About Us - Staff

Our staff represent the fields of Education, Child Development, Workforce Development, Management, Social Work, Policy Development, and Research and Evaluation. Our senior associates are directly involved in every project, ensuring that professional expertise and thoughtful leadership inform all aspects of our work. We use a nationwide network of experienced and professional associates to increase our capacity to ensure that all of our services are of the utmost quality.

Staff

Linda Warren, Ed.D.
Founder & President

A leader in training, research, and product development, Dr. Warren has designed cutting edge curricula based on sound theory and practice, and has accessed millions of dollars for state and local collaboration projects to support families and communities. She conducted groundbreaking research on learning styles, left/right hemispheres, and instructional outcomes for children. Dr. Warren spearheaded the gifted and talented program for the state of Hawaii. She led the national trainings and technical Learning Disability Project, worked on the National Dissemination Network, and anchored the Steps to Success Mentor Coaching Professional Development Program for the Office of Head Start. She received national recognition for the Family Literacy Makers of Change Evaluation Model, and has investigated and analyzed the effects of literacy on poverty and family functioning. Dr. Warren's impact has been felt throughout the country. She has worked with federal and state departments of education, legislators, and families to formulate policy, service delivery, training and media/resource development. She has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in human growth and development, assessment, special education, psychology, and leadership. Dr. Warren received a federal Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) Grant to develop the JumpStart Family Literacy Guides and Talking with Children, a guide for teaching assistants working with English Language Learners in K-3 settings. Her SBIR experiences were featured in the book Women, Research, and the SBIR Program. Dr. Warren has been a teacher and a professor at the University of Hawaii and Wheelock College. She also helped launch the inclusion model for young children with disabilities in public and private schools in Massachusetts. She has conducted evaluations of the Early Reading First program in Maine, Massachusetts and Michigan. Recently she directed the State of Massachusetts UPK Child Assessment Project which developed a model for disseminating assessment information and supporting skill development of teachers of young children. She also piloted the Recognition and Response Model in early intervention programs and created the For Grandparent Only program to support grandparents who have primary custody of their grandchildren.

This year, Dr. Warren worked with cities and towns in Massachusetts to develop Community and Family Engagement Strategic Plans to be implemented over a 3 year period and has worked with low performing schools to develop Turn Around Plans funded through Race to the Top Initiative. Additionally, she has directed Wrap Around Zone Initiatives to further support children who struggle throughout their formal schooling experience. Dr. Warren received her Ed.D. in Special Education/Educational Research from the University of Alabama.

Gerry Sligar, M.Ed.
Senior Management

Ms. Sligar has worked as an early childhood program director and teacher for 30 years and was the Principal of a public school early childhood center. She has worked with Early Childhood Associates, Inc. extensively on the JumpStart Family Literacy Curriculum and the Steps to Success mentor-coaching instructional design. She has coordinated Community Partnerships for Children programs, Parent Child Home Program initiatives, and collaborated on Even Start Family Literacy projects. Most recently Ms. Sligar has managed two of ECA's Early Reading First projects and has conducted observations and trainings on the CLASS and ELLCO classroom quality measures. Ms. Sligar received her Master's degree in Special Education from Lesley College.

John M. Crapps, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate

Dr. Crapps is an Associate Professor of Professional Studies and Human Development at Wheelock College. He is an internationally known researcher in the areas of child and family development and disabilities. Dr. Crapps' work focuses on program evaluation, survey research, secondary analysis, and observational research for the state of Massachusetts, early education programs with Early Childhood Associates, Inc. and university-related projects on families, children, family literacy, and developmental disabilities. Dr. Crapps has worked extensively with ECA in the evaluation of Even Start Family Literacy projects and Early Reading First programs. His research and evaluation presentations capture the attention of diverse audiences, and he is highly skilled at engaging teachers and providers in the evaluation and self-reflection processes. Dr. Crapps received his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.

Benita R. Danzing
Strategic Planning & Policy Analyst

Ms. Danzing possesses broad knowledge of applied research in the areas of child well-being, including poverty, K-12 education, health, safety, community collaboration, and nutrition. Her strengths reside in shaping data into client reports that improve program quality and sustainability, communicating research results to convey clear and compelling messages, and managing projects. At ECA, Ms. Danzing has served as a strategic planning consultant, developed turn around plans for underperforming schools, and managed numerous state and federal evaluation projects.

Recently, Ms. Danzing served as a Data Consultant for the Massachusetts Kids Count, Annie E. Casey Foundation and Massachusetts Citizens for Children. In this role, she produced annual Kids Count reports, wrote targeted issues papers, and participated in the Child Poverty Reduction Working Group and the New England Poverty Consortium.

Additionally, Ms. Danzing has been a Marketing Consultant for Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Massachusetts and the Bank of Boston. She has an MBA from the College of William and Mary and a BA from Washington University.

Marsha Miller
TA & Training Senior Associate

Marsha Miller, M. Ed. Early Childhood Education, has worked as an early childhood educator as teacher, director, mentor, and has extensive experience helping systems implement curriculum, assessment, and ongoing professional development in both public school and Head Start programs. Her work has focused on those children most vulnerable for learning difficulties- primarily those born into poverty. With an emphasis on early literacy since 2000, she has served as project director for two Early Reading First programs in Northern Michigan – Kalkaska CARES – Children Acquiring Reading Essential Skills and TLC – Teaching Literacy Collaboratively.

At ECA, Ms. Miller has conducted CLASS evaluations to measure classroom quality and serves as a consultant to support statewide EC Advisory Councils in developing targeted yet far reaching communication strategies. She also serves as the coordinator of a federally funded Zero to Three Child Care Partnership and as a Head Start consultant/ program reviewer.

Ms. Miller presents nationally, statewide, and regionally to provide early childhood practitioners current knowledge in: research-based practices; support for implementing them on a day to day basis; and ensuring that those living in poverty have access to high quality early childhood programs. Her professional commitment is to support those directly working with young children with information and strategies that will positively impact the academic achievement gap of those living in poverty.

Karen E. Rose
Research & Product Development Specialist

Ms. Rose has worked in the field of early childhood for nearly twenty years. At the Warren Institute, she has interpreted and presented evaluation findings for Early Reading First projects and has supported the development of Wraparound Zone Initiatives in collaboration with ECA's public school clients. Additionally, Dr. Warren and Ms. Rose worked together to pilot a Recognition and Response Early Intervention Model which was subsequently adopted for use in select Massachusetts School Districts. The model has been showcased throughout the Commonwealth. Ms. Rose is currently a special education preschool teacher serving students with significant learning needs. She also serves as the Director of the Extended School Year Program for students' preK through 8th grade for the Westborough Public Schools. Ms. Rose has conducted trainings in the areas of Data Collection, Successful Inclusion of Students with Severe Special Needs, Behavioral Interventions in the Classroom, and IEP Development and Implementation. Ms. Rose holds a Master's Degree in Severe Special Education as well as a license in Special Education Administration.

Jennifer Spera
Product Development and Office Management

Ms. Spera is a skilled graphic designer who spearheaded the design of Early Childhood Associates & the Warren Institute, Inc.'s Global Café Multicultural Cookbook and For Grandparents Only handbook. Ms. Spera has exceptional computer skills and uses a variety of different software programs, including Excel, Publisher, and PowerPoint. She administers language and literacy based child assessment systems, and organizes and analyzes program and child level outcome data, prepares reports for diverse audiences and captures findings in assessment and evaluation briefs. She also manages the daily office operations and staff. Prior to joining Early Childhood Associates, Inc. & the Warren Institute, Ms. Spera worked as a freelance photographer and in customer support services.

Lisa Sullivan
Information Systems Specialist

Ms. Sullivan conducts research utilizing online databases and resources. She also is responsible for collecting, recording, reporting and analyzing data for various client projects and reports. She has collaborated with school administrators to gain an understanding of resources available for improving overall school climate and promoting the importance of social/emotional and physical health and well-being.

Before joining Early Childhood Associates and the Warren Institute, Ms. Sullivan worked for 13 years at Dun and Bradstreet in information services and in sales and marketing. Ms. Sullivan is active in the community in which she raises her family. She has taken on leadership roles and has mobilized constituents and community members to support youth and family initiatives. She developed a strategic plan that enlisted the support of businesses, educators and families to support a common goal. She has served on several boards. She received her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Boston College.

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