Beverly Irby

Beverly Irby’s primary research interests center on issues of social responsibility, including bilingual and English-as- a-second-language education, administrative structures, curriculum, and instructional strategies. She holds a strong focus on the teaching of educational administration, believing that student achievement depends on those running the classroom and the administrators who run the schools. She works on the evaluation of programs in educational administration in universities and looks at the assessment to policy development at the state, local or the national level. She has authored and co-authored over 200 scholarly publications, and is co-developer of the Hispanic Bilingual Gifted Screening Instrument. Additionally, Irby assisted several school districts in collecting millions of dollars in grant funds, particularly for elementary grade levels. Irby encourages and challenges other professionals to provide early educational experiences for English learners, and to continue the use of dual language or bilingual programs. Irby strongly believes that it is necessary and beneficial to provide professional development for teachers and administrators, to work with parents and families of English learners to provide better home to school relationships for students. Irby joined the faculty at Texas A&M in September 2013 as a professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development. She is now a Regents Professor, associate dean for academic affairs, holder of the Marilyn Kent Byrne Endowed Chair for Student Success, director of the Education Leadership Research Center and co-director of the Center for Research and Development in Dual Language and Literacy Acquisition. She earned a BSEd from Delta State University, and an MEd and EdD from the University of Mississippi.