Dena D. Slanda

Dena D. Slanda, Ph.D., is a senior technical assistance consultant in the Education and Instruction division at the American Institutes for Research. Her work focuses on evidence-based literacy instruction, inclusive education, multi-tiered systems of support, intensive intervention, and professional learning for educators and administrators. She previously served as a research associate and faculty member in Exceptional Student Education at the University of Central Florida, where she earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Exceptional Student Education.

Slanda has co-authored books and chapters on special education, action research, literacy, inclusive programming, and interdisciplinary educator preparation, including The Classroom Teacher’s Guide to Special Education and The Educator’s Guide to Action Research. Her research addresses equitable educational practices and the intersection of race and disability, particularly disproportionality among culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education.