Dot McElhone, Ph.D.

Dr. Dot McElhone (she/her) is a Professor of Curriculum and Instruction in the Portland State University College of Education. She is the Program Coordinator of the Elementary Graduate Teacher Education Program, the lead designer of the entirely new undergraduate major in Elementary Education (the Licensure in Elementary Education Program - LEEP), and a cohort leader for doctoral students in the Educational Leadership - Curriculum and Instruction specialization. 

Before joining the COE faculty in 2009, Dr. McElhone earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Teacher Education with a focus on Literacy from Stanford University. Through her research, she pursues educational equity by generating knowledge to strengthen classroom literacy instruction. She has published research on patterns of teacher–student talk around texts, teacher knowledge about reading comprehension processes across the career span, and statewide policies for the adoption of literacy curricular materials. The Oregon Department of Education and Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (state licensing agency) have both called on Dr. McElhone's expertise to advise on statewide literacy education policy. 

Dr. McElhone teaches courses on qualitative research methods, curriculum theory, research design, and methods for teaching literacy in the elementary grades rooted in current reading science. She co-leads a project in the Portland Public School district recruiting and training caregiver volunteers to reinforce foundational literacy skills taught in the core curriculum.