Sarah Irvine Belson

Dr. Sarah Irvine Belson serves as the Executive Director of the Institute for Innovation in Education (IIE) and is a Professor of Special Education and Early Literacy Intervention Leadership in the School of Education (SOE) at American University in Washington, DC. She currently collaborates in research partnerships with teachers and school leaders to foster educational opportunity for children with disabilities, focused on culturally and linguistically affirming reading intervention and grounded in principles of teacher voice and wellbeing and use of evidence-based practices. She is the author of over 100 publications and serves as PI for several sponsored research projects focused on early literacy intervention and implementation of evidence-based reading instruction from the US Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. Dr. Belson coaches in-service and preservice teachers and leaders on implementing evidenced based instruction, creating inclusive school communities, and in supporting all learners. Her focus on interventions to increase educational equity and opportunity for children with disabilities is a cornerstone of her research and teaching.