Dr. Sara Jones
Assistant Professor
Teaching and Learning
Office
DEG Degarmo Hall 224
Office Hours
Upon request
Office Phone
Email
- About
- Education
- Awards & Honors
- Research
Biography
Dr. Sara Jones is an Assistant Professor of Elementary Education--Literacy in the School of Teaching and Learning at Illinois State University. Her research focuses on exploring adolescent reading motivation in ways that are more humanizing, responsive, and culturally sustaining.
Current Courses
222.001Reading Assessment
205.001Advanced Honors Seminar: Interdisciplinary Investigations
110.003Cross Cultural Teaching And Learning
209.006Literacy II:Reading & Language Arts In The Elementary School
222.003Reading Assessment
Teaching Interests & Areas
Literacy methods, critical issues in education, anti-racist/anti-bias teaching, teaching for social justice and equity
Research Interests & Areas
Adolescent reading motivation, Critical Race Theory, mixed methods
PhD Language, Literacy and Culture
Vanderbilt University, Peabody College
Nashville, TN
PhD Teaching and Learning, Major Area: Language, Literacy, and Culture
Vanderbilt University, Peabody College
M.Ed. (Master of Education) Urban and Minority Education
University of Maryland
College Park, MD
M.Ed. (Master of Education) Curriculum and Instruction, Major Area: Urban and Minority Education
University of Maryland, College Park
BA Elementary Education
Elon University
Elon, NC
BA Major Area: Elementary Education, Minor Area: Honors Curriculum
Elon University
Jasmine Ma Award
Department of Teaching & Learning Doctoral Student Association Vanderbilt University, Peabody College
2021
KIPP DC: Board Award Winner
KIPP DC: WILL Academy, Washington, D.C.
2015
Top 10 Under 10 Young Alumni Award
Elon University
2014
Book, Chapter
Goodwin, A., Petscher, Y., Reynolds, D., Lantos, T., Hughes, K., & Jones, S. Monster, PI: Assessment to guide instruction (2020)
Kissel, B., & Jones, S. Equity in elementary writing
Creative Works/Broadcast Media
Jones, S. What’s your superpower? A CRT professional resource recommendation: We got this, Cornelius Minor (2019)
Journal Article
Jones, S. Situative Black girlhood reading motivations: Why and how Black girls read and comprehend text (2024)
Jones, S. Black girls’ reading motivations: Centering their perspectives and experiences to redefine a hegemonic construct (2023)
Goodwin, A., Petscher, Y., Tock, J., McFadden, S., Reynolds, D., Lantos, T., & Jones, S. Monster, PI: Validation evidence for an assessment of adolescent language that assesses vocabulary knowledge, morphological knowledge, and syntactical awareness. Assessment for Effective Intervention 47.2 (2022): 89--100.
Jones, S. Turning Away from Anti-Blackness: A Critical Review of Adolescent Reading Motivation Research. Reading Research Quarterly (2022)
Jones, S. Turning away from anti-Blackness: A critical review of adolescent reading motivation research (2022)
Newspaper, Article
Jones, S. This course uses “Abbott Elementary” to examine critical issues in urban education (2023)
Other
Jones, S., & others. REIMAGINING READING MOTIVATION AS A COLLECTIVE, CRITICAL ENDEAVOR: CENTERING THE PERSPECTIVES OF BLACK GIRL READERS (2022)
Presentations
At what cost?: Researching representation in the Core Knowledge Language Arts curriculum to repair curricular harm. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. (2025)
Repairing harm with heart and humor: Exploring Black women pre-service teachers’ engagement with Abbott Elementary. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. (2025)
Call to expand reading motivation constructs: Examining reading experiences of Black girls and #BookTok users. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. (2024)
Culturally oppressed: An analysis of how scripted curriculum undermines culturally responsive teaching practices. International Conference on Urban Education Biennial Meeting. (2024)
Examining representations of race, ethnicity, gender, and (dis)ability in the Core Knowledge Language Arts Curriculum. National Council for Teachers of English Assembly for Research Conference. (2024)
I want to be a culturally responsive teacher, but I have to use this curriculum: Designing a tool to navigate the tension. National Council for Teachers of English Assembly for Research Conference. (2024)
Innovative methodological approaches to literacy motivation research. Literacy Research Association’s 74th Annual Conference. (2024)
Pop culture and perceptions of urban public education: How “Abbott Elementary” changes hearts and minds. International Conference on Urban Education Biennial Meeting. (2024)
Situative Black girlhood reading motivations: Understanding why and how Black girls read and comprehend text. Literacy Research Association’s 74th Annual Conference. (2024)
Centering Black girls in pursuit of culturally sustaining reading motivation. Literacy Research Association’s 73rd Annual Conference. (2023)