Dr. Walker received her master’s
degree in curriculum and instruction and special education from Seattle
University in 1993 and her doctorate in special education at the University of Washington
in 2006. As a part of the MIT program, Dr. Walker is committed to providing
future teachers with the skills and strategies to successfully meet the needs
of all students in their classrooms. She has a special interest in research related
to the areas of positive behavior supports, effective classroom management,
teacher education and early intervention strategies for students at-risk for
school failure. Dr. Walker frequently works with school districts throughout
the region to help them improve their programs and supports for students with
special needs.
Before coming to Seattle
University in 2006, Dr. Walker was a special education teacher and behavior
specialist in area schools for over ten years. In 1999 she became the project
coordinator at the University of Washington Behavior Research Center,
coordinating schoolwide positive behavior intervention and support (SWPBIS) projects
across the state. In 2011 she was awarded the PBIS Champion award by the
Northwest Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Network (NWPBIS) for her
ongoing work in helping schools effectively implement PBIS to support the
success of all students.
Dr. Walker is the lead author of several articles including: Effective Schoolwide Screening to Identify
Students At-risk for Social and Behavioral Problems (2010), The Validity
and Reliability of the Self-Assessment and Program Review Survey: Assessing
School Progress in Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (2009), Schoolwide
Screening and Positive Behavior Supports: Identifying and Supporting Students
At-Risk for School Failure (2005), The Elements of an Effective Re-ED Classroom
in the 21st Century (2002), and How Do We Get There From Here? The Nine Stages
of Helping (2006). She recently co-authored with Dr. Eva, also an MIT
faculty member, Leveling The Playing
Field: Preparing Teachers For Effective Instruction In Diverse, Inclusive
Classrooms (2010), as well asDon’t
Turn Away: Empowering Teachers To Support Students’ Mental Health