Debra E. Rodriguez
Research Assistant
Debra Rodriguez is a Research Assistant with SEDL's Research and Evaluation (R&E) program. Ms. Rodriguez’s current work includes assisting in the national multisite cluster randomized controlled trials of the McGraw-Hill Education Imagine It! and Everyday Mathematics programs. Her primary roles include field staff team lead, data processing, and site recruitment.
Contact Information
You may contact Debra E. Rodriguez at 512-391-6604
Ms. Rodriguez’s research interests include assessment, reading and literacy, English language learners, and strategic instruction for students with learning disabilities. She has investigated the impact of second language acquisition on student identification for special education in Hispanic populations. Additional research pursuits include assessing the effectiveness of instruction for English language learners as well as adolescent struggling readers utilizing a multisite cluster randomized design. Experience
Prior to joining SEDL in 2011, Ms. Rodriguez was a staff member at the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk (MCPER). From 2009, she held various positions including data collection team lead, interventionist, and research assistant. Using multiple methods for large-scale data collection, she focused on addressing the critical need for effective content-area instruction for English language learners, testing the efficacy of reading intervention with struggling readers, and evaluating the effectiveness of a dropout prevention program for secondary students.
Prior to her work at MCPER, Ms. Rodriguez was a special education teacher in the Austin Independent School District (AISD), during which time she spearheaded innovative programs to promote inclusive practices for students with disabilities. Education
Ms. Rodriguez attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she received a BA in the Plan II Honors Liberal Arts program, a BS in applied learning and development, and an MEd in special education/English as a second language.
