Sharon Castle

PhD, University of Maryland, College Park
Associate Professor

Contact Information

Send email to scastle@gmu.edu

Phone: (703) 993-3824
Fax: (703) 993-2013

George Mason University, Fairfax Campus
Robinson Hall A 317
4400 University Dr.
MS 4B3
Fairfax, VA 22030

Profile

Dr. Sharon Castle is an Associate Professor of Elementary Social Studies. She also teaches research, early childhood, fine arts, and IB courses. She is involved in the Professional Development Schools and performance-based assessment. She currently serves as the Program Chair for the Professional Development School Research Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Assocation.

Dr. Castle is a member of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Board of Examiners. She is currently one of the co-coordinators for the CEHD NCATE accreditation visit.

Prior to coming to Mason, Dr. Castle had a joint appointment in Teacher Education and Educational Leadership at Central Connecticut State University where she taught undergraduate and graduate courses and worked extensively in Professional Development Schools. Dr. Castle also worked at the NEA National Center for Innovation as Coordinator of Research and Development. She began her career in day care as a teacher, curriculum specialist, and director.

Dr. Castle received her Bachelors degree in 1975 from William Penn College with a major in Psychology and a minor in Art. Her Masters degree was received from Iowa State University in Child Development in 1978. Dr. Castle received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction in 1989 from the University of Maryland at College Park where she was selected to give the Commencement Address. Her dissertation was entitled, "Learning to Draw in a New Medium: Representation and Menu Facility in Young Children's Computer Drawings."

Dr. Castle lived in Denmark for four years and taught English to refugees for the Danish Red Cross. She also studied Art in England and spent a year in seminary studying children's spiritual development.

Research Interests

  • Dr. Castle's current research interests include: Professional Development Schools, field-based teacher education, teacher's use of student assessment to improve instruction, the teaching of social studies, and performance-based assessment of teacher candidates and beginning teachers.

Recent Publications

Dr. Castle is the co-editor of Assessing Teacher Perforamnce and Teachers and Research in Action. She has written articles, given presentations, and conducted workshops on a wide variety of topics including school reform, linking research and practice, Professional Development Schools, portfolios, action research, student assessment, performance-based assessment, artistic development, and imagination and creativity. Her most recent publications include:

Seefeldt, C., Castle, S., & Falconer, R.  (2009). Social studies for the preschool/primary child (8th ed.).  Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

 

 

 

Castle, S., Fox, R. K., & Fuhrman, C.  (2009).  Does professional development school preparation make a difference?  A comparison of three teacher candidate studies.  School-University Partnerships. 

Castle, S., Arends, R. I., & Rockwood, K. D.  (2008).  Student learning in a professional development school and a control school.  The Professional Educator, 32(1).  http://www.theprofessionaleducator.org.     

 

Castle, S., Rockwood, K. D., & Tortora, M.  (2008).  Tracking professional development and student learning in a professional development school partnership.  School-University Partnerships, 2(1), 47-60.  

 

Arends, R. I., & Castle, S.  (2009).  Practice activities.  Interactive student website to accompany Learning to teach (8th ed.).  New York:  McGraw-Hill.

Castle, S. & Shaklee, B. (Eds). (2006). Assessing teacher performance: Performance-based assessment in teacher education. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Castle, S. & Arends, R. I. (2006). Developing credible performance assessments. In S. Castle & B. D. Shaklee (Eds.), Assessing teacher performance: Performance-based assessment in teacher education, pp. 35-45. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Castle, S., Groth, L. A., Moyer, P., & Burns, M. S. (2007). Course-based performance assessments. In S. Castle & B. D. Shaklee (Eds.), Assessing teacher performance: Performance-based assessment in teacher education, pp. 49-91. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

 

Castle, S., Fox, R. K., & Souder, K. O. (2006). Does PDS make a difference? A comparative study of PDS and non-PDS teacher candidates. Journal of Teacher Education, 57(1), 65-80.

 

Ahmadova, M. C., Castle, S., & Mursudova, U. B. (2005). PDS: A model for partnerships between universities and schools to improve teacher preparation. In M C. Ahmadova, M. I. Aliyev, M. C. Qasimli, F. Y. Karimova, U. B., Mursudova, & S. M. Seyidova (Eds.), A handbook for educators: Modern perspectives on teacher training and middle level teaching, pp. 292-317. Baku and Washington, DC: International Research and Exchange Board (IREX).  

Castle, S., Reynolds, A., Fox, R. K., & Souder, K. O. (2005). Value added: Using the PDS standards as context for research. In M. Levine & R. Trachtman (Eds.), Implementing the PDS standards: Stories from the field, pp. 35-58. Washington, DC: NCATE. 

 

Castle, S., Deniz, C. & Tortora, M. (2005). Flexible grouping and student learning. Education and Urban Society, 37(2), 139-150. 

Conca, L. M., Schechter, C. P., & Castle, S. (2004). Challenges teachers face as they work to connect assessment and instruction. Teachers and Teaching, 10(1), 59-75.  

Other Information

Courses Taught

  • EDUC 543: Children, Family, Culture, School
  • EDCI 554: Elementary Social Studies Methods and Arts Integration
  • EDCI 632: Advanced Social Studies Methods
  • EDCI 635: Research in Elementary Education
  • EDCI 603: Issues in Early Childhood Education
  • EDCT 606: Play and Creative Experiences