Research Projects

Collaborative Research: Comparing Preservice STEM Teacher Preparation Using Virtual Reality Artificial Intelligence Simulations Versus Peer Teaching

October 2025 – September 2029

Future teachers need opportunities to practice teaching. This project will provide experiential learning opportunities through virtual reality artificial intelligence simulations and scaffolded peer teaching. These innovative teaching experiences are designed to help future educators develop the skills needed to facilitate discussions of scientifically relevant real-world problems. The five partner institutions will develop and compare two instructional practice modalities and evaluate their impact on undergraduate STEM education students. By preparing future STEM teachers to enact science instruction that encourages students to solve real-world problems, this project will provide empirical support for the use of scientifically relevant real-world problems in STEM teacher preparation programs.

Funding: National Science Foundation (NSF)

PIs: Dr. John Pecore (University of West Florida; lead institution), Dr. Jeanna Wieselmann (SMU), Dr. Jerrid Kruse (Drake University), PI: Dr. Preethi Titu (Kennesaw State University), PI: Melanie Kinskey (Texas A&M University)

National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program - Elevating K-8 Science and Engineering Teaching in Texas

September 2025 – August 2030

As science education standards have shifted toward the integration of engineering across all grade levels, there is a critical need for teacher professional learning to support effective instruction. This project will recruit 20 expert teachers to be members of the Texas STEM Teacher Corps. These teachers will participate in professional learning sessions on science and engineering integration, facilitate professional learning opportunities for other Texas teachers, present at national conferences, and complete a capstone project to advance their professional goals. These efforts will improve their teaching practices, provide them with new leadership opportunities, and elevate the STEM teaching profession within the state of Texas. In addition, the project will extend professional learning opportunities to 80 non-Corps teachers. These teachers will be supported by the project team and Texas STEM Teacher Corps members to enhance the quality of their science and engineering integration. With both elementary and middle school teachers, approximately 12,000 students will experience immediate benefits as their teachers participate in project activities. Research studies on pedagogical content knowledge, teaching practices, teacher leadership, and teacher retention will advance the field's understanding.

Funding: National Science Foundation (NSF)

PI: Dr. Jeanna Wieselmann (SMU)
Co-PIs: Dr. Anthony Petrosino (SMU), Dr. Janille Smith-Colin (SMU), Dr. Gwinn North (Tarleton State University), Dr. Ricardo Lumbreras (Tarleton State University)

Using Generative AI to Create Illustrative Diagrams to Support Mathematical Problem-Solving

September 2025 – August 2028

This project uses a novel approach where free, high-quality illustrative diagrams are automatically generated for math problems using recent advances in generative AI. Illustrative diagrams are images that are visually compelling and artistic, while also containing mathematical information like the accurate measurements of geometric figures or the precise number of objects in a collection. Such images have typically been costly and time-consuming to produce, however in this project, they will be created in a free and scalable way using cutting-edge AI approaches. The research will involve interviewing math teachers and Open Educational Resource developers (who produce free curriculum materials) about their needs and piloting methods for developing AI-enhanced illustrative diagrams with these stakeholders. An experiment will then be conducted in the ASSISTments online homework platform examining the effect of AI-generated illustrative diagrams on middle school students’ mathematical learning.

Funding: National Science Foundation (NSF)

PI:  Dr. Candace Walkington (SMU)
Co-PIs: Dr. Juin-Yu Wu (SMU); Dr. Virginia Clinton-Lisell (University of North Dakota); Ms. Cristina Heffernan (The ASSISTments Foundation, Inc).

Scalability, Capacity, and Learning Engagement for Underserved Populations (SCALE UP) for Fraction Face-Off

January 2025 – December 2029

Project SCALE UP will build on the work of Project SCALE by continuing to contribute to the rigorous evidence of the effectiveness of Fraction Face-Off! (FFO). FFO is a mathematics intervention with strong evidence of effectiveness designed as a Tier 2 intervention for students in Grade 4 to be implemented in small groups over 36, 30-minute sessions. FFO uses evidence-based intervention practices aligned with an IES Practice Guide (Fuchs et al., 2021) and focuses on improving foundational fraction knowledge to support students experiencing mathematics difficulty (MD). By conducting two randomized controlled trials with a focus on a national sample from rural schools, out-of-school programs, and diverse populations, this project aims to have a continued impact on student achievement while examining the effectiveness of school-based decision making for screening students for intervention and providing solutions for professional development, coaching, and high-quality intervention resources.

Funding: U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program; Award No: S411A240014

PI: Dr. Leanne Ketterlin Geller (SMU)
Co-PIs: Dr. Erica Lembke (University of Missouri); Dr. Sarah Powell (The University of Texas at Austin)

Collaborative Research: Amplifying Diverse Voices in STEM Education (ADVISE)

October 2024 – September 2029

ADVISE (Amplifying Diverse Voices in STEM Education) is an NSF IUSE and ECR-EDU Core Research project administered through the NSF’s Racial Equity in STEM program. The collaborative research grant funds an SMU-led partnership among nine colleges and universities to study the role invited guest lecturers can play in promoting diversity, inclusivity, and student success in undergraduate STEM education. Over a five-year period, ADVISE will use a randomized controlled trial to study the causal effects of guest lecturers on individual- and classroom-level outcomes such as student belonging and classroom climate as well as student grades and persistence in STEM majors.

Funding: National Science Foundation (NSF)

PI: Dr. Quentin Sedlacek (SMU)
Co-PIs: Dr. Sara Dozier (CSU Long Beach), Dr. Karla Lomelí (Santa Clara University), Dr. Anthony Muro Villa III (UC Riverside); Claudia Solís-Lemus (UW Madison) Senior Personnel: Dr. Michelle Friend (UN Omaha); Dr. Heather Haeger (University of Arizona); Dr. Joel Alex Mejia (UT San Antonio); Dr. Greses Pérez (Tufts University)

Texas Impact Study and CLASS + Cultivate

October 2024 – June 2026

CORE and TFA are long-term partners, collaborating to examine impacts of TFA corps members and alumni across Texas. In 2025, a refreshed look at Texas impacts is being conducted through the Educational Research Center (ERC).

CORE is a long-term research, evaluation and thought partner for . CORE conducted an initial impact evaluation of Teach for America’s impact in Texas sites, and has conducted multiple follow ups to date. CORE and TFA have leveraged those data to provide technical assistance to Texas regions, and to support a number of strategic initiatives. CORE and TFA continue exploring impacts for Texas students and have partnered to explore how the CLASS™ tool can support ongoing improvements.

Funding: Teach for America (TFA)

PI: Dr. Annie Wright (SMU)
Co-PI: Dylan Farmer (SMU)

Evaluation of the Early Educator Workforce Development Pipeline: A Partnership between Dallas College and SMU

September 2024 – December 2027

CORE is working in partnership with Dallas College’s School of Education (DC-SOE) to conduct a comprehensive, multi-year evaluation of the early educator workforce development pipeline. This initiative aims to assess and enhance the effectiveness of the pipeline, ensuring it meets the needs of aspiring educators and the educational system. Dallas College’s innovative teacher preparation pipeline stands out as the first community college in the state of Texas to be certified to provide a four-year bachelor’s degree, marking a significant milestone in higher education. The evaluation, which is partially funded by The Moody Foundation’s MPACT initiative, will feature a series of key questions designed to understand what strategies are most effective, for whom they work best, and under what circumstances they yield the best outcomes. This thorough analysis will help inform future improvements and support the development of a robust early educator workforce.

Funding: Dallas College Foundation

PI: Dr. Annie Wright (SMU)
Co-PI: Dylan Farmer (SMU)

The Effects of Completing College-Level Courses in High School

August 2024 – July 2027

This project aims to estimate the effects of completing college-level courses during high school (e.g., dual-credit, AP/IB) on students' postsecondary outcomes, including college enrollment, persistence, and completion. While the prevalence of high school courses for college credit has increased substantially across the U.S. during the 21st century, research evidence to date is inconclusive regarding its overall benefits, the conditions under which it is most beneficial for students and the extent to which results vary among historically disadvantaged student groups. This project answers the need for trustworthy evidence through a meta-analysis of all rigorous quantitative analyses released between 2000 and 2025, accounting for variations of effects by program type, institution level, student characteristics, and research design.

Funding: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES)

PI: Dr. Justin Charles Ortagus (University of Florida)
Co-PI: Dr. Xiaodan Hu (SMU)

Using Artificial Intelligence to Personalize Mathematics Instruction to Students Interests

August 2024 – July 2027

This project aims to explore the impacts and opportunities that emerge when using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to construct personalized algebra problems for 7th grade students. The project builds on prior work that established that personalized algebra interventions that connect math to students’ interest in areas like sports or video games could increase both core algebraic knowledge and STEM career interest for students with low academic achievement. Further, this project will gain a better understanding of how to employ AI to support teachers, developing new models for how to make teaching more efficient and effective while still preserving the teachers' agency. This project is funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers. Specifically, the research questions will investigate the impact of AI-generated word problems (with and without AI-generated images) on student math performance, study the tradeoffs for both students and teachers for the two different GenAI personalization strategies, investigate changes in how teachers understand student interests and posing math story problems as a result of using GenAI, and investigate how teachers can use prompt engineering to produce personalized problems. The project will use participatory approaches to engage teachers in iterative cycles of design, increasing the likelihood that the approach will draw upon learners’ funds of knowledge.

Funding: National Science Foundation (NSF)

PI: Dr. Candace Walkington (SMU)
Co-PIs: Neil Heffernan (WPI); Andrew Lan (UMass); Ryan Baker (Penn); Tiffini Pruitt-Britton (AIR)

Collaborative Research: A Semiconductor Curriculum and Learning Framework for High-Schoolers Using Artificial Intelligence, Game Modules, and Hands-on Experiences

June 2024 – May 2028

Semiconductors are essential components of electronic devices, enabling advances in important applications and systems such as communication, healthcare, and national security. In order to sustain the U.S.'s global competitiveness in the semiconductor industry, there is a growing demand for a skilled semiconductor workforce. High-schoolers are among the most frequent users of electronic devices. However, many do not know how these devices are designed and manufactured. To address the knowledge gaps and workforce needs, this project will develop a semiconductor curriculum for high-school-aged students, and with partners in higher education, K-12, and industries, enhanced with artificial intelligence (AI) and other innovative technologies. Game-based semiconductor modules will be created for students to play and learn with peers choosing different avatars. These learning modules will be made available to a wide range of students through industry partners. In addition, approximately 50 students each summer (years 2-4) will be engaged in in-person workshops hosted in Maine and Texas. Through these workshops, students will be engaged in hands-on activities and field trips to semiconductor companies where they will connect their game-based learning with industry experiences. Based on students' feedback, the workshop and game curriculum will be designed and improved iteratively. For more information:

Funding: National Science Foundation (NSF)

Collaborative Project:
PI: Dr. Kyle Roberts (SMU) (serving as PI between 1/13/25 – 1/12/26)
Co-PI: Dr. Jungchih Chiao (SMU)
Co-PI: Dr. Lin Lipsmeyer (SMU)
PI: Dr. Prabuddha Chakraborty (University of Maine)
Co-PI: Dr. Rosemary Smith (University of Maine)
PI: Xiaoli Yang, Indiana Technology University

Virtual Reality Simulation to Enhance De-escalation Training for Police Officers

October 2023 – September 2026

Dallas Police Department (DPD) and SMU faculty from the Technology-Enhanced Immersive Learning cluster aim to enhance de-escalation skills among DPD officers by integrating virtual reality (VR) simulations into police training. By enhancing de-escalation skills, the team hopes to reduce instances of excessive use of force, and to improve police and community relations and public trust. The project builds upon the DPD's existing evidence-based de-escalation training and SMU’s expertise in curriculum design, VR simulation, violence prevention, and program evaluation.

Funding: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance

Project Lead: Dallas Police Department, City of Dallas
SMU Leads: Dr. Eric G. Bing (SMU); Dr. Ernest Jouriles (SMU)

Promoting Algebra Readiness (PAR)

July 2023 – June 2028

The purpose of Promoting Algebra Readiness (PAR) is to expand the growing but limited body of research on effective middle school interventions. The multi-year study targets foundational fractions content that is needed to ensure access to advanced mathematics, including Algebra. The project’s three major aims include (a) identifying the immediate and long-term effect of PAR intervention on the mathematics outcomes of 6th grade students with or at-risk for MD, (b) identifying what student and interventionist characteristics moderate the PAR intervention effects, and (c) exploring relationships between variables related to the implementation of the PAR intervention, student mathematics outcomes, and end-user characteristics that may lead to and sustain successful implementation of PAR.

Funding: U.S. Department of Education

PI: Dr. Ben Clarke (UO)
Co-PIs: Dr. Leanne Ketterlin Geller (SMU); Dr. Gena Nelson (UO)

Increasing Skills in Accessibility through Integration in the Undergraduate Computer Science and Information Technology Curricula

May 2023 – April 2026

This three-year project centers on enhancing software accessibility by equipping college instructors and students with both technical and design skills needed to create accessible software. Dr. Lin Lipsmeyer works with Dr. Stephanie Ludi and Dr. David Keathly to explore shifts in skills and attitudes, both short-term and long-term, by integrating instructional materials, facilitating hands-on activities, and fostering interactions with individuals with disabilities. The anticipated outcome is a greater number of graduates who not only understand the unique needs of people with disabilities but also possess skills that promote inclusivity and are well-trained in designing accessible software. For more information:

Funding: National Science Foundation (NSF)

PI: Dr. Stephanie Ludi (University of North Texas)
Co-PI: Dr. David Keathly (University of North Texas)
Co-PI: Dr. Lin Lipsmeyer (SMU) (served as Co-PI until 1/12/25)
Co-PI: Dr. Magdalena Pando (SMU) (serving as Co-PI starting on 1/13/25)

Active Playful Learning

January 2023 – December 2027

CORE serves as the Texas site lead for on the impact of Active Playful Learning, funded by the LEGO Foundation. The APL initiative, led by Dr. Kathy Hirsch-Pasaek, has assembled a team of early childhood education researchers and leaders to implement APL coaching in 4 distinct districts to promote learning that is active, engaged, meaningful, socially interactive, iterative, and joyful. States chosen for the study sites include Texas, California, Illinois, and Virginia.

Funding: Lego Foundation

PI: Dr. Kathy Hirsh Pasaek (Temple University)
Co-PI: Dr. Annie Wright (SMU)

McNair Scholars Project

October 2022 – September 2027

McNair Scholars Project provides research and other scholarly support to SMU students annually who meet program eligibility criteria. Participants receive academic support services and participate in research and graduate school workshops. Participants also participate in the McNair Summer Research Institute that includes a research methods course and culminates in the execution of an undergraduate research project. The project serves 26 SMU students annually.

Funding: U.S. Department of Education

PI: Dr. LaChelle Cunningham (SMU)

Upward Bound Math Science Projects

STEM: September 2022 – August 2027
SOAR: September 2022 – August 2027

Upward Bound Math Science is a pre-collegiate program that works with students through high school to prepare for college. Upward Bound Math Science services are similar to Upward Bound and are designed to help students recognize and develop their potential to excel in math and science. Students are provided hands-on learning experiences in classes such as engineering, robotics, biomedical sciences, 3-D printing, and information technology. Two projects (STEM & SOAR) were awarded for the new grant cycle from 2022 to 2027. These two grants serve 124 students primarily in Dallas ISD high schools.

Funding: U.S. Department of Education

PI: Dr. LaChelle Cunningham (SMU)

Project STAIR 2.0: Supporting Teaching of Algebra: Individual Readiness

July 2022 – June 2026

The goal of Project STAIR 2.0, a COVID relief funded project, is to support the research to accelerate pandemic recovery in Special Education. In Year 1 of the project, teachers are randomly assigned to receive intense coaching or light coaching on the use of data-based individualization (DBI) when teaching students with specific learning disabilities in mathematics.

Funding: U. S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES)

PI: Dr. Erica Lembke (University of Missouri)
Co-PIs: Dr. Leanne Ketterlin Geller (SMU);
Dr. Sarah Powell (University of Texas at Austin)

Collaborative Research: Research on Integrated STEM Self-Efficacy (RISE): A Study of Elementary Preservice Teachers including Noyce Scholars

June 2022 – May 2027

will study the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) integration of elementary teachers who experienced ten different teacher preparation programs across the U.S. The project will investigate links between integrated STEM teaching self-efficacy, teacher preparation and development opportunities, teaching effectiveness, and teacher retention. It will also build a community of elementary teachers focused on improving their STEM teaching and support their ongoing professional learning.

Funding: National Science Foundation (NSF)

PI: Dr. Jeanna Wieselmann (SMU)
Co-PIs: Dr. Deepika Menon (University of Nebraska, Lincoln); Dr. Sarah Haines (Towson University); Dr. Sumreen Asim (Indiana University Southeast)

Upward Bound Classic Projects

Classic I & III: September 2022 – August 2027
Classic I & III: June 2022 – May 2027

Upward Bound is a pre-collegiate program that works with students through high school to prepare for college by providing academic support services. Upward Bound support services include high school course tutoring, preparation for SAT and STAAR, high school and initial college course advising, financial aid and scholarship application assistance, and career planning. Three projects (Classic I, II, & III) were awarded for the new grant cycle from 2022 to 2027. These three grants serve 225 students primarily in Dallas ISD high schools.

Funding: U.S. Department of Education

PI: Dr. LaChelle Cunningham (SMU)

Advancing Evaluation in Philanthropy

February 2022 – August 2027

CORE is partnering with the Walton Family Foundation to launch The Advancing Evaluation in Philanthropy Fellowship program to help support the next generation of evaluators working in philanthropy. The two-year-long fellowships will focus on developing professionals of color and utilizing more culturally responsive evaluation designs. With the support of the Walton Family Foundation, CORE will be able to help Fellows gain rigorous and real-world experience in research and evaluation in philanthropy.

Funding: Walton Family Foundation

PI: Dr. Annie Wright (SMU)

Scalability, Capacity, and Learning Engagement (SCALE) for Fraction Face-Off to accelerating mathematics learning of students experiencing mathematics difficulty

December 2021 – December 2026

Project SCALE is a project funded by US Department of Education as a replication study based on an in-school mathematics intervention, Fraction Face-Off (FFO, Fuchs et al., 2013) which was determined to have moderate evidence of effectiveness with 4th graders by the What Works Clearinghouse. In addition to replicating the study with 4th graders, this project will also investigate the differences between in person and virtual training for interventionists, and the efficacy of FFO with 5th – 8th grade students experiencing mathematics difficulties as a Tier 2 intervention. The research will be hosted in the urban, suburban, and rural geographies surrounding the three partner universities: 91����; University of Texas, Austin; and University of Missouri.

Funding: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary & Secondary Education, Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program; Award No: S411B210032

PI: Dr. Leanne Ketterlin Geller (SMU)
Co-PIs: Dr. Sarah Powell (University of Texas, Austin); Dr. Erica Lembke (University of Missouri)

Personnel Preparation in Mathematics Special Education

October 2021 – September 2026

The LIME (Leaders Investigating Mathematics Evidence) is a project funded by the Office of Special Education Programs to create the next generation of researchers and leaders with PhDs in special education with a focus on mathematics. It will provide tuition and stipend support, travel to conferences, and research support for twelve scholars for four years of doctoral studies. The program will be hosted at three universities: University of Texas, Austin; 91����; and University of Missouri.

Funding: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)

PI: Dr. Sarah Powell (University of Texas, Austin)
Co-PIs: Dr. Leanne Ketterlin Geller (SMU); Dr. Erica Lembke (University of Missouri)

Educational Talent Search Projects

September 2021 – August 2026

Educational Talent Search (ETS) identifies and assists high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education. ETS program staff provide academic advising, career planning and guidance, and mentoring services to students. The program is designed to support students as they graduate from high school and transition to college. ETS staff also assist students complete financial aid applications and manage the college application process. The program serves a total of 1,000 students annually between two projects (Project LAUNCH and Project LIFT).

Funding: U.S. Department of Education

PI: Dr. LaChelle Cunningham (SMU), Project LAUNCH, Project LIFT

Seeing the World through a Mathematical Lens

August 2021 – January 2027

This 5-year project draws on research on informal math learning, problem-posing, and culturally sustaining pedagogies to conduct cycles of participatory design-based research on technology-supported math walks. Dr. Candace Walkington serves as PI and leads the project team that is conducting research on a location-based mobile app for informal mathematics learning. This research takes place at 9 informal learning sites and involves iteratively designing an app () in which learners can view and contribute to an interactive map of math walk “stops” at these sites (Dallas Arboretum, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Zoo, Frontiers of Flight Museum, the GEMS Camp, the Girl Scouts STEM Center of Excellence, St. Phillips School and Community Center, Twelve Hills Nature Center and Voice of Hope Ministries). Learners will be able to select locations and watch short videos or view pictures with text that describe how mathematical principles are present in their surroundings. For example, learners could use the app to discover how a painting by a local Latino artist uses ratio and scale, or how a ramp in downtown was designed with a specific slope to accommodate wheelchairs. Research studies will also examine the impact of having learners create their own math walk stops at local informal learning sites, uploading pictures, descriptions, and linking audio they narrate, where they make observations about how math appears in their surroundings and pose interesting questions about STEM ideas and connections they wonder about.

Funding: National Science Foundation (NSF), Advancing Informal STEM Learning
Award Number: 

PI: Dr. Candace Walkington (SMU)
Co-PIs: Dr. Anthony Petrosino (SMU); Dr. Koshi Dhingra (WalkSTEM); Dr. Cathy Ringstaff (WestEd); Elizabeth Stringer (SMU)

Science Teachers' Experiences Learning about African American English

July 2021 – December 2025 (but extended further)

Racial discrimination is illegal in the United States. However, linguistic discrimination is not similarly prohibited, even though some common beliefs about language are deeply rooted in racism. In recent decades, scholarship that critically examines the relationships between language, race, and racism has had transformative effects on language arts education. However, comparatively little work has explored the effects that critical linguistics can have in science education. This study, funded by a grant from the Spencer Foundation, will explore the influence of critical linguistics in science education by investigating the sensemaking of current and prospective K-12 science teachers as they learn about African American English (AAE) in their teacher education coursework. AAE is a well-documented language variety historically associated with African American communities in the United States. Research on AAE has played a central role in the development of sociolinguistics, and many universities now offer courses which assign readings about AAE. These texts sometimes employ strategic essentialism to debunk racist stereotypes and raise awareness of the ways in which language ideologies reproduce systemic racism. However, some scholars have expressed concerns about strategic essentialism; while it may help to foster critical language awareness, it may also inadvertently reinforce problematic beliefs about racial identity. Essentialist beliefs about race are already a topic of considerable concern in science education. It is therefore crucial to understand how science educators make sense of information about AAE in their teacher education coursework. This study will use repeated-measures surveys and interviews to investigate science teachers’ sensemaking and racial ideologies. Findings will provide practical and theoretical insights to help science teacher educators reap the benefits of critical linguistics while avoiding the pitfall of reifying essentialist ideologies of race.

Funding: The Spencer Foundation

PI: Dr. Quentin Sedlacek (SMU)

West Dallas STEM School Project, (Phase II)

July 2021 – February 2026

A generous gift from the Toyota USA Foundation has enabled SMU Simmons, Dallas ISD, the West Dallas community, and Toyota to form a partnership to open the West Dallas STEM School. Opened for 7th and 8th grade in August of 2021, the School features inquiry-based, industry-informed STEM curriculum and will have co-located wraparound community services that include extracurricular academic programming and student and family counseling. Pre-Kindergarten through 1st grade will open in 2022 and a new grade will be added each year thereafter, until the School serves pre-K through 8th grade students.

Funding: Toyota Foundation

PI: Dean Stephanie Knight (SMU)

Using Pre-Assessment to Customize Adult Literacy Game-Based Learning

January 2021 – December 2026

In 2015, SMU joined with Literacy Instruction for Texas (LIFT) to participate in the Barbara Bush Adult Literacy XPRIZE and develop a game-based mobile application that would change the way low literate adults would learn to read. In 2019, our team of literacy experts, instructional designers, artists, programmers, and game designers won the XPRIZE Grand Prize and Achievement Prize for having the highest gains in literacy among English Language Learners (ELL) from the 109 teams from 15 different countries that participated. Our team developed Codex: The Lost Words of Atlantis, a game where the learner is a great adventurer traveling around the world experiencing new cultures and history while uncovering the secrets of Atlantis. The player finds artifacts and relics and then decodes the cryptic Atlantean language into English. The game is an interactive and engaging story that is fun, while grounded in learning science. We built the game to meet the core concerns and requests that were identified by our focus group. Three focal concepts were integrated into the game: (1) Increase the learner’s knowledge about the world while learning to read, (2) Provide a sense of accomplishment throughout the learning experience, and (3) Help remove the self-consciousness learners often feel when engaging with adult literacy curriculum. In the end, Codex was able to produce over a year’s worth of learning within 9 months through a phone-based video game that utilized adaptive cognitive load theory and difficulty analysis to transform an existing literacy curriculum into game-based learning activities that increased players' engagement and learning.

SMU's team will use this newest grant to continue the development of the application and launch its newest iteration of the game-based curriculum, Enigma. This game will push literacy skills past Codex’s 1st & 2nd and incorporate a pre-assessment tool to customize the learner’s education path in the game. The assessment will allow for identification of literacy gaps for each learner, thus allowing the game to adapt each learners’ specific needs. The incorporation of pre-assessment and customizable gameplay will allow learners to quickly move past areas where they currently have mastery and thus help keep a high engagement within the game. As part of this study, a user reporting and visualization interface will be created to help track and show participants engagement and literacy gains throughout their game play.

Funding: Dollar General Family Literacy Foundation

PI: Dr. Corey Clark (SMU)
Co-PIs: Dr. Anthony Cuevas (SMU); Dr. Diane Gifford (SMU)

Examining the Efficacy of Friends on the Block: An Intensive Early Literacy Intervention for Elementary Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disability (Project Intensity)

July 2020 – June 2026

Purpose: The purpose of Project Intensity is to conduct a randomized control trial (RCT) in schools in Alabama and Texas to evaluate the initial efficacy of Friends On The Block (FOTB; ) a comprehensive text‐based early literacy intervention written by professors Dr. Jill Allor, Dr. Stephanie Al Otaiba, and Dr. Jennifer Cheatham, to enhance the reading and language outcomes of participating students with intensive literacy needs including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Method: Specifically, a total of 128 students with intensive literacy needs were randomly assigned to the FOTB literacy intervention treatment condition or a business‐as‐usual (BAU) control condition across two cohorts (Cohort 1, N=58; Cohort 2, N=69). Students in the treatment condition received the intervention from Project Teachers across two academic years (approximately 42 weeks per cohort). In addition to examining treatment effects on reading and language outcomes, we will be exploring moderators (e.g., IQ, SES) of the treatment.

Intervention: Friends on the Block (FOTB) is a comprehensive early literacy intervention designed to be inclusive and address the specific challenges and strengths of students with intensive literacy needs (including those with IDD); it includes a range of customizable and motivating materials comprised of: (1) a researcher‐developed book series, (2) explicit lessons that provide extensive opportunities for students to integrate skills and apply them in a meaningful context, and (3) multiple learning games to support practice and review. The books include narrative stories about the main character, Sam, and his “friends on the block” and related non-fiction texts. The FOTB program is flexible and customizable, so teachers can adjust the pacing and instructional activities to meet the needs of various learners, particularly those with intensive needs, such as students with IDD.

Primary Research Question: Do students with disabilities who experience intensive literacy needs, including students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who participate in FOTB demonstrate greater reading and language outcomes compared to students who participate in BAU reading instruction?

Current Findings: Data analysis is ongoing. Thus far, we have run analyses on data from the first cohort of students (N=58). Through these initial analyses, we have found statistically significant and educationally important differences favoring the FOTB intervention group on measures of listening comprehension, phonological awareness, decoding, word reading, reading fluency, and reading comprehension, with moderate to strong effect sizes. Eighteen of the 30 FOTB students completed all 14 FOTB levels; their word identification (WI) scores on a nationally normed individualized test were similar to the normative sample of students in second to fourth grade; 9 completed more than half of the FOTB levels and had WI scores similar to middle first to second grade students. Only two students made minimal progress.

To better understand how these results held up over time, we re-tested available students (N = 39) after one year. Notably, FOTB students continued to demonstrate significantly greater growth in fluency and comprehension, which may indicate their ability to continue learning new words and patterns. We hypothesize that these students likely developed flexible decoding which would support the recognition of multisyllabic words, including those with less frequent phonics patterns.

Dr. Jill Allor and Dr. Stephanie Al Otaiba acknowledge a financial interest in the Friends on the Block books and curriculum. Any inquiries should be directed to the Office of Research Compliance at 91����.

Funding: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES)

PI: Dr. Jill Allor (SMU)
Co-PI: Dr. Stephanie Al Otaiba (SMU)

The Noyce Scholars Program, Dallas

July 2020 – June 2026

The Dallas Noyce Scholars Program is a partnership between 91���� (SMU) and the Dallas College School of Education to create a community-focused pathway for mathematics teacher preparation in the Dallas community. The intent of this program is to allow qualified students with a sincere desire to teach in high-need schools to benefit from an exceptional learning opportunity at SMU with $30,000 in scholarship funding from the National Science Foundation, and possible additional scholarship funding from SMU. While the primary thrust of the grant is scholarship funding, we are simultaneously studying how different features of the program impact teacher preparation and retention.

Funding: National Science Foundation (NSF)

PI: Dr. Scott Norris (SMU, Dedman College)
Co-PIs: Dr. Annie Wilhelm; Dr. Candace Walkington (SMU, Simmons School)

Raising Texas Teachers Inside Strong Communities

September 2017 – August 2025

This grant will provide scholarships of $8,000 to 10,000 to a unique cohort of up to 10 pre-service teachers undergraduate and graduate teacher preparation programs in the Department of Teaching and Learning each year for a four-year period. As part of the grant, the graduate students (pre-service teachers) and program director in the department will participate in all of the working group meetings sponsored (and underwritten) by the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation. Teachers will be recruited into this program from the SMU undergraduate community and from the Dallas area. The project is aligned with the vision and mission of the department in strengthening its teacher preparation pipeline and in building a state-wide network for SMU Simmons among other Institutes of Higher Education.

Funding: The Charles Butt Foundation

PI: Dr. Amy Richardson (SMU) (previous)
PI: Dr. Karla del Rosal (SMU) (February 2025 – August 2025)
Co-PI: Dr. Annie Wilhelm (SMU) (previous)
Co-PI: Dr. Magdalena Pando (SMU) (February 2025 – August 2025)