Dr. Tamara Walser

Assistant Professor

Department of Educational Leadership
Education Building 372
(910) 962-4175 Phone
(910) 962-3609 Fax
walsert@uncw.edu

Education

Ph.D., Research and Evaluation Methodology, Utah State University (2000)

M.S., Instructional Design and Development, Utah State University (1996)

B.A., French; minors in Organizational Communication and Public Relations, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (1989)

North Carolina Teaching License: French (K-12); Instructional Technology Specialist (Administrative)

Previous Professional Positions

Project Manager, Windwalker Corporation, McLean, VA

Research Scientist, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Assessment Specialist, Committee for Children, Seattle, WA

Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology and Associate Director of the Assessment and Evaluation Center, Washington State University, Pullman, WA

Courses Taught at UNCW

EDN 200: Teacher, School and Society
EDN 514: Technology for School Administrators

EDN 523: Research in Education
EDN 564: Policy Formation as a Systemic Process

EDN 568: Program Design and Evaluation
EDN 641: Research I

EDN 642: Research II

Research Interests

Systems in Evaluation
Program Evaluation Methodology
Performance Assessment
Research Design
Evaluation of Research

Recent Publications

Walser, T. M. (2009). An action research study of student self-assessment in higher education. [Online First] Innovative Higher Education.

Pappamihiel, N. E., & Walser, T. M. (2009). English language learners and complexity theory: Why current accountability systems do not measure up. The Educational Forum, 73, 133-140.

Walser, T. M. (2009). Systemic data-based decision making: A systems approach for using data in schools. American Association of School Administrators Journal of Scholarship and Practice, 6(1), 28-32.
 

Recent Presentations

Walser, T. M. (2008, November). Addressing complexity in educational program evaluation: Focusing on intent. Demonstration presented at the American Evaluation Association annual conference, Denver, CO.

Walser, T. M. (2008, October). A systems approach to data-based decision making in schools. Paper presented at the Consortium for Research on Educational Accountability and Teacher Evaluation, National Evaluation Institute, Wilmington, NC.

Walser, T. M., Fulton, L., Hendrickson, M., Lemon, D., Morgan, J., Roberts, R., & Rollison, M. (2008, October). A school leader's guide to meta-evaluation. Poster presented at the Consortium for Research on Educational Accountability and Teacher Evaluation, National Evaluation Institute, Wilmington, NC.

Current Grants

Principal Investigator, Formative Evaluation of a School Leader's Guide to Evaluating Research Grant , Charles L. Cahill Award, University of North Carolina Wilmington ($2,400; 2008-2009).

Co-Prinicipal Investigator, Hill Center Regional Educational Model Grant Evaluation Contract (with Karen Wetherill, UNCW; $223,676; 2008-2012).

Co-Principal Investigator, The Hill Center, Front Street Village, Carteret County Schools HillRAP Partnership Evaluation Contract , The Hill Center (with Karen Wetherill, UNCW; $230,825; 2008-2012).