School of Education

Kelly Williams is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Her research focuses on improving academic and post-secondary outcomes for students at-risk for and identified with high incidence disabilities. She is particularly interested in reading interventions for adolescents with reading difficulties and disabilities, including students who are English Learners, and preventing dropout with at-risk populations.

Previously, Kelly was a high school special education teacher and reading specialist in resource and inclusion settings for students with high-incidence disabilities. She also has extensive experience tutoring elementary and middle school students with reading disabilities and ADHD.

Recent Publications

Williams, K. J., Martinez, L. R., Fall, A.-M., Miciak, J., & Vaughn, S. (2021). Student engagement among high school English learners with reading comprehension difficulties. School Psychology Review. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2020.1868948

Williams, K. J., & Vaughn, S. (2020). Effects of an intensive reading intervention for ninth grade English learners with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 43(3), 154-166. https://doi.org/10.1177/0731948719851745

Daniel, J., & Williams, K. J. (2019). Self-questioning strategy for struggling readers: A synthesis. Remedial and Special Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932519880338

Williams, K. J., & Martinez, L. R. (2019). Supporting reading comprehension for students who are learning English and have learning disabilities. Intervention in School and Clinic, 55(1), 23-31. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451219833019

Vaughn, S., Martinez, L. R., Williams, K. J., Miciak, J., Fall, A.-M., Roberts, G. R. (2019). Efficacy of a high school extensive reading intervention for English learners with reading difficulties. Journal of Educational Psychology, 111(3), 373-386. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000289

Toste, J. R., Capin, P., Williams, K. J., Cho, E., & Vaughn, S. (2019). Replication of an experimental study investigating the efficacy of a multisyllabic word reading intervention with and without motivational beliefs training for struggling readers. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 52(1), 45-58. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219418775114

Wanzek, J., Stevens, E. A., Williams, K. J., Scammacca, N., Vaughn, S., & Sargent, K. (2018). Current evidence on the effects of intensive early reading interventions. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 51(6), 612-624. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219418775110

Williams, K. J., Austin, C. R., & Vaughn, S. (2018). A synthesis of spelling interventions for secondary students with disabilities. Journal of Special Education, 52(1), 3-15. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022466917732777

Williams, K. J., Walker, M. A., Vaughn, S., & Wanzek, J. (2017). A synthesis of reading and spelling interventions and their effects on spelling outcomes for students with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 50(3), 286-297. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219415619753

Toste, J. R., Williams, K. J., Capin, P. (2017). Reading big words: Strategies to support students’ multisyllabic word reading. Intervention and School Clinic, 52(5), 270-278. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451216676797

Scammacca, N. K., Roberts, G. J., Cho, E., Williams, K. J., Roberts, G., Vaughn, S., & Carroll, M. (2016). A century of progress: Reading interventions for students in grades 4–12, 1914–2014. Review of Educational Research, 86(3), 756-800. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316652942