About Us
A U.S. Department of Education State Personnel Development Grant supports statewide capacity building for NJTSS-ER via a partnership between the New Jersey Department of Education and Rutgers University.
Directors
Natalie Franzi Dougherty, M.A, M.A.T., NJTSS-ER Project Director, is the Director of the Office of Learning Equity and Academic Recovery at the New Jersey Department of Education. She leads efforts to strengthen literacy outcomes, support student learning, and promote evidence-based instruction statewide. Natalie brings expertise in inclusive education, leadership development, and academic recovery to her role in supporting NJTSS-ER implementation. She is responsible for overall project leadership, budget oversight, and district/school involvement in multi-level professional development supports.
Todd A. Glover, Ph.D., Director of Professional Development, is a Research Professor in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. As the Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI of numerous large-scale grants focused on integrating student supports in schools, Dr. Glover is responsible for the conceptualization of the NJTSS-ER framework and implementation of multi-level professional development (including systems coaching) to build capacity for its implementation.
Statewide Leadership Support
New Jersey Department of Education
Dawn Loban, MBA, NJTSS-ER Project Coordinator, is a project specialist in the Office of the Assistant Commissioner at the New Jersey Department of Education. Dawn brings extensive experience in executive leadership development and project management. Dawn is responsible for scaling statewide initiatives to improve student learning outcomes.
Rutgers University
Jennifer Bender, M.Ed., is a State-Level NJTSS-ER Trainer/Coach. A former elementary teacher, master mentor language arts coach, and school district consultant, she has extensive experience teaching and guiding professionals in implementing early literacy instruction and intervention. In her current role, she is a leader in conceptualizing and implementing consultation for district and school leaders in the implementation of NJTSS-ER.
Shana Lewis, M.Ed., is a State-Level NJTSS-ER Trainer/Coach. As a former elementary classroom teacher, Orton Gillingham-trained interventionist, curriculum supervisor, and master mentor teacher, she maintains significant experience in the area of early literacy. In her current role, she is instrumental in managing online resources and providing guidance and training to districts in the use of data to differentiate instruction to meet students’ individual needs.
Deborah Lynam, M.A., is a graduate assistant with extensive experience developing and providing training in early literacy instruction. Currently pursuing a graduate degree in Childhood Studies at Rutgers University-Camden, she works with the leadership support team to help conceptualize and develop online training courses for building capacity in NJTSS implementation.
NJTSS-Early Reading Project at SPAN Parent Advocacy Network
Beth Cosentino is the Project Director of the NJTSS-Early Reading Project at SPAN Parent Advocacy Network. She leads SPAN’s efforts to strengthen family engagement in science-based reading instruction and intervention as part of a collaborative partnership with the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Learning Equity and Academic Recovery. Beth oversees the development of the NJTSS-ER Resource Collection for Families, an initiative that promotes the use of science-based reading strategies at home and supports best practices for partnering with teachers to improve early reading outcomes.
Online Training Module Development
Alison Pankowski, M.Ed., Julia Salamone, M.Ed., and Lori Severino, Ph.D. are online learning consultants with extensive experience in early literacy instruction. Drawing on their backgrounds as teachers, reading interventionists, and professional development providers, they support the development of materials and video modules used for online training.