Manuel Barrera, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Education, Walden University
Research Associate, National Center on Educational Outcomes

Dr. Manuel Barrera has a Ph. D. in special education with a concentration in educational psychology from The Pennsylvania State University (1997) and a Masters degree in special education from Western Oregon University (1990). His current work at NCEO includes intervention studies on effective instruction for English language learners with learning-related disabilities, national studies identifying effective teaching strategies used by educators in schools demonstrating positive academic outcomes for English language learners with and without disabilities, and parent participation in promoting effective instruction for English language learners with disabilities. As Dean of the Walden University College of Education, Dr. Barrera is leading an organization of over 12,000 graduate students and 600 full and part-time graduate faculty in promoting education for broad access of children in K-12 schools and adults in advanced graduate online education, research-based inquiry, and advocacy for engaging communities in social change.

Dr. Barrera has conducted original research on the assessment for identification and instruction of new and second language learners of English with disabilities and has served as research associate on previous studies of standards-based instructional research with NCEO for more than four years. Manuel is a former bilingual education and special education teacher and has focused on national and state issues surrounding standards‑based education and assessment of English language learners with disabilities for over 20 years. Dr. Barrera has played a significant role in the state of Minnesota in addressing and researching appropriate standards-based assessment for teacher education through his work in teacher education and the Minnesota Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (MACTE). He has presented at national and state conferences regarding teacher preparation, instructional innovation, and assessment of linguistically diverse learners. He has published original work in such journals as Assessment for Effective Intervention, Journal of Learning Disabilities, Journal of Vocational and Special Education, Montessori Life, and Science and Children. Dr. Barrera has also published on the use of information technology and its use in research and education in journals such as The Journal of Interactive Online Learning and Information Technology for Childhood Education Annual.