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Research

Dr. P. Shawn Irvin earned a PhD at the University of Oregon (UO) in 2015 specializing in assessment and measurement. Dr. Irvin has worked as a teacher and educator in diverse educational settings, elementary through graduate levels, for over fifteen years, and is now a Research Assistant Professor at Behavioral Research at Teaching at UO. Dr. Irvin’s research centers on how academic and other learning-related outcomes in literacy, math, and science can guide data interpretation and use, instructional decision-making and learning supports, and targeted professional development (PD). In particular, Dr. Irvin seeks to better understand how student data can be systematized, accessed, modeled, and visualized in novel ways that support improved classroom decisions, teacher PD, and desired student outcomes (e.g., improved achievement, reduction in risk of/negative impact from disability). His current work, via existing and proposed federal grants and state contracts, operationalizes innovative assessment-guided approaches with "wrap-around" teacher supports for linking evidence-based teaching with improved outcomes for struggling students.