My name is Michelle and I am currently a Junior majoring in Child Psychology with majors in Family Violence Prevention and Sociology of Law. I am also participating in the ASD Certificate Program here at the U. My goal in life is to become a therapist for children and families with disabilities. I am nearly fluent in American Sign Language and have been very involved with the Deaf Community over the past few years. When I'm not working at ICI you can find me at the Fraser Child and Family Center or with my friends walking around Lake Calhoun or watching movies.

I will be working with following People at this time.

• Martha Thurlow

• Brian Abery

• Michael Sharpe

• Christopher Johnstone

I will working with them on their Research Project in the Management aspects. The accounting of. I will also being assisting them in pre-award proposal stage. Most of my time will be spent in the post award stage, approving documents, processing them when needed and doing Effort. and Budget entry and management on the non -sponsored accounts.

I am also here to back up Lucy and assist others in the Admin unit as needed

Matthew is a former special educator that has been working with children of all ages and abilities for eight years. He has a M.Ed in Special Education from the University of Vermont (2009) and a M.A. in International Education Administration and Policy Analysis from the Stanford University School of Education (2010). Currently, Matthew is a Ph.D student in Comparative and International Development Education at the University of Minnesota. His research is centered around globalization and its effect on education policy and practice in relation to students with disabilities. Most of Matthew's work is anthropological in nature, and he has most recently conducted research in Zambia. His current dissertation project is on inclusive education policy and identity formation of students with disabilities in Bhutan.

Bjorn Pederson is currently a Research Fellow through the Institute for Community Integration. He is also a Doctoral Candidate in Learning Technologies through the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. His background in Music Therapy and in teaching Special Education at the Junior High level has influenced his work on the emotional response and connection needed for a meaningful learning experience to occur. His research interests include reflection and the use of technology as a social medium to enhance reflective practice.

Roger Stancliffe is a researcher in the intellectual disability field with a special interest in community living. Previously, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Developmental Disability Studies (1997-2007) in Sydney, Australia, and a Research Associate at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, USA.

His research interests include choice, self-determination, community living, retirement and community participation, Active Support, physical activity, individual planning, deinstitutionalisation, and cost effectiveness of services. His teaching interests involve topics related to people with intellectual disability, such as community living and Active Support. He has published over 80 research articles and chapters.

His most recent book is "Costs and Outcomes of Community Services for People with Intellectual Disabilities" (2005). He was Editor of the "Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability" from 2003 to 2008 and is a Consulting Editor to six international research journals on intellectual disability.

He is a regular presenter at national and international conferences on intellectual disability. In 2002 he was appointed as a Fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) and in 2008 he was elected as a Fellow of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disability (IASSID).

In 2010, with colleagues from the University of Minnesota, he was awarded the awarded the NARRTC (formerly National Association of Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers) Best Paper Award for the most outstanding research paper published in 2009 by researchers from the 38 RRTCs in universities across the United States.

Dr. Moore joined the ICI staff in August 2010 after completing his PhD in Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota. Prior to arriving at the U of M, he spent 7 years working in a residential treatment school with children, adolescents, and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) whose learning and behavioral challenges could not be adequately addressed in their home communities. Since that time his efforts have been focused on technical assistance and research in those communities where parents and other incumbent supports strive to make life work for the people they care for with I/DD.

Dr. Moore's research interests can be classified into two related categories: 1) broadening understanding of individual differences in severe problem behavior in children and adolescents with developmental disorders, and 2) understanding the relationship between characteristics of children/adults/families, intervention fidelity (integrity), available supports, treatment adherence, and ultimate outcomes. Much of his attention has been on methodology and mechanisms of successful application of behavior change procedures grounded in behavioral principles, direct observation methodology, treatment integrity, and adherence to treatment by change agents in natural environments (Moore & Symons, 2009; Moore & Symons, under review). Dr. Moore is especially interested in necessary levels of treatment integrity (and treatment adherence) to produce and sustain clinically meaningful behavior change, differential requirements for treatment integrity as a function of treatment type (i.e., antecedent interventions, reinforcement, punishment), and the relationship of treatment integrity to treatment adherence (the degree to which a change agent carries out treatment protocol in the absence of oversight). Researchers and clinicians who train teachers, parents, line staff, and others to use intervention strategies often ensure treatment integrity while on-site, but generally collect little evidence of treatment adherence in their absence, which impacts evaluation of treatment effectiveness and long-term program sustainability.

Annie Johnson Sirek is a Project Coordinator at the University of Minnesota Institute on Community Integration, Research and Training Center on Community Living.

Annie serves as an author and editor of courses in the College of Direct Support (CDS), a standardized, online training curriculum for Direct Support Professionals. She contributes to initiatives of the National Direct Service Workforce Resource Center and the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services, furthering efforts to develop and professionalize direct support and promote quality-driven practices. Annie is editor of the Frontline Initiative publication in partnership with the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals.

Annie completed a pre-doctoral fellowship in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) training program of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. She received a Master of Social Work degree and Certificate in Disability Policy and Services from the University of Minnesota.

Prior to her work at the University, Annie served as a Direct Support Professional providing employment support and day training/habilitation for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She garnered further experience providing aging and disability services case management at a county agency. Annie has served in many roles providing mentorship and advocacy to empower individuals with disabilities and families.

Kay A. Augustine is the Dissemination and Outreach Project Coordinator for Check & Connect at the Institute on Community Integration's transition group at the University of Minnesota. In this role, Kay coordinates local, regional and state collaborations and opportunities for schools and organizations to implement the research-based Check & Connect Student Engagement Intervention model.

Kay is a high-energy and experienced international presenter, consultant, advisor and training facilitator on youth engagement and development topics including: youth leadership, youth empowerment, engaging students in learning and school, positive culture and climate for schools, character development, service-learning, and generational dynamics.

Along with her years of teaching experience, a highlight of Kay's past experience includes co-founding and serving as Associate Director of the Institute for Character Development at Drake University for 10 years. She has also served as National Faculty for the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition and the Institute on Excellence and Ethics. She has worked extensively with community-school collaborations including currently serving on the District 112 Community Education Advisory Board. Kay is currently a doctoral candidate at Drake University from where she also holds a Bachelor of Music Education, a MSE focused on special education, a Graduate Concentration in Adult Training and Development, and a Specialist in Education Leadership.

Ms. Gaylord oversees the work of the ICI Publications Office in distributing a wide range of ICI-developed print and electronic media resources for service providers, educators, policymakers, advocacy organizations, researchers, families, persons with disabilities, and others (see ici.umn.edu/products for the catalog of ICI publications). In addition, she coordinates the work of the office in providing in-house assistance to ICI staff in developing and publishing their resources, and is the managing editor of the newsletter "Impact" (see http://ici.umn.edu/products/newsletters.html).

Mark received a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education with a minor in music from the University of Minnesota, Morris. He currently holds the position of Project Coordinator at the Institute on Community Integration where he writes curriculum and provides training to people who provide direct support. Throughout his career he has provided service to people with disabilities in recreation and inclusion, residential and daily living skills, vocational skills and advocacy. In addition he has worked in frontline management in the non-profit industry. His key policy interests include health care, disability, education, workforce recognition and development, civic engagement, human rights and the environment. He is currently Chair of the Minnesota State Advocacy Committee for the American Heart Association. He is immediate past president of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals. Over the past 15 years much of his energy has been directed at making sure the frontline direct support professional has the tools needed to make the greatest impact on the lives of the people they support.

Kelly Nye-Lengerman is a Training Coordinator at the University of Minnesota's Institute on Community Integration where her primary projects include the MN LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) Program and the College of Direct Support. Prior to her work at the University she worked for community rehabilitation providers in SE Minnesota. Kelly has spent over 13 years working with individuals and families affected by disability. She has experience in program development and human service management. Her interests include inclusive employment, employment first initiatives, and workforce development. She is also Board member for MN APSE and involved with the MN Employment First Coalition. Kelly is an instructor at St. Mary's University in the Graduate School of Health and Human Service Administration. Kelly received her MSW degree from the University of Minnesota, and currently pursuing a PhD in Social Work. She is also a licensed graduate social worker (LGSW) in Minnesota.

Ms. Ely is Community Program Specialist, working on both projects and committees, including the College of Direct Support, Quality Mall, and ICI's Community Advisory Council.

As a self advocate, Ms. Ely reviews content for online classes delivered via the College of Direct Support to see that course writers are using language that is respectful, person-centered, and accessible for the diverse students in the direct support profession; and sharing respectful, person-centered resources.

For the Quality Mall, she helps manage content for the online resource directory focusing on person-centered supports for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities.

Ms Ely created and manages the "Grief, Loss, and End of Life" Department on the Quality Mall.

Ms. Ely also assists with coordinating meeting topics for the Community Advisory Council, comprised of leaders in the community who provide input on the Institute's activities. Ms Ely also provides support for a Self Advocate on the Council.

Ms. Ely has a Bachelors of Science Degree from the University of Minnesota.

Sharon Mulé has been working at University of Minnesota's Institute on Community Integration since August 2009, where she is currently Project Coordinator for the Minnesota E-Connect e-mentoring program. Under her coordination this program has grown to include 29 program sites connecting over 300 students with mentors from the business community. On the E-Connect project, Ms. Mulé's work includes program development and implementation, training mentors and program staff, writing curriculum, and providing technical assistance to regional coordinators.

Prior to her work at the University, Ms. Mulé was Program Coordinator at Arc Greater Twin Cities, where she further developed the GetSet! Program on the special education process. Ms. Mulé has written and presented over 100 presentations and workshops on the special education process for parents and educators. Her areas of expertise include; special education transition, school readiness, parenting youth with disabilities, the special education process,and single parenting. She has worked directly with children with disabilities from pre-school through transition and has provided advocacy and support for these youth and their families for over 15 years. Ms. Mulé is the parent of three children including a daughter with epilepsy. She has a B.S. in behavioral sciences with additional coursework in individual and family dynamics.

Dr. Wu is an experienced psychometrician and the statistical expert for the National Center on Educational Outcomes. She brings her knowledge of statewide accountability testing and her statistical expertise to the project and work in collaboration with her colleague, Dr. Mark Davison, to oversee all statistical analyses on this project. Dr. Wu holds a PhD in Quantitative Measurement in Education from the University of Minnesota.

Rebekah Rieke is currently a coordinator at the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO). In this position she acts as project manager, coordinating and tracking various project developments, as well as providing administrative support to project leads. Ms. Rieke's professional experience includes program management and development, event planning, and supervisory leadership, requiring organizational skills to coordinate projects and interpret complex policies. Ms. Rieke holds a Masters in Education in the Arts in Education Program from the Harvard Graduate School of Education where she served on the Staff Advisory Committee to the Administrative Dean (SACAD). In this role she assisted in the development of new and existing policies and programming. Prior to her position at the NCEO, she acted as coordinator at North Central Regional Resource Center (NCRRC). She has hired, trained, and supervised staff, overseen events, prepared for deadlines of all kinds, handled inquiries, and solved problems at multiple levels. Prior to Ms. Rieke's experience in University settings, she provided leadership at the Paraclete Center, an after-school educational enrichment center geared toward preparing students for entrance exams to the Boston Latin Schools. At the Paraclete Center, she worked closely with the director developing curricula, directing a summer arts program, and teaching preparatory courses.

Lori Sedlezky is the Director of Outreach and Training at the Research and Training Center on Community Living, Institute on Community Integration. Her work focuses on the workforce development strategies of recruitment, selection, training and retention of direct support professionals. Lori provides technical assistance to numerous states and regional entities on the training, development and promotion of the direct support profession, as well as the analysis and application of core competencies across human service sector. Lori has developed numerous training and curricula, including publications to address cultural competency of direct support professionals, organizational strategies for supporting the immigrant workforce, and frontline supervisor competencies.

Lori is part of the curriculum development team of on-line training for the College of Direct Support. She has served as lead author, reviewer, and coordinator of development on numerous courses. Lori has an extensive background in the field of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. She has worked in leadership positions in both residential and vocational services, and specializes in the area of supports and services to older adults. During her tenure at Arc Greater Twin Cities, Lori developed and implemented the Lifetime Assistance Program, an innovative model of support to families and aging caregivers. Lori has co-authored numerous papers and book chapters as well presented on various topics related to intellectual and developmental disabilities and workforce development at national and state conferences.

Jenna works in the Adult and Community Services department/Research & Training Center on Community Living at ICI. She does clerical and accounting work for the projects in that department.

Kristin Dean, M.S. is the Director of DirectCourse at the University of Minnesota, a project housed within the Research and Training Center on Community Living and Employment/Institute on Community Integration.

She has 25 years experience providing quality services to people with disabilities in a variety of settings. Much of her work experience prior to coming to the Institute on Community Integration centered on using therapeutic recreation to empower people with disabilities to develop the quality of life they want in their communities. Her responsibilities at the Institute for Community Integration's Research and Training Center include directing all aspects of the Institute's involvement in DirectCourse as well as coordinating institute wide web development initiatives.

Chris has worked at ICI since 2001 in a variety of capacities. She is currently working on research and dissemination projects related to community college retention, youth with intellectual disabilities attending college, and transition-age youth with disabilities. She is also a Ph.D. student and Teaching Specialist in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development.

Connie is an award winning graphic designer that is responsible for creating and maintaining the visual identities for several activities at ICI in various media. She has worked in higher education settings since 1987 and has been at ICI since 1997. During her time at ICI, Connie has been honored with several awards from the U of M Communicators Forum: 2002 for poster design; 2003, for e-newsletters and Web design; 2004 for poster design; 2007 for best in multi-media. Prior to coming to the University of Minnesota, she worked for North Dakota State University Extension Communication in Fargo, North Dakota as a graphic designer and photographer. She has a B.S. from North Dakota State University, Fargo in interior design.

Christopher Rogers is a Research Fellow involved with several projects at NCEO. Prior to joining NCEO, Chris worked in the Regional Resource and Federal Centers Network providing information and technical assistance to state departments of special education. Chris has over ten years of practical experience as a community mental health generalist and then a child mental health specialist serving children and youth with mental health challenges both in schools and in the community. At NCEO, Chris is currently interested in accessible science assessments and opportunities for accommodations and universal design in technology-enhanced assessments. Chris is most curious about the intersection of ethnocultural difference and emotional-behavioral disability, and has published and presented on these topics.

Ross Moen is a research psychologist who analyzes theory and data to improve education. Prior to joining the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) in the University of Minnesota's Institute on Community Integration, he worked for over 25 years with dozens of school districts on many assessment-related projects. As a research associate at NCEO, Dr. Moen challenges administrators, educators, and investigators to consider the effects that different assessment practices have on instruction and learning for all students. Projects he has worked on at NCEO include assessment accommodations, out of level testing, universal design of assessment, AYP reporting, alternate assessments on modified achievement standards, accessible reading assessment, and growth models. The challenges of assessing students who have disabilities and students who are not native English speakers have led him to look closely at issues such as competing views of test value and validity, the goal of instructional sensitivity, and the use of typical learning progressions in developing cognitively based assessments. He is particularly interested in balanced assessment systems that integrate assessment of, for, and as learning. See Web page for a selected list of recent publications.

Dr. Sharpe currently serves as Principal Investigator and Director of the North Central Regional Resource Center (NCRRC). In this role, Dr. Sharpe assumes primary responsibility for the conceptualization, planning, and implementation of NCRRC project activities, including budgetary and personnel management. As Director, Dr. Sharpe has authored or overseen the development of such tools, products, and services as the Thinking Through Improvement: Tools and Strategies to Guide Improvement Efforts (IT-Kit), APR Checklists for Parts B and C, Evaluating Improvement Activities, Overview of Sampling Concepts for the SPP/APR, Reporting to the Public: IDEA 2004 Requirements, and The Determinations Process: Discussion and Concept Paper, and a number of other deliverables aimed at helping States to meet the requirements of IDEA. Throughout the years, Dr. Sharpe has worked and collaborated with a number of entities within the OSEP-funded Technical Assistance and Dissemination (TA&D) Network and beyond, e.g., Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), University of Hawaii-Manoa, University of Guam--CEDDERS, others.

As a result of his research in such areas as large-scale assessments, transition and customized employment, general and special education collaboration, students with disabilities at the postsecondary level, he has acquired a diverse range of experiences. In his role as Research Associate, Dr. Sharpe published a number of articles in refereed journals on a variety of topics, including the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation Exceptional Children, Journal of American Rehabilitation, Journal of Special Education Leadership, Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, and Remedial and Special Education In addition to journal articles, Dr. Sharpe has also served as primary author and editorial advisor for numerous manuals and technical reports involving various special education issues, including Reducing Bias in the Assessment of American Indian and African American Children and Youth in Special Education Programs, issues involving "consideration" of assistive technology for special educators, and describing the role of the School Social Worker in contemporary special education programs in Minnesota, others.

In addition to his experiences as a researcher, Dr. Sharpe accumulated a significant amount of field experience working with teachers, students, and their families as school psychologist for more than 20 years. It was these years that had a significant impact on Dr. Sharpe perspectives about special education issues that remain to this day. Dr. Sharpe's main areas of interest have always been focused on applied research and development activities that lead to solving "everyday" practical problems faced by educators at the local and State level. Based on his extensive experience working in the public schools, Dr. Sharpe strongly believes that systems change can only be achieved when everybody--teachers at the "street level," administrators at the State level, and staff at Department of Education, work collaboratively toward a common mission that is manifested by the measurable improvement in the academic and functional results for infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities and their families.

Kristin Kline Liu is a Senior Research Fellow at the National Center on Educational Outcomes. Kristi has a variety of experiences working on state and federally funded projects relating to large scale assessment and standards-based instruction for English language learners (ELLs) and English language learners with disabilities. Liu has over seven years of experience teaching English as a Second Language at the secondary, post-secondary and adult levels in the United States. She has written and presented extensively on the assessment of ELLs and ELLs with disabilities.

As the Travel and Event Coordinator/Staff Artist, Melissa Critchley plans local and distant meetings and travel to events for NCEO staff and affiliates and also helps with logo design and other artistic needs. Melissa worked for NCEO as a student Office Assistant from 1998-2001 and returned in 2006 to take her current position. She is the 2001 and 2008 recipient of the Outstanding Service Award and a 2008 recipient of the Excellence and Community Building Award for her collaboration on the Changing Landscapes Visiting Artists with Disabilities Project. Melissa received a BA in Studio Art and Art History from the University of Minnesota and continues to utilize her creative skills inside and outside of NCEO. In summer of 2008 she completed a graduate level certificate in Disability Policy and Services and is currently working toward a Master's degree.

Jerry Smith is a filmmaker and media director specializing in documentary and educational programs supporting people with developmental and other disabilities. At the Institute on Community Integration Jerry has directed dozens of award-winning films for broadcast, DVD, and web delivery. He also manages a number of web-based multimedia projects, including Self-Advocacy Online, a web portal for self-advocates funded by the MacArthur Foundation that provides accessible, media-rich content and social networking features, and Leadership in the History of the Developmental Disabilities Movement, a wiki-based, multi-media site delivering presentations on key leaders and collecting and sharing historical content from site visitors. Through RTC Media Productions within the Institute, Jerry develops earned-income media projects in partnership with advocacy and support organizations across the country.

Derek is a Research Associate at ICI and is currently the Principle Investigator of a study evaluating outcome measurements used to gauge community living domains in intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) services. He is also Co-Principal Investigator on two longitudinal intervention studies related to employment, day training, and residential services for people with IDD. He also has an extensive history evaluating IDD services. Derek has considerable experience managing and analyzing small and large datasets (over 200,000 cases) in his work. Derek serves on a variety of state, regional, and national IDD related councils and coalitions. He on the board of directors of national and Minnesota APSE: The Employment Network. Derek has authored numerous articles and technical briefs related to research and disability services. He also has a proven record in presenting findings nationally and locally. Derek earned his Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development with a focus on Evaluation Studies and a minor and advanced training in quantitative methods.

Pam Stenhjem has a Masters of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. She has worked as a researcher at the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota since 1993. Pam has directed and implemented a broad array of federal and state grant projects; has authored and co-authored a number of journal articles, book chapters, and other publications; and has provided consultation and training at local, state, and national levels regarding issues affecting individuals with disabilities. She has worked directly with young adults and families, educators, community service providers, business partners, and others involved in collaborative initiatives to produce systemic change. Pam's passions include justice, equality, and The Food Network! She lives in Apple Valley, Minnesota with Rand, her partner in crime for the past 13 years, and their extremely bright, generous, adorable (and very funny) nine year old son Ethan.

Angela Novak Amado works to support communities to be fully inclusive of all people.

She has conducted training about friendships between people with developmental disabilities and ordinary community members in more than 30 states, Canada, Netherlands, and Israel. She also conducts training in person-centered planning and person-centered agency and system design.

Ms. Dushin is the lead for the Institute's Web Team, heading the development of project-specific and Institute-wide Web applications with a talented team of developers. She has been developing Web sites and coordinating electronic communications since 1994. Ms. Dushin also co-leads several initiatives in the area of arts awareness, including ongoing exhibits and events celebrating the work of artists with disabilities. As a steering committee member for the University's Project & Change Management Collaborators peer network, she has learned many new skills and strategies for leading projects. Ms. Dushin currently volunteers with We Can Ride, a therapeutic horseback riding and carriage driving program for individuals with disabilities.

Sheryl A. Larson, PhD, began providing services to persons with disabilities in 1981. She has been a residential counselor, behavior analyst, program evaluator, consultant, personal advocate and researcher. Dr. Larson earned a B.A. in Psychology and Elementary Education from Bethel University in St. Paul, MN, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota. She is the Research Director at the Research and Training Center on Community Living (U of M) where she has worked since 1988 directing projects involving evaluation, survey and intervention research, secondary analysis of large data sets and research synthesis on access to health care, disability statistics, and disability services. Dr. Larson has authored or coauthored more than 100 publications on those topics. She is an American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Fellow and a consulting editor of Mental Retardation and Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability. Dr. Larson received a Presidential Award from AAIDD for workforce research. She serves on the Minnesota DHS Stakeholders Advisory Committee on Managed Care and completed a five year term on the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities in 2009. She served on The Arc of Minnesota Board of Directors from 2007 to 2010.

Christine D. Bremer, Ph.D. is a Research Associate at the University of Minnesota's Institute on Community Integration (ICI) and serves as Principal Investigator for a five-year project, Relative Impact of Interventions to Improve Achievement and Retention in Postsecondary Occupational Programs, funded by the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education (NRCCTE). Her work at ICI has included co-authoring major documents on assessment and dropout/graduation, working with the National Center on Educational Outcomes to review and analyze dropout and graduation data concerning students with disabilities, as presented in states' Annual Performance Reports, and authoring numerous ICI publications. Prior to her work with ICI, she was a researcher at the NRCCTE at the University of Minnesota, conducting research on secondary CTE teacher induction and alternative certification of secondary CTE teachers. In her earlier career in industry, Dr. Bremer worked as a human factors (ergonomics) engineer and in community affairs, managing a major corporation's business/education partnerships.

Karen Stout, Ph.D. is a Research Associate with ICI. She was a professor for 11 years at the University of Utah, University of Minnesota and Lehigh University. Presently, she is an affiliate faculty member at the U of Minnesota in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development, where she teaches in the Evaluation Studies program. Dr. Stout began her career as a classroom teacher, and she has worked in education for over 30 years. Her research has focused on policy and its implications for school practice, school lunch, and dropout prevention. Dr. Stout was a Co-PI on a large-scale leadership development project with the City of Philadelphia schools and Lehigh University, funded by the U.S. Department of Education and a similar project for the Wallace Foundation. She is currently Project Director of an IES-funded Postsecondary C&C development project, Making the Connection.

Ann has worked at ICI for over ten years in a variety of capacities. From 2000-2007 she served as the Center Coordinator for ICI's National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET), where she facilitated numerous Technical Assistance and Dissemination activities, supervised support staff, was the logistics chair for two National Leadership Summits, and coordinated national forums, capacity building institutes, meetings, teleconferences, publications, project evaluation, and dissemination. She is currently working on evaluation and research projects related to dropout prevention and student engagement, postsecondary retention, and transition-age youth with disabilities. Ann has worked in education for over 30 years in a variety of capacities and is currently a Ph.D. student in Educational Policy and Administration (evaluation studies).

Joe has worked with adolescents and adults with disabilities in rehabilitation and educational settings for over 25 years. Since 2002, he has worked at the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) at the University of Minnesota where he does research and provides technical assistance to individuals and organizations focusing on academics and assessment, work and careers, mentoring, and the transition from secondary to postsecondary school settings. Joe has a master's degree in rehabilitation teaching and is currently completing coursework for a master's degree in social work.

Dr. Jean E. Ness is a Principal Investigator and Project Director at the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota. The focus of her work is in developing programs for and with American Indian high school and tribal college students to support the retention and completion of their goals. She also has extensive experience in dropout prevention strategy development. To that end Dr. Ness has directed several federally funded projects that address both the high school and college needs of American Indians.

Dr. Ness is the co-author a transition curriculum for American Indians that addresses key skill areas to prepare students for higher education and work. The curriculum, published in 2002, is currently being implemented in BIA schools, school districts, and tribal and community colleges throughout the country. In addition, Dr. Ness is the co-author of a curriculum (2010) entitled, "The Young American Indian Entrepreneur" designed to prepare high school American Indian students to become small business-entrepreneurs. Dr. Ness holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education and special education, a Masters' in Learning Disabilities and Emotional Disturbances, and an Ed.D. in Educational Policy and Administration.

Sheryl Lazarus, Ph.D. is a senior research associate at an ICI center--the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO). In this position she addresses special education policy issues related to the inclusion of students with disabilities in assessments used for accountability purposes. Her research and technical assistance priorities include: alternate assessments based on modified achievement standards, student participation, accommodations, technology enhanced assessments, and growth models. She has expertise in large-scale assessments, school accountability, research design, data-driven decision-making, rural education, and the economics of education. Dr. Lazarus is the needs assessment and information gathering team leader at NCEO. She also co-teaches EdPA 5521: Cost and Economic Analysis for Educational Evaluation, and has a Minnesota K-12 principal's license. Dr. Lazarus has published extensively, including papers in peer-reviewed journals in both the fields of education and economics.

Ms. Hewitt has an extensive background and work history in the field of developmental disabilities and has worked in various positions over the past 25 years including as a residential program director and director of training. She is currently a Senior Research Associate and director of the Research and Training Center at the University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration where she directs several federal and state research, evaluation and demonstration projects in the area of direct support professional workforce development and community services for people with disabilities. Ms. Hewitt is also the training director for the Minnesota LEND, an interdisciplinary training program on autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. She is a national leader in the area of workforce development and community supports to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Ms. Hewitt was a founder of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals and has been instrumental in the development of the NADSP national credentialing and accreditation programs. She leads the U of M team in developing the College of Direct Support, a national curriculum used by 180,000 direct support professionals each day. Ms. Hewitt has conducted research and written extensively on the use of consumer directed supports. She has authored and co-authored many curriculum, journal articles, and technical reports, and co-authored a book entitled, Staff Recruitment, Retention and Training published by Brookes publishing. Ms. Hewitt is a managing editor of Frontline Initiative a national newsletter for DSPs; a contributing editor for LINKS a newsletter of ANCOR and guest editor of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities a journal of the AAIDD. She is currently the Secretary for the Arc Hennepin-Carver Board of Directors.

Christopher Watson, Ph.D., is Co-Director of the Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Dr. Watson's work focuses on infant and early childhood development, with an emphasis on social emotional development, challenging behavior and mental health. He was director of the Minnesota Infant Mental Health Project and conducted the Minnesota Infant Mental Health Feasibility Study, interagency initiatives funded by the State Departments of Education, Health and Human Services. Dr. Watson is a certified Program for Infant Toddler Care (PITC) trainer and has co-written two early childhood training-of-trainer curricula, Talking Reasonably and Responsibly About Brain Development and Violence Prevention and Intervention in Early Childhood. In addition, he has developed face-to-face online training courses for early childhood professionals, including Supporting Stressed Young Children Through Relationship-Based Teaching and Bridging Education and Mental Health (BEAM). The BEAM training and coaching model bridges behavioral and therapeutic approaches to addressing early childhood social-emotional development, mental health and challenging behaviors. Dr. Watson is co-director, along with Elizabeth A. Carlson, of the interdisciplinary Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Post-Bachalaureate Certificate Program at the University of Minnesota. Prior to his work at the University of Minnesota, Mr. Watson was director of the California Education Innovation Institute, a statewide training program for educators and administrators based at California State University Sacramento.

David R. Johnson, Ph.D. is Senior Associate Dean for Research and Policy, an Emma Birkmaier Professor of Educational Leadership, and Director of the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) in the College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. Dr. Johnson's faculty appointment is in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development where he conducts research, teaches courses, and advises graduate students in evaluation studies and research methods. He has also been Principal Investigator of numerous research, training, and demonstration projects. His research interests include investigations of postschool outcomes, school completion, state systems change, cost-benefit analysis, and other policy-related research. Dr. Johnson has published more than 100 book chapters, journal articles, research monographs, technical reports, and products on topics concerning secondary education, special education, interagency collaboration, and other themes related to his research interests. His research and evaluation results have been used by U.S. Congressional committees, state legislatures, state education agencies, and other organizations.

Martha Thurlow is the Director of the National Center on Educational Outcomes. In this position, she addresses the implications of contemporary U.S. policy and practice for students with disabilities and English Language Learners, including national and statewide assessment policies and practices, standards-setting efforts, and graduation requirements. Dr. Thurlow has conducted research for the past 35 years in a variety of areas, including assessment and decision making, learning disabilities, early childhood education, dropout prevention, effective classroom instruction, and integration of students with disabilities in general education settings.

Dr. Thurlow has published extensively on all of these topics, authoring numerous books and book chapters, and publishing more than 200 articles and reports. In 2003, she completed her 8-year term as co-Editor of Exceptional Children, the research journal of the Council for Exceptional Children, and is currently associate editor for numerous journals.