Research Interests and Expertise

Developing and testing interventions for students with mathematics difficulties

Research Projects and Grants

  • Supporting Teaching of Algebra: Individual Readiness (Project STAIR), Office of Special Education Programs, 2018–2021
  • Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating Interactive Read-Alouds for Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Children to Improve Literacy and Numeracy Skills, T.L.L. Temple Foundation, 2017–2022
  • Promoting Scientific Explorers Among Students With Learning Disabilities: The Design and Testing of a Grade 2 Science Program Focused on Earth’s Systems, National Science Foundation, 2017–2021
  • Developing Connections Between Word Problems and Mathematical Equations to Promote Word-Problem Performance Among Students With Mathematics Difficulty, Institute of Education Sciences, 2015–2019

Research Boards

  • Assessment for Effective Intervention
  • Exceptional Children
  • Journal of Learning Disabilities
  • Learning Disabilities Research and Practice
  • Learning Disability Quarterly
  • Teaching Exceptional Children

Recent Awards

  • Distinguished Early Career Research Award, Division for Research, Council for Exceptional Children, 2018
  • Early Career Publication Award, Division for Research, Council for Exceptional Children, 2011
  • Dissertation Award, Division for Learning Disabilities, Council for Exceptional Children, 2010 

Representative Publications

  • Powell, S. R., Cirino, P. T., & Malone, A. S. (2017). Child-level predictors of responsiveness to evidence-based mathematics intervention. Exceptional Children, 83, 359–377. doi:10.1177/0014402917690728
  • Powell, S. R., Driver, M. K., Roberts, G., & Fall, A.-M. (2017). An analysis of the mathematics vocabulary knowledge of third- and fifth-grade students: Connections to general vocabulary and mathematics computation. Learning and Individual Differences, 57, 22–32. doi:10.1016/j.lindif.2017.05.011doi:10.1177/0022219412442157
  • Powell, S. R., Hebert, M. A., Cohen, J. A., Casa, T. M., & Firmender, J. M. (2017). A synthesis of mathematics writing: Assessments, interventions, and surveys. Journal of Writing Research, 8, 493–526. doi:10.17239/jowr-2017.08.03.04
  • Powell, S. R., & Nelson, G. (2017). An investigation of the mathematics-vocabulary knowledge of first-grade students. The Elementary School Journal, 117, 664–686. doi:10.1086/691604
  • Hughes, E. M., Powell, S. R., & Stevens, E. A. (2016). Supporting clear and concise mathematics language: Instead of that, say this. Teaching Exceptional Children, 49, 7–17. doi:10.1177/0040059916654901
  • Powell, S. R., & Hebert, M. A. (2016). Influence of writing ability and computation skill on mathematics writing. The Elementary School Journal, 117, 310–335. doi:10.1086/688887
  • Powell, S. R., Kearns, D. M., & Driver, M. K. (2016). Exploring the connection between arithmetic and pre-algebraic reasoning at first and second grade. Journal of Educational Psychology, 108, 943–959. doi:10.1037/edu0000112