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Kathleen Lynne Lane ([email protected])
Mark Buckman ([email protected])
David Royer ([email protected])
Wendy Oakes ([email protected])

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Ci3T Research Team
Purpose: The Ci3T Strategic Leadership Team was developed to provide direction to scholarly activities pertaining to meeting students’ academic, behavioral, and social needs within tiered systems in a manner that supports teachers’ well-being and commits to evidence-based strategies, practices, and programs at each level of prevention.
Mission: The mission of the Ci3T Strategic Leadership Team is to advance understanding, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered models of prevention through rigorous scientific inquiry and respectful partnerships.
Kathleen Lynne Lane, Ph.D., BCBA-D, CF-L2 is a Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Lane’s research interests focus on designing, implementing, and evaluating Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention to (a) prevent the development of learning, behavior, and social and emotional well-being challenges and (b) respond to existing instances, with an emphasis on systematic screening. She is the co-editor of Remedial and Special Education and has been the principal investigator on several grants funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, including Project Enhance (Network) and Project Engage (Pandemic Impact). Dr. Lane has co-authored or edited 16 books and published 268 refereed journal articles and 59 book chapters.
E-mail: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Kathleen Lynne Lane
Wendy Peia Oakes, Ph.D. is the Nadine Mathis Basha Professor of Early Childhood Education at the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation (MLFC) at Arizona State University. She also serves as the Executive Strategist for ASU Learning Design and Discovery. Her work focuses on practices that improve educational access and outcomes for young children with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. For example, her research addresses Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention; the implementation of evidence-based academic and behavioral interventions; and professional learning for preservice and in-service educators in implementing practices with fidelity. Dr. Oakes served as a co-PI for Institute of Education Sciences (IES) research grants: Researcher-Practitioner Partnership Grant, an integrated-MTSS Network grant (Project ENHNACE), a measurement grant (Project SCREEN) extending the inquiry of the Student Risk Screening Scale – Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE), and a pandemic impact project (Project ENGAGE). She is the principal investigator for Project EPIC, a personnel preparation grant for scholars in special education. She serves as an associate editor for Remedial and Special Education and an annual special issue co-editor for Education and Treatment of Children. She served as the president of the Council for Exceptional Children-Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (currently the Division for Emotional and Behavioral Health) and the Division for Research.
E-mail: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Wendy Peia Oakes
Holly M. Menzies, Ph.D. is professor emeritus in the Division of Special Education and Counseling at California State University, Los Angeles. She earned her master’s degree and doctorate in special education from University of California, Riverside. She has participated in research about behavioral screening instruments to examine risk status of students with and without disabilities and the implementation of Ci3T.
E-mail: [email protected]
Grant Edmund Allen, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of special education at University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic in Menomonie, Wisconsin. He earned his bachelor’s degree in social science education from Saint Cloud State University in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, his master’s degree in special education from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, and his doctorate in special education from University of Kansas. He taught for five years in southwest Kansas as an inclusive special education teacher in math, English, social studies, and science classrooms. His interests include building, implementing, and evaluating tiered models, including comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention, low-intensity behavior support strategies, and social validity of Tier 1 practices within tiered models.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Grant Edmund Allen
Nelson Brunsting, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies (SESPECS) at the University of Florida. His research work is designed to understand and enhance the well-being of special education teachers, with a focus on ameliorating burnout by improving working conditions and supports for teaching. Nelson previously taught students with significant behavioral needs in Virginia.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Nelson Brunsting
Mark M. Buckman, Ph.D. is an assistant research professor in the department of special education at the University of Kansas and co-primary investigator for Project Engage. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English literature and master’s degree in early childhood education, both at KU. He worked as a paraeducator for five years and special education teacher for three years prior to beginning the doctoral program in the department of special education. His interests include social and emotional learning, positive behavioral interventions and supports, behavior screening, and comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Mark M. Buckman
Eric Alan Common, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA (MI) is an associate professor at University of Michigan-Flint. His research explores the active role schools play in whole-child development. More specifically, his research explores the delivery of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional prevention and interventions delivered through Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) models and school-based applied behavior analysis services.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Eric Alan Common
Emily Cantwell, M.S.E. is former project coordinator for Ci3T training and implementation projects. She is currently the learning resource coordinator at a private high school in South Dakota. She earned her master’s degree in special education, high incidence disabilities at University of Kansas, Department of Special Education. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and middle school science from Martin Luther Collee in New Ulm, Minnesota. Her interests include comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention, early prevention for students at risk using behavioral screening instruments, and implementation of evidence-based behavior interventions and classroom management practices.
Email: [email protected]
Katie Scarlett Lane Pelton, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of special education at the University of Florida. Katie earned her doctorate in research methods, measurement, and evaluation from the University of Connecticut. Her research focuses on (a) applications of measurement for school-based research and practice, (b) psychometric research in behavioral and affective domains, and (c) methodological research in measurement. Katie’s mission is to contribute to rigorous education research to ensure educators are equipped with effective instruments and interventions to support their students – especially those with or at risk for disabilities.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Katie Pelton
David James Royer, Ph.D., BCBA is an associate professor at University of Louisville with the College of Education and Human Development's department of special education, early childhood, and prevention Science. He earned his master’s degree in special education at California State University, Long Beach and his doctorate in special education at University of Kansas. Dr. Royer taught high school for eight years in California, including general education English and reading (9th and 10th grades), Strategies for Success (resource specialist program, grades 9-12), and an intensive reading clinic using Lindamood-Bell curricula. His research interests center on systems change via the Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Model of Prevention for academic, behavioral, and social success of all students. Additional interests include validating use of low-intensity teacher-delivered strategies as part of daily teacher practice for Tier 1 prevention and as Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention, and validating Seeing Stars and Visualizing and Verbalizing reading curricula. Dr. Royer also studies student-directed individualized education programs (IEPs) and created My IEP®, a curriculum for teaching students to lead their full IEP meeting. He serves on multiple journals’ editorial board and is the Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: David James Royer
Rebecca Lee Sherod Adams, MSE is a PhD student at Arizona State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood and special education from Arizona State University and her master’s degree in Special Education – High Incidence Disabilities from University of Kansas while working on the Ci3T research team. Her interests include tiered systems to support students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), teacher preparation, and systematic screening to support early detection and intervention.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Rebecca Adams
The Ci3T Research Team includes those who research or support the research of Ci3T.
Rebecca Lee Sherod Adams, MSE is a PhD student at Arizona State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood and special education from Arizona State University and her master’s degree in Special Education – High Incidence Disabilities from University of Kansas while working on the Ci3T research team. Her interests include tiered systems to support students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), teacher preparation, and systematic screening to support early detection and intervention.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Rebecca Adams
Amy M. Briesch, Ph.D. is a professor of school psychology in the Department of Applied Psychology at Northeastern University. Her primary research interests involve the development of feasible and psychometrically sound measures for the assessment of student behavior in a multi-tiered system of supports. Dr. Briesch has authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles and three books focused on school-based behavioral assessment and intervention.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Amy M. Briesch
Matthew B. Aschliman, M.A., BCBA is a doctoral student at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University and a member of the Ci3T research team. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Idaho State University and his master’s degree in special education with an emphasis in applied behavior analysis from Arizona State University. Mr. Aschliman is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has extensive experience providing behavioral services in school settings. He has worked as a behavioral interventionist alongside teachers and administrators, with a particular focus on supporting middle school students, and has managed behavioral intervention teams serving schools across multiple districts. His interests include Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention, teacher well-being, applied behavior analysis, evidence-based practices, implementation, and school-based systems of support. His research focuses on teacher well-being within educational systems, including how contextual and workplace factors influence educator behavior and well-being and how supporting educators may contribute to sustainable implementation of practices that promote positive student outcomes.
Email: [email protected]
Grant Edmund Allen, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of special education at University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic in Menomonie, Wisconsin. He earned his bachelor’s degree in social science education from Saint Cloud State University in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, his master’s degree in special education from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, and his doctorate in special education from University of Kansas. He taught for five years in southwest Kansas as an inclusive special education teacher in math, English, social studies, and science classrooms. His interests include building, implementing, and evaluating tiered models, including comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention, low-intensity behavior support strategies, and social validity of Tier 1 practices within tiered models.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Grant Edmund Allen
Katherine (Katie) S. Austin, Ph.D., is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Dr. Austin teaches courses and serves as a field experience supervisor for both undergraduate and graduate students in Special Education and other education-related majors. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Auburn University and subsequently completed a Masters of Education in Instructional Practice, with an endorsement in English Language Learners, at Lipscomb University. Prior to entering higher education, Dr. Austin taught elementary school and served as an administrator in Nashville, Tennessee for seven years. Dr. Austin completed her PhD in Special Education at the University of Kansas in 2023. Her teaching and research focus on teacher preparation and ongoing professional learning and coaching, the implementation of low-intensity and evidence-based practices to support students in both special education and general education classrooms, positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), and Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Katie S. Austin
Allison M. Bernard, M.Ed. is a doctoral student in the Department of Special Education at The University of Kansas. She holds a B.A. in Secondary Social Studies Education and an M. Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction: Special Education Diagnostics from The University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Prior to attending KU, she taught middle and high school as a general and special educator in Louisiana. Her research interests include promoting evidence-based practices to support K-12 students with and at-risk of internalizing behaviors within Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention. Her immediate interests span collaborative practices and partnerships to adapt and evaluate interventions and to promote their sustained use through professional learning.
Email: [email protected]
ORCiD: 0009-0006-4251-313X
ResearchGate: Allison M. Bernard
Carrie L. Brandon, Ph.D., NBCT is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education at Bellarmine University. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Washington State University, master’s degree in special education from Western New Mexico University, and master’s degree in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University, and PhD in Language, Literacy and Technology from Arizona State University. Dr. Brandon is a National Board-Certified Teacher through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. She has worked as a secondary education Peace Corps Volunteer, general education teacher, gifted and talented teacher, special education teacher, special education coordinator, director of student services, and university instructor. Her interests include Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) model of prevention, teacher preparation, in-service professional learning and coaching, evidence-based practices to support the development of safe predictable learning environments, and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS).
Email:[email protected]
ORCiD:0000-0002-7047-4274
Amy M. Briesch, Ph.D. is an associate professor of school psychology at Northeastern University. Her research focuses on developing measures of student social behavior for use in tiered systems. She serves as co-PI for multiple IES-funded projects, has authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles, and published two books focused on school-based behavioral assessment. She was the 2014 winner of the Lightner Witmer Award for early career scholarship from Division 16 of the APA and is a member of the Society for the Study of School Psychology.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Amy Briesch
Kristina Leilani Brown, M.Ed., BCBA is a dual licensed teacher in elementary and special education. She is a master's degree graduate student studying special education with a BCBA focus at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She has been a part of the Ci3T research team since fall 2018, managing Hawaiʻi-based Ci3T professional learning series including Train the Trainers. Her interests include intensive behavior supports, Ci3T, and organizational behavior management focused on environmental sustainability.
Email: [email protected]
Mark M. Buckman, Ph.D. is an assistant research professor in the department of special education at the University of Kansas and co-primary investigator for Project Engage. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English literature and master’s degree in early childhood education, both at KU. He worked as a paraeducator for five years and special education teacher for three years prior to beginning the doctoral program in the department of special education. His interests include social and emotional learning, positive behavioral interventions and supports, behavior screening, and comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Mark M. Buckman
Amy Buffington, MSE, is a research project coordinator at University of Kansas for the Ci3T research team. She earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from University of Iowa and her master's degree in counseling psychology from University of Kansas. She has extensive experience working in public schools, including positions as an elementary classroom teacher, middle school reading teacher, assistant to the school psychologist, and elementary school counselor.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Coming soon.
Donna Cauley, M.Ed., founder of Cauley Coaching & Consulting LLC, an educational leadership coaching and consulting practice based in Manchester, Vermont, where she partners with schools and districts to strengthen leadership practices, implement sustainable MTSS frameworks, and promote trauma-informed, inclusive systems. Donna has served as a school leader and educator for over three decades, including roles as School Principal, Associate Director of Student Services, Assistant Principal, and Special Educator. As School Principal, she focused on Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, trauma-sensitive schooling, and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, and designed, installed, and implemented Ci3T models of prevention for over 12 years. She currently coaches alongside the Ci3T Strategic Leadership Team at the University of Kansas and recently earned Ci3T Trainer certification. Donna also mentors new leaders statewide through the Vermont Principals' Association.
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Sandra M. Chafouleas is a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and Neag Endowed Professor in the Neag School of Education at UConn. She also serves as the founder and Co-Director of the UConn Collaboratory on School and Child Health (CSCH). Dr. Chafouleas received her Ph.D. in psychology (school) from Syracuse University and is a licensed psychologist in Connecticut. Dr. Chafouleas focuses her work on usable practices that support the whole child, with specific expertise in strategies to support social, emotional, and behavioral well-being. As PI/Co-PI, she has secured over $20 million to support these research, service, and training activities. Dr. Chafouleas is co-creator of Feel Your Best Self, an award-winning toolkit for learning simple emotion-coping strategies. She has authored over 200 publications, and regularly serves as a national presenter and invited speaker. She is a fellow in both the American Psychological Association and Association for Psychological Science, and has received multiple recognitions for her work, including Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association. She previously served as associate dean for The Graduate School (2012-2014) and then the associate dean for research in the Neag School (2014-2016). Prior to becoming a university trainer, she worked as a school psychologist and school administrator in a variety of settings supporting the well-being of students and their school and family caregivers.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Sandra M. Chafouleas
Faculty webpage: University of Connecticut
Eric Alan Common, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA (MI) is an associate professor at University of Michigan-Flint. His research explores the active role schools play in whole-child development. More specifically, his research explores the delivery of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional prevention and interventions delivered through Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) models and school-based applied behavior analysis services.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Eric Alan Common
Howard C. Diacon Ed.S., is a retired building administrator with over 30 years of experience in leading schools through a variety of school reform and improvement programs. He has worked in rural, urban, and suburban settings. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas in elementary education and his specialist in education degree from Wichita State University in school administration. He currently serves as a Ci3T coach working with numerous Ci3T leadership teams where he is able to share his wisdom from years of experience implementing Ci3T as an elementary school principal.
E-mail: [email protected]
Robin Parks Ennis, Ph.D., BCBA-D is an associate professor of special education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She earned her doctorate in special education from Georgia State University. Her interests include three-tiered models of positive behavior interventions and supports, particularly Tier 2 academic and behavioral interventions for students with and at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Dr. Ennis is currently working with school in Alabama to develop and implement Ci3T frameworks through the Alabama Aware grant funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Alliance. Dr. Ennis also works with Alabama schools to implement systematic screening as a part of comprehensive, school- based mental services. She serves as an associate editor for Remedial and Special Education and Behavioral Disorders, on the editorial boards of Beyond Behavior, Education and Treatment of Children, Intervention in School and Clinic, the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, and on the executive committee for the Division of Emotional and Behavioral Health.
E-mail: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Robin Parks Ennis
Emily A. Iovino, Ph.D., NCSP is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Educational Psychology and at the Collaboratory on School and Child Health at University of Connecticut. Dr. Iovino has presented nationally and published on topics such as family caregiver health and well-being, school-based behavior screening, and supporting district and school implementation of policies and practices related to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model. Her primary research interests involve social-emotional and behavioral assessment and intervention that support positive outcomes for children and their caregivers.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Emily A. Iovino
Kathryn L. Johnson, M.A., is a doctoral student in the department of special education at the University of Kansas. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in applied behavior analysis from the University of Kansas. She worked as a special education teacher for five years in self-contained early childhood and elementary school classrooms. She also worked as a research project specialist on an IES grant-funded study. Her interests include Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention and evidence-based practices to support students with academic, social, and behavioral concerns.
Email: [email protected]
Kathleen Lynne Lane, Ph.D., BCBA-D, CF-L2 is a Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Lane’s research interests focus on designing, implementing, and evaluating Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention to (a) prevent the development of learning, behavior, and social and emotional well-being challenges and (b) respond to existing instances, with an emphasis on systematic screening. She is the co-editor of Remedial and Special Education and has been the principal investigator on several grants funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, including Project Enhance (Network) and Project Engage (Pandemic Impact). Dr. Lane has co-authored or edited 16 books and published 268 refereed journal articles and 59 book chapters.
E-mail: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Kathleen Lynne Lane
Nathan Allen Lane, M.S. is research technician with the KU Ci3T research team. His interests include longitudinal data analysis, financial time series analysis, general linear models, and Bayesian methodologies.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Coming soon.
Jessica Matus, M.A., BCBA, LBA
Email: [email protected]
Wendy Peia Oakes, Ph.D., the Nadine Mathis Basha Professor of Early Childhood Education at the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation (MLFC) at Arizona State University. She also serves as the Executive Strategist for ASU Learning Design and Discovery. Her work focuses on practices that improve educational access and outcomes for young children with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. For example, her research addresses Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention; the implementation of evidence-based academic and behavioral interventions; and professional learning for preservice and in-service educators in implementing practices with fidelity. Dr. Oakes served as a co-PI for Institute of Education Sciences (IES) research grants: Researcher-Practitioner Partnership Grant, an integrated-MTSS Network grant (Project ENHNACE), a measurement grant (Project SCREEN) extending the inquiry of the Student Risk Screening Scale – Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE), and a pandemic impact project (Project ENGAGE). She is the principal investigator for Project EPIC, a personnel preparation grant for scholars in special education. She serves as an associate editor for Remedial and Special Education and an annual special issue co-editor for Education and Treatment of Children. She served as the president of the Council for Exceptional Children-Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (currently the Division for Emotional and Behavioral Health) and the Division for Research.
E-mail: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Wendy P. Oakes
Paloma Pérez, Ph.D., Ed. S., is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development. She has more than a decade of experience as a school psychologist, and her research focuses on promoting youth mental and behavioral health through the implementation, evaluation, and adaptation of evidence-based practices. Her work emphasizes social and emotional learning, positive youth development, violence prevention, and Ci3T Models of Prevention, with particular attention to developing interventions that are feasible, responsive, and relevant to the communities they serve. Dr. Pérez is especially interested in bridging research and practice and expanding access to evidence-based supports across diverse educational and digital global communities.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Paloma Perez
Morgan Pinkerton
Email: [email protected]
David James Royer, Ph.D., BCBA is an associate professor at University of Louisville with the College of Education and Human Development's department of special education, early childhood, and prevention Science. He earned his master’s degree in special education at California State University, Long Beach and his doctorate in special education at University of Kansas. Dr. Royer taught high school for eight years in California, including general education English and reading (9th and 10th grades), Strategies for Success (resource specialist program, grades 9-12), and an intensive reading clinic using Lindamood-Bell curricula. His research interests center on systems change via the Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Model of Prevention for academic, behavioral, and social success of all students. Additional interests include validating use of low-intensity teacher-delivered strategies as part of daily teacher practice for Tier 1 prevention and as Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention, and validating Seeing Stars and Visualizing and Verbalizing reading curricula. Dr. Royer also studies student-directed individualized education programs (IEPs) and created My IEP®, a curriculum for teaching students to lead their full IEP meeting. He serves on multiple journals’ editorial board and is the Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: David James Royer
Elise Sarasin, M.S.E. is pursuing a Ph.D. in Special Education at the University of Kansas. She earned her bachelor’s degree in childhood education and bilingual education from the College of Saint Rose and her master’s degree in special education– high-incidence disabilities from the University of Kansas. Prior to starting the doctoral program, Elise worked as a kindergarten teacher, teacher coach, and director of special education. Elise’s research interests are grounded in applied inquiry to build educator capacity to support students’ academic, behavioral, and social and emotional well-being within integrated tiered systems such as Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention. Her lines of inquiry are focused on (a) enhancing educational outcomes for students with the most intensive intervention needs, specifically functional assessment-based intervention in PK–12 school settings and phonics and fluency interventions for adolescents with co-occurring reading and behavioral needs, and (b) building educator capacity to implement evidence-based practices as part of integrated tiered systems.
Email: [email protected]
Sarah Jane D. Schonour, Ed.D., NBCT is the Director of Learning Materials for an EdTech company. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary, her master’s degree from George Washington University, and her doctorate from Marymount University. Dr. Schonour is certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and has worked as an instructional assistant, special education teacher, curriculum resource teacher, behavior intervention teacher, assistant curriculum director, and university instructor. Her interests include Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention, systematic screening, teacher preparation, in-service professional learning and coaching, oral reading fluency, evidence-based practices to support students in reading and writing, and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS).
Email: [email protected]
Joni L. Weiss, M.S.Ed. received her master's degree in special education from the University of Kansas and is a research assistant with the KU Ci3T Research Team. She also received licensure to teach students with English as a second or other language from KU. She earned her B.A. in special education from the University of Northern Iowa, with licensure to teach students with emotional and/or behavioral disabilities or functional or adaptive intellectual disability. She taught special education in Topeka, Kansas for five years and in Lawrence, Kansas for 32 years. She was a member of her school’s Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (Ci3T) leadership team for nine years and continues her interest in tiered models of prevention and low-intensity strategies by coaching administrators, faculty, and staff to support students, of all ability levels, in the areas of academics, behavior, and social skills.
Email: [email protected]
Stacie Williams, B.S. is a research project coordinator at the University of Kansas for the Ci3T Research Team. Prior to joining, she worked as an undergraduate research assistant for the Adolescent Stress and Emotion research lab at Arizona State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Arizona State University in December of 2021.
Email: [email protected]
Kathleen M. Williamson, Ph.D., NCSP is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Connecticut. She teaches in the master’s/sixth-year and doctoral programs in school psychology within the Neag School of Education. Her research interests include economic evaluation of Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention and targeted behavioral interventions as well as implementation of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model. Dr. Williamson is a nationally certified school psychologist and previously worked as a school psychologist at the high school level.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Coming soon.
The Ci3T Research Team includes those who research or support the research of Ci3T.
Rebecca Lee Sherod Adams, MSE is a PhD student at Arizona State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood and special education from Arizona State University and her master’s degree in Special Education – High Incidence Disabilities from University of Kansas while working on the Ci3T research team. Her interests include tiered systems to support students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), teacher preparation, and systematic screening to support early detection and intervention.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Rebecca Adams
Amy M. Briesch, Ph.D. is a professor of school psychology in the Department of Applied Psychology at Northeastern University. Her primary research interests involve the development of feasible and psychometrically sound measures for the assessment of student behavior in a multi-tiered system of supports. Dr. Briesch has authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles and three books focused on school-based behavioral assessment and intervention.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Amy M. Briesch
Matthew B. Aschliman, M.A., BCBA is a doctoral student at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University and a member of the Ci3T research team. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Idaho State University and his master’s degree in special education with an emphasis in applied behavior analysis from Arizona State University. Mr. Aschliman is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has extensive experience providing behavioral services in school settings. He has worked as a behavioral interventionist alongside teachers and administrators, with a particular focus on supporting middle school students, and has managed behavioral intervention teams serving schools across multiple districts. His interests include Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention, teacher well-being, applied behavior analysis, evidence-based practices, implementation, and school-based systems of support. His research focuses on teacher well-being within educational systems, including how contextual and workplace factors influence educator behavior and well-being and how supporting educators may contribute to sustainable implementation of practices that promote positive student outcomes.
Email: [email protected]
Grant Edmund Allen, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of special education at University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic in Menomonie, Wisconsin. He earned his bachelor’s degree in social science education from Saint Cloud State University in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, his master’s degree in special education from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, and his doctorate in special education from University of Kansas. He taught for five years in southwest Kansas as an inclusive special education teacher in math, English, social studies, and science classrooms. His interests include building, implementing, and evaluating tiered models, including comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention, low-intensity behavior support strategies, and social validity of Tier 1 practices within tiered models.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Grant Edmund Allen
Katherine (Katie) S. Austin, Ph.D., is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Dr. Austin teaches courses and serves as a field experience supervisor for both undergraduate and graduate students in Special Education and other education-related majors. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Auburn University and subsequently completed a Masters of Education in Instructional Practice, with an endorsement in English Language Learners, at Lipscomb University. Prior to entering higher education, Dr. Austin taught elementary school and served as an administrator in Nashville, Tennessee for seven years. Dr. Austin completed her PhD in Special Education at the University of Kansas in 2023. Her teaching and research focus on teacher preparation and ongoing professional learning and coaching, the implementation of low-intensity and evidence-based practices to support students in both special education and general education classrooms, positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), and Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Katie S. Austin
Allison M. Bernard, M.Ed. is a doctoral student in the Department of Special Education at The University of Kansas. She holds a B.A. in Secondary Social Studies Education and an M. Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction: Special Education Diagnostics from The University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Prior to attending KU, she taught middle and high school as a general and special educator in Louisiana. Her research interests include promoting evidence-based practices to support K-12 students with and at-risk of internalizing behaviors within Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention. Her immediate interests span collaborative practices and partnerships to adapt and evaluate interventions and to promote their sustained use through professional learning.
Email: [email protected]
ORCiD: 0009-0006-4251-313X
ResearchGate: Allison M. Bernard
Carrie L. Brandon, Ph.D., NBCT is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education at Bellarmine University. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Washington State University, master’s degree in special education from Western New Mexico University, and master’s degree in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University, and PhD in Language, Literacy and Technology from Arizona State University. Dr. Brandon is a National Board-Certified Teacher through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. She has worked as a secondary education Peace Corps Volunteer, general education teacher, gifted and talented teacher, special education teacher, special education coordinator, director of student services, and university instructor. Her interests include Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) model of prevention, teacher preparation, in-service professional learning and coaching, evidence-based practices to support the development of safe predictable learning environments, and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS).
Email:[email protected]
ORCiD:0000-0002-7047-4274
Amy M. Briesch, Ph.D. is an associate professor of school psychology at Northeastern University. Her research focuses on developing measures of student social behavior for use in tiered systems. She serves as co-PI for multiple IES-funded projects, has authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles, and published two books focused on school-based behavioral assessment. She was the 2014 winner of the Lightner Witmer Award for early career scholarship from Division 16 of the APA and is a member of the Society for the Study of School Psychology.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Amy Briesch
Kristina Leilani Brown, M.Ed., BCBA is a dual licensed teacher in elementary and special education. She is a master's degree graduate student studying special education with a BCBA focus at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She has been a part of the Ci3T research team since fall 2018, managing Hawaiʻi-based Ci3T professional learning series including Train the Trainers. Her interests include intensive behavior supports, Ci3T, and organizational behavior management focused on environmental sustainability.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Coming soon.
Mark M. Buckman, Ph.D. is an assistant research professor in the department of special education at the University of Kansas and co-primary investigator for Project Engage. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English literature and master’s degree in early childhood education, both at KU. He worked as a paraeducator for five years and special education teacher for three years prior to beginning the doctoral program in the department of special education. His interests include social and emotional learning, positive behavioral interventions and supports, behavior screening, and comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Mark M. Buckman
Amy Buffington, MSE, is a research project coordinator at University of Kansas for the Ci3T research team. She earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from University of Iowa and her master's degree in counseling psychology from University of Kansas. She has extensive experience working in public schools, including positions as an elementary classroom teacher, middle school reading teacher, assistant to the school psychologist, and elementary school counselor.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Coming soon.
Donna Cauley, M.Ed., founder of Cauley Coaching & Consulting LLC, an educational leadership coaching and consulting practice based in Manchester, Vermont, where she partners with schools and districts to strengthen leadership practices, implement sustainable MTSS frameworks, and promote trauma-informed, inclusive systems. Donna has served as a school leader and educator for over three decades, including roles as School Principal, Associate Director of Student Services, Assistant Principal, and Special Educator. As School Principal, she focused on Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, trauma-sensitive schooling, and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, and designed, installed, and implemented Ci3T models of prevention for over 12 years. She currently coaches alongside the Ci3T Strategic Leadership Team at the University of Kansas and recently earned Ci3T Trainer certification. Donna also mentors new leaders statewide through the Vermont Principals' Association.
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Sandra M. Chafouleas is a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and Neag Endowed Professor in the Neag School of Education at UConn. She also serves as the founder and Co-Director of the UConn Collaboratory on School and Child Health (CSCH). Dr. Chafouleas received her Ph.D. in psychology (school) from Syracuse University and is a licensed psychologist in Connecticut. Dr. Chafouleas focuses her work on usable practices that support the whole child, with specific expertise in strategies to support social, emotional, and behavioral well-being. As PI/Co-PI, she has secured over $20 million to support these research, service, and training activities. Dr. Chafouleas is co-creator of Feel Your Best Self, an award-winning toolkit for learning simple emotion-coping strategies. She has authored over 200 publications, and regularly serves as a national presenter and invited speaker. She is a fellow in both the American Psychological Association and Association for Psychological Science, and has received multiple recognitions for her work, including Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association. She previously served as associate dean for The Graduate School (2012-2014) and then the associate dean for research in the Neag School (2014-2016). Prior to becoming a university trainer, she worked as a school psychologist and school administrator in a variety of settings supporting the well-being of students and their school and family caregivers.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Sandra M. Chafouleas
Faculty webpage: University of Connecticut
Eric Alan Common, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA (MI) is an associate professor at University of Michigan-Flint. His research explores the active role schools play in whole-child development. More specifically, his research explores the delivery of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional prevention and interventions delivered through Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) models and school-based applied behavior analysis services.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Eric Alan Common
Howard C. Diacon Ed.S., is a retired building administrator with over 30 years of experience in leading schools through a variety of school reform and improvement programs. He has worked in rural, urban, and suburban settings. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas in elementary education and his specialist in education degree from Wichita State University in school administration. He currently serves as a Ci3T coach working with numerous Ci3T leadership teams where he is able to share his wisdom from years of experience implementing Ci3T as an elementary school principal.
E-mail: [email protected]
Robin Parks Ennis, Ph.D., BCBA-D is an associate professor of special education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She earned her doctorate in special education from Georgia State University. Her interests include three-tiered models of positive behavior interventions and supports, particularly Tier 2 academic and behavioral interventions for students with and at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Dr. Ennis is currently working with school in Alabama to develop and implement Ci3T frameworks through the Alabama Aware grant funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Alliance. Dr. Ennis also works with Alabama schools to implement systematic screening as a part of comprehensive, school- based mental services. She serves as an associate editor for Remedial and Special Education and Behavioral Disorders, on the editorial boards of Beyond Behavior, Education and Treatment of Children, Intervention in School and Clinic, the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, and on the executive committee for the Division of Emotional and Behavioral Health.
E-mail: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Robin Parks Ennis
Emily A. Iovino, Ph.D., NCSP is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Educational Psychology and at the Collaboratory on School and Child Health at University of Connecticut. Dr. Iovino has presented nationally and published on topics such as family caregiver health and well-being, school-based behavior screening, and supporting district and school implementation of policies and practices related to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model. Her primary research interests involve social-emotional and behavioral assessment and intervention that support positive outcomes for children and their caregivers.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Emily A. Iovino
Kathryn L. Johnson, M.A., is a doctoral student in the department of special education at the University of Kansas. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in applied behavior analysis from the University of Kansas. She worked as a special education teacher for five years in self-contained early childhood and elementary school classrooms. She also worked as a research project specialist on an IES grant-funded study. Her interests include Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention and evidence-based practices to support students with academic, social, and behavioral concerns.
Email: [email protected]
Kathleen Lynne Lane, Ph.D., BCBA-D, CF-L2 is a Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Lane’s research interests focus on designing, implementing, and evaluating Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention to (a) prevent the development of learning, behavior, and social and emotional well-being challenges and (b) respond to existing instances, with an emphasis on systematic screening. She is the co-editor of Remedial and Special Education and has been the principal investigator on several grants funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, including Project Enhance (Network) and Project Engage (Pandemic Impact). Dr. Lane has co-authored or edited 16 books and published 268 refereed journal articles and 59 book chapters.
E-mail: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Kathleen Lynne Lane
Nathan Allen Lane, M.S. is research technician with the KU Ci3T research team. His interests include longitudinal data analysis, financial time series analysis, general linear models, and Bayesian methodologies.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Coming soon.
Jessica Matus, M.A., BCBA, LBA
Email: [email protected]
Wendy Peia Oakes, Ph.D., the Nadine Mathis Basha Professor of Early Childhood Education at the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation (MLFC) at Arizona State University. She also serves as the Executive Strategist for ASU Learning Design and Discovery. Her work focuses on practices that improve educational access and outcomes for young children with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. For example, her research addresses Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention; the implementation of evidence-based academic and behavioral interventions; and professional learning for preservice and in-service educators in implementing practices with fidelity. Dr. Oakes served as a co-PI for Institute of Education Sciences (IES) research grants: Researcher-Practitioner Partnership Grant, an integrated-MTSS Network grant (Project ENHNACE), a measurement grant (Project SCREEN) extending the inquiry of the Student Risk Screening Scale – Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE), and a pandemic impact project (Project ENGAGE). She is the principal investigator for Project EPIC, a personnel preparation grant for scholars in special education. She serves as an associate editor for Remedial and Special Education and an annual special issue co-editor for Education and Treatment of Children. She served as the president of the Council for Exceptional Children-Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (currently the Division for Emotional and Behavioral Health) and the Division for Research.
E-mail: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Wendy P. Oakes
Paloma Pérez, Ph.D., Ed. S., is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development. She has more than a decade of experience as a school psychologist, and her research focuses on promoting youth mental and behavioral health through the implementation, evaluation, and adaptation of evidence-based practices. Her work emphasizes social and emotional learning, positive youth development, violence prevention, and Ci3T Models of Prevention, with particular attention to developing interventions that are feasible, responsive, and relevant to the communities they serve. Dr. Pérez is especially interested in bridging research and practice and expanding access to evidence-based supports across diverse educational and digital global communities.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Paloma Perez
Morgan Pinkerton
Email: [email protected]
David James Royer, Ph.D., BCBA is an associate professor at University of Louisville with the College of Education and Human Development's department of special education, early childhood, and prevention Science. He earned his master’s degree in special education at California State University, Long Beach and his doctorate in special education at University of Kansas. Dr. Royer taught high school for eight years in California, including general education English and reading (9th and 10th grades), Strategies for Success (resource specialist program, grades 9-12), and an intensive reading clinic using Lindamood-Bell curricula. His research interests center on systems change via the Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Model of Prevention for academic, behavioral, and social success of all students. Additional interests include validating use of low-intensity teacher-delivered strategies as part of daily teacher practice for Tier 1 prevention and as Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention, and validating Seeing Stars and Visualizing and Verbalizing reading curricula. Dr. Royer also studies student-directed individualized education programs (IEPs) and created My IEP®, a curriculum for teaching students to lead their full IEP meeting. He serves on multiple journals’ editorial board and is the Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: David James Royer
Elise Sarasin, M.S.E. is pursuing a Ph.D. in Special Education at the University of Kansas. She earned her bachelor’s degree in childhood education and bilingual education from the College of Saint Rose and her master’s degree in special education– high-incidence disabilities from the University of Kansas. Prior to starting the doctoral program, Elise worked as a kindergarten teacher, teacher coach, and director of special education. Elise’s research interests are grounded in applied inquiry to build educator capacity to support students’ academic, behavioral, and social and emotional well-being within integrated tiered systems such as Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention. Her lines of inquiry are focused on (a) enhancing educational outcomes for students with the most intensive intervention needs, specifically functional assessment-based intervention in PK–12 school settings and phonics and fluency interventions for adolescents with co-occurring reading and behavioral needs, and (b) building educator capacity to implement evidence-based practices as part of integrated tiered systems.
Email: [email protected]
Sarah Jane D. Schonour, Ed.D., NBCT is the Director of Learning Materials for an EdTech company. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary, her master’s degree from George Washington University, and her doctorate from Marymount University. Dr. Schonour is certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and has worked as an instructional assistant, special education teacher, curriculum resource teacher, behavior intervention teacher, assistant curriculum director, and university instructor. Her interests include Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention, systematic screening, teacher preparation, in-service professional learning and coaching, oral reading fluency, evidence-based practices to support students in reading and writing, and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS).
Email: [email protected]
Joni L. Weiss, M.S.Ed. received her master's degree in special education from the University of Kansas and is a research assistant with the KU Ci3T Research Team. She also received licensure to teach students with English as a second or other language from KU. She earned her B.A. in special education from the University of Northern Iowa, with licensure to teach students with emotional and/or behavioral disabilities or functional or adaptive intellectual disability. She taught special education in Topeka, Kansas for five years and in Lawrence, Kansas for 32 years. She was a member of her school’s Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (Ci3T) leadership team for nine years and continues her interest in tiered models of prevention and low-intensity strategies by coaching administrators, faculty, and staff to support students, of all ability levels, in the areas of academics, behavior, and social skills.
Email: [email protected]
Stacie Williams, B.S. is a research project coordinator at the University of Kansas for the Ci3T Research Team. Prior to joining, she worked as an undergraduate research assistant for the Adolescent Stress and Emotion research lab at Arizona State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Arizona State University in December of 2021.
Email: [email protected]
Kathleen M. Williamson, Ph.D., NCSP is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Connecticut. She teaches in the master’s/sixth-year and doctoral programs in school psychology within the Neag School of Education. Her research interests include economic evaluation of Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention and targeted behavioral interventions as well as implementation of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model. Dr. Williamson is a nationally certified school psychologist and previously worked as a school psychologist at the high school level.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Coming soon.
Cherie Blanchat, MSW, LSCSW, LCSW, is a school mental health systems and implementation support leader with more than 20 years of experience helping education and behavioral health partners move from initiative adoption to implementation readiness, operational clarity, and sustainable practice. She helps educators design and implement integrated tiered systems of support such as Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Model of Prevention. Within integrated tiered systems, her work uses positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) as the behavioral framework and integrates social and emotional well-being alongside academic supports. Her areas of focus include governance, role clarity, decision pathways, referral and documentation routines, data use, professional learning, coaching, and continuous improvement. Grounded in school social work, Cherie’s experience includes culturally and linguistically responsive special education assessment and work with Spanish-speaking, immigrant, Latino, and multilingual students and families. She has also taught graduate-level school social work and served as president of the Kansas School Social Work Association. She is a Ci3T Trainer; her performance assessments were accepted by the Ci3T Strategic Leadership Team in August 2026
Beth Bourque, SSP, is currently a Director of Special Education with the Olympic Education Service District (OESD) 113, in Bremerton, Washington. Previous positions held include Director of MTSS, Assistant Principal, Academic/Behavior Intervention Coach, and School Psychologist. Since beginning her career in 2005, her interests have always focused on reconstructing systems to provide equitable and inclusive access for all students. She has provided coaching at the classroom, school, and district level since 2005, including topics specific to PBIS, integration of SEL and mental health, using RtI as eligibility for specific learning disabilities, and building district capacity for MTSS. Since 2018, she has been involved with learning about and becoming a trainer of the Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (Ci3T) model of prevention, and has since supported over 30 schools across five districts to build and implement their Ci3T model.
E-mail: [email protected]
Andrea Bowman, M.Ed., brings over 29 years of experience in education to her current role serving as the Regional Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Implementation Strategies for Olympic Educational Service District 114 in Washington State. Her previous experiences serving as a middle school language arts and social studies teacher, dean of students, assistant principal, and assistant director of student services informs her support of schools who are designing, implementing, and monitoring a Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Model of Prevention to address students' academic, behavioral, and social and emotional well-being learning domains. Her leadership experience has focused on building capacity across school and district teams in the areas of MTSS, positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), social emotional learning (SEL), counseling, attendance, McKinney-Vento, Section 504, and student and staff well-being. Since 2020, she has supported over 25 schools across five districts in developing and implementing their Ci3T model of prevention. Andrea brings a strong personal and professional commitment to inclusive practices, shaped in part by her experiences as a parent of a child with autism.
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Donna Cauley, M.Ed., founder of Cauley Coaching & Consulting LLC, an educational leadership coaching and consulting practice based in Manchester, Vermont, where she partners with schools and districts to strengthen leadership practices, implement sustainable MTSS frameworks, and promote trauma-informed, inclusive systems. Donna has served as a school leader and educator for over three decades, including roles as School Principal, Associate Director of Student Services, Assistant Principal, and Special Educator. As School Principal, she focused on Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, trauma-sensitive schooling, and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, and designed, installed, and implemented Ci3T models of prevention for over 12 years. She currently coaches alongside the Ci3T Strategic Leadership Team at the University of Kansas and recently earned Ci3T Trainer certification. Donna also mentors new leaders statewide through the Vermont Principals' Association.
Email: [email protected]
Sandy Gessner-Crabtree, M.Ed., Executive Leadership Certification, is currently serving as the Assistant Superintendent at Olympic Education Service District 114 in Bremerton, Washington. She has served as a teacher, mentor, instructional coach, reading interventionist, director of curriculum and assessment, executive director of professional learning, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. She is currently part of OSPI’s State MTSS Team working with school district leadership teams on the installation of tiered and integrated systems of student support. She has been partnering with Ci3T since 2018 and led over 20 school teams through building their Ci3T plan and supporting Ci3T implementation.
E-mail: [email protected]
Amber L. Smith, M.Ed., is currently the director of academic intervention for Fort Mill School District in Fort Mill, South Carolina. For the last 25 years, her career has centered around ensuring equitable access to high-quality instruction for all students, both as a classroom teacher and interventionist and later as a district-level administrator. She began her work with Ci3T in 2020, and has since led over 20 K-12 schools through building and implementing their comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered (Ci3T) model of prevention. This work has included connecting Ci3T implementation with the professional learning community practices and strategies designed to improve outcomes for students.
Email: [email protected]
Joni L. Weiss, M.S.Ed. received her master's degree in special education from the University of Kansas and is a research assistant with the KU Ci3T Research Team. She also received licensure to teach students with English as a second or other language from KU. She earned her B.A. in special education from the University of Northern Iowa, with licensure to teach students with emotional and/or behavioral disabilities or functional or adaptive intellectual disability. She taught special education in Topeka, Kansas for five years and in Lawrence, Kansas for 32 years. She was a member of her school’s Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (Ci3T) leadership team for nine years and continues her interest in tiered models of prevention and low-intensity strategies by coaching administrators, faculty, and staff to support students, of all ability levels, in the areas of academics, behavior, and social skills.
Email: [email protected]
Ci3T Trainers have completed a series of three competencies:
- Completion of R01 Recommended Readings and attendance at a Ci3T Train the Trainers professional learning series
- Demonstration of content knowledge
- Successful completion of the Knowledge, Confidence, and Use survey
- Successful completion of the Ci3T Checks for Understanding
- Completion of performance assessment
- Brief video-recording of training simulation
- a. Provide overview of Ci3T using select slides
- b. Demonstrate knowledge of all six professional learning series session content using sample of slides
- c. Session surveys (summary data by session and item; reflection on pacing guides)
- Ci3T Implementation Manual feedback
- Provide feedback to an example school on each blueprint using the Ci3T Implementation Manual Feedback Form
- Provide training support for FAQs
- Choice of modality: video, audio recording, written
- Brief video-recording of training simulation
Feedback will be provided with opportunities to resubmit.
Ci3T Partners include districts, schools, and other education leaders who implement, train, or support the training and implementation of Ci3T. Due to the confidential nature of research activities, most cannot be listed here publicly.
Rebecca Lee Sherod Adams, MSE is a PhD student at Arizona State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood and special education from Arizona State University and her master’s degree in Special Education – High Incidence Disabilities from University of Kansas while working on the Ci3T research team. Her interests include tiered systems to support students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), teacher preparation, and systematic screening to support early detection and intervention.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Rebecca Adams
Grant Edmund Allen, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of special education at University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic in Menomonie, Wisconsin. He earned his bachelor’s degree in social science education from Saint Cloud State University in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, his master’s degree in special education from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, and his doctorate in special education from University of Kansas. He taught for five years in southwest Kansas as an inclusive special education teacher in math, English, social studies, and science classrooms. His interests include building, implementing, and evaluating tiered models, including comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention, low-intensity behavior support strategies, and social validity of Tier 1 practices within tiered models.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Grant Edmund Allen
Matthew B. Aschliman, M.A., BCBA is a doctoral student at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University and a member of the Ci3T research team. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Idaho State University and his master’s degree in special education with an emphasis in applied behavior analysis from Arizona State University. Mr. Aschliman is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has extensive experience providing behavioral services in school settings. He has worked as a behavioral interventionist alongside teachers and administrators, with a particular focus on supporting middle school students, and has managed behavioral intervention teams serving schools across multiple districts. His interests include Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention, teacher well-being, applied behavior analysis, evidence-based practices, implementation, and school-based systems of support. His research focuses on teacher well-being within educational systems, including how contextual and workplace factors influence educator behavior and well-being and how supporting educators may contribute to sustainable implementation of practices that promote positive student outcomes.
Email: [email protected]
Katherine (Katie) S. Austin, Ph.D., is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Dr. Austin teaches courses and serves as a field experience supervisor for both undergraduate and graduate students in Special Education and other education-related majors. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Auburn University and subsequently completed a Masters of Education in Instructional Practice, with an endorsement in English Language Learners, at Lipscomb University. Prior to entering higher education, Dr. Austin taught elementary school and served as an administrator in Nashville, Tennessee for seven years. Dr. Austin completed her PhD in Special Education at the University of Kansas in 2023. Her teaching and research focus on teacher preparation and ongoing professional learning and coaching, the implementation of low-intensity and evidence-based practices to support students in both special education and general education classrooms, positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), and Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Katie Austin
Allison M. Bernard, M.Ed. is a doctoral student in the Department of Special Education at The University of Kansas. She holds a B.A. in Secondary Social Studies Education and an M. Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction: Special Education Diagnostics from The University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Prior to attending KU, she taught middle and high school as a general and special educator in Louisiana. Her research interests include promoting evidence-based practices to support K-12 students with and at-risk of internalizing behaviors within Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention. Her immediate interests span collaborative practices and partnerships to adapt and evaluate interventions and to promote their sustained use through professional learning.
Email: [email protected]
ORCiD: 0009-0006-4251-313X
ResearchGate: Allison M. Bernard
Cherie Blanchat, MSW, LSCSW, LCSW, is a school mental health systems and implementation support leader with more than 20 years of experience helping education and behavioral health partners move from initiative adoption to implementation readiness, operational clarity, and sustainable practice. She helps educators design and implement integrated tiered systems of support such as Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Model of Prevention. Within integrated tiered systems, her work uses positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) as the behavioral framework and integrates social and emotional well-being alongside academic supports. Her areas of focus include governance, role clarity, decision pathways, referral and documentation routines, data use, professional learning, coaching, and continuous improvement. Grounded in school social work, Cherie’s experience includes culturally and linguistically responsive special education assessment and work with Spanish-speaking, immigrant, Latino, and multilingual students and families. She has also taught graduate-level school social work and served as president of the Kansas School Social Work Association. She is a Ci3T Trainer; her performance assessments were accepted by the Ci3T Strategic Leadership Team in August 2026.
Beth Bourque, SSP, is currently a Director of Special Education with the Olympic Education Service District (OESD) 113, in Bremerton, Washington. Previous positions held include Director of MTSS, Assistant Principal, Academic/Behavior Intervention Coach, and School Psychologist. Since beginning her career in 2005, her interests have always focused on reconstructing systems to provide equitable and inclusive access for all students. She has provided coaching at the classroom, school, and district level since 2005, including topics specific to PBIS, integration of SEL and mental health, using RtI as eligibility for specific learning disabilities, and building district capacity for MTSS. Since 2018, she has been involved with learning about and becoming a trainer of the Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (Ci3T) model of prevention, and has since supported over 30 schools across five districts to build and implement their Ci3T model.
E-mail: [email protected]
Andrea Bowman, M.Ed., brings over 29 years of experience in education to her current role serving as the Regional Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Implementation Strategies for Olympic Educational Service District 114 in Washington State. Her previous experiences serving as a middle school language arts and social studies teacher, dean of students, assistant principal, and assistant director of student services informs her support of schools who are designing, implementing, and monitoring a Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Model of Prevention to address students' academic, behavioral, and social and emotional well-being learning domains. Her leadership experience has focused on building capacity across school and district teams in the areas of MTSS, positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), social emotional learning (SEL), counseling, attendance, McKinney-Vento, Section 504, and student and staff well-being. Since 2020, she has supported over 25 schools across five districts in developing and implementing their Ci3T model of prevention. Andrea brings a strong personal and professional commitment to inclusive practices, shaped in part by her experiences as a parent of a child with autism.
E-mail:[email protected] or [email protected]
Carrie L. Brandon, Ph.D., NBCT is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education at Bellarmine University. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Washington State University, master’s degree in special education from Western New Mexico University, and master’s degree in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University, and PhD in Language, Literacy and Technology from Arizona State University. Dr. Brandon is a National Board-Certified Teacher through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. She has worked as a secondary education Peace Corps Volunteer, general education teacher, gifted and talented teacher, special education teacher, special education coordinator, director of student services, and university instructor. Her interests include Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) model of prevention, teacher preparation, in-service professional learning and coaching, evidence-based practices to support the development of safe predictable learning environments, and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS).
Email:[email protected]
ORCiD:0000-0002-7047-4274
Amy M. Briesch, Ph.D. is an associate professor of school psychology at Northeastern University. Her research focuses on developing measures of student social behavior for use in tiered systems. She serves as co-PI for multiple IES-funded projects, has authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles, and published two books focused on school-based behavioral assessment. She was the 2014 winner of the Lightner Witmer Award for early career scholarship from Division 16 of the APA and is a member of the Society for the Study of School Psychology.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Amy Briesch
Kristina Leilani Brown, M.Ed., BCBA is a dual licensed teacher in elementary and special education. She is a master's degree graduate student studying special education with a BCBA focus at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She has been a part of the Ci3T research team since fall 2018, managing Hawaiʻi-based Ci3T professional learning series including Train the Trainers. Her interests include intensive behavior supports, Ci3T, and organizational behavior management focused on environmental sustainability.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Coming soon.
Nelson C. Brunsting, Ph.D. serves as the Director of Global Research and Assessment in the Center for Global Programs and Studies and a Research Associate Professor of International Studies at Wake Forest University. Nelson earned his MA in Classics at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, and his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research is focused on understanding and enhancing social-emotional outcomes of diverse populations in educational contexts. Within Ci3T, Nelson is interested in understanding how teachers fare with respect to effectiveness, self-efficacy, and burnout while implementing Ci3T Models of Prevention. Other lines of inquiry include (a) relationships between working conditions of special educators serving students with EBD and their burnout over time, and (b) exploring social-contextual factors associated with international students’ adjustment to U.S. universities.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Nelson C. Brunsting
Mark Matthew Buckman, Ph.D. is an assistant research professor in the department of special education at the University of Kansas and co-primary investigator for Project Engage. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English literature and master’s degree in early childhood education, both at KU. He worked as a paraeducator for five years and special education teacher for three years prior to beginning the doctoral program in the department of special education. His interests include social and emotional learning, positive behavioral interventions and supports, behavior screening, and comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Mark M. Buckman
Amy Buffington, MSE, is a research project coordinator at University of Kansas for the Ci3T research team. She earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from University of Iowa and her master's degree in counseling psychology from University of Kansas. She has extensive experience working in public schools, including positions as an elementary classroom teacher, middle school reading teacher, assistant to the school psychologist, and elementary school counselor.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Coming soon.
Emily Dawn Cantwell, M.Ed. is former project coordinator for Ci3T training and implementation projects. She is currently the learning resource coordinator at a private high school in South Dakota. She earned her master’s degree in special education, high incidence disabilities at the University of Kansas, department of special education. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and middle school science from Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota. Her interests include comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention, early prevention for students at risk using behavioral screening instruments, and implementation of evidence-based behavior interventions and classroom management practices.
Email: [email protected]
Donna Cauley, M.Ed., founder of Cauley Coaching & Consulting LLC, an educational leadership coaching and consulting practice based in Manchester, Vermont, where she partners with schools and districts to strengthen leadership practices, implement sustainable MTSS frameworks, and promote trauma-informed, inclusive systems. Donna has served as a school leader and educator for over three decades, including roles as School Principal, Associate Director of Student Services, Assistant Principal, and Special Educator. As School Principal, she focused on Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, trauma-sensitive schooling, and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, and designed, installed, and implemented Ci3T models of prevention for over 12 years. She currently coaches alongside the Ci3T Strategic Leadership Team at the University of Kansas and recently earned Ci3T Trainer certification. Donna also mentors new leaders statewide through the Vermont Principals' Association.
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Sandra M. Chafouleas is a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and Neag Endowed Professor in the Neag School of Education at UConn. She also serves as the founder and Co-Director of the UConn Collaboratory on School and Child Health (CSCH). Dr. Chafouleas received her Ph.D. in psychology (school) from Syracuse University and is a licensed psychologist in Connecticut. Dr. Chafouleas focuses her work on usable practices that support the whole child, with specific expertise in strategies to support social, emotional, and behavioral well-being. As PI/Co-PI, she has secured over $20 million to support these research, service, and training activities. Dr. Chafouleas is co-creator of Feel Your Best Self, an award-winning toolkit for learning simple emotion-coping strategies. She has authored over 200 publications, and regularly serves as a national presenter and invited speaker. She is a fellow in both the American Psychological Association and Association for Psychological Science, and has received multiple recognitions for her work, including Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association. She previously served as associate dean for The Graduate School (2012-2014) and then the associate dean for research in the Neag School (2014-2016). Prior to becoming a university trainer, she worked as a school psychologist and school administrator in a variety of settings supporting the well-being of students and their school and family caregivers.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Sandra M. Chafouleas
Faculty webpage: University of Connecticut
Eric Alan Common, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA (MI) is an associate professor at University of Michigan-Flint. His research explores the active role schools play in whole-child development. More specifically, his research explores the delivery of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional prevention and interventions delivered through Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) models and school-based applied behavior analysis services.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Eric Alan Common
Sandy Gessner-Crabtree, M.Ed., Executive Leadership Certification, is currently serving as the Assistant Superintendent at Olympic Education Service District 114 in Bremerton, Washington. She has served as a teacher, mentor, instructional coach, reading interventionist, director of curriculum and assessment, executive director of professional learning, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. She is currently part of OSPI’s State MTSS Team working with school district leadership teams on the installation of tiered and integrated systems of student support. She has been partnering with Ci3T since 2018 and led over 20 school teams through building their Ci3T plan and supporting Ci3T implementation.
E-mail: [email protected]
Howard C. Diacon Ed.S., is a retired building administrator with over 30 years of experience in leading schools through a variety of school reform and improvement programs. He has worked in rural, urban, and suburban settings. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas in elementary education and his specialist in education degree from Wichita State University in school administration. He currently serves as a Ci3T coach working with numerous Ci3T leadership teams where he is able to share his wisdom from years of experience implementing Ci3T as an elementary school principal.
E-mail: [email protected]
Robin Parks Ennis, Ph.D., BCBA-D is an associate professor of special education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She earned her doctorate in special education from Georgia State University. Her interests include three-tiered models of positive behavior interventions and supports, particularly Tier 2 academic and behavioral interventions for students with and at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Dr. Ennis is currently working with school in Alabama to develop and implement Ci3T frameworks through the Alabama Aware grant funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Alliance. Dr. Ennis also works with Alabama schools to implement systematic screening as a part of comprehensive, school- based mental services. She serves as an associate editor for Remedial and Special Education and Behavioral Disorders, on the editorial boards of Beyond Behavior, Education and Treatment of Children, Intervention in School and Clinic, the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, and on the executive board for the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders..
E-mail: r[email protected]
ResearchGate: Robin P. Ennis
Emily A. Iovino, Ph.D., NCSP is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Educational Psychology and at the Collaboratory on School and Child Health at University of Connecticut. Dr. Iovino has presented nationally and published on topics such as family caregiver health and well-being, school-based behavior screening, and supporting district and school implementation of policies and practices related to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model. Her primary research interests involve social-emotional and behavioral assessment and intervention that support positive outcomes for children and their caregivers.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Emily A. Iovino
Kathryn L. Johnson, M.A., is a doctoral student in the department of special education at the University of Kansas. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in applied behavior analysis from the University of Kansas. She worked as a special education teacher for five years in self-contained early childhood and elementary school classrooms. She also worked as a research project specialist on an IES grant-funded study. Her interests include Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention and evidence-based practices to support students with academic, social, and behavioral concerns.
Email: [email protected]
Jamie Sue Jones has served as research project manager for the KU Ci3T research team. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at KU, and worked at KU for five years as a Grant Coordinator at the Life Span Institute prior to joining the Ci3T research team in October 2019.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Coming soon.
Kathleen Lynne Lane, Ph.D., BCBA-D, CF-L2 is a Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Lane’s research interests focus on designing, implementing, and evaluating Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention to (a) prevent the development of learning, behavior, and social and emotional well-being challenges and (b) respond to existing instances, with an emphasis on systematic screening. She is the co-editor of Remedial and Special Education and has been the principal investigator on several grants funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, including Project Enhance (Network) and Project Engage (Pandemic Impact). Dr. Lane has co-authored or edited 16 books and published 268 refereed journal articles and 59 book chapters.
E-mail: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Kathleen L. Lane
Nathan Allen Lane is research technician with the KU Ci3T research team. His interests include longitudinal data analysis, financial time series analysis, general linear models, and Bayesian methodologies.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Coming soon.
Jessica Matus, BCBA, LBA
Email: [email protected]
Holly M. Menzies, Ph.D. is a professor in the division of special education and counseling at California State University, Los Angeles. She earned her master’s degree and doctorate in special education from the University of California, Riverside. She has participated in research that uses behavioral screening instruments to examine risk status of students with and without disabilities. Her areas of interest include student learning outcomes assessment at the university level and she is active in institution-wide assessment of student achievement.
E-mail: [email protected]
Wendy Peia Oakes, Ph.D., is the Nadine Mathis Basha Professor of Early Childhood Education at the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation (MLFC) at Arizona State University. She also serves as the Executive Strategist for ASU Learning Design and Discovery. Her work focuses on practices that improve educational access and outcomes for young children with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. For example, her research addresses Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention; the implementation of evidence-based academic and behavioral interventions; and professional learning for preservice and in-service educators in implementing practices with fidelity. Dr. Oakes served as a co-PI for Institute of Education Sciences (IES) research grants: Researcher-Practitioner Partnership Grant, an integrated-MTSS Network grant (Project ENHNACE), a measurement grant (Project SCREEN) extending the inquiry of the Student Risk Screening Scale – Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE), and a pandemic impact project (Project ENGAGE). She is the principal investigator for Project EPIC, a personnel preparation grant for scholars in special education. She serves as an associate editor for Remedial and Special Education and an annual special issue co-editor for Education and Treatment of Children. She served as the president of the Council for Exceptional Children-Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (currently the Division for Emotional and Behavioral Health) and the Division for Research.
E-mail: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Wendy P. Oakes
Katie Scarlett Lane Pelton, Ph.D.,is an assistant professor of special education at the University of Florida. Katie earned her doctorate in research methods, measurement, and evaluation from the University of Connecticut. Her research focuses on (a) applications of measurement for school-based research and practice, (b) psychometric research in behavioral and affective domains, and (c) methodological research in measurement. Katie’s mission is to contribute to rigorous education research to ensure educators are equipped with effective instruments and interventions to support their students – especially those with or at risk for disabilities.
Email:[email protected]
ResearchGate: Katie Pelton
Paloma Pérez, Ph.D., Ed. S., is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development. She has more than a decade of experience as a school psychologist, and her research focuses on promoting youth mental and behavioral health through the implementation, evaluation, and adaptation of evidence-based practices. Her work emphasizes social and emotional learning, positive youth development, violence prevention, and Ci3T Models of Prevention, with particular attention to developing interventions that are feasible, responsive, and relevant to the communities they serve. Dr. Pérez is especially interested in bridging research and practice and expanding access to evidence-based supports across diverse educational and digital global communities.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Paloma Perez
Morgan Pinkerton
Email [email protected]
David James Royer, Ph.D., BCBA is an associate professor at University of Louisville with the College of Education and Human Development's department of special education, early childhood, and prevention Science. He earned his master’s degree in special education at California State University, Long Beach and his doctorate in special education at University of Kansas. Dr. Royer taught high school for eight years in California, including general education English and reading (9th and 10th grades), Strategies for Success (resource specialist program, grades 9-12), and an intensive reading clinic using Lindamood-Bell curricula. His research interests center on systems change via the Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Model of Prevention for academic, behavioral, and social success of all students. Additional interests include validating use of low-intensity teacher-delivered strategies as part of daily teacher practice for Tier 1 prevention and as Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention, and validating Seeing Stars and Visualizing and Verbalizing reading curricula. Dr. Royer also studies student-directed individualized education programs (IEPs) and created My IEP®, a curriculum for teaching students to lead their full IEP meeting. He serves on multiple journals’ editorial board and is the Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: David J. Royer
Elise Sarasin, M.S.E. is pursuing a Ph.D. in Special Education at the University of Kansas. She earned her bachelor’s degree in childhood education and bilingual education from the College of Saint Rose and her master’s degree in special education– high-incidence disabilities from the University of Kansas. Prior to starting the doctoral program, Elise worked as a kindergarten teacher, teacher coach, and director of special education. Elise’s research interests are grounded in applied inquiry to build educator capacity to support students’ academic, behavioral, and social and emotional well-being within integrated tiered systems such as Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention. Her lines of inquiry are focused on (a) enhancing educational outcomes for students with the most intensive intervention needs, specifically functional assessment-based intervention in PK–12 school settings and phonics and fluency interventions for adolescents with co-occurring reading and behavioral needs, and (b) building educator capacity to implement evidence-based practices as part of integrated tiered systems.
Email: [email protected]
Sarah Jane D. Schonour, Ed.D., NBCT is the Director of Learning Materials for an EdTech company. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary, her master’s degree from George Washington University, and her doctorate from Marymount University. Dr. Schonour is certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and has worked as an instructional assistant, special education teacher, curriculum resource teacher, behavior intervention teacher, assistant curriculum director, and university instructor. Her interests include Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) Models of Prevention, systematic screening, teacher preparation, in-service professional learning and coaching, oral reading fluency, evidence-based practices to support students in reading and writing, and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS).
Email: [email protected]
Amber L. Smith, M.Ed., is currently the director of academic intervention for Fort Mill School District in Fort Mill, South Carolina. For the last 25 years, her career has centered around ensuring equitable access to high-quality instruction for all students, both as a classroom teacher and interventionist and later as a district-level administrator. She began her work with Ci3T in 2020, and has since led over 20 K-12 schools through building and implementing their comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered (Ci3T) model of prevention. This work has included connecting Ci3T implementation with the professional learning community practices and strategies designed to improve outcomes for students.
Email: [email protected]
Joni L. Weiss, M.S.Ed. received her master's degree in special education from the University of Kansas and is a research assistant with the KU Ci3T Research Team. She also received licensure to teach students with English as a second or other language from KU. She earned her B.A. in special education from the University of Northern Iowa, with licensure to teach students with emotional and/or behavioral disabilities or functional or adaptive intellectual disability. She taught special education in Topeka, Kansas for five years and in Lawrence, Kansas for 32 years. She was a member of her school’s Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (Ci3T) leadership team for nine years and continues her interest in tiered models of prevention and low-intensity strategies by coaching administrators, faculty, and staff to support students, of all ability levels, in the areas of academics, behavior, and social skills.
Email: [email protected]
Stacie Williams, B.S. is a research project coordinator at the University of Kansas for the Ci3T Research Team. Prior to joining, she worked as an undergraduate research assistant for the Adolescent Stress and Emotion research lab at Arizona State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Arizona State University in December of 2021.
Email: [email protected]
Kathleen M. Williamson, Ph.D., NCSP is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Connecticut. She teaches in the master’s/sixth-year and doctoral programs in school psychology within the Neag School of Education. Her research interests include economic evaluation of Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention and targeted behavioral interventions as well as implementation of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model. Dr. Williamson is a nationally certified school psychologist and previously worked as a school psychologist at the high school level.
Email: [email protected]
ResearchGate: Coming soon.



