Laura T. Overman (née Rachuba)

Laura T. Overman (née Rachuba) Contact Information: Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education\ Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences Case Western Reserve University 11402 Bellflower Road Cleveland, OH 44106-7167 (440) 596-7232 (cell) laura.overman@case.edu Educational Background: University of Maryland School Counseling M.ED., 1997 College Park Loyola College of Maryland Clinical Psychology M.A., 1992 College of Notre Dame of Psychology (Biology minor) B.A., 1990, magna cum laude Maryland Work Experience: Research Assistant III, Case Western University, Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education (2014-present). Research Assistant, contractual employee for Dr. James Stone, University of Louisville, National Center Career and Technical Education (NRCCTE) (2008-2014). Conducted qualitative and quantitative research in career and technical education reform. Assisted in the study, Rigorous Tests of Student Outcomes in CTE Programs of Study with Drs. Marisa Castellano and Kirsten Sundell. Duties include maintaining and analyzing student-level school district data and student survey data, assisting with interview transcriptions, student surveys, and assorted other qualitative and quantitative duties. SPSS was used for quantitative data and HyperResearch is used for qualitative data. Other qualitative research projects included researching state activities to promote access and affordability for community colleges and res Past duties involved reviewing the literature related to professional development for CTE teachers and writing components of a center paper on that topic. Past quantitative research duties included assisting in data management and analysis for the Math-in-CTE study. Research Assistant, contractual employee for Dr. Sam Stringfield at University of Louisville, College of Education and Human Development, Nystrand Center of Excellence in Education (2004-2009). 1

Involved in a randomized field trial of Effective Elementary Schools for the 21 st Century. Implementation funded by the Excelsior! and Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Foundations. Duties included collecting district data to create and manage a student-level database, analyzing data, completing school case reports, performing an exhaustive literature review on data-driven decision making in schools, assisting in the writing of annual reports. Previously involved in a study of the effects of Comprehensive School Reform on Career and Technical Education schools. Duties entailed performing classroom observations and interviews with teachers, principals, and other appropriate school faculty, writing case studies of site visits, coding interview transcripts, analyzing codes using HyperResearch, managing and analyzing student level school district data and student survey data. Research Assistant II, Johns Hopkins University, School of Arts and Sciences, Center for the Social Organization of Schools (1997-2004). Conducted qualitative and quantitative research in whole school education reform. Quantitative research duties included administering standardized achievement tests (i.e.. the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, an Oral Reading Fluency Test, Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills Fourth Edition), performing literature reviews, managing data sets, analyzing data, writing research findings for technical reports and peer review journals, participating in presentations. Duties for qualitative research entailed performing classroom observations and interviews with teachers, principals, and other appropriate school faculty, writing case studies of site visits, coding interview transcripts, analyzing codes using HyperResearch. Other involvements included assisting in data collection, management, and analyses of a study of Comprehensive School Reform; Assisting in data collection, management, and analyses for a study of a reading strategies program developed by the American Federation of Teachers Union; Assisting in a meta-analysis of comprehensive school reform by collecting and coding literature, assisting in the development of databases, assisting in the writing of the metaanalysis; Coordinating the evaluation of the TEACH BALTIMORE Summer Reading Academy through organizing student testing, managing and evaluating student data, organizing and managing the locating database, assisting with recruitment and retention; Examining four models of school improvement in Title I schools; studying the impact of federal compensatory education funding using the national Prospects database; Analyzing the achievement gap between White and minority high achievers and its course throughout elementary school; Identifying the characteristics of high-achieving minority students in comparison to lowachieving minority students and high achieving White students; Assisting in a national evaluation of Core Knowledge (an externally developed education reform); Evaluating various reforms locally in Baltimore City (Baltimore Curriculum Project), Maryland (Core Knowledge), and nationally (Title One). 2

Research Analyst, University of Maryland at Baltimore, School of Medicine, Center for Minority Health Research (1993-1997). Participated in a community research project on violence prevention for African American youth in public housing developments. Duties included collecting, entering, managing, and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data; Writing for peer-review journals; Organizing focus groups; Presenting information about the center s work; Developing a skills based violence prevention curriculum grounded in social learning theory; Recruiting parents and youth from public housing developments in Baltimore; Coordinating the implementation of the intervention through partnerships with public housing and other community leaders. Research Study Coordinator, University of Maryland at Baltimore, School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology (1993-1996). Managerial responsibilities involved hiring nurse interviewers, assisting with the implementation of the study in local hospitals, completing annual reports for those hospitals, providing support to interviewers. Clinical Research Assistant, University of Maryland at Baltimore, School of Medicine, Center for Mental Health Services Research (1992-1996). Responsibilities involved data management and computer programming (utilizing SAS), conducting literature reviews, analyzing quantitative data, and writing for peer-review journals and poster presentations. PUBLICATIONS IN REFEREED JOURNALS Castellano, M., Sundell, K. E., Overman, L. T., & Aliaga, O. A. (2012). Do CTE programs of study improve student achievement? Preliminary analyses from a rigorous longitudinal study. International Journal of Educational Reform, 21(2), 98-118. Sundell, K., Castellano, M., Overman, L. T., & Aliaga, O. A. (2012, January). The role of school culture in improving student achievement in POS. Techniques Magazine. (PDF) Borman, G.D., Benson, J., & Overman, L.T. (2009). A randomized field trial of the Fast forword language computer-based training program. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 31, 82-106. Lewis, M., & Overman, L. (2008). Dual and concurrent enrollment and transition to postsecondary education. Career and Technical Education Research, 3(3), 189-202. 3

Lewis, M., & Overman, L. (2008). State plans for implementing programs of study. Career and Technical Education Research, 3(3), 217-226. Borman, G.D., Benson, J., & Overman, L.T. (2005). Families, schools, and summer learning. Elementary School Journal, 106, 131-150. Borman, G.D., Overman, L.T., Fairchild, R., Boulay, M., & Kaplan, J. (2004). Can a multiyear summer program prevent the accumulation of summer learning losses? In G.D. Borman, & M. Boulay (Eds.), Summer learning: Research, policies, and programs, pp. 233-253. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Borman, G.D., and Overman, L. T. (2004). Academic resilience in mathematics among poor and minority students. Elementary School Journal, 104, 177-195. Borman, G.D., Hewes, G.M., Overman, L.T., & Brown, S. (2003). Comprehensive school reform and achievement: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 73(2), 125-230. Datnow, A., Borman, G.D., Stringfield, S., Overman, L.T., & Castellano, M. (2003). Comprehensive school reform in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts: Implementation and outcomes from a four-year study. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 25, 143-170. Howard, D.E., Kaljee, L., Rachuba, L.T., Cross, S.I. (2003). Coping with youth violence: Assessments by minority parents in public housing. American Journal of Health Behavior, 27(5), 483-492. Howard D. E, Feigelman S., Li X., Cross S., Rachuba, L. (2002). The relationship among violence victimization, witnessing violence and youth distress. Journal of Adolescent Health, 31(6), 455-462. Borman, G.D., Rachuba, L.T., Hewes, G., Boulay, M., & Kaplan, J. (2001). Can a summer intervention program using trained volunteer teachers narrow the achievement gap? First-year results from a multi-year study. ERS Spectrum Journal of School Research and Information, 19(2), 19-30. Borman, G.D., & Rachuba, L.T. (1999). Qualifications and professional growth opportunities of teachers in high- and low-poverty elementary schools. Journal of Negro Education, 68(3), 366-382. Li, X., Howard, D, Stanton, B., Cross, S., Rachuba, L. (1998). Community violence exacts a high emotional toll on urban black children and adolescents. Research Activities, 220(11). Li., X., Howard, D.E., Stanton, B., Rachuba, L. T., Cross, S. I. (1998). Distress symptomatology among urban African American adolescents: A psychometric evaluation of the checklist of child distress symptoms (CCDS). Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 152, 569-577. 4

Stanton, B., Baldwin, R., Rachuba, L. (1997). A quarter century of violence in the United States: An epidemiologic assessment. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 20(2), 269-282. Rachuba, L., Stanton, B., Howard, D. (1995). Violence in the United States: An epidemiologic profile. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 149, 953-960. Lehman, A., Rachuba, L., Postrado, L. (1995). Demographic influences on quality of life among persons with chronic mental illnesses. Evaluation and Program Planning, 18(2), 155-164. Goldman, H., Rachuba, L., Van Tosh, L. (1995). Methods of assessing mental health consumers preferences for housing and support services. Psychiatric Services, 46(2), 169-172. Lehman, A., Postrado, L., Rachuba, L. (1993). Convergent validation of quality of life assessments for persons with severe mental illnesses. Quality of Life Research, 2, 327-333. OTHER PUBLICATONS AND PRESENTATIONS AT NATIONAL CONFERENCES Castellano, M., Sundell, K. E., Overman, L. T., Richardson, G. B., and Stone, J. R. III. (2014, April). Rigorous tests of student outcomes in CTE programs of study: Final report. Louisville, KY: National Research Center for Career and Technical Education. Castellano, M., Sundell, K. E., Overman, L. T., & Aliaga, O. A. (2011, June). Rigorous tests of student outcomes in CTE programs of study: Year 3 report. Louisville, KY: National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, University of Louisville. Castellano, M., Sundell, K. E., Overman, L. T., & Aliaga, O. A. (2011, June). Rigorous tests of student outcomes in CTE programs of study: Year 3 report. Louisville, KY: National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, University of Louisville. (PDF) Stone, James (2011). Adolescent Employment. Encyclopedia of Adolescence. Oxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier.(Contributed literature review and writing to this manuscript) Sundell, K. E., Castellano, M., Overman, L., & Aliaga, O. (2011, April). Do CTE programs of study improve student achievement? An experimental study. Paper presented at the annual convention of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), New Orleans, LA. Sundell, K. E., Castellano, M., Overman, L., & Aliaga, O. (2011, November). What do programs of study look like? Mandated and supporting components of CTE POS observed in a mixedmethods longitudinal study. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Career and Technical Education Research (ACTER), St. Louis, MO. Castellano, M. E., Sundell, K. E., & Overman, L. T. (2010, January). Year 1 technical report: Rigorous tests of student outcomes in CTE programs of study. Louisville, KY: National Research Center for Career and Technical Education. 5

Castellano, M., & Overman, L. T. (2009, June). Community college access and affordability for occupational and non-traditional students. Louisville, KY: National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, University of Louisville. When Is a Lottery Not a Lottery: Reflections on Site Selection for a Randomized Controlled Trial Study of CTE Programs of Study. Presenters: Marisa Castellano, Kirsten Sundell, and Laura T. Overman, NRCCTE. This presentation, made at the 2009 ACTER meeting, outlined the impediments to site selection in RCT studies, particularly when the randomization technique is "naturally occurring" in the form of district-run lotteries for entrance into oversubscribed programs. Castellano, M., Stone, J.R. III., Stringfield, S.C., Farley-Ripple, E.N., Overman, L.T. & Hussain, R. (2007). Career-based comprehensive school reform: Serving disadvantaged youth in minority communities. St. Paul, MN: National Research Center for Career and Technical Education. Borman, G.D., Hewes, G., Overman, L.T., & Brown, S. (2002). Comprehensive school reform and student achievement: A meta-analysis (CRESPAR Report #59). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University, Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk. Hints of Promise: When CSR Reaches ELLs. (2002, April). Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans. (with G. Borman). Datnow, A., Borman, G.D., Stringfield, S., Rachuba, L.T., Castellano, M. (2001). Comprehensive school reform in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts: implementation and outcomes from a 4-year study. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University, Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk. Borman, G.D., Hewes, G., & Rachuba, L.T. (2000). The impact of federal compensatory education funding: Does the congressionally mandated Prospects study inform the debate? Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University, Center for Social Organization of Schools. Borman, G.D., & Rachuba, L.T. (2000). A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the implementation and effects of the Lake Clifton/Eastern High School NOVEL program. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University, Center for Social Organization of Schools. Borman, G.D., Rachuba, L., Datnow, A., Alberg, M., MacIver, M., Stringfield, S., & Ross, S. (2000). Four models of school improvement: Successes and challenges in reforming lowperforming, high-poverty Title I schools (CRESPAR Report #48). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University, Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk. The Characteristics of schools and classrooms attended by successful minority students. (2000, April). Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans. (with G. Borman). Evaluating Teach Baltimore. (2000, July). Summer Learning and the Achievement Gap: First National Conference. Baltimore. (with G. Borman). 6

Borman, G.D., Boulay, M., Kaplan, J., Rachuba, L.T., & Hewes, G. (with Myers, D. & Mullens, J.) (1999). Evaluating the long-term impact of multiple summer interventions on the reading skills of low-income, early-elementary students. Preliminary report, year 1. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University, Center for Social Organization of Schools. Stringfield, S., Dathow, A., Borman, G., and Rachuba, L. (1999). National evaluation of Core Knowledge Sequence implementation: Final report. Report prepared for the Brown Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation, and the Core Knowledge Foundation. Borman, G., Stringfield, S., Rachuba, L. (1997). Advancing minority achievement: National trends and promising programs and practices. Report prepared for the National Task Force on Minority High Achievement. The College Board, New York. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 438380). POSTERS Rachuba, L., Dixon, L., Lehman, A., Postrado, L. Substance use by seriously mentally ill patients and their families. New Researchers Poster Session, 149th meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, Monday, May 6, 1996, New York City. AWARDS American Educational Research Association (April, 2004). Review of Research Award presented to Geoffrey D. Borman, Gina M. Hewes, Laura T. Overman, & Shelly Brown for Comprehensive school reform and achievement: A meta-analysis in Review of Educational Research, Volume 73, Number 2. 7