Mary T. Brownell, PhD, is the Irving and Rose Fien Endowed Professor of Education and Director of the National Center to Inform Policy and Practice in Special Education Professional Development at the University of Florida. Over the course of her career, Dr. Brownell has focused her work on special education teacher quality and retention, teacher development through collaboration and Reading First coaching, education for teachers working with students with disabilities and other high-risk learners, and professional development in literacy for teachers of high-risk learners. She has published over 50 book chapters and articles and has been recognized by the University of Florida with two teaching and research awards.
 
Sean J. Smith, PhD, is Associate Professor of Special Education at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Dr. Smith’s background is in the area of special education and technology, and he has authored and presented a number of articles on the subject. He is also a project director for several U.S. Department of Education program initiatives on the integration of technology components into teacher preparation programs and classroom instruction for students with disabilities and on the development of a virtual social skills training experience for students with autism. Dr. Smith is an associate editor of Teaching Exceptional Children and has served as an associate editor of the Journal of Special Education Technology.
 
Jean B. Crockett, PhD, is Professor and Director of the School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies at the University of Florida. Dr. Crockett’s research interests address the relationship between policy reform initiatives and the instruction of exceptional learners. She is the author of more than 40 publications on instructional programming and placement issues for students with disabilities; the conceptual, historical, and legal foundations of special education; and frameworks for conducting special education in contemporary schools. Dr. Crockett is a past president of the Division for Research of the Council for Exceptional Children and the special education editor for the Journal of Law and Education.
 
Cynthia C. Griffin, PhD, is Professor in the School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies at the University of Florida. Dr. Griffin’s early research focused on intervention studies in reading for students in inclusive elementary classrooms. She also coordinated internship programs in special education and studied novice special education teachers. She subsequently pursued intervention research focused on elementary school mathematics for students with disabilities. Dr. Griffin is studying teachers’ knowledge of mathematics, their classroom practices, and the influence these factors have on student achievement in math. She has been recognized as a University of Florida Research Professor.