Deb Adkins

  • Research Project Director

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Biography —

Deb Adkins, Ph.D., has more than 20 years of experience in education research and assessment with a focus on early childhood education and innovation in assessment including research, design, and management of innovative prototypes of educational assessments.

Adkins is a Research Project Director at Accessible Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Systems (ATLAS), a research center at the University of Kansas with more than 150 staff and more than $20M in annual revenues.

She leads a cross-functional team where she coordinates activities between teams, external partners, and project management.

Education —

Ph.D. in Quantitative Methodology, University of Oregon

Selected Publications —

Adkins, D. (2021). Digital Self-Administered Assessments: The Utility of Touch Screen Tablets as a Platform for Engaging Early Learner Assessment. Journal of Early Childhood Research.

Anderson, R.C., Porter, L., & Adkins, D. (2019). A Dramatic Confrontation of Frames: ArtsIntegration Teacher Development, Organizational Learning, and School Change. Leadership and Policy in Schools.

Adkins, D., & Guerreiro, M. (2017). Learning Styles: Considerations for Technology Enhanced Item Design. British Journal of Educational Technology.

Cronin, J., Dahlin, M., Adkins, D., & Kingsbury, G.G. (2007). The Proficiency Illusion. Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

Cronin, J., Dahlin, M., Adkins, D., & Kingsbury, G.G. (2007). The Proficiency Illusion. American Educator, 23-28.

Selected Presentations —

Nesterak, M., Adkins, D., & Guerreiro, M. (2018, June). Innovation in Assessment: How is Research Looking to the Future? Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Northwest Education Association, Portland, OR.

Adkins, D. (2018). Self-Administered Assessments: The Utility of iPads as a Platform for Engaging Early Assessment. Poster session at the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association, New York, NY.

Guerreiro, M. & Adkins, D. (2017). The Impact of a Technology Enhanced Constrained Performance Task on Student Engagement in Mathematics. Poster session at the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association, San Antonio, TX.

Adkins, D. & Dahlin M. (2015, June). Transition Guidelines: Moving Students from MPG to MAP 2-5 and from MAP 2-5 Mathematics to 6+. Paper presented at the Central Conference of the Northwest Education Association, Chicago, IL.

Slibeck Francis, J.B., Sanders, L., Adkins, D., Calliope, M., & Wilmurth, G. (2014, June). Turning Theory into Reality: Lessons Learned About Text Complexity from Early Adoption of the Common Core State Standards. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Northwest Education Association, Portland, OR.

Adkins, D. (2012, June). Do Test Scores Differ as a Function of Inaccessibility? Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Northwest Education Association, Portland, OR.

Adkins, D. (2011, March). Is Decoding Sufficient to Predict Reading Ability in Kindergarten Through 2nd Grade Students? Paper presented at the Early Education and Technology for Children Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, UT.

Cronin, J., Kingsbury, G. G., Dahlin, M., Adkins, D., & Bowe, B. (2007, April). Alternate methodologies for estimating state standards on a widely-used computer adaptive test. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.

Memberships —

  • National Council on Measurement in Education
  • American Educational Research Association