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, [link https://sites.utexas.edu/dteel/] 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 Bilingual Research Journal. Dr. Callahan is also a Faculty Research Affiliate with the Population Research Center, Education in the Transition to Adulthood Group
Ph.D., University of California at Davis, 2003
Bilingual Education, immigrant adolescents' academic preparation, language minority students and students identified with learning disabilities in the STEM pipeline, language policy in education, immigrant adolescents' civic development, the transition to young adulthood among immigrants; minorities, adolescents, education
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. & 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.
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)
