Rate My Professor Kathy Piechura-Couture

Dr. Kathy Piechura-Couture is a full professor of Education at Stetson University and research faculty with the Nina B. Hollis Institute of Educational Reform. She earned her PhD in curriculum and instruction from the University of South Florida, an MA in emotional disturbance from the University of South Florida, and a BS in elementary education and special education focusing on emotionally impaired students from Eastern Michigan University. Throughout her career, she has worked hand-in-hand with teachers for over twenty years, researching teaching best practices and contributing to innovative pedagogical strategies implemented in schools across the United States. Her expertise in single-gender education has garnered national attention, including features on MSNBC and in several documentaries.

Dr. Piechura-Couture's research centers on effective pedagogical practices for general and special needs populations, encompassing trauma and resiliency, restorative practices, student self-advocacy, infusing movement and the arts into the general curriculum, and differentiating instruction. She actively researches areas such as trauma-informed coaching, promoting reading among teacher educators, and teaching pedagogy. Notable publications include Colwell, C., MacIsaac, D., Tichenor, M., Heins, E., & Piechura, K. (accepted), 'District and university perspectives on sustaining professional development schools? Do the NCATE standards matter?' in The Professional Educator; Piechura-Couture, K., Heins, E., Tichenor, M. (2013), 'The Boy Factor: Can Single-Gender Classes Reduce the Over-Representation of Boys in Special Education?' in College Student Journal; Tichenor, M., Heins, E., and Piechura, K. (2010), 'Five steps in creating a summer literacy camp for at-risk students' in The Florida Reading Journal; Rhodes, W.C., Piechura-Couture, K., Doone, E. (2009), chapter in Unifying Theory of Emotional Disturbance and the Life Impact Curriculum; and others on co-teaching, gender-specific strategies, and literacy programs such as 'Coteaching: A Model for Education Reform' (2006), 'The Lunch Bunch: Building Literacy in a Natural Way' (2006), and 'Preparing teacher candidates to use gender-specific teaching strategies' (2008).