Dr. Callahan's primary research interests center on the academic preparation of immigrant, language minority adolescents as they transition from high school into young adulthood. She is presently involved in several research projects which explore the effects of school context, social and academic processes, and teachers' pedagogical practices on the academic and civic development of language minority students, as well as students identified with learning disabilities. She also heads the NSF-DRK-12 Project, Design Technology in Engineering education for English Learners-DTEEL . Recent publications have focused on the effects of English as a second language (ESL) placement on college preparatory achievement outcomes among language minority adolescents; primary language use and college-going among language minority students; and school context and academic preparation on the political participation of immigrant young adults. Her recently published work appears in American Educational Research Journal, Educational Policy, Social Science Quarterly, Theory and Research in Social Education, and the American Journal of Education. Dr. Callahan is also a Faculty Research Affiliate with the Population Research Center, Education in the Transition to Adulthood Group . In addition, she is a Public Voices Fellow in the OpEd Project; recent public scholarship can be viewed here and [https://thehill.com/opinion/education/426549-an-education-forward-democratic-platform-democracys-silver-bullet] here .
Callahan, R.M.. (2018). Immigrants and their Children Can Save our Democracy and Revive our Country: They Always Have. https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/413816-immigrants-and-their-children-can-save-our-democracy-and-revive-our.
Callahan, R.M.. (2018). K-12 English Learners Science and Math Education: A Question of Curricular Equity. http://sites.nationalacademies.org/cs/groups/dbassesite/documents/webpage/dbasse_189136.pdf.
Callahan,, R.M.. & Hopkins, M.B.. (2017). Using ESSA to improve secondary English learners opportunities to learn through course taking. Journal of School Leadership, 27(5), 756–767. (View)
Callahan, R. & Shrifrer, D. (2016). Equitable access for secondary English learner students: Course taking as evidence of EL program effectiveness. Educational Administration Quarterly, 52(3), 463–496. http://eaq.sagepub.com/content/52/3/463. doi:10.1177/0013161X16648190.
Callahan, R. & Humphries, M. (2016). Undermatched? School-based linguistic status, college-going, and the immigrant advantage. American Educational Research Journal, 53(2), 263–295. http://aer.sagepub.com/content/53/2/263. doi:10.3102/0002831215627857..
Callahan, R. & Obenchain, K. (2016). Garnering civic hope: Social studies, expectations, and the lost civic potential of immigrant youth.. Theory and Research in Social Education, 44(1), 36–71. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00933104.2015.1133358. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00933104.2015.1133358.
Callahan, R.M.. (2015). Know More than One Language?: Don't GIve It Up!. https://theconversation.com/know-more-than-one-language-dont-give-it-up-37573.
Callahan, R. & Gándara, P. (2014). The Bilingual Advantage: Language, Literacy, and the U.S. Labor Market. Multilingual Matters:. Clevedon, U.K. (View)
Callahan, R., Shifrer, D. & Muller, C. (2013). Equity or marginalization? The high school course-taking of students labeled with a learning disability. American Educational Research Journal, 50(4), 656–682. http://aer.sagepub.com/content/50/4/656. doi:10.3102/0002831213479439.
Callahan, R. & Obenchain, K. (2013). Bridging worlds in the social studies classroom: Teachers practices and Latino immigrant youths civic and political development. Sociological Studies of Children and Youth, 16, 97–123. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4215544/. doi:10.1108/S1537-4661(2013)0000016009.
Callahan, R. & Muller, C. (2013). Coming of Political Age: American Schools and the Civic Development of Immigrant Youth. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. (View)
Callahan, R. & Obenchain, K. (2012). Finding a civic voice: Latino immigrant youths' experiences in high school social studies. The Higher School Journal, 96(1), 20–32. (View)
Shifrer, D., Muller, C. & Callahan, R. (2011). Disproportionality and learning disabilities: Parsing apart race, socioeconomic status, and language., 246-257.. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 44(3), 246–257. http://ldx.sagepub.com/content/44/3/246.short. doi:10.1177/0022219410374236.
Callahan, R., Muller, C. & Schiller, K. (2010). Preparing the next generation for electoral engagement: Social studies and the school context. American Journal of Education, 116(4), 525–556. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4244818/. doi:10.1086/653627.
Shifrer, D. & Callahan, R. (2010). Shifrer, D., & Callahan, R.M. (2010). Technology and communications coursework: Facilitating the progression of students with learning disabilities through high school science and math coursework.. Journal of Special Education Technology, 25(3), 65–77. http://jst.sagepub.com/content/25/3/65.short. doi:10.1177/016264341002500307.
Callahan, R., Wilkinson, L. & Muller, C. (2010). Academic achievement and course taking in U.S. schools: Effects of ESL placement among language minority students. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 32(1), 84–117. http://epa.sagepub.com/content/32/1/84.short. doi:10.3102/0162373709359805.
Callahan, R. (2009). Latino college-going: Adolescent boys' language use and girls' social integration. Bilingual Research Journal, 31(1-2), 175–200. (View)
Callahan, R. (2005). Tracking and high school English learners: Limiting opportunity to learn. American Educational Research Journal, 42(2), 305–328.
NSF-DRK-12: Design Technology in Engineering education for English Learners-Project DTEEL
NSF-DRK-12 Project, Design Technology in Engineering education for English Learners-DTEEL [/link]. Design Technology and Engineering Education (DTEEL) for bilingual English Learner Students is a K-5th grade curriculum focused on language development through engineering design and problem solving. Each grade level includes a series of units focused on different aspects of engineering: Materials, Structures, Mechanisms, and Work & Energy. The last two grade levels add units that synthesize these engineering components with a Systems focus on Systems. Each lesson includes instructional strategies to strategically integrate language use and engineering content. The curriculum is thus designed to build on the assets that emergent bilingual students (García, 2009) bring to the classroom and provide them with research-based instructional supports for their meaningful participation and learning in engineering education.
Mid-Career Researcher Award, American Educational Research Association, Second Language Research Special Interest Group (2020)
Early Career Award, American Educational Research Association, Bilingual Education Special Interest Group (2011)
Being Bilingual: Language and Education across the Disciplines, Think Bilingual Austin and Austin Independent School District, Austin, TX http://austin.thinkbilingual.org/dr-rebecca-callahan-on-the-importance-of-bilingual-bicultural-education_bilingual-steam-2016/ (2016)
The Educational Experiences of Refugee Immigrant Adolescents, Juneau World Affairs Council, Juneau, AK http://www.jwac.org/forum2016.html (2016)
Fiza Mairaj, Ph.D., expected 2022 (Supervisor)
Edgar Manuel Torres (Supervisor)
Jennifer J Kaszuba (Committee Member)
Currently researching Texas, district level programs and practices and how they correlate with the success of English learners in secondary science using qualitative comparative analysis.
Also interested in researching effective professional development models to improve teacher content knowledge and pedagogical practices.
