NRC is the professional organization for those sharing an interest in research and dissemination of information about literacy and literacy instruction, and the Early Career Achievement Award is given to persons who have been in their careers for seven years or less. Wapole received the award for her teaching, service and publications in the literacy field.
Originally a high school teacher, Walpole decided to return to graduate school to learn more about the needs of struggling adolescents. At graduate school at the University of Virginia, where she was a research assistant at the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Instruction, she said her focus changed. She became interested in elementary schools, which “beat the odds” by producing greater achievement than demographics would predict, and she began to carry out research in this area. “I learned multiple models and processes that facilitate school-level success,” she said.
In a research statement, Walpole wrote, “I conduct research in the area of beginning reading development and instruction, especially at the school level. My overall goal is to improve the knowledge and skills of teachers who work with primary-grade children, particularly those children who come to school with multiple potential environmental and cognitive risks of literacy failure.”
At UD, Walpole teaches undergraduate courses on language and literacy development in kindergarten and first grade and graduate courses and seminars on reading programs, literacy and educational policy.
Active in school reform projects, Walpole has been involved with the U.S. Department of Education's Reading First initiatives in Delaware, Virginia and Georgia, working with literacy coaches through workshops, observation and feedback. She helps reconstruct school curriculum and helps design support systems for teachers.
Walpole also was cited for her publications of 14 articles, two books and eight chapters. She is the coauthor of The Literacy Coach's Handbook: A Guide to Research-based Reform and Differentiated Reading Instruction: Strategies for the Primary Grades.
A graduate of the College of William and Mary, Walpole received her master's and doctoral degrees in reading education from the University of Virginia. She joined the UD faculty in 2002.
Article by Sue Moncure