Nationwide Group of Educators to Focus on Preparing Teachers to Use Assessment More Effectively
San Diego, Calif. – Feb. 2, 2016 – Associate Professor Dr. Dee L. Fabry, co-chair of the Teacher Education Department at National University, California’s second-largest, private nonprofit university, has been named to a national task force convened to help better prepare teachers to use assessment effectively.
Dr. Fabry, an expert in the use of assessment testing in the educational arena, joins a prestigious group of educators as part of the Northwest Evaluation Association’s (NWEA) national Task Force on Assessment Education for Teachers. In addition to addressing critical gaps in teacher preparation to use assessment effectively, the Task Force is fostering national dialogue around effective and appropriate uses of assessment for education.
“Assessment literacy is critical for all stakeholders in public education,” said Dr. Fabry. “Those who have a deep knowledge of assessment literacy can impact policy, program development, teacher preparation, and the ultimate success of our learners.”
Dr. Fabry is the Assessment Coordinator at National University’s Sanford College of Education, which has grown to become one of the Top 10 largest schools of education in the country and the largest nonprofit school of education in California. She also serves on the Sanford College of Education’s Accreditation Committee and the University Academic Assessment Committee, and she previously served as the Interim Associate Provost and Program Lead for the Master of Arts in Teaching program.
As part of the NWEA’s Task Force, Dr. Fabry joins 21 other pre-service and in-service educators, assessment experts, and thought leaders. The NWEA is a global, nonprofit educational services organization that provides nationally recognized, research-based tools to assess learning and progress in more than 5,200 school districts across the United States.
“This diverse, national task force brings together considerable energy and passion on the topic of assessment education for teachers,” said Matt Chapman, President & CEO of the NWEA. “In light of the recent federal guidance on assessment, it’s even more critical for teachers to have programs and resources that foster an understanding of how to use assessment to provide every student with an equitable K-12 education.”
Dr. Fabry has taught in public schools in West Virginia and Colorado. She is a Reading Specialist and created a project-based reading program for at-risk seventh grade learners. She and a colleague published a book detailing the curriculum, titled Opening Doors to Reading. She was subsequently awarded a Presidential Scholar Award to revise the book, updating the digital activities and tools and aligning it to the Common Core State Standards. Dr. Fabry’s academic background includes: Ph.D. from University of Colorado at Denver; M.A. from Webster University; Reading Specialist Certification, University of Colorado at Boulder; B.A. Fairmont State College, K – 8 Elementary Education; and B.A. West Virginia University, Classical Languages.
About National University: Founded in 1971, National University is the second-largest private, nonprofit institution of higher education in California. With 30,000 students and more than 230,000 alumni, National University is the flagship institution of the National University System. National University is dedicated to making lifelong learning opportunities accessible, challenging, and relevant to a diverse population of students. Four schools and two colleges – the College of Letters and Sciences; the Sanford College of Education; the School of Business and Management; the School of Engineering and Computing; the School of Health and Human Services; and the School of Professional Studies – offer more than 100 graduate and undergraduate degrees and 23 teacher credentials. Programs are offered at locations throughout California and across the nation, and are also available online. National University is headquartered in La Jolla, California.
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