Ada F. Muoneke
Project Director

Photo of Ada F. MuonekeAda Muoneke is a Project Director with SEDL's Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) program. In her current role, Dr. Muoneke serves as the Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest (REL SW) research alliance manager, and oversees the work of six research alliances in the five states served by REL SW. In her previous work at SEDL, she worked for the Texas and Southeast Comprehensive Centers, where she led technical assistance and professional development to build the capacity of state departments of education staff and intermediary agencies to meet the goals and provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Also, Dr. Muoneke assisted state and local education agencies in Texas and five states in the southeastern region with Response to Intervention (RtI) and special education. She served as the Texas Comprehensive Center liaison for the Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center.

Contact Information
You may contact Ada F. Muoneke at 512-391-6540

or by using SEDL's contact form.

Areas of Expertise
  • Special Education: Dr. Muoneke’s work includes assisting states in addressing the academic needs of students with disabilities to improve student outcomes. Formerly, she was a high school special education teacher as well as a special education adjunct assistant lecturer/professor in institutions of higher education.
  • Response to Intervention: Dr. Muoneke works extensively with states to refine or develop RtI policies and procedures, and assist with implementation.
  • Assessments: Dr. Muoneke has worked on the development of federally mandated assessments for students with disabilities and designed professional development modules for educator training on alternate assessments.
  • School Turnaround: As a curriculum/literacy specialist for a large, urban Texas school district, Dr. Muoneke was the lead and staff contact to the district central office for the organization and implementation of turnaround activities in a failing middle school targeted for restructuring by the Texas Education Agency.

Experience
Prior to joining SEDL in October 2006, Dr. Muoneke served as a program specialist in the Student Assessment Division of the Texas Education Agency, where she worked on the development of state mandated tests and educator professional development on the administration of alternate assessments.

Previously, she was a senior field trainer analyst at the University of Texas at Austin, where she managed federally funded projects designed to infuse scientifically based research in reading instruction for higher education faculty. In this role, she led the design of research-based professional development seminars and provided technical assistance to faculty in more than 40 institutions of higher education across the country. In addition, she served as a research associate and consultant on reading projects at the University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Muoneke also has served as an adjunct assistant lecturer/professor in the Colleges of Education at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas State University, and Southwestern University. She taught courses for preservice teachers in their professional development sequence and coordinated student-teaching field experiences. In addition, she has led the design and development of many inservice professional development activities for K–12 educators and coached and mentored novice teachers.

During her career, Dr. Muoneke has held several positions as a general and special educator in various school districts, including positions as reading program supervisor, curriculum specialist, and admission, review, & dismissal (ARD) coordinator. Through her work, she also has co-authored reports, professional development manuals, and publications in reading and mathematics for educators who teach students with learning problems.

Education
Dr. Muoneke holds a BS in secondary education from Oklahoma State University, and an MEd and a PhD in special education from the University of Texas at Austin.

Professional Development Session Presented by Ada Muoneke
Ada Muoneke teaches SEDL's professional development session, "Response to Intervention (RtI) in Secondary Schools."

SEDL Publications

Selected External Publications
  • Bryant, D. P., McCray, A. D., Van Allen, L., Muoneke, A. F., & Higgins, K. (2001). Enhancing and creating opportunity for reading excellence: A reading program to improve the comprehension skills of ninth grade students in inclusion classrooms. Austin, TX: Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts, University of Texas.
  • Muoneke, A. F. (2001). The effects of a question and action strategy on the mathematical word problem–solving skills of students with learning problems in mathematics. Austin, TX: University of Texas.
  • Bell, K., Bos, C., Bryant, D., Ui-Jung, K., Levy, S., Muoneke, A., et al. (2000). Enhancing writing instruction for secondary students—Special ed. adaptation. Austin, TX: Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts, University of Texas.
  • Bell, K., Bos, C., Bryant, D., Ui-Jung, K., Levy, S., Muoneke, A., et al. (2000). Enhancing reading fluency and reading comprehension for secondary students—Special ed. adaptation. Austin, TX: Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts, University of Texas.
  • Bell, K., Bos, C., Bryant, D., Ui-Jung, K., Levy, S., Muoneke, A., et al. (2000). Phonological awareness: Principles for instruction and progress monitoring—Special ed. adaptation. Austin, TX: Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts, University of Texas.
  • Bell, K., Bos, C., Bryant, D., Ui-Jung, K., Levy, S., Muoneke, A., et al. (2000). Reading fluency: Principles for instruction and progress monitoring—Special ed. adaptation. Austin, TX: Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts, University of Texas.
  • Bell, K., Bos, C., Bryant, D., Ui-Jung, K., Levy, S., Muoneke, A., et al. (2000). Teaching the Viewing and Representing Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills in the English Language Arts classroom—Special ed. adaptation. Austin, TX: Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts, University of Texas.
  • Bryant, D. P., Bell, K., & Muoneke, A. F. (2000). Project GRAD: Improving the basic reading skills of struggling ninth grade students through research-based strategies and instruction. Austin, TX: Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts, University of Texas.
Selected Presentations
  • Muoneke, A. (2009, April). Response to Instruction implementation: System alignment and coherence. Alabama State Department of Education, Montgomery, AL.
  • Muoneke, A., & Lewis, D. (2009, April). Response to Intervention: Strategies to help diverse learners stay on track. Presentation at the Third Annual Human Development Center Institute, New Orleans, LA: Louisiana State University Health Science Center.
  • Muoneke, A. (2007, October). Leadership tools for NCLB: Special education strand. Presentation at the Southeast Comprehensive Center Regional Forum, Atlanta, GA.
  • Muoneke, A. (2004, July). Overview of the Teacher Reading Academies Professional Development Guides (national version). Presentation at the Reading First Teacher Education Network (RFTEN) Collaborative Development Seminar,  Washington, DC.
  • Muoneke, A. F. (2002, April). The effects of a question-and-action strategy on the word problem–solving skills of students with learning problems in mathematics. Presentation at the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Conference, New York City, NY.
  • Muoneke, A. F. (2000, October). The effects of a question-and-action strategy on the word problem–solving skills of students with learning disabilities in mathematics. Presentation at the Council for Learning Disabilities (CLD) Conference, Austin, TX.
  • Muoneke, A. F. (2000, October). The effects of a question-and-action strategy on the word problem–solving skills of students with learning disabilities in mathematics. Presentation at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Conference, Round Rock, TX.