Faculty Bio

Sarah J. Kaka

Assistant Professor of Education
Director, Adolescence to Young Adult
and Multi-Age Programs

Education

B.S. History Education, Illinois State University

M.A. Curriculum & Instruction, University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Ph.D. Educational Leadership, Research, and Policy, University of Colorado Colorado Springs

About

Sarah J. Kaka teaches secondary methods courses and field experiences, student teaching, and Role of the School. Her main area of focus is secondary social studies. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and has presented at local, state, national, and international conferences. Her research strives to support educator preparation programs in creating effective, long-term educators in all settings, in addition to assisting in-service teachers in becoming more effective. Prior to making the shift to higher education, Dr. Kaka taught high school social studies for a decade in Virginia and Colorado.

Select Peer- Reviewed Publications

Select Peer-Reviewed Presentations

• Kaka, S. J. (2018). Predictors of edTPA score. Paper presentation at American Education Research Association Annual Meeting. New York, NY.
• Kaka, S. J. (2018). Preservice teachers’ impact on student learning: A mixed methods approach. Paper presentation at American Education Research Association Annual Meeting. New York, NY.
• Kaka, S. J. (2017). What do students think about their preservice teachers’ ability to impact student learning? Paper accepted at the London International Conference on Education. Cambridge, UK.
• Kaka, S. J. (2017). How student-centered are they? Paper presentation at edTPA National Annual Implementation Conference. San Jose, CA.
• Kaka, S. J. (2017). Stimulating simulations in the secondary classroom. Presentation accepted at National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Annual Conference. San Francisco.
• Farley, A., Clayton, G., Kaka, S., & Hart, R. (2017). Teacher education in the accountability era: Applying principals of teacher education and evaluation and the use of multiple measures to pre-service teaching. Paper presentation at the annual meeting of Association for Education Finance and Policy. Washington D.C.
• Kaka, S. J., Tygret, J. T., Carpenter, D., & Cathcart, K. (2017) Testing the efficacy of a scholarship program for single parent undergraduates. Paper presentation at American Education Research Association Annual Meeting. San Antonio, TX.
• Kaka, S. J., Conley, V. M., Grant, L., & Frye, B. (2017) Connecting with Teachers and Partner Schools to Study Program Impact. Paper presentation at American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education Annual Meeting. Tampa FL.
• Carpenter II, D. M., Kaka, S. J., Cathcart, K., & Tygret, J. A. (2016). Flying solo: Persistence and achievement among single-parent undergraduates. Paper presentation at NASPA Assessment and Persistence Conference. Portland, OR.
• Mitchell, R. D., & Kaka, S. J. (2016). Patterns and themes of African education in the American educational system. Paper accepted at the Africa–New Perspectives International Conference. Cairo University.
• Clayton, G., Kaka, S. J. & Anderson-Pence, K. (2015). Use of video-based coaching with preservice teachers. Paper presentation at The Mentoring Institute Annual Conference. Albuquerque, NM.
• Kaka, S. (2014). Inquiry-based assessment in the social studies. Poster presentation at National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Annual Conference. Boston, MA.

Selected Grant Activity

• Research grant (2016). University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Leadership, Research, & Foundations. Funding awarded for conducting dissertation research study.

• Supporting Rural Educator Recruitment and Retention Grant (2016). Colorado Department of Higher Education. The EPP would partner with rural districts in recruiting and retaining educators in rural public schools. This would include establishing rural Teacher Cadet programs in order to assist with facilitation of a rural teacher pipeline and “grow your own” path; supporting in-service teachers in becoming concurrent enrollment qualified or gain their National Board of Professional Teaching Standards certification; placing student teachers in rural districts; creating a Colorado Rural Educator Network; and establishing a Professional Development Center for Rural Education. Funding not awarded.

Professional Organizations

• American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
• American Educational Research Association
• Northern Rocky Mountain Educational Research Association
• NCSS College and University Faculty Assembly
• Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
• National Council for History Education
• Ohio Council for the Social Studies  
• National Council for the Social Studies