Jennifer L. Dombek

(850) 644-2980

About

Jennifer Dombek is the dissemination lead at the REL Southeast and a Senior Research Associate at FSU. While with the REL Southeast, Dr. Dombek has coordinated multiple largescale randomized controlled trials focused on improving language and literacy skills in at-risk elementary school students in PreK through grade 2, and grade 5, across school districts in Florida and South Carolina. In addition, she has co-authored several self-study guides for implementing literacy and academic interventions in kindergarten through grade 12. Prior to her work with the REL Southeast, she managed several studies under FSU’s IES-funded Reading for Understanding grant, focused on improving literacy and language skills in at-risk students in PreK through grade 5 across several Florida school districts. Dr. Dombek has also taught undergraduate and graduate reading instruction courses to preservice teachers in the FSU College of Education. Dr. Dombek can be contacted at jdombek@fcrr.org.

Associated IES Content

About REL Southeast

Regional Educational Lab (REL) Southeast partners with key stakeholders in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina to develop evidence that can inform consequential decisions about policy, programs, and practice.
Blog

South Carolina Partnership to Implement Professional Learning Community: Emergent Literacy Part 3

This blog is the third in a series about the South Carolina Partnership to Implement Professional Learning Community: Emergent Literacy (PLC-EL). It focuses on the value that collaborative research partnerships bring to large-scale studies and share some of the lessons learned along the way.
Date published:
Sep 20, 2024
report Systematic Literature Review

Effectiveness of Early Literacy Instruction: Summary of 20 Years of Research

Children entering kindergarten vary greatly in their language and literacy skills. Therefore, up-to-date information about evidence-based practices is essential for early childhood educators and policymakers as they support preschool children's language and literacy development. This study used a process modeled after the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) methodology to systematically identify effective early childhood curricula, lesson packages, instructional practices, and technology programs ...
Apr 11, 2022
report Impact Study

The Impact of Word Knowledge Instruction on Literacy Outcomes in Grade 5

District leaders in a large urban school district in central Florida wanted to examine the efficacy of a new curriculum designed to enhance the word knowledge of grade 5 students so as to improve reading achievement. The new curriculum, called Word Knowledge Instruction (WKI), consists of 15-minute lessons 4 days a week for 20 weeks. The lessons address state standards and cover 20 prefixes and suffixes. Thirty-nine schools participated in the study, with 92 English language arts (ELA) teache...
Apr 06, 2021
report Impact Study

The relative effectiveness of two approaches to early literacy intervention in grades K-2

Understanding written language is crucial to academic success in all content areas. Ensuring a strong foundation in the components of written language--that is, the literacy skills of reading, writing, and oral language--is essential if students are to read with understanding and, thus, is a primary goal of early literacy instruction and of the Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast Improving Literacy Research Alliance. When students fall behind in developing literacy skills, early literac...
Jan 01, 2017
resource Other Resource

Self-study guide for implementing literacy interventions in Grades 3-8

While literacy interventions can be implemented in any grade, focusing on interventions in grades 3-8 is critical because it is often the best chance for students identified with earlier reading deficiencies to become ready for the literacy demands of postsecondary education and careers. States in both the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southeast region and across the country are implementing large-scale initiatives focused on delivering literacy interventions in grades 3-8. This self-...
Jan 01, 2016
report Descriptive Study

Self-study guide for implementing high school academic interventions

While academic interventions can be implemented in any grade, focusing on interventions in high school is critical because it is often a student's last chance to become ready for the academic demands of postsecondary education and careers. States across the country are implementing large-scale initiatives focused on delivering academic interventions in the high school grades. This self-study guide provides a template for data collection and guiding questions for discussion that may improve th...
Jan 01, 2016
resource Other Resource

Self-study Guide for Implementing Early Literacy Interventions

While literacy interventions can be implemented in any grade, focusing on prevention and intervention in kindergarten through grade 2 is optimal because reading difficulties become expensive and challenging to remediate as students become older. The Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004 allows districts to do just this, with 15 percent of special education funds permitted to be used for prevention and early intervention. This Self-study Guide for Implementing Early Literacy Interventions ...
Jan 01, 2016