in PK-12 schools.

RLL 563 Models and Theories of Literacy Development 
RLL 559 Comprehensive Literacy for School Improvement
RLL 569 Early Literacy Assessment
RLL 568A Reading & Writing Interventions Supervised Practicum I
RLL 561A Literacy Lessons Designed for Individuals Supervised Practicum I
RLL 561B Literacy Lessons Designed for Individuals Supervised Practicum II
RLL 566A Reading Teacher Leadership I
RLL 566B Reading Teacher Leadership II
RLL 570 Literacy Coaching for School Improvement
RLL 568B Reading & Writing Interventions Supervised Practicum II
RLL 561C Literacy Lessons Designed for Individuals Advanced Practicum III
RLL 565 Intervention Designs for Struggling Readers and Writers

Areas of Expertise:

Systematic School Improvement * Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and Response to Intervention (RtI) * Instructinal Coaching * Early Literacy Teaching and Learning * Diagnosis of Reading Difficulties * Evidence-Based Literacy Interventions *  Professional Learning Communities * Effective Educatinal Leadership

Biography:

Dr. Mary Ann Poparad is an Associate Professor in the National College of Education and Director of the Reading Recovery® and Descubriendo la Lectura Center for Literacy at National Louis University. She has held multiple state certifications including  K-12 Reading Specialist, Secondary English Teacher and K-12 Principal. Before joining the faculty at National Louis, she taught English in secondary schools and language arts in elementary and middle schools.  She is an experienced reading specialist, Title I Director, Student Teacher Supervisor, grant writer, Reading Recovery Teacher Leader. 

The RR/DLL Center for Literacy prepares liteacy coaches and leaders as they engage in a full year of post-graduate course work that includes clinical, instructional techniques, leadership, coaching and mentoring skills, academic, research and report writing and district / regional program management. After a year of study, Teacher Leaders provide initial and ongoing professional development for Reading Recover Teachers in local school districts across the state of Illinois.

Dr. Poparad teaches post-graduate level courses in literacy, leadership, theory and reserach to prepare Instructional Coaches and Teacher Leaders as they develop instructional techniques, leadership, coaching and mentoring skills, academic, research, school improvement report writing and district / regional program management. After a year of study, they provide initial and ongoing professional development for school coaches and intervention specialists in local school districts in Illinois and Wisconsin. 

As Director of the Reading Recovery and Descubriendo La Lectura Center for Literacy Dr. Poparad conducts annual program reviews and research at local, state, national, and international levels. Research on Reading Recovery, Descubriendo la Lectura (RR in Spanish), Literacy Lessons (Special Education or E.L.), and comprehensive literacy models employ systematic, empirical methods to collect data annually on all participants. 

Implementation, leadership, and direct instruction are refined based upon research findings. Annual program results for are published each year in an annual Executive Summary. [See www.illinoisreadingrecovery.org for additional information and location of affiliated school sites.] 

Education:

University of Nebraska:  Ph.D. in Curriculum Instruction and Administration * The Ohio State University: Post Doctoral National Reading Recovery Trainer of Teacher Leaders Certification * University of Arkansas-Little Rock: Post Doctoral National Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy Model Coach Trainer * University of Texas-Permian Basin: Administration, Curriculum and Instruction Administrative Certification * Indiana State University: M.S.Ed. in Reading and English Education *  B.S. in English Secondary Educaiton. 

Research and Interests:

Dr. Poparad is interested in studying highly effective instructional practices that most positively affect the accelearted acheivement of students who experience the most difficulty with literacy learning, the assessment and diagnosis of reading difficulties, diversity among learners of all ages, continuous professional learning, effective instructional leadership within effective continous school improvement methods.

Grants:

• Federal Validation (IES) Grant in collaboration with American Educational Research Association, St. Mary College – California and Texas Woman University: Descubriendo La Lecutra 

• Scaling Up What Works: Reading Recovery, U.S. Department of Education, Investing in Innovation (i3) National Grant Project, 2010-2015.  

Publications:

• Poparad, M.A. (2015).  Teacher Leaders: Improving education by helping teachers get better, Illinois ASCD,  http://publications.catstonepress.com/i/620001-winter-2015

• Dorn, L., Forbes, S., Poparad, M.A., & Schubert, B. (Eds.). (2015). Changing minds, changing schools, changing systems: A comprehensive literacy design for school improvement. San Diego, CA: Hameray Publishing Group, Inc.

• Fogal, M., Heisel, B., Melloy, S., & Poparad, M.A. (2015). A story of change in two junior high schools: Partnerships in comprehensive literacy. In L. Dorn, S. Forbes, M. A. Poparad, & B. Schubert (Eds.), Changing minds, changing schools, changing systems: A comprehensive literacy design for school improvement (145-154). San Diego, CA: Hameray Publishing Group, Inc.

• Poparad, M.A. (2015).  Literacy as leverage for school improvement: Investigating year one implementation of the Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy Model. In L. Dorn, S. Forbes, M. A. Poparad, & B. Schubert (Eds.), Changing minds, changing schools, changing systems: A comprehensive literacy design for school improvement (163-172). San Diego, CA: Hameray Publishing Group, Inc.

• Poparad, M.A. (2010).  Literacy as leverage for school improvement: Investigating year one implementation of a comprehensive literacy framework.  60^th Yearbook of the Literacy Research Association. Oak Creek, WI: Literacy Research Association, Inc.

• Forbes, S., Poparad, M. A., & McBride, M. A. (2004) To err is human; to self-correct is to learn, The Reading Teacher, 57(6), 566-572.

• Poparad, M.A. & VanPelt, J. (2006) Revamping Reading, The School Administrator, 63(4), 31-34.

 Recent Presentations:

• Intentionally contingent teaching: Constructing and deconstructing instructional scaffolds during writing within literacy lessons designed for individual learners, October 4, 2016, Oshkosh School District, Oshkosh, WI

• Reading and Listening Aloud with Complex Text:  Dipping into the shallows before diving deep, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, October 20, 2015.

• Engaging Student Discourse Around Worthy Texts: Conversations that dive into complex text to prepare for small group instruction, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, October 20, 2015.

Contact Information:

Mary Ann Poparad, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Reading Recovery / Descubriendo La Lectura Center for Literacy

National Louis University

850 Warrenville Road, Lisle, IL  60532

Phone/Fax   630-874-4120   

Website: http://www.nl.edu/irrc/