Statement of
Ptofessional Goals

My Ph.D. journey is, figuratively, a collection of small stones that are forming the path to fulfillment of my academic, research, and professional goals. This program will frame the trajectory for my acquired learning, as I advance in skills acquisition and crystallize my research interests in special education. These skills will allow me to dive deeper in special education research by, first, looking at the overrepresentation of African Americans in special education with a critical lens, researching family perception of dis/ability and the impact this perception has on the care and treatment of BIPOC, and exploring the functional relationship between RtI and culturally responsive teaching. 

 

Academic Goals

My professional goals have evolved since September 2022. When I initially applied to the George Mason University’s Ph.D. in Education program, my original statement included the following assertion:

 

My purpose in pursuing the PhD in Education program at George Mason University is to enter into a career in higher education where I will teach prospective and current teachers, strengthen research skills, and serve as an Interventions consultant for students, teachers, and parents of students with disabilities. I am drawn to the foundation of Project A.S.P.I.R.E. and its focus on pedagogy, research, technology and intervention. My academic background and interests fall within these four pillars. 

 

The A.S.P.I.R.E. program foundation continues to encompass both my background experiences and future career aspirations of a faculty position in higher education. In that position, I aspire to advance special education pedagogy, innovation, and research by way of effective interventions. In conjunction with a secondary specialization in Qualitative Research Methods, I plan to pursue a Qualitative Research certificate.  This certificate would allow me to blend theory and practice, that would contribute to a comprehensive grounding in qualitative inquiry. This is most appealing because it allows for an interdisciplinary approach to qualitative inquiry that encourages diverse theoretical, methodological, ethical, and practical principles across research in the social sciences. The blend of theory and ethics speaks to my personal axiology, ethics and values that I cannot divorce from my research interests. Ultimately, I have aspirations to teach qualitative methods courses that embrace and align with culturally responsive qualitative research methods.

 

Research Goals

With a primary specialization in Special Education and secondary specialization in Research Methods, I am committed to practicing anti-racist research methods and decolonized qualitative research. My professional goals and aspirations have broadened from preparing future special educators to (1) researching future and novice special educators preparedness to be culturally responsive educators, (2) researching BIPOC family perceptions of dis/ability and the impact of those perceptions on the care and treatment of children with learning and behavioral disabilities, and (3) researching the difference between parent and teacher rating scales and the impact on diagnosis of conduct based disorders of minority children. Qualitative research is of greatest interest to me and I am also drawn to single-subject/case research that nicely incorporates both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

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My journey to education was not a direct path. I stand on the shoulders of a mother, grandmother, grandfather, and great-grandmother who served in PK-12 public education and administration. My background is in business and Christian ministry, with a focus on community economic development. My legacy and background have framed my research interests. I am passionate about researching the causes of overrepresentation of African American children in special education, differences in teacher and parent perception of typical behavior and how perception impacts parent and practitioner rating scales and ultimately dis/ability diagnoses.

 

Professional Goals

In order to attain my research and professional goals, I plan to follow my proposed Program of Study, continue to read current research in my areas of interest, engage in local and national conferences as a participant and as a speaker, attain transferable skills through GRA tasks and opportunities, participate in national disability organizations, independently and collaboratively write with publication in mind, and value the input from faculty mentors and collegial affiliations. I have achieved many of these goals; however, not at the volume and level that I aspire.

To date I have conducted a literature review on Evaluating The Response to Intervention (RtI) and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy to Address Disproportionality of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students in Specialized Education which is in concert with my academic and research interests.  I have written the chapter Understanding Racial Differences in Diagnosis of BIPOC Children in a special report entitled Understanding Experiences of BIPOC Children and Adults with ADHD: Prevalence, Perspectives, and Access, for the national organization CHAAD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) which involved collegial collaboration and again mirrored my research interests of overrepresentation of African Americans in special education. I have written and published two journal articles; one written as lead author.  Presenting at four national and three local conferences including CEC, TED, TECBD, UDL-IRN, and CAST UDL. I also maintain membership in national disability organizations including CEC, CLD, and VA-CLD.

 

I am sure these small academic and research accomplishments will continue to accumulate, shift, and settle on my Ph.D. journey. I am excited about this process, and foretaste of my professional career in educational research.