 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Current Projects
Teaching American History
Northampton Country Public Schools
Hampton High School Reform
GEAR UP
Norfolk Smaller Learning Communities
Tidewater ACCESS Study
FIRST Robotics
Virginia Arts Project
Student Assessment for Learning
Educational Policy Institute
News & Events
PREPS Team
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
PREPS was established within the Darden College of Education in 2004 to assist school divisions within the Commonwealth of Virginia to meet the requirements of PL 107-110, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. PREPS is currently working with 9 of the 16 school districts in Hampton Roads on a variety of research and evaluation projects to include high school reform, teacher quality, and assessment literacy. PREPS has a team of four researchers who have over 60 years of qualitative and quantitative research experience at various levels.
Dave Blackburn is a futurist. He has led organization turnarounds (schools, districts, non profits, government), secured some $30 million in competitive grants, and served as counsel to superintendents, city managers and flag officers. Dave is an educator and leadership trainer who has held the faculty rank of assistant professor teaching courses ranging from "Urban Politics and Policy" to "Group Dynamics." His current work in the Darden College of Education focuses on assisting at-risk schools and school districts to create evidence-based cultures that meet the educational needs of all children and their general well-being.
Back To Top
Christine Ward, Research Associate, is the lead researcher on the Newport News Public Schools American School Counseling Association comprehensive school counseling model. She is also working with Martinsville and Halifax schools systems to replicate the Newport News Quality School Counseling Initiative. Dr. Ward graduated from Texas A & M with a Ph.D. in Counselor Education in 2009. She earned her undergraduate degree in Business Finance and Economics from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and her graduate degree in education and school counseling from the University of North Florida. She has worked in schools as a counselor in both Florida and Texas.
Timothy Bostic, Research Associate, is lead evaluator on the Northampton County School Leadership grant. The U.S. Department of Education grant awarded to ODU in 2008 is vital to developing sustainable leaders. Dr. Bostic is also developing the research design for the Halifax and Martinsville initiatives as well as leading the development of action research teams.
Dr. Bostic graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Ph.D. in Education Leadership in 2006. He earned a graduate degree in humanities from Old Dominion University in 1995 and an undergraduate degree in speech communication in from Old Dominion University in 1993. Tim joins us from the College of Arts and Letters where taught writing and the teaching of composition for the Department of English, and served as the coordinator of the Masters in the Teaching of English and of the undergraduate English teacher preparation program. Dr. Bostic has taught high school English in Norfolk Public Schools working with students classified as “at-risk†and with honor students. He helped students who had been “written off†learn to communicate effectively through the written word, so they would not be limited by their life circumstances, made him realize that this important message about the teaching of writing was one he wanted to share with other future secondary English teachers. While obtaining his Ph.D., he worked as a project researcher for the Virginia Literacy Project and directed a study on student mobility for the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium. It was through his involvement in these projects that he realized the importance of helping all students, regardless of grade level or content area.
Dr. Shana Pribesh is an educational researcher and sociologist who studies systems of inequality in the U.S. education system. Her research interests are diverse. She recently published work on student/teacher racial matching in classrooms and an evaluation of the Edison Schools (with the RAND Corporation).
Her current studies include the educational consequences for students that make residential and school moves, small learning communities in high schools, college readiness for at-risk students, and evaluations of scholarship and environmental programs. (why are these two together?)
Dr. Pribesh has conducted educational research since 1988 when she joined the American Institutes for Research (AIR). She has also worked on research teams at RAND, University of Michigan, and Ohio State University. Shana holds a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Sociology from the Ohio State University. She is an Assistant Professor in the Educational Curriculum and Instruction Department at Old Dominion University as well as a Research Associate with the Program for Research and Evaluation in Public Schools.
Back To Top
Dr. Zhongtang Ren is Research Scientist for the Program for Research and Evaluation in Public Schools (PREPS), Darden College of Education, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia. He has a PhD of Urban Studies in Urban Education.
After graduating from Henan Normal University in China in 1984, Zhongtang Ren began his teaching career as lecturer and later as assistant professor at Luoyang Normal University, where he won his excellent teaching awards.
In February 1993 Ren was employed by the Ministry of Education in China, responsible for doing project research and evaluation, inviting international specialists to China and coordinating the Ministry with the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program. While at the Ministry of Education he was awarded funding as a year long visiting scholar to the United States in 1995. After his return to China, Ren was promoted to Director of Academic Affairs Office and later to Deputy Director of the Education Research Center at Luoyang Normal University. In 2000, Ren came back to the United States, earning his master degree in Secondary Education from Old Dominion University before winning his PhD degree in Urban Education in 2006. Since 2000 Ren has served as teaching assistant for ECI 301, Social and Cultural Foundation of American Education.
Zhongtang Ren also was involved in ACTT Now, an educational project in Brunswick, Virginia, supported by the US Department of Education, doing evaluation work from 2000 to 2003. Since 2004 he has been selected as member of the Old Dominion University faculty RCR (Responsible Conduct of Research) Task Force.
His research interest is in cross-cultural study in moral reasoning and epistemic beliefs.
Back To Top
The Program for Research and Evaluation in Public Schools (PREPS)
Education Building Room 135
Old Dominion University, Hampton Blvd,
Norfolk, VA 23529 Tel 757.683.5449 Fax 757.683.5716
