Noted Educator Donna Ford is Coming to Wisconsin

Dr. Donna Ford, Vanderbilt University Professor and nationally known speaker on gifted education and multi cultural and urban education issues, will be visiting Wisconsin this March.

In conjunction with the MMSD Parent Community Relations Department, Dr. Ford will be presenting a workshop for parents entitled "Promoting Achievement, Identity, and Pride in your Children" on March 8, 2006 from 6:00—8:00 p.m. at the Double Tree Hotel, 545 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI. For more information and to register, contact Diane Crear at 663-1692 or dcrear@madison.k12.wi.us Space is limited. Please make your reservation no later than February 20, 2006

Then on March 10 and 11, the Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted (WATG) is proud to have Dr. Ford as the featured speaker for their spring event for educators and parents:

On Friday afternoon, March 10, Dr. Ford will speak on "In Search of the Dream: Designing Schools and Classrooms that Work for High Potential Students from Diverse Cultural Backgrounds" in Janesville.

Friday evening, March 10, Dr. Ford will address parents and educators on the topic of "Parenting for Achievement and Identity" in Milwaukee.

Saturday, March 11, Dr. Ford will present an all day workshop in Milwaukee on "In Search of the Dream: Designing Schools and Classrooms that Work for High Potential Students from Diverse Cultural Backgrounds." This is a learning and application experience designed specifically for use in the urban/suburban classroom!

For more information and to register go to www.watg.org .

Donna Y. Ford is Betts Chair of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University and teaches in the Department of Special Education. She was formerly a Professor of Special Education at the Ohio State University (OSU). She teaches courses in gifted education, and focuses extensively on students in urban communities. Prior to coming to OSU, she was an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Virginia, and a researcher with the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. Dr. Ford also taught at the University of Kentucky. Professor Ford earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Urban Education (educational psychology) (1991), Masters of Education degree (counseling) (1988), and Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and Spanish (1984) from Cleveland State University.

Dr. Ford consults with school districts nationally, and conducts research primarily in gifted education and multicultural/urban education. Specifically, her work focuses on:

1. Recruiting and retaining culturally diverse students in gifted education
2. Multicultural and urban education (e.g., creating multicultural literature and culturally responsive learning environments)
3. Minority student achievement and underachievement;
4. Increasing minority family involvement in schools and their children's education.

Her work has been recognized by various professional organizations: Research Award from the Shannon Center for Advanced Studies; Early Career Award from The American Educational Research Association; Early Scholar Award from The National Association for Gifted Children; and the Esteemed Scholarship Award from The National Association of Black Psychologists.

She has published more than 100 articles. Dr. Ford is also the author of Reversing Underachievement Among Gifted Black Students (1996) and Multicultural Gifted Education (1999). She has made more than 200 presentations at school, state, and national conferences. Donna has received more than $13,000,000 in grants.

Donna is a former board member of the National Association for Gifted Children, and has served on numerous editorial boards, such as Gifted Child Quarterly, Journal of Negro Education, and Roeper Review. She is a member of dozens of professional organizations, including the National Association for Gifted Children, the Council for Exceptional Children, and the American Educational Research Association.

Posted by Jeff Henriques at February 16, 2006 11:17 PM
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