Karla L. Swafford, Ed.D Assistant Professor School of Education, LUO knswafford@liberty.edu 678-230-8059 EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND Ed.D. The University of Georgia Major: Educational Leadership M. Ed. The University of Georgia Major: English Education B. A. Georgia State University Major: English Minor: Secondary Education TEACHING/ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE Principal West Hall Middle School, Oakwood, Georgia 2010-present Performed administrative duties for approximately 840 students and 110 staff members Assistant Professor Liberty University Online 2010-present Performed all the duties associated with teaching students at the graduate level, including students who are Master of Education, Specialist of Education, and Doctor of Education candidates. Adjunct Instructor 2009-2010 Performed all the duties associated with teaching students at the graduate level, including students who are Master of Education, Specialist of Education, and Doctor of Education candidates. Principal 2006-2010 Oakwood Elementary School, Oakwood, Georgia Performed administrative duties for approximately 540 students and 80 staff members Reading Endorsement Instructor 2004-present Pioneer RESA, Cleveland, Georgia Taught the three courses required by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission for adding a reading endorsement to the existing certificates of Georgia teachers for 6 cohorts of teachers
Assistant Principal 2005-2006 Alternative Learning Center, Gainesville, Georgia Performed administrative duties for approximately 75 students and 10 staff members Assistant Principal 2001-2005 North Hall Middle School, Gainesville, Georgia Performed administrative duties for approximately 875 students and 100 staff members Language Arts Department Chair-9 th /10 th Grade 1999-2001 Language Arts Department at North Gwinnett High School, Suwanee, Georgia Performed administrative duties for 12 teachers Language Arts Teacher 1994-2001 Language Arts Department at North Gwinnett High School, Suwanee, Georgia Summer School at Collins Hill High School, Lawrenceville, Georgia Summer School at Brookwood High School, Snellville, Georgia Language Arts Department at Phoenix High School, Lawrenceville, Georgia Summerour Middle School, Norcross, Georgia Performed all the duties associated with the teaching profession for grades 9-12 Independent Contractor 1998-2000 Test Scoring and Reporting Services at the University of Georgia Prepared training materials for the High School Gateway and identified benchmarks for the High School Gateway. PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE Leadership Certification: L-7 December 2007 Leadership Certification: L-6 (ABD) July 2003 Leadership Certification: L-5 August 2000 Gifted Endorsement: In-field August 1999 English (7-12): T-5 August 1999 English (7-12): T-4 December 1993 PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION David J. Mullen Scholarship, University of Georgia, 2005 Teachers As Leaders, Class of 2000 Teacher of the Year Local School Finalist, 2000 SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY: PUBLICATIONS Swafford, Karla L. (2007). Standardized testing: an historical persepective (Doctoral dissertation). The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.
SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY: PRESENTATIONS Administrative Panel (October 2003). Member of panel discussion regarding the local school administrator s views on the impact of high-stakes standardized testing, National Curriculum and Pedagogy Conference, Decatur, Georgia. SERVICE: PROFESSIONAL Presentations Crucial Conversations (June 2008). Professional Learning for administrators,, Gainesville, Georgia. Coaching (June 2007). Professional Learning for administrators, Hall County Schools, Gainesville, Georgia. Gateway Information (October 1999). Informational presentation on the Gateway Exam for teacher candidates, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia. In Support of Gateway (October 1999). Speech given at the Gwinnett County Board of Education meeting on the merits of the Gateway Exam, Gwinnett County Public Schools, Lawrenceville, Georgia. Research Dissertation research on the historical use of standardized test scores in the United States (2001-2007). The research incorporates information from test publishers, test authors, and scholars in the field of educational assessment as to the appropriate and inappropriate use of those test scores. New teacher efficacy (2000-2001). Establishment of an informal mentoring program with first-year teachers has enabled me to look more closely at the needs of teachers new to the profession. Action research in my classroom on the reading and writing process (1998-1999). Research has yielded innovative changes in instruction of reading and writing, including the implementation of writer s workshop and reader response theory. Research with reading curriculum that I conducted in 1996 is now being utilized in nation-wide staff development sessions by Dr. Donna Alvermann of the University of Georgia. Other Non-University Service Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 2008-present Accreditation Governance and Leadership Committee Served on a committee that analyzes the processes of system-level governance and leadership for the system s upcoming SACS review
Leadership Retreat Planning Committee 2008 Served on a committee that designed a 3-day retreat for all leadership (both system and building level) of Student Services Committee for Severely 2007-present Acting-Out Elementary Students Served on a committee of educators, local juvenile court officials, and other social agencies to design a program to meet the needs of elementary students who have intense behavior issues of an overly aggressive or sexual nature Balanced Literacy Committee 2006-present Developed Balanced Literacy Framework that is the foundation of literacy instruction in all twenty Hall County elementary schools Technology Standards Committee 2007 Served on a committee to develop the standards and assessment for Hall County 8 th grade students to satisfy federal requirement of demonstration of technology proficiency Leadership Development Committee 2005-2006 Served on a committee to design an internal leadership development program for Language Arts Committee Advisor 2002-2004 Served as the administrative liaison to the middle school language arts committee for developing and implementing a writing program for Hall County middle schools Teachers As Leaders Planning Committee 2001 Planned Spring Retreat for the Teachers As Leaders Class of 2001 Gateway Staff Development Course Instructor 2000-2001 North Gwinnett High School Conducted a staff development designed to give teachers the tools necessary to prepare students to be successful on the High School Gateway High Schools That Work Advisory Committee 1998-2001
North Gwinnett High School Attended several conferences that focused on the preparing ninth graders to be more successful in making the difficult transition from middle school to high school Gateway Trainer 1997-2001 Prepared training materials, selected benchmark papers, and trained teachers in scoring student responses to the High School Gateway Exam. Gateway Exam Rater 1997-2001 Participated in the scoring of student responses to the High School Gateway Exam Gateway Intervention Class Instructor 2000 North Gwinnett High School Taught sessions for remediation for students who did not pass the High School Gateway Exam Staff Development Instructor 2000 Center for Educational Programs Office of Assessment Taught sessions on staff development and the use of data in assessment for high school assessment teams In-Tech Technology Team 2000 North Gwinnett High School Participated in staff development in technology resources for the classroom for the purpose of redelivery to the local school Standard Setting for 8 th Grade Writing Test 1999 Participated in evaluating writing samples of Gwinnett County 8 th graders for the purpose of setting the standards for levels of proficiency Gateway Advisory Committee Member 1996-2000 Participated in the development of the Gateway Exam which included writing and revising test items, evaluating validity of test items, developing rubrics for scoring student responses, administering sample tests, and acting as advocate to the local school SERVICE: COMMUNITY Women s Advocacy Group, Challenged Child and Friends, 2010-present Choir Member, Blackshear Place Baptist Church, 2009-present
Oakwood Booster Club, 2008-present Various Positions in Children s Ministry, Blackshear Place Baptist Church, 2003-present Choir Member, Flowery Branch United Methodist Church, 1996-2002 Relay for Life Team Co-Captain and Team Member, 1994-2010 PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development 1999-2009 Georgia Association of Educational Leaders 2007 National Council for Teachers of English 1997-2002 Professional Association of Georgia Educators 1993-2010