Kyla L. Wahlstrom Director Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) 360 Education Sciences Building 56 East River Road Minneapolis, MN 55455-0364 Phone: 612-624-1890 E-mail: wahls001@umn.edu

I’m extremely interested in the blend of research with practice. Each is equally important in informing the other, so it’s absolutely vital for the University to maintain a network and feedback loop with preK-12 educators. For example, our nationally lauded research on the importance of later start times for high schools had its genesis in a meeting with local superintendents. Often, the most pressing issues that need study are right within our midst. We needed the forethought, for example, to ask our preK-12 colleagues what they need to know in order to do their jobs better.

My other current research interests center on the politics of change, the professional development of teachers, leadership issues such as the characteristics essential for leaders in today’s globally oriented world, and the role of technology in instruction. For example, I’m examining the link between staff development and student achievement in Minneapolis schools. From that research we may have a clearer answer to, “What are the generalized policy implications of the changing dynamic of professional development for educators?” In this era of accountability, professional development is a complex and hotly debated topic. I’m also looking at changes in teacher education at the international level, specifically in Russia, the Netherlands, Great Britain and the United States.

My professional background of 19 years’ work prior to coming to CAREI includes teaching inner city children with behavior problems and serving as an elementary school principal in a suburb. That work has left me comfortable in both urban and suburban educational settings, deepening my understanding of the sometimes conflicting needs and views of being a teacher and being a principal. I seek to blend my research work with teaching and advising within the Department of Educational Policy and Administration. I believe there is an energy that occurs between student and teacher that has to do with challenging one’s intellect and demanding high-quality work. I feel that we are all teachers and learners simultaneously and that it is in our school-University partnerships that we develop and grow together.

Selected publications

Romano, J. & Wahlstrom, K. (2000). Professional Stress and Well-Being of K-12 Teachers in Alternative Educational Settings: a Leadership Agenda. International Journal of Leadership in Education, Vol. 3, No.2, pp.121-135.

Wahlstrom, Kyla L. & Begalle, M. (1999). More Than Test Scores – Results of the Universal School Breakfast Pilot in Minnesota. Topics in Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 15, No. 1.

Wahlstrom, Kyla L. (1999). The Prickly Politics of School Starting Times. Kappan, Vol 80, No. 5, pp. 344-347.

Kubow, P., Wahlstrom, K. & Bemis, A. (1999). Starting Time and School Life. Kappan, Vol. 80, No. 5, pp. 366-371.

A more complete listing of publications follows.

Education

Doctor of philosophy 1990, University of Minnesota
Educational Policy and Administration
Dissertation title: School District Decision-Making in the Adoption of Innovation

Master of arts 1976, University of St. Thomas
Special education-learning disabilities

Bachelor of science with distinction 1971, University of Minnesota
Major: Elementary education, Minor: English

Professional employment

University of Minnesota, August 1990 to present

Associate director and research associate, Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI)

Current duties: initiate/participate in the center's research and evaluation projects; initiate and maintain information services with member districts; serve as personnel director for CAREI; facilitate CAREI development activities; provide consultation services on program evaluation to CAREI-member districts; organize and maintain the center's collaborative grant program; provide ad hoc consultation service to the Minnesota Department of Education and other education agencies; develop topical workshops and seminars to be presented to school district staff members; serve on college- and university-wide committees as appropriate; act as chief administrator in the absence of the director.

Lecturer - faculty, Department of Educational Policy and Administration

Graduate courses taught once every year:

• Facilitating Change in Education; 1992-1999
• Critical Issues in Contemporary Education; 1992-2001
• Innovation and the Instructional Process; 1991-1993

North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District 1977 - 1990

Elementary and early childhood services coordinator for special education; Harmony Early Childhood Center, acting principal

Supervised 21 professional and paraprofessional staff; monitored educational services for handicapped children; designed, planned for, and implemented new or improved educational services and instructional techniques; designed and implemented program evaluations; managed annual program budgets of $3-500,000; served as building administrator/principal; provided on-site observation and consultation to school districts regarding programs and/or individual students; served as a resource speaker for local and state-wide conferences regarding innovative practices in the schools; participated in writing Federal grant proposals.

Moundsview School District 1975 - 1977

Early childhood special education classroom teacher

Planned for and taught handicapped pre-school children; provided individual, monthly contact with all parents; disseminated information to visitors and metro-area administrators regarding the program's innovative service delivery model; participated in writing for foundation and grant monies.

Minneapolis Public Schools 1971 - 1975

Lead teacher, Irving School E./B.D. special program

Developed program components for this new educational model; taught inner-city elementary-aged children who had severe behavioral, emotional, and learning problems; designed and taught a special session of summer school for gifted students; developed and administered a first grade readiness test for 200 children; supervised pre-service education students from the University of Minnesota and other area colleges.

Other teachings experience - higher education

University of St. Thomas

Adjunct faculty, Department of Educational Leadership

Graduate courses taught:
Education Specialist Degree: "Research Methods and Practices - Developing a Research Proposal"; Summer Session 1990 and Fall 1990

Areas of specialization and substantial experience

• Organizational leadership and educational politics
• Organizational communication, use of information, and decision making
• Graduation standards and performance assessment
• Teacher and administrator professional development
• Program supervision and evaluation of curriculum development
• Qualitative research, action research, and program evaluation design
• Special education issues, policies, and practice
• Inter-agency planning and collaboration
• Language and cultural considerations in international educational research

Publications

Romano, J. and Wahlstrom, K. (2000). Professional Stress and Well-Being of K-12 Teachers in Alternative Educational Settings: a Leadership Agenda. International Journal of Leadership in Education, Vol. 3, No.2, pp. 121-135.

Wahlstrom, Kyla L. and Begalle, M. (1999). More Than Test Scores-Results of the Universal School Breakfast Pilot in Minnesota. Topics in Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 15, No. 1.

Wahlstrom, Kyla L. (1999). The Prickly Politics of School Starting Times. Kappan, Vol 80, No. 5, pp. 344-347.

Wahlstrom, Kyla L. (1999). "Further Thoughts on The Study of School Start Time". A videotape developed at the request of and produced by Phi Delta Kappa International.

Kubow, P., Wahlstrom, K. and Bemis, A. (1999). Starting Time and School Life. Kappan, Vol. 80, No. 5, pp. 366-371.

Frederickson, J., Wahlstrom, K., and Wrobel, G. (1999). "The Adolescent Crisis: Can Later School Start Times Help?" Paper presented at annual meeting of American Educational Research Association; Montreal.

Wahlstrom, K. (1999). Wrote an invited critique of a research study, "Starting Times of School: Effects on Daytime Functioning of Fifth-grade Children in Israel" for the newsletter for the World Society of Sleep Researchers, Volume 7, Number 1, 1999.

Wahlstrom, K. and Romano, J. (1997). "Reflective Practice and Responsive Teaching" book chapter in Crossing Borders (Over grenzen), Ponte and Zwaal, editors. Garant Publishing, Netherlands and Belgium.

Romano, J. and Wahlstrom, K. (1997). "An Overview of School Counseling and Guidance in the United States: History, Training, and Practice" book chapter in Crossing Borders (Over grenzen), Ponte and Zwaal, editors. Garant Publishing, Netherlands and Belgium.

Wahlstrom, K. (1996). "Reforming Russian Education: Action Research and the Work of Teachers From Three Nations". Paper presentation at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting; New York.

Wahlstrom, K. (1993). "The Use of Action Research to Engage School and University Faculty in Collaborative Efforts Towards Reform". Paper presented at the American Association of Higher Education Fourth National Conference on School/University Collaboration; Pittsburgh.

Wahlstrom, K. (1993). "The Dichotomy Inherent in the Principal's Decentralized Role: Which Master is Served First?" Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting; Atlanta.

Wahlstrom, K. (1993). "Emerging Issues in Collaborative Action Research at the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement". Paper presentation at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting; Atlanta.

Wahlstrom, Kyla L. and Louis, Karen Seashore (1993). Adoption Revisited: Decision-Making and School District Policy. In S. B. Bacharach and R. T. Ogawa (Eds.), Advances in Research and Theories of School Management and Educational Policy, Vol. 2., pp. 61-119. Greenwich, Connecticut: JAI Press.

King, Jean A. and Wahlstrom, Kyla L. (1993). Bringing Research to Life in Schools: The Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI). In Evaluation and Research in Education, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 1-5.

Wahlstrom, K. (1991). "School District Decision-Making in the Adoption of Innovation: A Qualitative Study". Paper presentation at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting; Chicago.

Invited conference/meeting presentations

"School Start Time Research: What We Know Thus Far". Invited address to the Minnesota chapter of Phi Delta Kappa Fall Initiation Meeting. November, 2000.

"Understanding Adolescents' Sleep Requirements: The Crossroad Between Research and Practice". Invited address for the annual meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Las Vegas, NV; June, 2000.

"Later School Start Time Research: Policies, Politics, and Preliminary Outcomes". Invited address for the Forum on Adolescence. Sponsored by the National Research Council, National Academy of Science, September, 1999.

"More Than Test Scores: The Impact of a Universal Breakfast Program on Learning". Invited address given at the symposium on Nutrition and Learning. Sponsored by the MN Department of Children, Families, and Learning Food and Nutrition Section. March, 1999.

"Findings from Recent Research into Later Starting Times for High Schools". Invited presentation to TURN (Teacher Union Reform Network), a national collaborative organization of the AFT/NEA focused on best practices and newest research leading to educational improvement. The national meeting was held in Minneapolis, April, 1999.

"Findings from Recent Research into Later Starting Times for High Schools". This information was also presented to the Midwest meeting of the UCEA, held in April, 1999.

"Accommodating the Sleep Patterns of Adolescents Within Current Educational Structures: An Uncharted Path.." Invited presentation to International Symposium on Adolescent Sleep Needs, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, 1997.

"The Rights and Responsibilities in Being An International Scholar". Invited presentation to Russian scholars coming to the United States; done at the request of the U.S. Department of State, in Moscow, 1996.

"Curriculum Development for the Future: The Synergy of Professional Development and Educational Reform". Keynote address at Junior Faculty Development national conference. Cleveland, OH, 1996.

"Organizational Change: Getting from There to Here". Keynote address at national conference: Problem-Based Learning in Veterinary Medicine: Challenges for Implementation, San Diego, CA, 1995.

"The Needs of K-12 Students and the Response of the School Counseling System in the United States of America". Presentation at the Educational Reform Conference in Moscow (Russia), 1992.

"The School-University Connection: Operationalizing Action Research in Both Worlds". Second International Symposium on Action Research, Seattle, 1991.

"Programmatic Concerns and Models of Innovative Service Delivery". The Minnesota Department of Education State Special Education Conferences (1982, 1985, and 1990).

"Least Restrictive Alternative Programming in Early Childhood Special Education". Minnesota Council for Exceptional Children Annual Conference, 1980.

"The Use of Observation as a Tool of Classroom Instructional Evaluation". Rochester, MN ECSU (Educational Cooperative Service Unit), 1979.

Grants, contracts, and consulations

(please note that a technical report is/was written for each project for each year of the grant)

• Principal investigator, Pathways to Progress 21st Century Grant; evaluation of impact of after-school programs in nine elementary and middle schools on student achievement, family-school relationships, and healthy lifestyle choices; St. Paul Public Schools, 2000-2001.
• Co-principal investigator, Evaluation of Minnesota's Fast Break to Learning Breakfast Program; evaluation of state-wide breakfast program for the Department of Children, Families, and Learning, assessing outcomes related to student achievement and affective indicators; 2000-2001.
• Principal investigator, Evaluation of Minneapolis Exemplary Staff Development Grants; evaluation of 14 Minneapolis schools' staff development activities and outcomes related to exemplary strategies in reading instruction K-12; Minneapolis Public Schools, 1999-2001.
• Principal investigator, Evaluation of Teacher Mentor Program; evaluation of experimental model of a district-wide teacher mentor program; Hopkins School District, 1999-2000.
• Principal investigator, Personal Digital Laptop Project; evaluation of impact on teaching and learning of individual laptop use by students in grades 3-12, for Eden Prairie School District, 1999-2000.
• Principal investigator, Minnesota Educational Effectiveness Program II (MEEP II); evaluation of the state-wide training and implementation of standards-based education in the Minnesota Graduation Rule and the Profile of Learning, for the Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning, 1995-2000.
• Principal investigator, Minneapolis Public Schools' Exemplary Staff Development Grants; evaluation of exemplary practices for enhanced staff development, 1998-2000.
• Co-investigator, Arts for Academic Achievement Evaluation; evaluation of impact of an arts-infused curriculum on student achievement and student engagement. Minneapolis Public Schools, 1997-2001.
• Principal investigator, School Start Time Study; an impact evaluation study of the change all high schools made to a later starting time; for the Minneapolis Public Schools, 1997-2001.
• Principal investigator, Evaluating the Link Between Staff Development and Student Achievement; evaluation of processes and outcomes of professional development activities, for the Minneapolis Public School District, 1998.
• Principal investigator, Roseville Change Initiatives Study. A study of three major change initiatives instituted at Roseville Area High School, 1998.
• Principal investigator, Evaluation of Staff Personal Learner Goals System. A study of a new staff development initiative for Hopkins Public Schools, 1998.
• Principal investigator, School Start Time Study; an examination of the array of issues embedded in the discussion of a potential change to the starting time of area secondary schools; done under contract with 17 school districts, 1997-1998.
• Principal investigator, Evaluation of From Access to Application Program, development of a model teacher training program for use of the Internet in instruction, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, 1994-1997.
• Evaluation consultant, Evaluation of Student, Teacher, and Parent Perceptions of the Programs for Gifted and Talented, Hopkins Public Schools, 1995.
• Principal investigator, Evaluation of the Minnesota Universal Breakfast Pilot Program, funded by the Minnesota Department of Education, 1994-1997.
• Evaluation consultant, Evaluation of school-wide implementation of Critical Thinking Curriculum, Burnsville Public School District, 1994-1996.
• Principal investigator, Evaluation of the Implementation of Problem-Based Learning, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, funded by the U. of Minnesota, 1993-1995.
• Principal investigator, Evaluation of the Implementation of the Chicago Math Teacher Training Project, Edina Public Schools, funded by the General Mills Foundation, 1991-1993.

Requested workshops/guest lectures (selected)

• "Evaluation Strategies for Technology Infusion in K-12 Education". Guest lecture for two courses in Educational Policy and Administration, University of Minnesota, November and March, 2001.
• "The Design and Implementation of Evaluation of Innovation". An invited four-part workshop for doctoral students in Educational Policy and Administration, University of Minnesota, June, 2000.
• "Reflective Study Groups in Staff Development". An invited workshop for a state-wide network of consultants for the Continuous Improvement Project. Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning, 1999.
• "Using Data for Effective Educational Decisions". An invited workshop for principals and district administrators of Minnetonka Public Schools, 1998.
• "Using Action Research to Improve Teaching" A workshop for teachers presented on numerous occasions as a staff development presentation for school districts across the state, 1991-97.
• "How to Do Action Research in Your School" (co-presented with Jean King). The Metropolitan Teacher Center (co-sponsor with Metro ECSU), October 1990.
• University of Minnesota "Using Action Research for Instructional Improvement" - 1992-1996 "Action Research and Its Role in Teacher Supervision" - 1991 "Considerations in the Use of Qualitative Research Methods" - 1989 "The Use of Paraprofessionals in the Schools" - 1978 "Behavior Modification Techniques with Emotionally Disturbed Children" - 1976
• "Issues, Concerns, and the Implementation of Least Restrictive Programming in Early Childhood Special Education". Presentation and consultation provided to seven different metro-area school districts, 1984-1990.
• "Legislative Changes and Their Impact upon the Interface between the Medical and Educational Communities" - St. Paul Ramsey Hospital, Department of Pediatrics - department-wide conference, 1985.
• "Fiscal Issues in Mainstreaming". -The East Metropolitan Area Directors of Special Education, 1983.
• "Early Childhood Development and Therapeutic Intervention Strategies" - Lakewood Community College, 1983.
• "School District Screening Practices to Detect Developmental Delays in Preschool Children" - University of St. Thomas, 1980.
• Consultant to 23 school districts around Minnesota who sought to replicate the Junior Kindergarten Program which I designed and implemented for North St. Paul District's regular education program, 1984-1988.
• The Mille Lacs Indian Reservation Title IV Project - served as consultant and trainer in the use of screening techniques to detect high ability Native American children, September - December, 1976.

Early publications

Wahlstrom, Kyla L. (1989). A Curriculum for A Developmental Kindergarten. A scope and sequence of task-analyzed classroom activities developed for district use in the implementation of the Junior Kindergarten Program.

Wahlstrom, Kyla L. (1983). "Issues and Policy Development in Early Childhood Special Education." A position paper written at the request of the Minnesota State Department of Education and delivered at a state legislative hearing on the proposed legislation for early childhood special education.

Wahlstrom (Joynes), Kyla L. (1975). "Contingency Management for the Socially Maladjusted and Emotionally Disturbed - A Group Program that Worked." A paper used as required reading at the University of Minnesota for a graduate course in special education

Professional memberships

• American Educational Research Association Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Phi Delta Kappa

Awards and honors

Professional

• Minnesota Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development - Awarded the 2000 National Leadership Award - for research having national impact; January, 2001
• University of Minnesota - Named as recipient of the Outstanding Professional Academic Award (chosen to be one of five recipients for this award out of 3,000 employees), May, 2000
• Phi Delta Kappan - Named as guest editor of a five-article special section for this journal, January 1999
• Fulbright Office, Washington, DC - named twice to be a member of the 4-person faculty team that traveled to Russia and Ukraine to provide cultural and programmatic orientation to Russian and Ukrainian faculty scholars coming to America for a year of study; June, 1997 and July, 1998.
• Phi Delta Kappa - Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Regional Award 1990

University of Minnesota (undergraduate)

• Mortar Board - Senior Women's Honorary
• Chimes - Junior Women's Honorary
• Alpha Delta Pi Sorority Award for Highest Scholastic Achievement, 1969
• University of Minnesota Panhellenic Council - Vice President
• Graduated with distinction (overall GPA must be greater than 3.75)

Current professional licensure

Administrative

• Elementary principal
• Superintendent
• Director of special education

Teacher

• Elementary education (Grades 1-6)
• Learning disabilities (Grades K-12)
• Early childhood special education (Birth-age 6)