Diane Gifford

Research Specialist

M.Ed., University of Texas at Arlington
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Diane Gifford is a Research Specialist and Ph.D. candidate in the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development at Southern Methodist University. During her time at the university, she has worked on several technology-based assessment and professional development grants under the direction of Dr. Leanne Ketterlin Geller.

Prior to coming to SMU, Diane spent over 18 years as a classroom teacher and administrator in Dallas, Texas. As the Director of Curriculum at a school of over 800 children in preschool through Grade 8, she developed academic and professional development programs, mentored teachers and provided their formative and summative evaluations, and supervised the administering of benchmarks and continuous progress monitoring indicators in both reading and mathematics.

Diane received her B.A. in Elementary Education at Southern Methodist University and her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction at The University ofTexas at Arlington. She is a Texas state certified Master Reading Teacher. She also assisted in item development for state-wide universal screening and diagnostic assessments with a focus on algebra-readiness in middle school students, initiated by the Texas Education Agency and Education Service Center Region XIII.