Dr. Kristi L. Santi

Dr. Kristi L. Santi
 

Title: Professor & Ed.D. in Professional Leadership — Special Populations Specialization Lead

Department: Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

Program: Special Populations

Office Number: 3312 M

Phone: 713-743-6141

Email: klsanti@cougarnet.uh.edu

CV: My Vita

Biography:

Dr. Santi’s Research


Dr. Santi’s research centers on effective reading instruction, assessment, and intervention for diverse learners, particularly students with disabilities and English language learners. Her studies focus on:


  • Identifying reading difficulties and disabilities in Spanish-speaking English learners

  • Examining the predictive utility of reading assessments such as curriculum-based measures and the Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI)

  • Evaluating the impact of teacher professional development and coaching on reading outcomes

  • Investigating the role of visual-motor integration skills in predicting reading achievement

  • Developing and validating reading progress monitoring tools for beginning readers



Dr. Santi has published her research findings in top-tier journals such as the Journal of School Psychology, Reading and Writing, Assessment for Effective Intervention, and Learning Disabilities Quarterly. She regularly presents her work at national and international conferences, including the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, the Council for Exceptional Children, and the Pacific Coast Research Conference.

In addition to scholarly publications, Dr. Santi has developed practical resources for educators, including the widely used Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI) and its companion resource, the Texas Primary Reading Inventory Intervention Activities Guide (IAG). As primary author of Progress Monitoring for Emergent Readers (PMER) and its Spanish equivalent, Monitoreo del Progreso para Lectores Emergentes (MPLE), she demonstrates her commitment to translating research into practice.

Dr. Santi’s work has been supported by over $8 million in grant funding from federal and state agencies. She serves as a Board Member of Learning Disabilities Worldwide, has held leadership roles in the Council for Learning Disabilities and the Texas Council for Learning Disabilities, and is a certified reviewer for the Institute of Education Sciences What Works Clearinghouse.

Prior to her academic career, Dr. Santi worked as an elementary and middle school special education teacher in Iowa and Florida. She now teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in special education, literacy, and research methods, and has chaired or served on numerous doctoral committees.



Research Impact



  • Over $8 million in federal and state grant funding

  • Published in top-tier peer-reviewed journals

  • Developer of widely-used educational assessment tools

  • Expert in diverse learner populations

Professional Service



  • Board Member, Learning Disabilities Worldwide

  • Leadership roles in Council for Learning Disabilities

  • Journal reviewer for multiple publications

  • What Works Clearinghouse certified reviewer
 

Recent Publications:

RESEARCH PROJECTS


Assessment, Intervention, and Instruction for the Prevention and Treatment of Dyslexia (AIIPaT: Dyslexia)

USDOE: OSEP H326M190008

Website: https://dyslexia.times.uh.edu/



Leadership for Special Populations and Educational Disparity (LEAD: SP+ED)

USDOE: OSEP H325D190053




PUBLICATIONS


Books

Santi, K. L., & Reed, D. K. (Eds.). (2015). Improving comprehension for middle and high school students. Springer.



Refereed Journals


  • Pierce, K., & Santi, K. L. (2024). Establishing whole-school reading intervention practices for struggling adolescent readers. Texas Study of Secondary Education, Spring/Summer Edition.

  • Idakwo-Agha, J., & Santi, K. L. (2024). The alternative to traditional college degree programs: Implications for a sustainable workforce. Social Sciences and Humanities Open.

  • Phipps, S., & Santi, K. L. (2024). The relationship between college interventions and first-generation college students' academic success at a large urban Tier I institution. Journal of First-Generation Student Success, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/26906015.2024.2338517

  • Nekoobahr, F., Hawkins, J., Santi, K. L., Antonelli, J. R., & Thorpe, J. L. (2020). Evaluating a speech training software program called NativeAccent based on empirical studies. Journal of English Learner Education, 11(1), 110–134.

  • Santi, K. L., Khalaf, S., Bunta, F., Rojas, R., & Francis, D. J. (2019). IQ-achievement discrepancy for identification of disabilities in Spanish-speaking English learners. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development.

  • Francis, D. J., Rojas, R., Gusewski, S., Santi, K. L., Khalaf, S., Hiebert, L., & Bunta, F. (2019). Speaking and reading in two languages: On the identification of reading and language disabilities in Spanish-speaking EL students. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development.

  • Khalaf, S., Santi, K. L., Kulesz, P. A., Bunta, F., & Francis, D. J. (2019). Bilingual phonological awareness: Construct validation of grade 1 Spanish-speaking English learners. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development.

  • Ochs, S., Keller-Margulis, M. A., Santi, K. L., & Jones, J. H. (2018). Long-term validity and diagnostic accuracy of a reading computer-adaptive test. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534508418796



Chapters in Edited Books

  • Santi, K. L. (2023). Legislation, pedagogy, and multi-tiered system of supports. In R. T. Boon & V. G. Spencer (Eds.), English learners with learning disabilities: A collaborative practice guide for educators (pp. 49–63). Information Age Publishing.

  • Nekoobahr, F., Hawkins, J., Santi, K. L., Antonelli, J. R., & Thorpe, J. L. (2021). Identifying and evaluating language-learning technology tools. In M. Khosrow-Pour (Ed.), Handbook of research on modern educational technologies, applications, and management (pp. 160–177). IGI Global. http://doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-3476-2.ch010

  • Santi, K. L., Flores, L. M., Flores, A., & Peet-Gleason, C. (2019). Managing your stress: Tips for a successful collaboration for better student outcomes. In N. D. Young, A. C. Fain, & T. Citro (Eds.), Mastering the art of co-teaching: Building more collaborative classrooms. Vernon Press.

  • Francis, D. J., Santi, K. L., Khalaf, S., Bunta, F., Rojas, R., Gusewski, S., & Hiebert, L. (2019). Identification of disabilities in Spanish-speaking children in English-speaking contexts. In E. Grigorenko, Y. Shtyrov, & P. McCardle (Eds.), All about language: Science, theory, and practice. Brookes Publishing.



Book Review

Santi, K. L. (2019). Review: Creating the path to success in the classroom. Teachers College Record. https://www.tcrecord.org ID Number: 22967



Professional Development Materials and Assessments

  • Santi, K. L., Rivera, M. O., & Moss, V. E. (2007). Desarrollo del lenguaje oral. The Santi Group.

  • Santi, K. L., Moss, V. E., & Rivera, M. O. (2007). Construyendo fluidez. The Santi Group.

  • Santi, K. L., Francis, D. J., & Durand, A. (2006). Progress monitoring for emergent readers: Kindergarten and Grade 1. McGraw Hill.

  • Santi, K. L., Francis, D. J., & Durand, A. (2006). Monitoreo del progreso para lectores emergente. McGraw Hill.





PRESENTATIONS



  • Arroyo, T., Santi, K. L., & Hawkins, J. (2024, October). Impacting disparities in access to speech therapy services: Supporting students from diverse backgrounds and underserved communities. CPED Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii.

  • Mendoza, B., Santi, K. L., & Hawkins, J. (2024, October). Generating actionable solutions to mitigate the high turnover of teachers in urban schools: The ongoing challenge of high teacher attrition rates prevalent in urban school districts. CPED Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii.

  • Pereira, D., Hawkins, J., & Santi, K. L. (2024, October). Mitigating disproportionality: Implementing a multitiered framework of positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS). CPED Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii.

  • Hawkins, J., Hale, M., Hassett, K., Santi, K. L., Dulas, H., Johnson, D., Rigby Wills, H., & Wilson, A. (2024, October). Informal spaces: Everyone starts somewhere. CPED Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii.

  • Santi, K. L., Carlson, C., & Hawkins, J. (2024, August). The model demonstration projects for early identification of students with dyslexia in elementary schools. Annual OSEP Conference, Washington, DC.

  • Santi, K. L., & Hawkins, J. (2024, August). Improving education through the educational doctorate program. Annual OSEP Conference, Washington, DC.

  • Santi, K. L., Hawkins, J., & Carlson, C. (2024, February). Research to practice: Engaging educators to improve reading instruction and interventions. Pacific Coast Research Conference.
 

Education:

B.A. in History, Drake University, 1991
M.A. in Secondary Education, Drake University, 1993
M.S. in Special Education, Drake University, 1995
Ph.D. in Special Education, Florida State University, 2002