Jessica Sidler Folsom
Dr. Jessica Sidler Folsom, Senior Research Associate, is an education researcher and former special education classroom teacher and coach. She provides technical assistance to state, district, and school leaders on topics ranging from the science of reading, evidence-based practices, instructional leadership, and evaluating evidence for educational practices. With the Gulf Comprehensive Center, she leads projects in Florida and Mississippi related to school improvement and evidence-based practices for students with disabilities and multilingual learners. With the Regional Educational Laboratory Central, she leads a math instructional leadership technical assistance project. Dr. Folsom is an experienced research methodologist focused on quantitative and mixed methodologies applied in research and evaluation; she is a What Works Clearinghouse certified reviewer. She currently supports several RMC evaluations. She previously worked at the Florida Reading Research Center, the Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast, and the Iowa Reading Research Center. She specializes in special education, early literacy instruction and development, and the intersection of teacher knowledge, teacher practice, and student achievement. Previously, she directed research on tiered reading interventions, extended school day policies, statewide teacher professional development initiatives, summer reading programs, and literacy assessment development. She has created and validated teacher knowledge measures and observation tools and provided extensive professional development.
EDUCATION: Ph.D., Special Education, Florida State University, 2012; Graduate Certificate, Educational Measurement and Statistics, Florida State University, 2009; M.S., Special Education, Florida State University, 2005; B.S., Special Education, Florida State University, 2005
AREA OF EXPERTISE: Educational research and evaluation; Research design and quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis; Educational measurement and statistics/psychometrics; Needs sensing and capacity building through technical assistance and coaching to support research, evaluation, and data use; Early literacy and reading development, instruction, and intervention; Special education; Teacher knowledge and practice; Instructional design.
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