SARA BIRKHEAD

2040 Royal Fern Ct. Apt 11A, Reston, VA 20191 | 703-635-5890 | sbirkhea@gmu.edu

EDUCATION
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Ph.D in Education 2015-present
Major concentration: Mathematics Education Leadership

George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction 2006-2008
Major concentration: Gifted Child Education

George Mason University

B.A. in Anthropology 2000-2002
Minor: Information Technology
Minor: Biology

College of William and Mary

B.A. in Theatre and Speech 1995-1999

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Graduate Research Assistant 2015-present
Advisor: Jennifer Suh
Collaborate on research using data collected from Math 600 courses for
publication in Annual Perspectives in Mathematics Education and presentation
for the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the North American
chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education
(PME-NA), Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE), the National
Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual and Research conferences (NCTM,
NCTM-R), and the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM).
Quantitative and Qualitative data analysis using Dedoose and other online tools.
Work funded through TRANSITIONS: Transforming Mathematics Instruction
through Algebraic Thinking and SPARK-STEM, VDOE funded grants providing
professional development to in-service mathematics teachers in grades 3-9.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE- UNIVERSITY

Center for Outreach in Mathematics Professional Learning and Educational Technology (COMPLETE) at George Mason
University, Fairfax, VA
Co-Instructor/Lesson Study Facilitator for TRANSITIONS: Transforming Mathematics Instruction through
Algebraic Thinking 2015-present
Planning instructional content, creating instructional materials, facilitating
instruction, grading, and record keeping for MATH 600. The course participants
are 30+ in-service mathematics teachers in grades 5-9 participating in a hybrid
face-to-face and online graduate level course in mathematics content and
pedagogy.
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Co-Instructor for SPARK STEM May 2017-present

Planning instructional content, creating instructional materials, facilitating
instruction for teachers and 1st-9th grade students. The teacher participants are
25 in-service elementary teachers participating in a face-to-face graduate level
course in STEM content and pedagogy.

Democracy Prep Charter School Professional Development

Co-Instructor for Rational Number Professional Development Grades 3-6 July 2017
Collaborate in planning of instructional content for grant funded PD with
University partner and school based leaders for Democracy Prep Charter School
in Washington, D.C. for 11 3rd-6th grade teachers on rational numbers.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE- K-12 EDUCATION

Langston Hughes Middle School, Reston, VA
Classroom teacher: Math 7 and Math 7 Honors 2013-2015
Planned and executed instruction for 7th grade general education, special
education and English as a second language students as part of a Math 7 and
Math 7 Honors collaborative learning teams to change instruction from direct
instruction using test preparation materials to an instructional program based
on mathematics tasks and problem solving in real world contexts.

Math 7 Honors Team Leader 2013-2015

Facilitated the collaborative learning team of Math 7 Honors teachers, covering
Math 7 and Math 8 content for 7th grade students going on to Algebra by
leading the creation of content units around real world problems that
integrated the mathematics content into problem solving scenarios.
Represented Math 7H team on school leadership team.

Forest Edge Elementary School, Reston, VA

Classroom teacher: Grade 3 through Grade 6 2005-2013
Planned and executed instruction in all content areas for students of diverse
background and abilities in both general education and gifted and talented
programs as part of collaborative learning teams at various grade levels

School Math Lead Teacher 2008-2013

Planned and facilitated math professional development for all teachers in the
elementary school, attend district wide content and planning sessions as a
representative of Forest Edge. Support fellow teachers with mathematics
instruction as needed

Jackson Middle School, Jackson, LA

Classroom teacher: Louisiana History 2004-2005
Planned and delivered instruction for 8th grade Louisiana History. Collaborated
with 8th grade English teacher to obtain and execute a Louisiana Arts Council
grant to promote student engagement in language arts through poetry and
theatre.

Classroom teacher: Science 7 2002-2004

Planned and executed instruction for Louisiana 7th grade science curriculum
while working with the district science leader to create new district science
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curriculum. The new curriculum included inquiry based units with use of
technology for students to collect data and create presentations.

PUBLICATIONS AND PAPERS

Peer-reviewed Book chapters
Suh, J. M., Birkhead, S., Baker, C., Frank, T.J., & Seshaiyer, P. (2017). Leveraging coach facilitated professional
development to create teacher social networks for enhancing professional practice. In M. Boston & L. West
(Eds.), Annual Perspectives in Mathematics Education: Reflective and Collaborative Processes to Improve
Mathematics Teaching. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Peer-reviewed Conference Proceedings
Birkhead, S., Suh, J., Gerasimova, D., & Seshaiyer, P. (2017). Improving knowledge of algebraic learning
progressions through professional learning in collaborative vertical teams. In E. Galindo & J. Newton (Eds.),
Proceedings of the 39th annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the
Psychology of Mathematics Education. Indianapolis, IN: Hoosier Association of Mathematics Teacher
Educators.
Baker, C, Galanti, T.M., Birkhead, S. (2017). STEM and Model-Eliciting Activities: Responsive Professional
Development for K-8 Mathematics Coaches. In E. Galindo & J. Newton (Eds.), Proceedings of the 39th annual
meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics
Education. Indianapolis, IN: Hoosier Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators.
Suh, J. M., Birkhead, S., Seshaiyer, P., Frank, T. J., & Baker, C. (2016). The use of coach-facilitated professional
development to deepen algebraic thinking across the transition grades. In M. B. Wood, E. E. Turner, M. Civil, &
J. A. Eli (Eds.), Proceedings of the 38th annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International
Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (pp. 442). Tucson, AZ: The University of Arizona.
Presentations
Suh, J., Birkhead, S., Seshaiyer, P. (2018, April). Examining Design-based Implementation of Lesson Study for
Multiple Professional Development Contexts. Poster presented at the meeting of the American Educational
Research Association, New York, NY.
Galanti, T., Suh, J., Farmer, R., Birkhead, S., Seshaiyer, P. (2018, April). From fair share to non-unit fractions: Using
vertical articulation to unpack learning trajectories during a coach-facilitated lesson study. Paper presented at
the meeting of the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics, Washington, DC.
Birkhead, S., & Suh, J. (2018, April). What is right with wrong answers? Leveraging the success in student "failure".
Presentation at the meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Washington, DC.
Suh, J., Birkhead, S., Galanti, T., Seshaiyer, P., Farmer, R. (2018, February). Using vertical articulation to unpack
learning trajectories during a coach-facilitated lesson study. Paper presented at the meeting of the Association
of Mathematics Teacher Educators, Houston, TX.
Suh, J., Birkhead, S., Baker, C. (2017, September). Coaching for powerful math classrooms using problems to unpack
the learning trajectories. Presentation at the meeting of the Virginia Council of Mathematics Specialists,
Culpeper, VA.
Birkhead, S. (2017, April). Teachers’ Conflicting Beliefs About Mathematics Problem Solving and Student Ability.
Presentation at the Student Research Symposium, George Mason University College of Education and Human
Development, Fairfax, VA.
Suh, J., Birkhead, S. M., & Galanti, T. M. (2017, April). Examining Coaching Structures in Math PD that Supported
Teacher Learning. Presentation at the 2017 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Research Annual
Meeting, San Antonio, TX.
Seshaiyer, P. M., Suh, J., Baker, C., Frank, T. J. Galanti, T. M., Birkhead, S., Burrell, E., Taylor, E, & Wiseman, B.
(2016, March). Ducks & Sheep to Minotaurs & Pegasi: Algebraic Thinking Grades 2-11. Presentation at the
meeting of Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Harrisonburg, VA.
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Birkhead, S. (2016, April) “I don’t’ do math”: Rational numbers strategies of self-identified non-math people Poster
Presented at the Student Research Symposium, George Mason University College of Education and Human
Development, Fairfax, VA.

GRANTS AND FUNDING

Presidential Scholar Fellowship, George Mason University August 2015 – Present
Summer Presidential Scholar Fellowship, George Mason University May 2017 – August 2017
Summer Presidential Scholar Fellowship, George Mason University May 2016 – August 2016

AWARDS
Outstanding Presentation Award, Poster Presentation, Student Research Symposium April 2016

AFFILIATIONS
American Educational Research Association (AERA)
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE)
National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM)
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)
North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME-NA)