College of Education and Human Development

Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement

Alyssa Parr

  • Research Associate

Alyssa Parr

Areas of interest

Racial equity in education
Transformative learning
Qualitative and mixed-methods research
Program evaluation

Biography

In 2020, Alyssa Parr joined the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) as a Research Associate. Before joining CAREI, she completed her MEd in Educational Psychology at the University of Virginia and her PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Education. She has collaborated on numerous applied research projects in community, K-12 school, and higher education settings using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches. Her research focuses on engagement/motivation, effective teaching, and racial equity.

At CAREI, Alyssa is currently working on the Wisconsin Minnesota Comprehensive Center and various research projects involving the Minnesota Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS).

Publications

Carter, C., Parr, A., & Pekel, K. (2022). Diversifying the Educator Workforce: A Guide for Minnesota Districts and Schools. Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. https://wmcc10.org/diversifying-educator-workforce

Parr, A., Potter, L., Pekel, K., Gibbons, K., Schantz, J., & Evenson, A. (2022). Minnesota Safe Learning Survey: Fall 2021 Survey of Minnesota Educators, Families, and Students. Wisconsin-Minnesota Comprehensive Center. https://z.umn.edu/WMCCSLS3

Brown, E., Abulela, M., & Parr, A. (2021). Demographic, educational, and employment predictors of wages and wage growth: A longitudinal study of Minnesota students. Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. https://z.umn.edu/TracingPathways3Report

Parr, A., and Kaihoi, C. (2021). Understanding the Minnesota Teacher Workforce: Patterns of Teacher Demographics, Educational Background, Employment, and Attrition. St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Development, Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement. https://z.umn.edu/MNTeacherPipelineReport

Parr, A., Gladstone, J., Rosenzweig, E., & Wang, M. (2021). Why Do I Teach? A Mixed-Methods Study of In-Service Teachers’ Motivations, Autonomy-Supportive Instructional Practices, and Emotions. Teaching and Teacher Education, 98. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2020.103228

Huguley, J., Delale-O’Connor, L., Wang, M., & Parr, A. (2020). African American parents’ educational involvement in urban schools: Contextualized strategies for student success in adolescence. Educational Researcher. doi: 10.3102/0013189X20943199

Wallace, T. L., Parr, A., & Correnti, R. (2020). Assessing teachers’ classroom management competency: A case study of the classroom assessment scoring system–secondary. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 38, 475-492. doi: 10.1177/0734282919863229

Wang, M., Degol, J. L., Amemiya, J., Parr, A., & Guo, J. (2020). Classroom climate and children’s academic and psychological wellbeing: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Developmental Review, 57. doi: 10.1016/j.dr.2020.100912

Delale-O'Connor, L. A., Huguley, J. P., Parr, A., & Wang, M. (2019). Racialized compensatory cultivation: Centering race in parental educational engagement and enrichment. American Educational Research Journal. doi: 10.3102/0002831219890575

Fredricks, J., Parr, A., Amemiya, J., Wang, M., & Brauer, S. (2019). What matters for urban adolescents' engagement and disengagement in school: A mixed-methods study. Journal of Adolescent Research, 34, 491-527. doi: 10.1177/0743558419830638

Henry, D. A., Miller, P., Votruba-Drzal, E., & Parr, A. (2019). Safe and sound? Exploring parents’ perceptions of neighborhood safety at the nexus of race and socioeconomic status. In D. A. Henry, P. Miller, & E. Votruba-Drzal (Eds.) Advances in child development and behavior: Child development at the intersection of race and SES (Vol. 57). Series Editor: J. B. Benson. Elsevier: Cambridge, MA.

Parr, A., Amemiya, J., & Wang, M. (2019). Student learning emotions in middle school mathematics classrooms: Investigating associations with dialogic instructional practices. Educational Psychology, 39, 636-658. doi: 10.1080/01443410.2018.1560395

Fredricks, J., Wang, M., Schall Linn, J., Hofkens, T., Sung, H., Parr, A., & Allerton, J. (2016). Using qualitative methods to develop a survey measure of math and science engagement. Learning and Instruction, 43, 5-15. doi: 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.01.009

Palacios, N., Kibler, A., Simpson-Baird, A., Parr, A., & Bergey, R. (2015). An examination of language practices during mother-child play activities among Mexican Immigrant families. International Multilingual Research Journal, 9, 197-219. doi: 10.1080/19313152.2015.1048543

Parr, A. K., & Bonitz, V. S. (2015). Role of family background, student behaviors, and school-related beliefs in predicting high school dropout. The Journal of Educational Research, 108, 504-514. doi: 10.1080/00220671.2014.917256

Presentations

Parr, A., & Knewitz, D. (2023, January 26). Learning to Disrupt Systemic Racial Inequity. 2023 Midwinter Conference of the Minnesota School Psychologists Association. Plymouth, MN

Parr, A., & DeVlieger, S., (2023, January 6). A Qualitative Approach to Causal Inference: Using Attribution Coding to Identify How Transformative Activities Elicit White Teacher Candidates’ Learning About Race. IAFOR International Conference on Education. Honolulu, HI

Parr, A., DeVlieger, S., & Cesare, C. (2022, April 21). White teacher candidates’ motivation and resistance during race-related transformative activities [Roundtable]. AERA Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA
Pekel, K., Carter, C., & Parr, A. (2022, March 11). How to Diversify the Educator Workforce: Local Guidance for Minnesota Schools. Minnesota Association of School Administrators and Minnesota Administrators of Special Education.

Parr, A., & Peterson, M. (2022, March 4). Highway to the Data Zone: Getting to Know Minnesota’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System. Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children and Minnesota School Age Care Alliance Annual Conference.

Parr, A., Gladstone, J., & Turci, L. (2020). Elementary teachers' perceptions of their students' personality: Associations with their teaching ability beliefs and goals. Symposium presentation at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA, April 17-21, 2020. (Conference canceled)

Parr, A., Gladstone, J., & Wang, M. (2019). Relations between teacher motivation and student engagement and achievement in math across school contexts. Symposium presentation at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada, April 5-9, 2019.

Gladstone, J. R., Parr, A., Rosenzweig, E., & Wang, M. (2018). A mixed methods approach to understanding teachers' motivations, their well-being, and student engagement and acheivement. Poster presented at the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development Biennial Meeting, Queensland, Australia, July 15-19, 2018.

Delale-O'Connor, L. A., Huguley, J. P., & Parr, A. (2018). Concerted and compensatory cultivation: An exploration of African American parenting practices. Roundtable session at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, New York, NY, April 13-17, 2018.

Parr, A., Gladstone, J., Rosenzweig, E., & Wang, M. (2018). Why teach? A mixed methods study of teachers' motivations, well-being, and teaching practices. Poster presentation at the Society for Research on Adolescence Biennial Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, April 12-14, 2018.

Wallace, T., Parr, A., & Correnti, R. (2018). Comparing adolescent and adult assessments of teachers' classroom management. Paper presentation at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, New York, NY, April 13-17, 2018.

Parr, A., Hofkens, T., & Wang, M. (2016). Teacher engagement: Reconceptualizing how math and science teachers shape student engagement, achievement, and career aspirations. Paper presentation at the Society for Research in Adolescence Biennial Meeting, Baltimore, MD, March 30-April 2, 2016.