Dr. Thomas is a specialist in program evaluation methodology and social science research methods who also has extensive experience in designing and developing computer software and databases for purposes of student testing, program evaluation, and educational data management. His research program and publications focus on the evaluation of at-risk student programs (especially programs for language minority students) and educational technology applications.

He is a former math/physics teacher, central-office school administrator, and school-based evaluation/research project manager who is now Emeritus Professor of Evaluation and Research Methods in the Graduate School of Education at George Mason University. He is also a past director of the university's former Center for Interactive Educational Technology. From 1980-2004, he taught graduate courses in program and curricular evaluation, research methods and statistics, and instructional technology. His primary instructional emphases were assisting doctoral students to develop and implement their dissertation research methods and chairing doctoral dissertations.

Currently he is engaged off-campus in a new national study of school effectiveness for language minority students in order to further investigate and refine the findings and conclusions of his two previous national studies with Dr. Virginia Collier (Thomas and Collier 1997; Thomas and Collier, 2002).


Contact Information
Dr. Wayne P. Thomas
Email. wthomas@gmu.edu 
 

Dr. Virginia P. Collier is Professor Emerita of Bilingual/Multicultural/ESL Education at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, located in the metropolitan area of Washington, D.C. She is best known for her work with senior researcher, Dr. Wayne Thomas, on school effectiveness for linguistically and culturally diverse students. Spotlighted by the national and international media, their award-winning national research studies have had a substantial impact on school policies in the United States and abroad. A popular speaker, Dr. Collier has given 165 keynote speeches and 282 invited presentations to international, national, state, and local conferences over the past 25 years.

She and Dr. Thomas have also conducted educational leadership training for superintendents, principals, and education policy makers in 29 U.S. states and 15 countries. She is co-author with Carlos Ovando of the professional reference book, Bilingual and ESL Classrooms: Teaching in Multicultural Contexts, with the third edition published by McGraw-Hill in 2003. This book is a well-known, comprehensive reference on research, policy, and effective practices in U.S. schools for students of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. In addition, Dr. Collier has over 70 other publications in the field of language minority education, including her popular monograph, Promoting Academic Success for ESL Students.

 In 1989, she received the Distinguished Faculty Award from George Mason University for excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service. Proficient in Spanish and English, having lived in Central America during her childhood, she has served the field of language minority education for over three decades as parent, teacher, researcher, teacher educator, and doctoral mentor.

Contact Information
Dr. Virginia Collier
Email. vcollier@gmu.edu