Dake Zhang
Associate ProfessorEducational Psychology
Dake Zhang, Ph.D., joined Rutgers GSE after pursuing her doctorate in Special Education from Purdue University and working as an assistant professor at Clemson University. Coupled with a diverse background in special education, educational psychology, and math education, and with her expertise and research interest in mathematics learning disabilities, she has developed and validated accommodation techniques and intervention strategies for students with math learning difficulties. Specifically, her work focuses on:
(a) how to provide effective accommodations for the special needs of students with mathematics learning difficulties during informal formative assessment in mathematics instructional activities;
(b) the development and validation of accommodations for students with math learning disabilties in high-stake standardized assessment;
(c) using technology to improve universisal design for assessing students with varying abilities.
(d) changing mathematics teachers’ beliefs in students’ abilities to learn mathematics, and improving teachers’ skills to apply our techniques to assess and interpret the true abilities of mathematical reasoning in students with math learning difficulties.
Her professional career outside of academia includes being a panelist of National Science Foundation and Institute of Education Sciences (IES). She is also an editorial board member of Learning Disability Quarterly and Journal of Disability Policy Studies. She has been honored as a 2016 postdoctoral fellow of Spencer Foundation and an outstanding Asian American Researcher by P.Y. Chou Foundation.
• Ph.D. in Special Education, Purdue University, IN (2011)
• Master in Special Education, Purdue University, IN (2007)
• B.A. in Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China (2003)
• B.S. in Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China (2003)
• American Educational Research Association (AERA)
• Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
• Psychology of Mathematics Education–North America Chapter (PME-NA)
• Graduate Organization of Educational Studies (GOEDs)
• NJ Association of School Administrators
• Chinese Psychology Association (CPA)
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Expertise & Research Interest
Special Education
Mathematics
Learning, Cognition and Development
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Recent & Selected Publications
Zhang, D., Stecker, P.M., & Beqiri, K. (in press). Understanding the faulty strategies in estimating fractions on number lines among students with and without mathematics disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly.
Zhang, D., Wang, Q., Stegall, J. B., Losinski, M., & Katsiyannis, A. (in press). The construction and initial validation of the special education teaching efficacy scale. Remedial and Special Education.
Whitford, D., Zhang, D. & Katsyannis, A. (2018). Traditional versus alternative teacher preparation programs: A meta-analysis. The Journal of Child and Family Studies. 27(3), 671-685.
Katsiyannis, A., Whitford, D.K., Zhang, D., & Gage, N. (2018). Adult recidivism in United States: A meta-analysis 1994-2015. The Journal of Child and Family Studies. 27(3), 686-696.
Zhang, D. (2017). Effects of visual working memory training and direct instruction on geometry problem solving in college students with geometry difficulties. Learning disabilities: A Contemporary Journal, 15(1), 99-120.
Zhang, D., Ding, Y., Lee, S., & Chen, J. (2017). Strategic development of multiplication problem solving: Patterns of students’ strategy choices. The Journal of Educational Research, 110(2), 159-170.
Ding, Y., Liu, R.-D., Xu, L., Wang, J., & Zhang, D. (2017). Working memory load and automaticity in relation to mental multiplication. The Journal of Educational Research, 110(5), 554-564.
Bergstrom, C. & Zhang, D. (2016). Geometry interventions for K-12 students with and without disabilities: A research synthesis. International Journal of Educational Research, 80, 134-154.
Zhang, D., Stecker, P.M., Huckabee, S., & Miller, R. (2016). Students’ strategic development for middle school students struggling with fractions: Assessment and intervention. The Journal of Learning Disabilities, 46(5), 1-17.
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Clinical Experience
Associate Professor, Special Education, Department of Educational Psychology, Rutgers University (2018 – now)
Assistant Professor, Special Education, Department of Educational Psychology, Rutgers University ( 2012- 2018)
Assistant Professor of Special Education, Department of Teacher Education, Clemson University, Clemson (2011-12)
Mathematics Teacher. Olympics Sports Camp for Training Youth Athletes, Guangzhou, China (2003-05)
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Honors & Awards
Outstanding Asian American Researcher, P.Y. Chou Foundation
National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation
NSF Panelist (2014, 2016)
IES Pannelist (2018)
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