Nami Shin

Nami Shin
  • Senior Research Associate

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Biography —

Nami Shin, PhD, has a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in research and evaluation and another in teaching English to speakers of other languages from California State University, Los Angeles.

Shin is a Senior Research Associate 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 earned her PhD from the Division of Social Research Methodology in the Department of Education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Before joining ATLAS, she was a research scientist at CRESST, UCLA, where she conducted research and provided psychometric support for three large-scale assessment consortiums — the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), the English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21) Consortium, and the Collaborative for the Alternate Assessment of English Language Proficiency (CAAELP). Before entering academia, she taught English as a foreign language in a middle school in Seoul, South Korea. Shin's research interests include assessment validity, the use of assessment results for instructional improvement, and educational policies for K–12 students, especially for students with disabilities and multilingual learners. She has co-authored several journal articles, technical reports, and conference presentations on educational assessments, policies, and instruction.

Education —

Ph.D. in Education, Social Research Methodology Division, University of California, Los Angeles

Selected Publications —

Shin, N., Kao, J., Keum, E., Sato, E., & Choi, K. (2023). How long-term English learners perform on an English language proficiency assessment during grades 2 through 5: An examination of assessment tasks and features. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 28(1). 7-46. DOI: 10.1080/10824669.2022.2123329 

Shin, N. (2020). Stuck in the middle: Examination of long-term English learners. International Multilingual Research Journal, 14(3), 181-205.

Shin, N. (2018). The effects of the initial English language learner classification on students’ later academic outcomes. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 40(2). 175-195.

Franke, M. L., Turrou, A.C., Webb, N.M., Ing, M., Wong, J., Shin, N., & Fernandez, C. (2015). Student engagement with others’ mathematical ideas. The Elementary School Journal, 116(1), 126-148.

Ing, M., Webb, N. M., Franke, M. L., Turrou, A. C., Wong, J., Shin, N., & Fernandez, C. (2015). Student participation in elementary mathematics classrooms: The missing link between teacher practices and student achievement?Educational Studies in Mathematics, 90(1).

Webb, N. M., Franke, M. L., Ing, M., Wong, J., Fernandez, C.H., Shin, N., & Turrou, A. C. (2014). Engaging with others’ mathematical ideas: Interrelationships among student participation, teachers’ instructional practices, and learning. International Journal of Educational Research, 63, 79-93.

Shin, N., & Shin, SK. (2010). Effects of diagnostic tests on classroom teaching and learning. Korean Journal of Applied Linguistics, 26(3), 325-349.

Selected Presentations —

Shin, N. (2023, April). Long-term English learners’ test scores and grades. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, Chicago, IL. 

Shin, N., & Cai, L. (2022, June). Psychometric models for an alternate English language proficiency assessment. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Conference on Student Assessment, Virtual Conference. 

Shin, N., Sato, E., Kao, J., & Keum, E. (2022, April). Long-term English learners’ performance: in-depth examination of English language proficiency assessment. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA. 

Shin, N., Sato, E., & Kao, J. (2022, April). Understanding the impact of disrupted schooling on English learner student achievement. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, San Diego, CA. 

Shin, N., & Cai, L. (2021, June). Psychometric perspectives of developing an alternate English language proficiency assessment. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Conference on Student Assessment, Virtual Conference. 

Shin, N. (2021, June). Iterative development of performance level descriptors for an alternate English language proficiency assessment. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Conference on Student Assessment, Virtual Conference.

Shin, N., & Hansen, M. (2021, April). Long-term English learners’ performance in English language proficiency assessments. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Virtual Conference. 

Shin, N., & Hansen, M. (2021, April). Exploring optimal cut scores of an English language proficiency assessment: Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Virtual Conference. 

Shin, N., & Cai, L. (2021, June). Psychometric perspectives of developing an alternate English language proficiency assessment. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, Virtual Conference. 

Shin, N. (2019, August). The effects of the initial English language learner classification on students’ later academic outcomes. Presented at the Beijing Normal University workshop at Los Angeles: University of California, Los Angeles, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST). 

Shin, N. (2019, April). Examination of long-term English learners. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Toronto, Canada. 

Shin, N., Hansen, M., & Keum, E. (2019, April). Length of practice and performance on a computer-based English language proficiency screener. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, Toronto, Canada. 

Hansen, M., Winter, P. C., McCoy, M., & Shin, N. (2019, April). Using expert judgments to estimate scoring parameters. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, Toronto, Canada. 

Shin, N. (2018, April). Long-term English learners’ performance on English language proficiency tests and content assessments. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, New York City, NY. 

Shin, N. (2018, April). Psychometric perspectives on fairness in English language proficiency assessments. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, New York City, NY. 

Shin, N. (2017, April). The effects of test-based English language learner classification criteria on academic achievement. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, San Antonio, TX. 

Shin, N. (2016, April). A longitudinal analysis of long-term English language learners’ academic performance and educational experiences. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Washington, D.C.  

Shin, N., Hansen, M., & Cai, L. (2016, April). Comparability study of computer-based and paper-based tests for English language learners. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, Washington, D.C.  

Shin, N. (2015, April). The Effects of English Language Learner Classification on Students’ Educational Experience and Later Academic Achievement. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, Chicago, IL.  

Shin, N. (2014, April). The Effects of Afterschool Program on English Language Learners’ Academic Achievement: Hierarchical Linear Modeling Approach. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA.  

Shin, N., Ing, M.M., & Webb, M.N., Franke, L.M., Turrou, A.G., Wong, J., & Hernandez, C. (2014, April). Measuring Classroom Contexts That Support Student Participation and Learning: Applications of Social Network Analysis. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA. 

Ing, M.M., Webb, N.M., Franke, M.L., Turrou, A.C., Wong, J., Shin, N., & Fernandez, C.H. (2014, April). How Student Participation Mediates the Relationship Between Teacher Practices and Student Achievement. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA. 

Lee, M., & Shin, N. (2013, April). Analysis of Differential Item Functioning of English Language Learners and English Only Students using Multi-level Models. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA. 

Grants & Other Funded Activity —

Senior Statistician. (funding years: 2019-2023). Competitive Grant for State Assessments Programs by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Collaborative for the Alternate Assessment of English Language Proficiency (CAAELP). (PI: Iowa Department of Education; CRESST as the project management partner). $7,823,519 

Researcher. (funding years: 2020-2025). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. National Research and Development Center to Improve Education for Secondary English Learners. (Center PI: Aída Walquí at WestEd; CRESST as a subcontractor). $10,000,000. 

Principal Investigator. (funding years: 2014-2015). University of California Los Angeles Graduate Programs Dissertation Year Fellowship. The Effects of English Language Learner Classification on Students’ Later Educational Experiences and Academic Achievement. $20,000 plus standard tuition and fees. 

Memberships —

Professional Affiliations

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

Technical Adviser

  • (2022-2023). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Study of the Impact of English Learner Reclassification Policies (PI: Westat). $2,999,905.

Reviewer

  • Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Conference: Education Section
  • TESOL Journal
  • American Journal of Education