CARES – College of Education and Human Development

91�� hosting national hazing prevention summit for higher education professionals

ckelly — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:27:45 +0000

The annual Hazing Prevention Consortium (HPC) Summit returns to the 91�� campus, June 4-5 at Buchanan Alumni House.

The two-day event is organized by Professor of Higher Education Elizabeth Allan, a leading expert on hazing and hazing prevention, along with members of the research group that she leads.

Since 2013, StopHazing has facilitated the HPC, a multi-year research-to-practice initiative that helps campuses develop and implement data-informed hazing prevention strategies. More than 40 higher education institutions have participated in the program. The annual summit is an opportunity for representatives from current consortium members to learn together and network to strengthen their shared work and build more sustainable approaches to hazing prevention.

Allan, who also leads the Hazing Prevention Research Lab at 91��, is working on an update to the landmark National Study of College Student Hazing, which she originally published in 2008 with former 91�� colleague Mary Madden. In addition to working with colleges and universities, Allan has consulted with other organizations where hazing occurs, such as high schools and the U.S. Department of Defense.

This year’s summit will be attended by student affairs professionals from Arizona State University, Harvard College, Indiana University, Kenyon College, New Mexico State University, Princeton University, Rhodes College, Southern Methodist University, University of Mississippi, University of San Diego, Virginia Commonwealth University, Washington and Lee University, William & Mary and the University of Wisconsin.

91�� researchers present innovative work at AERA

ckelly — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 18:46:40 +0000

Faculty, staff and students from the 91�� are showcasing their work at the 2025 American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting in Denver this week, April 23-27, as well as during its pre-conference activities. The event is the world’s largest annual gathering of education researchers and practitioners, and a showcase for groundbreaking, innovative studies in a variety of areas.

91�� President Joan Ferrini-Mundy will receive the AERA’s Distinguished Public Service Award for her exceptional contributions to education research and policy.

Here’s a look at some of the presentations, panels and other events that 91�� faculty members and students will participate in at the conference:

Tuesday, April 22

Rebecca (Bec) Buchanan, associate professor of curriculum, assessment and instruction is a presenter at a pre-conference mentoring session for the Supervision and Instructional Leadership special interest group.

Wednesday, April 23

Interim Dean of the College of Education and Human Development Ezekiel (Zeke) Kimball is co-author of a paper being presented as part of a roundtable session on “Generating Possibilities Via Critical Reflections and Expansion of Methods.” The paper is titled “A Duoethnographic Reflection on Moving Toward a Queer and Socially Responsive Interview Process.”
Catharine Biddle, associate professor of educational leadership, is presenting a paper she co-authored as part of a roundtable session on “Family-School Engagement in Diverse Environments.” The paper is titled “Caregivers in Recovery: Understanding Experiences of Substance-Impacted Caregivers with School-Aged Children in the Context of the Rural School-Community Relationship.”
Lindsey J. Kaiser, assistant professor of educational leadership, is presenting a paper at a roundtable session on “Innovative Methods, Measures, and Theories for Educational Policy Research and Evaluation.” Kaiser’s paper is titled “Building Trust and Disrupting Power Structures: A Racially Diverse Research-Practice Partnership in Pursuit of Justice.”
Kamal Chawla, assistant professor of education and applied quantitative methods, is presenting a paper he co-authored at a roundtable session as part of the Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis special interest group. Chawla’s paper is titled “Machine Learning-Based Techniques to Handle Missing Data in Meta-Regression.”
Anne Fensie, a recent graduate of the Ph.D. program in higher education, is participating in a virtual poster session as part of the Faculty Teaching, Evaluation, and Development special interest group. Fensie’s presentation is titled “Beliefs and Instructional Practices Among Faculty in U.S. Bachelor’s Degree-Gathering Institutions.” Fensie is an adjunct faculty member in the collaborative graduate program in Instructional Technology, which has faculty from the 91�� College of Education and Human Development, the 91�� at Farmington, and the University of Southern Maine. In addition to 91��, she has taught at UMF and the 91�� at Augusta.��

Thursday, April 24

Chawla is presenting a paper he co-authored as part of a roundtable session on “Elementary Students’ Mathematical Cognition: Insights Into Estimation, Relational Reasoning, and Effective Feedback in Mathematics.” The paper Chawla co-wrote is titled “Optimizing the 0-100 Number Line Estimation Task: Scale Reduction and its Implications for Elementary Mathematical Cognition.”
Fensie is presenting a study she co-authored at a structured poster session on “From Research to Application: Learning Engineering as a Process for Learning-Sciences-Informed Educational Design.” Fenie’s poster is titled “Conceptualizing Learning Engineering.”
Biddle is chairing the Rural Education special interest group business meeting.��

Friday, April 25

Kathleen Gillon, assistant professor of higher education, and higher education doctoral student Devin Franklin are presenting a paper at a roundtable session on “Navigating College Access and Rural Identities in Higher Education.” Gillon and Franklin’s paper is titled “‘How Did I Get Here?’ Understanding a Gendered Rurality and Its Role in College Going.”

Saturday, April 26

Kimball is co-author of two papers being presented as part of a symposium on “Conceptualizing the New Accessibility in Higher Education: Leveraging Disruption for Transformative Opportunity.” The papers are titled “Connecting Sense of Belonging with Accessibility” and “Connecting Intersectionality to Accessibility.”
Kaiser is presenting as part of a paper session on “Intersections of Justice, Whiteness, and Educational Renewal.” Kaiser’s paper is titled “ Paradoxes of Racial Affinity Equity Leadership Coaching: Supporting White Principals Leading Toward Racial Justice.”
Johanna Leslie, assistant director of the 91�� Office of Student Financial Aid, and Simon Ferland, director of data and systems for the Office of Student Financial Aid, are presenting a paper as part of a roundtable session on “Navigating Admissions, Employability, and Financial Support in Higher Education.” Leslie and Ferland’s paper is titled “FAFSA Filing Rates: Examining the Negative Impacts of the Problematic ‘FAFSA Simplification’ Rollout.”
Buchanan is chairing the Lives of Teachers special interest group business meeting.

Sunday, April 27

Kaiser is chairing a paper session on “Leading and Supporting Equity-Oriented Practices in Schools and Districts.”
Sarah Howorth, associate professor of special education, and Joo Young Lee, assistant professor of special education, are presenting a paper they co-authored at a poster session on “Innovative Approaches and Methodologies for Enhancing Educational Outcomes for Students with Disabilities.” The paper is titled “Reading Interventions for Students with Intellectual Disabilities: A Systematic PRISMA Review and Meta-Analysis.”
Andrew Hudacs, assistant professor of 4-H teen leadership and workforce development with 91�� Cooperative Extension, is chairing a roundtable session on “Enhancing Student Achievement: Outcomes and Opportunities in Rural Educational Contexts.”

91�� researchers share work at annual NEERO conference

ckelly — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 16:33:13 +0000

Several 91�� faculty members and graduate students presented their research at the 56th annual conference of the New England Educational Research Organization (NEERO), March 26-28 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The conference included researchers from across the region sharing studies on a variety of education topics, including curriculum and instruction; diversity and sociocultural perspectives; higher education; human development and learning; leadership, policy and educational reform; measurement, assessment, evaluation and research methods; professional development; teaching and teacher education; and technology in education.

Presentations by 91�� faculty and students included:

Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership Esther Enright chaired a roundtable session on “Leadership: Style, Actions, Policies as Influencers.” Enright and Sarah Walton, 91�� assistant professor of sociology, presented their study “Building Infrastructure Amidst Poverty: A Case Study of A Youth Justice Collaboration” as part of the roundtable.
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) students in educational leadership Kelly O’Brien-Weaver and Patricia Clark presented their doctoral research as part of a session on “Tackling Tough Problems Through Leadership and Policy.” O’Brien-Weaver’s study was titled “Rural School Counseling Programs: Learning From Them, Not Just About Them.” Clark’s study was titled “Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Empowering Women Aspiring to Leadership.” Clark also chaired a practitioner roundtable session on “Supporting Educators’ Continuous Development,” which included a presentation from Ed.D. student Nicole Benham titled “Unifying Voices: The Role Professional Development Can Play in Effective Communication Between Educators.”
Alan Howen Chang, graduate research and teaching assistant and Ph.D. student in PreK-12 education with a concentration in literacy in the College of Education and Human Development, presented his research, “Exploring Teachers’ Perspectives and Experiences with Teaching in a Bilingual Program to English Language Learners with Technology Aided Instruction and Intervention,” as part of a session titled “Today and Tomorrow – Exploring the Narratives and Perspectives of Classroom Teachers.”
Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership Lindsey Kaiser presented her study “School-Based Racial Equity Collaborations: White Principals Implementing an Active Anti-Racists Stance” as part of a research paper session on “Variables, Actions and Practices to Promote Equity and Justice.” Kaiser also chaired a research paper session on “Teacher Leadership, Collaboration, and Capacity Building Practices’ Influence on School Success.”
Sue Sydnor, an Ed.D. student in educational leadership, presented her doctoral research, “Student Perspectives on School Exclusion: A Narrative Inquiry,” as part of a session on “Challenging Oppression and Misperception Through Stories – Perspectives of Learners, Mothers, and Educators.”
Associate Professor of Higher Education Leah Hakkola and 91�� Director of International Programs Orlina Boteva, a Ph.D. student in higher education, presented their study, “Exploring Secondary Trauma and Burnout Amongst Higher Education Professionals Engaged in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” as part of a session titled “Inspiration and Agony: The Work, Strife, and Resilience of Faculty in Higher Education.”
Janet Corcoran, an Ed.D. student in educational leadership, chaired a roundtable session on “How Roles and Perceptions of Teachers and Leaders Influence Success.” Corcoran presented her doctoral research, “Paraprofessional Training and Supervision: Policy and Perception,” as part of the session. Two other 91�� Ed.D. students, Amy Sullivan and Rebekah Drysdale, presented their doctoral research as part of the session. Sullivan’s presentation was titled “A Case Study of Teacher Roles as Intermediaries For a Social-Emotional Learning Initiative.” Drysdale’s study was titled “The Special Education Administrator and Principal Connection: Exploring Key Relationship Components for Inclusion.”
Ed.D. students Allison Woodard and Suzanne Joyal presented as part of a session on “Wrestling with Issues in Curriculum and Instruction.” Woodard’s study was titled “Teacher Decision Making About Reading Instruction.” Joyal’s presentation was titled “Cultivating Literacy Through Cultural Roots: A Multi-Tiered Arts-Based Storytelling Approach For First Graders in After-School Spaces.”

Learning Without Limits: Registration now open for 2025 91�� Summer Educators Institute

ckelly — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 19:46:41 +0000

The 91�� College of Education and Human Development is now accepting registrants for the 2025 91�� Summer Educators Institute, which will be held June 25-27 on campus.

This year’s conference will feature experts from the college, as well as thought-leaders in the field of K-12 education from Maine and beyond, who will hold a series of workshops and talks around the theme “Learning Without Limits: Elevating Education Across Communities.” Attendees can choose from sessions in three strands: Cultivating Rural Teacher Leadership, Middle-Level Education and Reaching All Learners. During the conference, the college’s Center for Applied Research on Education and Schools (CARES) will host a meeting of its Rural Teacher-Leader Support Network.

Alex Shevrin Venet, a Vermont-based educator, professional learning facilitator and writer, is this year’s keynote speaker. Shevrin Venet is the author of two books, “Equity-Centered, Trauma-Informed Education” and “Becoming and Everyday Changemaker: Healing and Justice at School,” as well as numerous articles for publications like Edutopia and Mindshift. She is founder of the website and co-founder of Nurturing the Nurturers, which helps support teacher well-being. She teaches graduate-level courses for educators at Vermont State University and Antioch University New England.

Educators who participate in the institute are eligible for 25 contact hours or 2.5 continuing education units (CEUs). The cost to attend the three-day conference is $595. Educators who register before May 1 will pay the early bird discount rate of $525. There’s also a group discount rate of $499 per person for three or more people from the same school, district or other organization. Participants are also eligible for a discount rate at Hotel Ursa, located on campus.��

More information, including a link to register, is available online.

91��’s Nesin receives service award from New England League of Middle Schools

ckelly — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 17:21:32 +0000

Gert Nesin, teacher-leader in residence with the 91�� College of Education and Human Development’s Center for Applied Research on Education and Schools (CARES), has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 James P. Garvin Distinguished Service Award by the New England League of Middle Schools (NELMS).

The award was presented at the NELMS annual conference, held March 24 and 25 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Nesin is a longtime middle grades educator who currently serves as president of the Maine Association for Middle Level Education. She recently rejoined 91��, where she is responsible for facilitating the Rural Teacher Leader Support Network at CARES. She had previously been a faculty member in the college before taking on roles as a middle school teacher and principal.

Nesin holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in middle school education from 91��, as well as a Ph.D. in middle school education from the University of Georgia. Her research areas include young adolescent development, integrated curriculum, building community, restorative practices, assessment and math learning.

Seeking to improve services for students with autism, 91�� Counseling Center taps special education professor’s expertise

ckelly — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 21:28:00 +0000

On a recent Friday morning, the staff of the 91�� Counseling Center gathered in the office common room. Over coffee and pastries, they listened as Sarah Howorth, an associate professor of special education at 91��, talked about the challenges people with autism and other developmental disabilities face finding and making friends.

Approximately in the United States are on the autism spectrum, and increasing numbers of students with an autism diagnosis are . In 2019, Howorth worked with 91��’s Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies and the Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to launch a pilot program called Step Up to College, aimed at providing effective supports for students with autism as they transition from high school to college. People on the spectrum often have challenges related to communication and forming relationships, so the Step Up program incorporated elements of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills, or PEERS, a social skills curriculum for children and young adults with autism developed by the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.��

With the counseling center seeing an increase in neurodivergent clients in recent years, its staff invited Howorth to share her expertise in two half-day training sessions.

“They were searching for ‘autism’ and ‘college students,’ and my name kept coming up, so they reached out to me to ask if I’d come talk to them about PEERS and how it can help college students and others who are on the spectrum,” said Howorth, who is certified by the Semel Institute to be a PEERS provider and is director of the PEERS Lab at 91��.

The PEERS curriculum includes practice sessions on communication and interpersonal skills, such as how to start, maintain and exit conversations. In addition to people with autism, research has shown it to be an effective intervention for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, depression and other social-emotional health conditions.

“Some interventions for people with autism encourage them to hide or mask their authentic selves,” Howorth said. “But PEERS is about helping people identify what they are authentically interested in, and having them practice social skills around those interests in a safe environment before interacting with others in the so-called ‘real world.’”

The training sessions Howorth led for the counseling center included about a dozen staff members at 91�� and its regional campus, the 91�� at Machias. They covered a variety of topics from the PEERS curriculum, including finding a source of friends, electronic communication and dating and intimacy.

At one point, Howorth asked the staff to name all of the peer groups they could think of on campus. Examples included student athletes, fraternity and sororities, gaming groups and live action role playing, or LARPing.

“When we do PEERS groups, we ask participants to identify at least two social groups that they consider themselves to be part of, and then ask: Why are peer groups or crowds important? Where can you find different peer groups? And how can you tell which peer groups people are part of?” Howorth said. “We emphasize that friendships are based on common interests, and then we provide scenarios so they can practice things like starting and exiting conversations based on their interests.”

91�� Counseling Center Director Angela Fileccia says first-year students on the spectrum in particular face numerous challenges, not just with making friends, but figuring out how to live with other people and how to act in class.

“In high school, these students often had support from family or teachers that they’re not getting in college. By the time they see us, whether they come here on their own or they’re referred to us by faculty or staff, in addition to all the other problems that they are dealing with, they’re often depressed. So what we want to do is address the underlying issues behind their depression,” Fileccia said.

Some members of the counseling center staff had heard about PEERS before they met with Howorth. Fileccia says one of the main things they were interested in learning more about was the program’s focus on forming and maintaining friendships.

“We know that if a person has one close friend, their risk of suicide, of overdose, of any number of poor mental health outcomes decreases dramatically. So if we can help some of our clients make just one friend, that will ultimately help improve their social and academic outcomes,” she said.

Although the staff would need to go through the Semel Institute’s official training in order to offer PEERS groups, she says some of them are already applying what they learned from Howorth in individual therapy sessions with students.

“One of our therapists shared that they used part of a PEERS practice module with one of their clients the other day,” Fileccia said. “That’s a technique that we use anyway — having clients practice behaviors during therapy, then asking them to go try it in the real world and report on how it went. So it’s another tool that we can use to help our clients.”

The counseling center, located in the Cutler Health Center on campus, includes a team of licensed clinical social workers, professional counselors, and doctoral and master’s degree level interns in psychology, social work or professional counseling. All currently enrolled students are eligible for free, confidential, solution-focused therapy related to topics such as stress and anxiety, depression, gender and sexual identity, eating concerns, substance use concerns, sexual assault, stalking, relationship violence and more. The center also offers services to help faculty and staff who have students with mental health needs. More information, including how to contact the center is available at umaine.edu/counseling.��

If you need immediate help, call or text 988 or go to .

Contact: Casey Kelly, casey.kelly@maine.edu

Allan talks to Daily Camera about hazing trends, prevention

ckelly — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 20:44:33 +0000

The Boulder (Colorado) Daily Camera interviewed Professor of Higher Education Elizabeth Allan for an article titled, Bailey was a freshman at the University of Colorado when he died from alcohol poisoning as part of a fraternity hazing ritual in 2004. Allan noted that hazing continues to go largely unreported, making it difficult to determine whether it happens more or less often than it did during the early 2000s. “It’s really hard to tell,” Allan said. “Another thing is the more people learn about (hazing) and hopefully the more they learn about the harm that can happen, the more likely they will be to report it. We might see an increase in reporting. But, you can’t assume the increase in reporting means it’s happening more than it was.” The article notes that Allan is launching a new national hazing survey, updating the 2008 that she led with former 91�� colleague Mary Madden. She added that many students don’t know they’re being hazed or don’t recognize behavior as hazing. “One of the key factors is that individuals tend to identify hazing only in its most extreme forms,” Allan said. “Part of prevention is trying to expand the images people have in their heads of what constitutes hazing and that way we can have people increase the likelihood they will intervene as bystanders or for themselves if they’re in the position of being hazed.”

Hashem Abuqawod and Samantha Ney: Future teachers prepare to strengthen Maine’s K-12 workforce

ckelly — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 20:43:07 +0000

Hashem Abuqawod was born in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and lived there until he was four when his family moved to Kuwait. They came back to the United States when he was 12 and moved around during his teenage years. After graduating from high school, Abuqawod joined the U.S. Marine Corps, and was deployed to South Korea and Japan. When his military service was complete, Abuqawod returned to Florida and took classes at Palm Beach State College before deciding that he wanted to go somewhere completely different.

“I wanted someplace quiet, so I was looking at a few schools. I’ll be honest, it was kind of a last-minute decision to come to the 91��. I remember, I clicked accept and the next thing I knew I was looking for apartments, loading up the car and driving to Maine,” he said.

Abuqawod, who goes by “Ash,” is now a junior at 91�� majoring in secondary education with a concentration in English. After graduation, he hopes to become a middle school English/language arts teacher.

“Middle school students are at a really critical point in their lives, where they’re figuring out how to assess the world for themselves and formulate their own opinions. One of the ways they do that is by reading works of literature. So, that’s why I want to be an English teacher,” Abuqawod said.

Samantha Ney from Saco, Maine took a different path to 91��, where she’s also a junior studying elementary education with a concentration in science.

“Being born and raised here, I love Maine. My family is here, it’s beautiful here, and I wanted to stay close to home. I chose 91�� because of the atmosphere. Everyone on campus, the professors and staff, are all very helpful and you can tell they care about their work and that they want you to succeed,” Ney said.

As an elementary education major, Ney says she’s open to teaching anywhere at the kindergarten, first or second grade level.

“I’ve worked with kids of all ages, but I definitely enjoy working with younger kids the most,” Ney said. “They rely on you in ways that are different from older kids.”

Abuqawod and Ney are among more than 80 teacher education students invited to the 91�� College of Education and Human Development’s second annual Pinning and Recognition Ceremony on Friday, Jan. 24. The ceremony is designed to celebrate the college’s new teacher candidates — students who have reached the point in their academic career when they are able to start taking upper-level courses and have shown a commitment to becoming a teacher. Maine, like many states, faces with recruiting and retaining people to work in K-12 schools, which has contributed to a shortage of qualified educators.

The 91�� System graduates the most in the state, with the flagship campus in Orono having the largest and most comprehensive educator preparation program serving Maine’s K-12 schools.

“We began holding an annual pinning ceremony not only as a way to honor our students who made the decision to become teachers, but as a way to celebrate the teaching profession and those who’ve made a commitment to educating Maine’s youth and helping them grow,” said Zeke Kimball, interim dean of the College of Education and Human Development.

To earn teacher candidacy, 91�� education students must maintain a B or higher grade point average in their core lower-level courses. They also produce a portfolio that includes a field experience report reflecting on at least five full days, or about 30 hours, that they spend observing a K-12 classroom or another educational setting related to their major. It’s one of several opportunities that 91�� education majors have to work directly with K-12 teachers and students during their program of study.

Abuqawod achieved teacher candidacy during the fall 2024 semester after completing his 30-hour field placement at Old Town’s J.A. Leonard Middle School. Ney did her placement at Governor John Fairfield School in Saco, earning teacher candidacy in the spring 2024 semester.

“It really opened some doors for me in terms of connections with teachers and teaching resources that I didn’t know about previously,” said Ney, who did a previous field placement at Old Town Elementary School and frequently works as a substitute teacher when she’s back in Saco.

91��’s teacher prep programs are approved and accredited by the (CAEP), and the. Students who graduate meet the highest professional standards in the field of education and are eligible for teaching certification in Maine and several other states upon completing their degrees.

Ney plans to move back to southern Maine and teach after graduation. Although he’s only been in the state a short time, Abuqawod also hopes to stay here.

“I’m not sure where right now, I just want to teach here in Maine and see where that takes me,” Abuqawod said. “When you’re working with a student and see the light come on in their eyes when something clicks and they get what you’re talking about, there’s nothing better than that as far as I’m concerned.”

Contact: Casey Kelly, casey.kelly@maine.edu

Angelosante talks to Harpswell Anchor about increase in special education enrollment in Maine

ckelly — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 16:19:17 +0000

Maine PBIS Initiative Coordinator Courtney Angelosante was quoted in a recent article in the about an increase in special education enrollment in the state. In Maine School Administrative District 75 (Harpswell, Topsham, Bowdoin and Bowdoinham), nearly 25% of students were enrolled in special education services during the 2023-24 school year, up from 21% five years earlier, according to the article. The increase reflects a trend seen across the state and nationally, with experts attributing much of the long-term trend to improved identification practices and increased awareness of developmental and learning disabilities. Angelosante said the increase is a complex, multipronged issue that has been exacerbated by the disruption in education and family life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We had many kids entering kindergarten who needed and didn’t receive early intervention, or weren’t being socialized with play dates or preschool,” Angelosante said. “And then we have our middle schoolers, who also missed a pretty critical time in terms of building and practicing social skills.” Angelosante added that it is every educator’s job to teach and support students with behavioral issues, but the difficulty for teachers has increased recently along with the quantity and intensity of behavior-related incidents. “It’s hard to both teach and be putting out fires from children who need a lot more direct instruction in positive behaviors,” she said.

Media highlight Allan’s expertise in support of new anti-hazing law

ckelly — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 16:11:00 +0000

President Joe Biden signed the Stop Campus Hazing Act into law on Dec. 24. Several media reports about the signing mentioned 91�� Professor of Higher Education Elizabeth Allan, who consulted with members of Congress and their staff during the crafting of the bill. , (Spokane, WA) and the highlighted Allan’s efforts to advance hazing prevention education and laws. In addition, Allan spoke to the for an article titled “Are Colleges Ready for the New Anti-Hazing Law?” , the research group led by Allan, has also compiled information on the varying state laws regarding hazing.