McMaster, colleagues receive Samuel A. Kirk award for article on data-based decision-making

Kristen McMaster

Kristen McMaster, professor in the Department of Educational Psychology’s special education program, was recently recognized for her article, “Data-based decision-making: Developing a method for capturing teachers’ understanding of CBM graphs.” The article—led by Christine Espin, professor of learning problems and specialized interventions at Leiden University and co-authored by Stan Deno, professor emeritus in the Department of Educational Psychology until his passing in 2017 and others—received the prestigious Samuel A. Kirk award for best research article published in 2017. Named for one of the United States’ most impactful leaders in the field of special education and learning disabilities, this award is occasionally given to a journal article published in Learning Disabilities Research & Practice that exhibits excellence.

McMaster accepted the Samuel A. Kirk award on behalf of herself and her colleagues at the Council for Exceptional Children’s Annual Conference in Tampa Bay, Florida, February 7-10. In recognition of their efforts, the researchers received a plaque and a small monetary award.