Dr. Sarah Powell, Ph.D. - Principal Investigator

Sarah R. Powell, Ph.D., is a professor in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). She is principal investigator (PI) of SPIRAL and PI or co-PI of several other research grants, such as RAAMPS, STAIR 2.0, and SCALE. Sarah’s research and teaching interests focus on students who experience difficulty in mathematics. Sarah is grateful to the Institute of Education Sciences for funding SPIRAL, Austin Independent School District and its educators and students who participate in SPIRAL, and the SPIRAL team within The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk (MCPER).

Katherine Berry, Ed.D. - Co-Principal Investigator

Katherine A. Berry, Ed.D., works as a senior project manager in the Department of Special Education at UT Austin. Katherine manages two Institute of Education Sciences efficacy grants related to word-problem solving for third- and fourth-grade students with mathematics difficulties. She completed her Ed.D. in special education at The George Washington University. She also holds a B.A. in art history from the University of Virginia and an M.A. in special education from Trinity Washington University. Previously, she worked as a special education teacher for grades 4–6 in Washington, DC, schools. Her work has been featured in numerous journals, including Preventing School Failure, Journal of Educational Psychology, Learning Disabilities Quarterly, and Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal. Katherine has presented at national conferences, including the American Educational Research Association, the Council for Exceptional Children Convention and Expo, the National Arts Education Association, and the Pacific Coast Research Conference. Her expertise is in students with specific learning disabilities, evidence-based practices in mathematics, mathematics problem solving, curriculum development, teacher training, and arts-integrated instruction.

Megan Carroll, Ph.D. - Project Manager

Megan Carroll, Ph.D., is a project manager in the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Megan completed her Ph.D. in special education at UT Austin. She also holds a B.A. in middle grades education from Texas A&M University and an M.A. in intercultural studies from Fuller Graduate School. Previously, Megan worked as a clinical faculty professor where she taught special education courses to early educators and worked as an instructional coach. Megan is a former teacher for grades 4–8, having taught in Texas and California schools. Megan’s research interests include increasing educators’ successful implementation of evidence-based practices, instructional coaching, and teacher professional development.

Katie MacLean, M.S. - Materials Lead

Katie MacLean is a Ph.D. student at The University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Special Education. Her focus is in mathematics with a concentration on learning disabilities and behavioral disorders. She holds a B.S in secondary mathematics education and a M.S. in teacher leadership. Before switching gears and moving to Austin, she taught middle and high school mathematics in Meriden, Connecticut. Katie is interested in mathematics at the secondary level with a particular focus on algebra, as well as the professional development of teachers. This is Katie’s second year working on SPIRAL. Her favorite part about SPIRAL is getting to work closely with Austin ISD teachers and providing them with tools to improve their math instruction.

Rosie Ninesling, B.A. – Follow-Up Project Lead

Rosie Ninesling is a master’s student in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities program at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research interests include self-advocacy and the impact that expressive writing and the arts can have on individuals with ASD. Since graduating from the University of North Texas in 2017, she’s worked in public schools, media companies, and nonprofits—experiences which have all fueled her desire to learn more and pursue grad school.

Gracie Douglas, B.S. – Coach

Gracie Douglas is a Ph.D. student at The University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Special Education. Her focus is on mathematics with a concentration in learning disabilities and behavioral disorders. She holds a B.S. in computer science with a minor in education studies. Gracie is excited to join the team this year to support Austin ISD teachers as they improve their math instruction. She worked as an interventionist at a local elementary school last year and is excited to share what she learned with others!

Jessica Kane-Cabello, M.Ed., LDT, CALT-QI – Follow-Up

For the first 20 years of her career, Jessica served public school students and families as a classroom teacher, dyslexia specialist, dyslexia and literacy coach, and most recently a district dyslexia coordinator. She graduated from the University of Texas-El Paso, where she studied English and American Literature and received her teaching certification. She received her master’s degree in special education, specializing in dyslexia, and educational diagnostician certification from Midwestern State University, Texas. She is a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT), Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT), and a Qualified Instructor of dyslexia therapy (QI). Jessica is pursuing a Ph.D. in Special Education with a concentration in learning disabilities at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research interests are evaluating reading intervention outcomes, explicit literacy instruction for all students, including English Learners, and reading intervention for secondary students with persistent reading difficulties.

Jason Tibbits, M.Ed. - Coach

Jason is a Ph.D. student at the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Special Education. His focus is in mathematics with a concentration on Learning Disabilities and Behavioral Disorders. He holds a B.Ed. in middle school and secondary mathematics and a M.Ed. in Education Administration. Jason has 20 years of teaching experience in middle school math and most recently worked specifically with dyslexic students. He is passionate about supporting teachers and improving outcomes for students with mathematics difficulties.

Elaine Stokes, M.S. - Coach

Elaine Stokes is a master's student in the Department of Education Leadership and Policy and a SPIRAL coach. In her free time, she volunteers evenings as a pre-calculus professor at Lockhart Correctional Facility and is pursuing research opportunities within the school-to-prison pipeline. Elaine has worked in AISD in multiple roles including as a high school math teacher, elementary substitute teacher, and as a qualitative researcher in the Central Office. Before teaching, she attended Texas A&M University where she earned a B.S. in Robotics with a concentration in STEM Education. Using this degree she led a team in the creation of a social robotics research prototype designed to assist children with Autism in the development of social skills in a low-stress environment. She is passionate about improving equity in education and is excited to work with teachers in this capacity!

Jessica Mao, M.A. - Coach

Jessica Mao is a PhD student in the Department of Special Education at The University of Texas at Austin. She is a former special education teacher in San Jose, California. For five years, she taught middle school students with LD, EBD, ADHD, ASD, SLI, and OHI in both public and alternative school settings. Her research interests include middle mathematics intervention and teacher training and development in mathematics. This year, she is a coach for both the SPIRAL and STAIR 2.0 projects. Additionally, she is leading a side project investigating math teachers’ knowledge and implementation of evidence-based practices in the classrooms. Jess is passionate about teachers who teach mathematics and students with mathematics difficulty and disabilities.

Kate Mason, M.S. - Follow Up

Katie is a second-year doctoral student in the Special Education Program at the University of Texas at Austin. She holds a Master’s of Science in Government Analytics from Johns Hopkins University. Most recently, she attended the Modern Meta-Analysis Research Institute. Katie is dedicated to prevention science, aiming to improve long-term outcomes for students with mathematics difficulty through mathematics and behavioral intervention research.

Jessica Manning-Acebo, M.Ed. - Project Coordinator; Data Project Lead

Jessica Manning-Acebo, M.Ed., is the project coordinator for SPIRAL in the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Jessica has worked in public and charter schools as a special education teacher, an elementary education teacher, a reading specialist, an interventionist, and an instructional coach.  Jessica also served as the Regional Director of Professional Learning for Scholastic Education where she worked closely with school districts to identify district-wide literacy goals and create a personalized professional learning pathway to achieve those goals.  Additionally, Jessica managed state-wide literacy initiatives at the University of Texas at Austin designed to ensure that every Texas child is prepared for the literacy demands of college and careers by high school graduation.  Jessica has a passion and wealth of knowledge in professional learning, coaching, and effective instructional strategies to support striving learners.

Alison Hardy, M.Ed. - Professional Learning Project Lead

Alison Hardy is a Ph.D student at the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Special Education. She is a Texas native and an alumna of The University of North Texas and Texas Woman's University. Before starting at UT, she taught second grade for five years in Denton, TX. Her research interests include early mathematics interventions, word-problem solving, and teacher education.

Jessica Jones - Follow-Up Project Lead

Jessica Jones has been a part of MCPER since 2018, serving as a testing specialist, assessment coordinator, and translator. Previously, Jessica received her B.A. in Spanish and linguistics from UT Austin and worked in bilingual early childhood education. She enjoys working in public schools with students, teachers, and administrators, and is passionate about improving educational outcomes. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her pets, reading, listening to podcasts, and hanging out with friends and family.

Karly Conroy - Coach

Before joining SPIRAL, Karly Conroy was a special educator in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for 6 years. Karly left the classroom to pursue her Ph.D. in education policy and planning. She will miss the classroom immensely but is passionate about helping students with unique learning needs through policy. Her predominant focus is students with emotional disturbances, but she has a love for all students served through special programs. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University, Karly attended the University of North Texas, where she grew passionate about special education. She then received a graduate certificate in special education leadership from the University of Kansas. In her spare time, Karly enjoys playing with her active toddler, enjoying music with her husband, and watching football with her family (although cheering for the Longhorns will be new to her). She is looking forward to all that is to come in the next few years!

Emilee DeKlotz - Coach

Emilee DeKlotz is a former educator from Orange County, California. Emilee spent most of her teaching career as a third-grade educator, serving as the mathematics curriculum lead in a public K–5 school. She received her bachelor’s in education from The University of Arizona. Currently, she is in her second year at UT Austin to receive a master’s in educational policy and planning. She spent her first year at UT tutoring fourth-grade math students in the RAAMPS program, watching them grow in their confidence and abilities. Her commitment to fostering equitable learning environments and advocating for positive change within the education system drives her to make an impact in the field.

Elizabeth Leonard, M.Ed. - Coach

Elizabeth Leonard graduated with a M.Ed. from UT in 2022 in Autism and Developmental Disabilities and subsequently received her BCBA/LBA credentials and practices locally in the Austin area. Her teaching background spans 29 years working with children with varying disabilities as an educator and district wide as a behavior/autism specialist. She currently works on the SPIRAL program in the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk as a field analyst and coach.

Daniela Padilla - Coach

Daniela Padilla is a master’s student in the Education Policy and Planning Program at UT Austin. She is originally from the Central Valley of California and earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, San Diego. Daniela is a first-generation higher education student and the daughter of immigrants. Her experience has helped inform her decade-long work around supporting K-16 students through the education system. Daniela is passionate about mentorship as a tool for navigating the education system and believes in maintaining strong roots in community as a means of informing future work. Her education policy focus is college preparation; seeking to understand how policies can best shape a K-16 educational system that prepares diverse students to be successful, on their own terms, in a higher education context.

Aminta Perez, Ph.D. - Coach

Aminta Perez, Ph.D., graduated from Southwest Texas State University and attended and worked at the University of Iowa, where she received a doctorate in history. Aminta moved to Crawfordsville, Indiana, after accepting a position at Wabash College, one of the last all-male colleges in the United States. She taught at Wabash for a few years before moving back to Austin and accepting a position at Mendez Middle School. She taught eighth-grade social studies at Mendez until July 2022.

Michaela Pernetti - Coach

Michaela Pernetti earned a bachelor’s in English and political science from Santa Clara University and a master’s in public policy from the University of Chicago. Michaela is a Ph.D. student in the UT Austin College of Education and is interested in education policy—particularly, equity and inclusive classrooms. As part of the Ph.D. program, she hopes to gain experience conducting interventions in schools and evaluating their efficacy. In her free time, Michaela enjoys volunteering with Kesem, a nonprofit that provides year-round support and summer camp to children affected by a parent’s cancer.

Alexandra Ryan - Coach

Alexandra Ryan is a graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy. Prior to studying at UT, Alexandra was the education coordinator for Salt Lake City’s Mundi Project; a music education nonprofit that provides equitable access to artistic opportunities. Her time with Mundi Project sparked a need to understand how birth lottery provides learning privileges to some while disenfranchising many. As such, Alexandra’s policy focus centers on amplifying the voices of school communities and ensuring all students have access to quality education.