Sara R. Helfrich joined the School of Education, Social Work, and Psychological Sciences as Inaugural Dean in June 2023. Dean Helfrich comes to UMKC from The Patton College of Education at Ohio University where she most recently served as Interim Dean and Professor of Teacher Education. Her research interests include pre-service and in-service teacher self-efficacy related to teaching literacy, teacher preparation programming, and the role of partnerships in teacher education. She is co-editor of the book, Exemplary Clinical Models of Teacher Education and her research has been published in such journals as The Reading Teacher, Journal of Research in Reading, and Reading Psychology. She has presented at conferences for the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, National Association of Professional Development Schools, International Literacy Association, and Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers. Dean Helfrich lives in Kansas City with her husband, Chris Hayes, who serves as Chair of the Music Division in the UMKC Conservatory, and their yellow lab, Jackson.
Degrees:
PhD, University of Pittsburgh
Instruction & Learning, Reading Education cognate
MEd, Boston College
Special Education
BA, Boston College
Elementary Education & Moderate Special Needs; Psychology
Select Publications:
Helfrich, S. R., Hartman, S. L., Dani, D., Felton-Koestler, M., Harrison, L., Koestler, C., Gut-Zippert, D.,
Keifer Kennedy, M., Hicks, S., & Middleton, R. A. (2023). A reimagined research-based clinical model of educator preparation. In S. R. Helfrich & S. L. Hartman (Eds.), Exemplary Clinical Models of Teacher Education (pp. 29-60). Information Age Publishing.
Helfrich, S. R., Hartman, S. L., & Keifer Kennedy, M. (Eds.) (2022, Winter). Teaching in times of uncertainty [Special issue]. Volume 15, Issue 1. School University Partnerships. https://napds.org/2022-themed-issue-teaching-in-times-of-uncertainty/
Gibbs Grey, T., Helfrich, S. R., Francis, J., & Goble, S. (2020). Exploring the co-teaching of reading
within clinical models of elementary teacher preparation. Language Arts, 97(5), 296-305.
Ottley, J. R., Hartman, S., Bunch, C., Helfrich, S. R., & Coogle, C. G. (2020). Developing an online dual
licensure graduate program to enhance inclusive knowledge, skills, and dispositions of early childhood educators. In A. Howley, C. M. Faiella, S. D. Kroeger, & B. Hansen (Eds.), Inclusive education: A systematic perspective. Information Age Publishing.
Ottley, J. R., Coogle, C. G., Pigman, J. R., Sturgeon, D., & Helfrich, S. R., (2019). Online clinical
teacher preparation programs in special education: Perspectives and critical components. Journal of Special Education Technology, 34(4), 239-252. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162643419833069
Clark, S. K., Helfrich, S. R., & Hatch, L. (2017). Examining preservice teacher content and pedagogical
content knowledge needed to teach reading in elementary school. Journal of Research in Reading, 40(3), 219-232. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.12057
Helfrich, S. R., & Clark, S. K. (2016). A comparative examination of pre-service teacher self-efficacy
related to literacy instruction. Reading Psychology, 37(7), 943-961. https://doi.org/10.1080/02702711.2015.1133466
Lipp, J., & Helfrich, S. R. (2016). Key Reading Recovery strategies to support classroom guided
reading instruction. The Reading Teacher, 69(6), 639-646. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1442
Lipp, J., & Helfrich, S. R. (2016). Pre-service teachers’ growth in understanding of best practice literacy
instruction through paired course and field experience. Reading Horizons, 55(2), 45-62.
