Gerald Tindal, Director of Behavioral Research & Teaching
Before becoming Emeritus Professor in 2019, Dr. Tindal was the Castle-McIntosh- Knight Professor in the College of Education – University of Oregon. Currently, he is the Director of Behavioral Research and Teaching (BRT) and focuses his research on integrating students with disabilities in general education classrooms, curriculum-based measurement for screening students at risk of learning problems, monitoring student progress, and evaluating instructional programs.
Dr. Tindal also conducts research on large scale testing and development of alternate assessments, as well as teacher decision-making on test participation, test accommodations, and extended assessments of basic skills. He has written several books on curriculum-based measurement and large-scale testing, scores of book chapters, and published hundreds of papers in the professional literature. His research and teaching form the basis for developing digital assessments: easyCBM© (serving 140,000 teachers and one million students across the U.S.), WriteRightNow©, and CBMskills®.
Gerald Tindal_Long Vita
Gerald Tindal_Short Vita
Gerald Tindal_One Page Vita
Julie Alonzo, Research Associate Professor & Behavioral Research & Teaching Co-Director
Julie Alonzo earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership with a specialization in Learning Assessment / Systems Performance at the University of Oregon in 2007. She earned her B.A. in English from Carleton College in 1990, her NBPTS Certification in Adolescent and Young Adult English Language Arts in 2002, and worked as a high school teacher for 12 years prior to beginning her doctoral studies. While a graduate student, she was named a Stafford Student Scholar representing the University of Oregon as a member of The National Institute on Leadership, Disability and Students Placed at Risk. An article she co-authored was honored as the Article of the Year by the peer-reviewed journal Assessment for Effective Intervention.
Julie has worked at BRT since 2002, initially as a graduate employee, then a full-time member of the research team. In 2016, she was promoted to Co-Director at BRT, a position she has maintained ever since. A Research Associate Professor at the University of Oregon, Julie has taught graduate-level writing and research courses for the College of Education and Chairs dissertation committees in the Department of Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership. Julie’s primary research interests include teacher professional development and the meaningful inclusion of students with diverse learning needs.
Joseph Nese, Research Professor
Joseph Nese is a Research Professor at Behavioral Research and Teaching at the University of Oregon. He received his Ph.D. in school psychology from the University of Maryland, and his B.A from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
His research focuses on developing and improving systems that support data-based decision making in schools, applying advanced statistical methods and data science principles to educational assessment & measurement, and education access & quality.
Joseph has been Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on projects totaling over $9 million in external funding. He is the PI/Co-PI on three IES measurement grants (R305A140203, R305A200018, R305D200038) to develop and validate a scaled computerized assessment system of oral reading fluency. He is the Co-I on a NIH/NIDA grant (1R01DA059401-01) to evaluate the effectiveness of the ISLA model (Inclusive Skill- building Learning Approach) to improve both education access and quality and the social and community environment to prevent school exclusion and substance misuse, and was also the Co-PI on an IES innovation grant (R305A180006) to develop the ISLA intervention to replace exclusionary discipline with instructional and restorative practices.
Joseph collaborates on research projects with the Nese Lab within the Prevention Science Institute and teaches courses in the Specialization in Educational Data Science.
Shawn Irvin, Research Associate Professor
P. Shawn Irvin graduated with a PhD in 2015 from the Department of Educational Methodology, Policy and Leadership at the University of Oregon (UO), specializing in assessment and measurement. Shawn currently works at Behavioral Research and Teaching (BRT) in the College of Education and was promoted to Research Associate Professor in summer 2023.
Prior to joining UO/BRT, Shawn worked in diverse educational settings, elementary through graduate –– previously earning a M.S. in Educational Leadership and Ohio principal/teacher licenses from Antioch University and a M.S. in Geology/Geochemistry from Miami University.
Shawn’s research and development in education centers on the intersection of measurement, assessment, instruction, & equity. He primarily focuses on how student-, classroom- and school-level data can be systematized, accessed, modeled, and visualized in novel ways to support improved teacher and student outcomes (e.g., targeted professional development, reduction in negative impact from disability, and increasing accessibility in PK-12+ settings). His current work, funded through federal grants and state department contracts, includes development and implementation of statewide alternate assessments in Oregon and Virginia, and leverages quantitative and qualitative approaches, innovative technologies, and design-based, practitioner-driven development cycles. Specifically, he works to link assessment data and instruction to improve accessibility and academic outcomes for struggling students, especially those experiencing significant disabilities. Collaboration with researchers, practitioners, state departments, and community partners is an integral component to his work and essential for practical, lasting impact.
Shawn Irvin_Vita
Brock Rowley, Senior Research Associate
Brock Rowley earned his D.Ed. in 2016. His dissertation involved an analysis of the Approaches to Learning measure included in Oregon’s Kindergarten Assessment. Input from parents and teachers was collected on a variety of behavioral rating scales across time. A cut-score for the Approaches to Learning assessment was proposed using a ROC analysis.
Brock is currently serving as a Senior Research Associate at BRT. Prior to this assignment, he worked as a director of special education, elementary principal, high school vice principal, dean of students, and classroom teacher. His areas of expertise include alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS), accommodations, response to intervention, behavioral assessments, and evaluation related to IDEA eligibility.
Brock’s primary research interests are:
- Modeling academic growth for students with disabilities,
- Large-scale special education assessment, and
- Respectful accountability systems.
Education and Licensure
- D.Ed. Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership. University of Oregon, June 2015
- M.Ed. Educational Policy and Management (Instructional Leadership) with an emphasis in Effective Behavioral Supports. University of Oregon, August 1999
- Basic Licensure: Early Childhood/Elementary. State of Oregon
- Endorsement: Early Childhood/Elementary Special Education
- Endorsement: Initial Administrator/Continuing Administrator License
- M.S. Educational Studies Major (Integrated Licensure Option) University of Oregon, June, 1998
Sevrina Tindal, Senior Research Assistant
Sevrina Tindal has been assisting with various research projects at BRT since 2001, most recently in development of the Oregon Extended Assessment. Ms. Tindal manages test development and implementation for the ORExt, and is the contact personnel for field assistance. Previously Ms. Tindal managed test development and helpdesk for the Alaska Alternate Assessment, and has been an integral part of running alignment studies through BRT’s Distributed Item Review website for the Pennsylvania Alternate Assessment and the Hawai’i Alternate Assessment. Sevrina received her Master’s degree in Music Therapy from Arizona State University in 2011 and specializes in children and adults with special needs.