Picture of Dr. Keli A. Garas-York

Keli A. Garas-York, Ph.D.

Professor Bacon Hall 303B
Office: (716)
Email: garasyka@buffalostate.edu
ROLES
  • Professor in Elementary Education, Literacy, and Educational Leadership Department
  • Associate Chair for Graduate Programs
  • Literacy Specialist Program Coordinator
  • Literacy Center Director
EDUCATION         
  • Ph.D. Reading Education, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
  • M.S.Ed. Special Education, St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, NY
  • B.A. Elementary Education, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY
     
  • NYS Certification in Reading (permanent)
  • NYS Certification in Special Education (permanent)
  • NYS Certification in Social Studies 7-12 (permanent)
  • NYS Certification in Elementary Education (permanent)

Before coming to Buffalo State, I was a second, third, and fifth grade teacher in the Buffalo Public Schools. I served as a research assistant on an IES project entitled “A Longitudinal Investigation of Peer Discussion of Text on Reading Development in Grades K-3” with Dr. Janice Almasi. I went on to be a reading teacher in West Seneca Central Schools. I also worked as an adjunct professor in the Learning and Instruction Department at the University at Buffalo.

RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS
Books
  • Garas-York. K. (2024). School-university partnerships: The professional development schools (PDS) approach. SUNY Press. 
  • Almasi, J. F., Garas-York, K., & Hildreth, L. (2007). Teaching literacy in grade 3. Guilford
Edited Books
  • del Prado Hill, P., & Garas-York, K. (Eds.) (2020). The impact of PDS partnerships in challenging times. Information Age Publishing.
  • Garas-York, K., del Prado Hill, P., Day, L.K., Truesdell, K, & Keller-Mathers, S. (Eds.) (2018). Doing PDS: Stories and strategies from successful clinically rich practice. Information Age Publishing.
Refereed Journal Articles
  • Kindzierski, C., del Prado Hill, P. & Garas-York, K. (2021). PDS bends but doesn’t break: How PDS structures and processes can help schools and universities respond effectively during a crisis. School-University Partnerships, 14(2), 83-97.
  • Gonzalez-Frey, S., Garas-York, K., Kindzierski, C., & Henry, J. (2021). College students’ attitudes towards remote instruction during the Coronavirus pandemic: Future directions. Excelsior, 13(2), 95-111.
  • Garas-York, K. (2020). Exploring student engagement in an online course. Journal of  Educators Online, 17(2).
  • Garas-York, K. (2019). Organizing and implementing a parent-literacy specialist conference. The Reading Teacher, 73(1), 99-102.
  • Garas-York, K. (2010). Overlapping student environments: An examination of the home-school connection and its impact on achievement. Education and Urban Society, 42, 430-449.  
  • Garas-York, K., Bennett, J., & Wiedemann, C. (2008). Teaching with technology: An examination of literacy instruction and the use of technology with teacher candidates and elementary school students. The Language and Literacy Spectrum, 18.
  • Almasi, J. F., Garas, K., & Shanahan, L. (2006).  Qualitative research and the Report of the National Reading Panel.  Elementary School Journal, 107(1), 37-66.
Book Chapters
  • del Prado Hill, P., & Garas-York, K. (2024). The Buffalo State Professional Development School consortium: A shared goal while responding to varying needs. In Ferrara, Cosenza, and Gomez (Eds.), Practical Guide to Exemplary Professional Development Schools: Information Age Publishing. 
  • Garas-York, K., Henry, J., Colón, G., & del Prado Hill, P. (2022). Supervising linguistically diverse student teachers. In R. W. Burns, L. Baecher, J. McCorvey (Eds.) Supervision in  Clinically Based Teacher Education: Advances, Opportunities and Explorations. Information Age Publishing.
  • Johnson, R., Parsons, S., Parker, A., Dennis, D., del Prado Hill, P., & Garas-York, K. (2022). The Case for PDS as an Exemplary Model of School-University Partnerships. In P. Chandler and L. Barron (Eds.), Rethinking School-University Partnerships. Information Age Publishing.
  • Maheady, L., Hashey, A., del Prado Hill, P. & Garas-York, K. (2021). The role of teacher education in effective inclusive elementary schools. In J. McLeskey, F. Spooner, B. Algozinne, & N. L. Waldron (Eds.) Handbook on Inclusive Education. Routledge.
  • Garas-York, K., & Almasi, J.F. (2016). (2nd ed). Constructing meaning through discussion. In S. E. Israel (Ed.) Handbook of Research on Reading Comprehension. Erlbaum.
  • Garas-York, K., Shanahan, L. E., & Almasi, J. F. (2012). Comprehension: High-level talk and writing about texts, discussions. In B. M. Taylor and N. K. Duke (Eds.), Handbook of Effective Literacy Instruction. Guilford Press.
  • Almasi, J.F., & Garas-York, K. (2009). Comprehension and discussion of text. In S. E. Israel & G. G. Duffy (Eds.) Handbook of Research on Reading Comprehension. Erlbaum.
AWARDS & HONORS
  • New York State Reading Association Literacy Advocate Award (2020)
  • Dr. Barbara Frey Faculty Award in Education (2019)
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ENDEAVORS
  • International Student Teaching Supervisor - Colombia (Fall 2024)
  • International Professional Development Schools (IPDS) Co-Leader for Experienced Educators to Colombia 2020, 2023, 2025
  • International Professional Development Schools (IPDS) Co-Leader for Torremaggiore, Italy 2025
  • Leader of PDS Maine trip 2023 - Center for Teaching and Learning
  • Member of the SUNY Chancellor's Science of Reading Technical Advisory Group