Sheila Valencia is Professor of Language, Literacy, and Culture at the University of Washington, Seattle. She teaches and conducts research in the areas of literacy assessment, instruction, policy, and teacher development. Dr. Valencia has served on national, state, and local assessment committees to improve assessment systems and policies including the Common Core Standards Advisory Panel on Literacy, National Assessment of Educational Progress subcommittees, and IRA/NCTE standards and assessment committees. She has also served on the editorial boards of Educational Researcher, Educational Assessment, Reading Research Quarterly, Journal of Literacy Research, and The Reading Teacher. In addition, Dr. Valencia studies the professional development of teachers’ conceptual and practical knowledge of literacy and literacy instruction. Dr. Valencia’s work has appeared in edited books and numerous journals including Reading Research Quarterly, Educational Assessment, Journal of Teacher Education, Elementary School Journal, Journal of Literacy Research, and The Reading Teacher. She is also a member of the Reading Hall of Fame.
Education
Ph.D., University of Colorado, Boulder
M.Ed., Reading Education- State University of New York, Buffalo
B.S., Elementary and Remedial Reading - State University of New York, Buffalo
Selected Publications
Wixson, K. K. & Valencia, S. W. (2014). CCSS-ELA: Suggestions and cautions for implementing the reading standards. The Reading Teacher. 67(6), 430-434.
Morva McDonald, M., Kazemi, E., Kelly-Petersen, M., Mikolasy, K., Thompson, J., Valencia, S., & Windschitl, M. (in press). Practice makes practice: Learning to teach in teacher education. Peabody Journal of Education.
Valencia, S.W., Wixson, K.K., & Pearson, P.D. (in press). Putting text complexity in context: Refocusing on comprehension of complex text. Elementary School Journal.
Valencia, S. W. & Wixson, K. K. (2013). CCSS-ELA: Suggestions and cautions for implementing the reading standards. The Reading Teacher, 67(3), 181-185.
Wixson, K.K., Valencia, S.W., Murphy, S, & Phillips, G.W. (2013). Study of NAEP Reading and Writing Frameworks and Assessments in Relation to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts. In F. Stancavage, G. W. Bohrnstedt, S. Rosenberg, & T. Zhang (Eds.), Examining the Content and Context of the Common Core State Standards: A First Look at Implications for the National Assessment of Educational Progress. A publication of the NAEP Validity Studies Panel, San Mateo, CA: American Institutes for Research.
Parker, W. C., Lo, J., Yeo, A. J., Valencia, S., Nguyen, D., Abbott, R. D., Bransford, J. D., Vye N. J. (2013). “Beyond breadth-speed-test: Toward deeper knowing and engagement in an Advanced Placement course.” American Educational Research Journal, 50(6), 1424-1459.
Valencia, S. W. & Hebard, H. (2012). Ongoing classroom literacy assessment: Strategies for informing instruction and monitoring student progress. In B. M. Taylor & N. K. Duke (Eds.). Handbook of Effective Literacy Practices. New York: Guilford.
Valencia, S. W., Pearson, P. D., Wixson, K. K. (2011). Assessing and tracking progress in reading comprehension: The search for keystone elements in college and career readiness. Princeton: Center for K-12 Assessment & Performance Management at ETS. http://www.k12center.org/publications/through_course.html
Wixson, K. K., Lipson, M.Y., Valencia, S. W. (2012). Response to intervention (rti) for teaching and learning in language and literacy. In A.C. Stone , E. R. Silliman, B. J. Ehern, & K. Apel (Eds.). Handbook of Language and Literacy. New York: Guilford.
Valencia, S. W. (2011). Using assessment to improve teaching and learning. In. S. J. Samuels & A. E. Farstrup (Eds.). What research has to say about reading instruction (4th ed., pp.379-405). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Valencia, S. W., Smith, A. T., Reece, A. M., Li, M., Wixson, K. K. & Newman, H. (2010). Reading fluency assessment: Issues of construct, criterion, and consequential validity. Reading Research Quarterly, 45, 270-291.
Au, K. H. & Valencia, S. W. (2010). Fulfilling the potential of standards-based education: Promising policy principles. Language Arts 87, 373-380.
Valencia, S.W. (2010). Reader profiles and reading disabilities. In. R. Allington & A. McGill-Franzen (Eds.). Handbook of reading disabilities research. Mawah, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum.
Valencia, S. W., Martin, S. D., Place, N. A., & Grossman, P. (2009). Complex interaction in student teaching: Lost opportunities for learning. Journal of Teacher Education, 60, 304-322.Valencia, S.W. (in press). Complex interaction in student teaching: Lost opportunities for learning. Journal of Teacher Education.
Valencia, S.W., Place, N.A., Martin, S.D., & Grossman, P.L. (2006). Curriculum materials for elementary reading: Shackles and scaffolds for beginning teachers. Elementary School Journal, 107, 93-120.
Dutro, E. & Valencia, S.W. (2004). State and District Content Standards: Issues of Alignment, Influence, and Utility. Education Policy Analysis Archives. 12 (45 ).
Valencia, S.W., & Riddle Buly, M.R. (2004). What struggling readers REALLY need. The Reading Teacher, 57, 520-533.
Riddle Buly, M., & Valencia, S.W. (2002). Below the bar: Profiles of students who fail state reading tests. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 24, 219-239.
Valencia, S.W. & Wixson, K.K. (2001). Literacy policy and policy research that makes a difference. In J. Hoffman, D. Schallert, C. Fairbanks, J. Worthy, B. Malock (Eds.). Fiftieth Yearbook of the National Reading Conference (pp.21-43). Chicago: National Reading Conference.
Valencia, S.W. & Wixson, K.K. (2001). Inside English/Language Arts standards: What’s in a grade? Reading Research Quarterly, 36(2), 202-211.
Grossman, P.L., Valencia, S.W., Evans, K., Thompson, C., Martin, S., Place, N. (2000). Transitions into teaching: Learning to teach writing in teacher education and beyond. Journal of Literacy Research, 32(4), 631-662.