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P. Shawn Irvin

Associate Research Professor
College of Education
pirvin@uoregon.edu
Phone:
Office: 275G Lokey Bldg, University Of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403
Research Interests: Assessment, Measurement, Special Education
Website: https://www.brtprojects.org
Curriculum Vitae

Biography

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.

Education

PhD, 2015, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Major: Quantitative Methodology and Measurement

MS, 2007, Antioch University, Yellow Springs, OH
Major: Educational Leadership (Earth/Space Science Teaching License and Principal Licensure)

MS, 2002, Miami University, Oxford, OH
Major: Geochemistry and Volcanology

BA, 1997, Miami University, Oxford, OH
Major: Geology

Publications

Refereed Journal Articles:

  • Sáez, L. & Irvin, P. S. (2022). Preventing reading disabilities in prekindergarten using a technology-aided tool. Educational Technology Research & Development, 70, 1391-1413.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10116-w
  • Anderson, D., Rowley, B. Stegnaga, S., Irvin, P. S., & Rosenberg, J. (2020). Evaluating content-related validity evidence using a text-based, machine learning procedure. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 39(4), 53-64. https://doi.org/10.1111/emip.12314
  • Scalise, K., Irvin, P. S., … & Partsafas, A. (2018). Accommodations in digital interactive STEM assessment tasks: Current accommodations and promising practices for enhancing accessibility for students with disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 33(4), 219-236. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162643418759340
  • Farley, D., Anderson, D., Irvin, P. S., & Tindal, G. (2016). Modeling reading growth in grades 3-5 with an alternate assessment. Remedial and Special Education. 38(4), 195-206. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932516678661
  • Tindal, G., Irvin, P. S., Nese, J. F. T., & Slater, S. (2015). Skills for entering kindergarten. Educational Assessment, 20(4), 297-319. https://doi.org/10.1080/10627197.2015.1093929
  • Anderson, D., Irvin, P. S., Alonzo, J., & Tindal, G. (2015). Gauging item alignment through online systems while controlling for rater effects. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 34(1), 22-33. https://doi.org/10.1111/emip.12038
  • Scalise, K., Timms, M., Moorjani, A., Clark, L., Holtermann, K., & Irvin, P. S. (2011). Student learning in science simulations: Design features that promote learning gains. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 48(9), 1050-1078. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20437 

Books and Book Chapters:

Please see CV for full list of publications, including conference presentations, technical reports, trainings, measures, and products.
 

Research

I research and develop products around the intersection of measurement, assessment, instruction, & equity. I primarily focus on how student-, classroom- and school-level data can be systematized, accessed, modeled, and visualized in novel ways to support improved decision-making, professional development, and student outcomes (e.g., reduction in risk of or negative impact from disability, increasing accessibility in PK-12+ settings). My current work, funded through large 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, I work to operationalize innovative approaches for linking 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 my work and essential for practical, lasting impact.

Current Projects:

  • Virginia Alternate Assessment Program Development & Validation Subcontract. Virginia Department of Education (State Department Contract MOA #7.13-PR9218984-2020), 9/2023 – 8/2026, $1,900,000 total: Funded. 
    Role: Co-Principal Investigator, FTE: 0.65 to 0.85. 
    This project renews a three-year contract with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) extending ongoing development and validation of Virginia's Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP), statewide accountability alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAAS) in Reading, Math, and Science that are designed to measure the academic knowledge and skills of students with significant cognitive disabilities.
  • Oregon Extended Assessment. Oregon Department of Education (State Department Contract), 7/2024 – 6/2025, $5XX,XXX annually: Funded.
    Role: Research Associate – Key Personnel, FTE: 0.15.
    This project (renewed annually for over a decade) continues ongoing work to develop, validate, and improve Oregon's Extended Assessments – statewide accountability AA-AAAS in Reading, Writing, Math, and Science that are designed to measure the academic knowledge and skills of students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Selected Recently Completed Projects: 

  • Project DATA for RTI: Developing Adept Teams for Advancing RTI. U.S. Department of Education (USDE), Institute of Education Sciences (IES), National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER; 84.324A; R324A160032), 7/2016 – 6/2021, $1,500,000: Completed.
    Role: Research Associate, FTE: 0.30 to 0.35.
    This project successfully developed an individualized, web-based professional development (PD) program to support teachers’ effective implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI) and improve student achievement, especially those with identified reading disability. The PD program is currently being integrated into the easyCBM classroom-based assessment system, used in thousands of school districts by tens of thousands of teachers and students nationwide.
  • Assessment and Data Literacy Training Modules. Oregon Department of Education (State Department Contract, Intergovernmental Agreement No. 12169), 2/2019 – 6/2019, $139,940: Completed.
    Role: Co-Principal Investigator, FTE: 0.35.
    This project successfully developed and disseminated animated trainings in English and Spanish to improve parents’ assessment and data literacy related to student achievement. Using scripted dialog between demographically representative teachers and parents, we employed evidence-based, data-driven strategies to improve knowledge and partnership among parents, teachers, schools, and districts.
  • Intensifying Cognition, Early Literacy, & Behavior for Exceptional Reading (Project ICEBERG). Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP; H327S150007), 7/2015 – 6/2018, $1,500,000: Completed.
    Role: Lead Research Associate – Key Personnel, FTE: 0.30.
    This project developed and disseminated strategies and resources, alongside a comprehensive tablet-based assessment of preschool children’s risk for reading disabilities (RD), to bridge assessment-guided decision‐making practices across the preschool-kindergarten transition and to promote reading skills growth and reduction in RD risk prior to kindergarten entry.

Please see CV for full list of projects.