Joan Lieber Professor Department of Special Education 1308 Benjamin Building College Park, MD 20742 Voice: 301-405-6467 jlieber@umd.edu Specialty Area: Early Childhood

Dr. Lieber has both teaching and administrative experience in the field of Early Childhood Special Education. Prior to coming to Maryland in 1986, she developed and taught in inclusive programs for preschoolers with and without disabilities.

Currently, Dr. Lieber is collaborating with researchers in California, Indiana, Kansas and West Virginia to implement “Children’s School Success” (CSS). The purpose of this research, funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, is to investigate the effectiveness of an integrated curriculum model intended to prepare children for successful school entry. The CSS model consists of academic (science, math, literacy), social (prevention of behavior problems), and individualization components that are well-integrated and have a solid-base of scientific evidence documenting their effectiveness.

The research will ultimately involve 900-1100 children who are at risk for failure when they enter public school. The sample includes four-year-old children who live in poverty, children with identified disabilities, and children who are English Language Learners. The children who participate in either the CSS model or in a typical early childhood education model are assessed at the beginning and end of their preschool year and in the spring of their kindergarten and first grade years.