Research Interests

Education, education policy, immigrants and linguistic minority students, language acquisition theory and instruction, social processes

Research with AHAA

Effect of ESL placement on academic achievement and social relationships, immigrant and linguistic minority students in different school contexts, schools as organizations. Dr. Callahan's research investigates the roles of language, linguistic minority status, and language instruction on achievement and adolescent social processes. Future work will link curriculum and curricular exposure to linguistic minority and ESL status.

Publications

Callahan, R.M. (Forthcoming). The intersection of accountability and language: Can reading intervention replace English language development? Bilingual Research Journal

Callahan, R.M. (2005). Tracking and high school English Learners: Limiting opportunity to learn. American Educational Research Journal, (42) 2, 305-328

Callahan, R.M. & Gándara, P.C. (2004). Nobody's Agenda: Improving English Language Learners' Access to Higher Education (107-127) In Immigrant and second language students: Lessons from research and best practice, Michael Sadowski, (Ed.) Harvard Education Press.

Rumberger, R.W, Callahan, R.M., Gándara, P.C. (2003). Has Proposition 227 Reduced the English Learner Achievement Gap? UC-LMRI Newsletter, 13 (1) http://lmri.ucsb.edu/resdiss/2/lmri_newsletters/volume13/fall_03_newsletter.pdf

Gándara,P., Rumberger, R., Maxwell-Jolly, J. and Callahan, R., (2003). English Learners in California Schools: Unequal resources, unequal outcomes. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 11(36). http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v11n36/

Gándara, P., Restrepo, L.F., Callahan, R.M. (2002) Latino students and the pathway to college: The college transitions project. For University of California Office of the President (UCOP)

Select Conference Presentations

AERA (2005, April) 1.) with Dr. P. Gándara. Language policy in California and the impact on teacher education and working conditions. 2.) Language and literacy: Academic opportunities and high school English Learners. Montreal, Canada.

UC LMRI Biliteracy Forum (2005, January) with Dr. R. Rumberger. English language proficiency and reading development in linguistic minority children. UC Linguistic Minority Research Institute: Santa Barbara, CA.

UC LMRI (2004, May) with Dr. R. Figueroa. Long-term English learners and recent immigrants: Responses to a reading intervention program: Santa Barbara, CA.

AERA (2004, April) 1.) Opportunity to learn in a California high school: English Learners and track placement. Assessment, Achievement, and Placement in Bilingual Contexts. 2.) Limiting by labels: Equity and race in education. San Diego, CA.

ELAI (2002, December) High school English learners: Master scheduling, placement, evaluation and program access. English Learner Assessment and Accountability Institute, CDE: Santa Barbara, CA

CCSSO (2002, June) California's new English language development dxam: A high stakes assessment. Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) Conference: Palm Desert, CA

TESOL (2001, March) Academic writing development and secondary school English learners. National Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) conference: St. Louis, MO.

Awards and Honors

2005-2006 Language, school context and Hispanic student achievement and integration in Texas. Texas Higher Education Opportunities Program sponsored by the Ford and Spencer Foundations   

AERA-IES (American Educational Research Association-Institute of Educational Sciences) Post-Doctoral Fellowship recipient 2003-2006

UC LMRI (University of California, Linguistic Minority Research Institute) Post-Doctoral Fellowship (Awarded, not accepted)

UC ACCORD (University of California, All-Campus Consortium for Research on Diversity) Dissertation Fellowship

Extracurricular Interests

Dr. Callahan taught Kindergarten in a two-way bilingual program and worked as a high school bilingual resource teacher in her previous life. She attempts to maintain contact with her former students as best as she can.

Links

Curriculum Vitae
Rebecca Callahan's Webpage at University of Georgia