KaiLonnie Dunsmore

kdunsmore@ballfoundation.org

KaiLonnie Dunsmore is an educator, researcher, literacy consultant, and program developer.  a  She is a former elementary and middle school teacher whose struggles to support the literacy development of her own students prompted her to engage in action research as a teacher and then led more formally to graduate study and research.  After completing her doctoral degree from Michigan State University in literacy and teacher education, she then spent the next 7 years working in university settings as a professor and researcher.  During that time, she engaged in federal and state funded intervention research that involved collaboration with classroom teachers to develop literacy programs that accelerated reading and writing skills for special education and at-risk student populations.  She has taught numerous courses and workshops that help teachers develop instructional and assessment practices that support the literacy development of all students, particularly in those populations that tend to be socially and educationally marginalized.   Her published articles, book chapters, and local and national presentations have focused on differentiated instruction, writing, content area literacy, literacy coaching, family literacy, and reading comprehension.  

KaiLonnie continues to live out a vocational passion to support all students in literacy learning, especially those on the margins of classrooms and society.  She is committed to very hands-on work with teachers and school administrators to engage in conversations that develop collective practices that support literacy development of all students, particular in those populations that tend to be marginalized.   Her more recent work as Director of Literacy Initiatives at The Ball Foundation allows her to develop close, collaborative partnerships with school districts to support organizational and instructional transformation to ensure that all students achieve the high levels of literacy achievement needed for 21st Century Success.