Katharine Shepherd, Ed.D.
Title	Associate Professor, Department of Education
Contact Info	Special Education Program 449A Waterman Building Burlington, VT 05405-0160 (802) 656-1348 Katharine.Shepherd@uvm.edu
Education	1978: B.A. American Studies, Middlebury College 1985: M.Ed., Elementary and Secondary Special Education Program, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 1997: Ed.D., Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
Professional Biography	I began my teaching career as a special education teacher at both the elementary and high school levels. In 1986, I was hired as a Research Coordinator at the University of Vermont, where I was responsible for the implementation of two federally funded research projects designed to help adolescents with disabilities make successful transitions from high school to adult life. While completing my doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Vermont, I served as the coordinator for three additional federally funded grants and became a Lecturer within the Special Education and Leadership Programs. In 2001, I was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Special Education Program in the College of Education and Social Services at UVM. Currently, I teach courses related to collaborative consultation in schools and communities, special education foundations and law, special education assessment, and leadership. I am a member of VermontÕs Special Education Advisory Board, the Vermont Learning Disabilities Task Force, and the Committee on Families within the Division of Research of the Council for Exceptional Children. I serves as a guest editor for Mental Retardation and Exceptional Children, and maintain professional memberships with the Council for Exceptional Children and the American Educational Research Association. I am committed to exploring the ways in which policies and practices related to children with disabilities and those placed at risk of school failure can be developed, implemented, and evaluated for the purpose of ensuring that our schools and communities are places where all children and families have the opportunity to learn and experience full community participation. I believe in the need for schools and communities to engage in dialogue and promote the use of collaborative processes that will promote social justice and the success of all children and families. In my role as a graduate level teacher and advisor, my goal is to help each student identify and maximize the ways in which they can act on their personal passions to make a difference in the world.
Research Interests and Current Projects	My early research interests focused on the efficacy of specific approaches to enhancing job seeking and self-advocacy skills among youth with disabilities, and student and family participation in educational planning processes. This work led to a series of policy implementation studies, including a study exploring the implementation of federal requirements related to the school to adult life transition of high school students with disabilities. I served as co-Principal Investigator of several studies of the implementation of Vermont policies related to school funding and the improvement of supports and services for students placed at risk of academic failure. Currently, I am the Principal Investigator of a federally funded research project which will identify effective elements of a model designed to expand opportunities for parents of children with disabilities to participate as leaders in the development and evaluation of related educational and social policies. I believe in the importance of studying policy implementation through qualitative research methods; however, many of my studies have used mixed methods including surveys and cross-case analyses of both qualitative and quantitative data.
Courses Taught	EDSP/EDLP 387: Collaborative Consultation EDSP 280: Assessment in Special Education EDSP 301: History of Systems and Services to Individuals with Disabilities and Their Families EDLP 353: Seminar in Organizational Leadership EDSP 322/323: Internship in Special Education EDLP 295: Internship in Educational Leadership
Selected Publications	Furney, K.S., Aiken, J., Hasazi, S.B., & Clark/Keefe (forthcoming). What principals need to know to meet the needs of students. Journal of School Leadership. Furney, K., S., Hasazi, S., & Clark/Keefe, K. (forthcoming). Multiple dimensions of reform: The impact of state policies on special education and supports for all students. Journal of Disability Policy Studies. Furney, K.S., Godek, J., & Riggs, M. (2004). Leading for the success of all students. Classroom Leadership, 7 (8) www.ascd.org/publications/class_lead/200405. Furney, K., Hasazi, S., Clark/Keefe, K., & Hartnett, J. (2003). A longitudinal study of shifting policy landscapes in general and special education reform. Exceptional Children, 70 (1), 81 – 96. Hasazi, S., Furney, K.S., & DeStefano, L. (1999). Implementing the IDEA transition mandates. Exceptional Children, 65 (4), 555 – 566. DeStefano, L., Heck, D., Hasazi, S., & Furney, K. (1999). Enhancing the implementation of the transition requirements of IDEA: A report on the policy forum on transition. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 22 (1), 85 – 100. Salembier, G.S., & Furney, K.S. (1998). Speaking up for your childÕs future. Exceptional Parent, 28, (7), 62 - 64. Salembier, G.S., & Furney, K.S. (1997). Facilitating participation: ParentsÕ perceptions of their involvement in the IEP/transition planning process. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 20 (1), 29 - 42. Furney, K.S., Hasazi, S.B., & DeStefano, L. (1997). Transition policies, promises, and practices: Lessons from three states. Exceptional Children, 63 (3), 343-356. Salembier, G. & Furney, K.S. (1994). Promoting self-advocacy and family participation in IEP and transition planning. Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education, 17 (1), 12-17.