Michael James Kieffer - Harvard Graduate School of Education ...

Michael J. Kieffer Larsen 316 • 14 Appian Way • Cambridge, MA 02138
michael_kieffer@gse.harvard.edu
EDUCATION
Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA
Ed.D. Candidate, Language and Literacy
Advisor: Nonie K. Lesaux, Committee Members: Catherine E. Snow & John B. Willett
Expected Graduation Date: June, 2009
Thesis: "Taking Words Apart to Build Meaning: A Promising Approach to Vocabulary Development
for Adolescent English Language Learners and their Classmates"
Ed.M., Human Development & Psychology, June, 2006
Focus in Quantitative Methodology in Developmental Research
California State University, Long Beach, CA
Single-Subject Teaching Credential in English, 2002
Stanford University, Stanford, CA
B.A., English with an Interdisciplinary Emphasis, 2000
Graduated Phi Beta Kappa, with Departmental Honors, and with Distinction
SELECTED HONORS AND AWARDS
Spencer Dissertation Fellowship (2008-2009)
National Academy of Education Adolescent Literacy Pre-doctoral Fellowship (2008-2010; declined)
International Research Association Jeanne S. Chall Research Fellowship (2008)
Harvard University Presidential Fellowship (2004-2008)
Harvard GSE Jeanne Chall Research Travel Grant (2007)
Spencer-Harvard Pre-doctoral Research Apprenticeship (2006-2007)
Harvard GSE Dean's Summer Fellowship (2005, 2006)
Stanford University President's Scholarship (1996-2000)
Stanford University Booth Prize for Excellence in Writing (1997)
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA
Research Group on Language Diversity and Literacy Development
Study Coordinator, 2005 - present
Collaborate with Nonie K. Lesaux on program of research on ELLs’ reading comprehension
including 5-year longitudinal investigation, comparative study of reading difficulties in ELLs and
native English speakers, quasi-experimental evaluation, and randomized controlled trial of an
academic language intervention for sixth graders from diverse backgrounds.
Coordinate collection and analysis of data from student assessments, teacher interviews, and
classroom observations, involving a total of thirteen school sites.
Train and supervise teams of graduate research assistants.
Design, pilot-test, and refine measures of specific language skills.

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Strategic Educational Research Partnership Middle School Literacy Project
Research Assistant, 2005-2007
Collaborated with Catherine E. Snow and Boston Public Schools teachers to pursue practiceembedded
study of literacy teaching and learning in middle school.
Created and refined measures to evaluate a cross-curricular vocabulary intervention.
Collected and analyzed data on students' skill profiles and growth over time in reading.
Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics at the University of Houston in
collaboration with the Center on Instruction, Houston, TX
Consulting Researcher, 2006
Reviewed empirical literature on effective instruction for ELLs.
Co-authored series of three guides for educators concerning instructional interventions,
programs for adolescent newcomers, and testing accommodations.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA
Instructor in Education
Developing Adolescent Literacy, Spring, 2008; Spring, 2009
Teaching Fellow
Applied Quantitative Data Analysis, Fall, 2006
Answering Questions with Quantitative Data, Fall, 2005
Teach For America Summer Institute, Los Angeles, CA
Curriculum Specialist, Gompers Middle School, 2005
Stephens Middle School, Long Beach, CA
English-as-a-Second-Language Teacher, 2000-2004
New Teacher Coach, 2003-2004
Department Chair, 2001-2004
LEADERSHIP & SERVICE EXPERIENCE
Advisory Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy, Carnegie Corporation, New York, NY
Coordinator & Collaborating Author, 2006-2007
Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA
Language & Literacy Admissions Committee, 2007-2008
Student Research Conference Advisory Council, 2006-2007
Teach For America Program Design Team, New York, NY
Curriculum Writer for Secondary Literacy Course, 2005-2006
Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach, CA
Content Area Literacy Initiative Planning Team, 2002-2004
Committee on Curriculum and Assessment for ELLs, 2002-2004

Michael J. Kieffer p. 3
PUBLICATIONS
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Kieffer, M.J., Lesaux, N.K., Rivera, M., & Francis, D.J. (in press). Accommodations for English language
learners on large-scale assessments: A meta-analysis on effectiveness and validity. Review of Educational
Research.
Kieffer, M.J. (2008). Catching up or falling behind? Initial English proficiency, concentrated poverty, and the
reading growth of language minority learners in the United States. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100,
851-868.
Kieffer, M.J. & Lesaux, N.K. (2008). The role of derivational morphological awareness in the reading
comprehension of Spanish-speaking English language learners. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary
Journal, 21, 783-804.
Kieffer, M.J. & Lesaux, N.K. (2007). Breaking words down to build meaning: Vocabulary, morphology, and
reading comprehension in the urban classroom. The Reading Teacher, 61, 134-144.
Invited Book Chapters and Reports
Advisory Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy (in press). Adolescent Literacy: Time to Act: Final Report of
the Advisory Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy to the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Morsy, L., Kieffer, M.J., & Snow, C. (in press). Measure for measure: A critical consumers' guide to reading
comprehension assessments for adolescents. Report to the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Kieffer, M.J., Lesaux, N.K., & Snow, C.E. (2007). Promises and pitfalls: Implications of No Child Left
Behind for identifying, assessing, and educating English language learners. In Sunderman, G. (ed.),
Holding NCLB accountable: Achieving accountability, equity, and school reform. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin
Press.
Francis, D.J., Lesaux, N.K., Rivera, M., Kieffer, M.J, & Rivera, H. (2006). Practical guidelines for the education of
English language learners. Portsmouth, NH: Center on Instruction. Available from
http://www.centeroninstruction.org.
Manuscripts under Review
Biancarosa, G., Kieffer, M.J., Mancilla-Martinez, J., & Snow, C.E. (under review). Putting the variety back in
the “garden-variety” struggling reader: Heterogeneity among urban adolescent struggling readers.
Lesaux, N.K., Crosson, A., Kieffer, M.J., & Pierce, M. (under review). A dissociation between reading words
and comprehending text: Investigating the reading development of Spanish-speaking language
minority learners.
Lesaux, N.K. & Kieffer, M.J. (under review). Qualitative differences or a question of degree? The prevalence
and sources of reading comprehension difficulties among language minority learners and their
classmates in urban middle schools.

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Mancilla-Martinez, J., Kieffer, M.J., Biancarosa, G., Christodoulou, J., & Snow, C.E. (under review). The
simple view grows up: Reading comprehension development of adolescent language minority
learners.
Manuscripts in Preparation
Hock, M., Brasseur, I., Biancarosa, G., Kieffer, M.J., & Deshler, D. (in preparation). Examining heterogeneity
in reading skill profiles of struggling readers in urban high schools: A latent class analysis.
Kieffer, M.J. & Lesaux, N.K. (in preparation). Dimensions of vocabulary knowledge among adolescent
language minority learners and monolingual English speakers: Morphology, polysemy, contextual
sensitivity, and academic language.
Kieffer, M.J. & Lesaux, N.K. (in preparation). Development of morphological awareness and vocabulary
knowledge for Spanish-speaking language minority learners: A latent growth-on-growth model.
Kieffer, M.J. & Lesaux, N.K. (in preparation). Instructional effects on morphological awareness for earlyadolescent
first- and second-language learners: Evidence from a multi-level quasi-experiment
Lesaux, N.K., Kieffer, M.J., Kelley, J., & Faller, E. (in preparation). Effects of an academic language
intervention for adolescent English language learners and their classmates.
Selected Conference Presentations
Lesaux, N.K., Kieffer, M.J., Kelley, J., Griffiths, A., & Faller, E. (2009, February). Academic language
instruction for learners in urban classrooms: Findings from classroom-based research to improve
middle school literacy. Session to be presented at the meeting of the International Reading
Association, Phoenix, AZ.
Kieffer, M.J., Hock, M., Biancarosa, G., Brasseur, I., & Deshler, D. (2008, July). Reading skill profiles of
struggling readers in urban high schools: A latent class analysis. Paper presented at the meeting of the
Society for the Scientific Studies of Reading, Asheville, NC.
Kieffer, M.J. & Lesaux, N.K. (2008, April). English language learners' morphological awareness development
and vocabulary growth: A longitudinal analysis. Paper presented at the meeting of the American
Education Research Association, New York, NY.
Snow, C., Kieffer, M.J., & Uccelli, P. (2008, March). Assessing reading comprehension in first- and secondlanguage
readers. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Association for Applied
Linguistics, Washington, DC.
Kieffer, M.J., Biancarosa, G., Christodoulou, J., & Snow, C. (2007, April). Profiles of struggling readers in
middle school. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Educational Research Association,
Chicago, IL.
Kieffer, M.J. (2007, March). The reading development of language minority learners and their native
English-speaking classmates: A longitudinal analysis. Poster presented at the meeting of the Society
for Research in Child Development, Boston, MA.
Kieffer, M.J., Lesaux, N.K. & Francis, D.J. (2007, January). Accommodating English language learners on
large-scale assessments: Effectiveness and validity. Paper presented at the University of California
Language Minority Research Institute Biliteracy Conference, Santa Barbara, CA

Michael J. Kieffer p. 5
Kieffer, M.J. & Lesaux, N.K. (2006, July). The role of morphology in the English reading comprehension of
Spanish speakers. Paper presented at the meeting of the Society for the Scientific Studies of Reading,
Vancouver, Canada.
METHODOLOGICAL AREAS OF INTEREST
Longitudinal Data Analysis • Multi-level Modeling • Item Response Theory • Latent Class Analysis
Meta-analysis • Practice-embedded Research
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
American Educational Research Association
International Reading Association
Society for the Scientific Study of Reading
EDITORIAL REVIEWS
Ad-hoc Reviewer
Journal of Learning Disabilities
Language Learning
Review of Educational Research
Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal
Society for Research in Educational Effectiveness Annual Conference
Review Board Member, American Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Division C
REFERENCES
David Francis, Ph.D.
Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor and Chair of Psychology, University of Houston
Director, Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics
dfrancis@uh.edu (832) 842-7036
Nonie K. Lesaux, Ph.D.
Marie and Max Kargman Associate Professor in Human Development and Urban Education Advancement
Harvard Graduate School of Education
nonie_lesaux@gse.harvard.edu (617) 495-3523
Catherine E. Snow, Ph.D.
Henry Lee Shattuck Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education
catherine_snow@gse.harvard.edu (617) 495-3563
John B. Willett, Ph.D.
Charles William Eliot Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education
john_willett@gse.harvard.edu (617)495-4829