Special Education A Washington Roundup

Spec. Ed. Research Chief is Selected

By Christina A. Samuels — May 24, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Edward J. Kame’enui was named last week as the first-ever commissioner for special education research in the Department of Education’s Institute for Education Sciences.

Mr. Kame’enui, 57, was named to the new research post last week by Grover J. “Russ” Whitehurst, the institute’s director.

While the researcher has gained prominence for his work in guiding the implementation of the federal Reading First initiative, he has drawn allegations from critics that his advisory role has helped increase the success of commercial instructional and assessment materials he helped develop.

Mr. Kame’enui has been a prominent reseacher at the University of Oregon for more than 15 years. Most recently he has been director of the Western Region Reading First Technical Assistance Center, housed at the university, which shares a $36 million federal grant with two other regional centers to provide technical assistance to grant recipients in the program.

He authored a key guide for evaluating reading programs to meet Reading First research-based requirements and helped build a database for a popular assessment: the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Reading Skill, or DIBELS. The use of that assessment, developed by a colleague at the university, has spread throughout the country thanks to its acceptance for use in Reading First schools.

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Rethinking STEM Assessment: Strategies for Administrators
School and district leaders will explore strategies to enhance STEM assessment practices across their district, within schools and classrooms.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
Federal Webinar Keeping Up with the Trump Administration's Latest K-12 Moves: Subscriber-Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.
Artificial Intelligence Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Math & Technology: Finding the Recipe for Student Success
How should we balance AI & math instruction? Join our discussion on preparing future-ready students.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Special Education Opinion RFK Jr. Is the Last Person Who Should Be in Charge of Special Education
Here’s why President Trump’s recent announcement sent a chill down the spines of autistic individuals like me.
David Rivera
3 min read
Collaged image of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with brightly colored classroom images in the background.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP + Getty Images
Special Education Spotlight Spotlight on Neurodiversity in K12: Supporting Every Learner's Success
This Spotlight will help you explore effective strategies for supporting neurodiverse students, fostering inclusive environments, and more.
Special Education Why Trump's Move to Shift Special Ed. to HHS Is Rattling Educators
Current and former staffers are wary of vague plans to move special education out of the Education Department.
9 min read
Professionals stand on an arrow that shifts from one parallel line to another, illustrating the concept of a realignment. One person is dressed as healthcare professional.
mathisworks/DigitalVision Vectors
Special Education How Schools Make Up for the Feds' Unfulfilled Special Ed. Funding Commitment
Congress has never met a 50-year-old funding commitment it made for special education services.
6 min read
Vector of a teacher hand holding puzzle piece bridging the gap in primary education for children
iStock/Getty Images