Elizabeth Barker, PhD
Accessibility Research Manager
Elizabeth Barker began her career in education as a middle school and elementary special education teacher, specifically of students with mild-to-moderate disabilities in Michigan and Colorado. She received her doctoral degree with an emphasis on growth trajectories for students with learning disabilities in mathematics and reading comprehension from the University of Oregon. Her current research focuses on how growth trajectories vary among students with visual impairments, deafness and hearing loss, and other disabilities.
Publications by Elizabeth Barker
Supporting students with disabilities throughout the year
Students with disabilities lose even more ground than peers during summer and other interruptions in their learning—but they don’t need to. Data point to a need for services that extend beyond the school year.
Supporting COVID-19 recovery for students with disabilities: Research findings, policy recommendations, and lessons from the ground
In this webinar by the Alliance for Excellent Education, NWEA, and the National Center for Learning disabilities, learn about recent research on academic growth for students in special education before the pandemic and implications for policies and practices designed to spur COVID-19 recovery.
Topics: Equity, COVID-19 & schools, Seasonal learning patterns & summer loss
Understanding differential growth during school years and summers for students in special education
New research examining academic achievement and growth of students in special education and their peers who were never in special education during each school year and summer in grades K-4 shows that students with disabilities grow as much or more academically during the school year than their peers without disabilities during some years, but that steeper summer learning losses for students with disabilities contribute to widening disparities.
Topics: Equity, Growth modeling, Seasonal learning patterns & summer loss
Understanding differential growth during school years and summers for students in special education
This study compares within- and across-years academic growth for students who were ever in special education (ever-SPED) to students who were never in special education (never-SPED) in grades K-4. Ever-SPED students grew more in math and reading than never-SPED students during many school years, but lost more learning during every summer than their peers, leading to expanding disparities. These findings suggest that summer learning opportunities are crucial for improving educational outcomes for students with disabilities.
Topics: Equity, Growth modeling, Seasonal learning patterns & summer loss
Why students with dyslexia aren’t “at risk”
Researchers have made substantial gains in our knowledge around dyslexia. It’s time to dispel the outdated notion that students can somehow “get” dyslexia and stop using erroneous, ableist language of students “at risk” for dyslexia.
Topics: Equity, Reading & language arts
Fact or fiction? The 4 myths of dyslexia
It can be tricky to understand what dyslexia is and what it isn’t. In this blog, learn the facts about four myths about dyslexia and about possible indicators for dyslexia from preschool years through high school.
Topics: Equity, Reading & language arts
Growth patterns and distance learning tips for students who are deaf and hard of hearing webinar
In this webinar, learn what new research shows about the academic growth trajectories of students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), and tips for supporting students who are DHH in distance learning.
Topics: Accessibility, Equity, Growth modeling
