Parker, Audra | College of Education and Human Development

Phone: (703) 993-9717
Fax: (703) 993-2013
Email: aparke19 (@gmu.edu)

George Mason University
Fairfax Campus
Thompson Hall 1805
4400 University Dr.
MS 4B3
Fairfax, VA 22030

Audra Parker is a Professor in the College of Education and Human Development. Dr. Parker joined the faculty in the fall of 2013 as a faculty member, and she currently serves as Director of the School of Education and as Academic Program Coordinator for the MEd and BSEd programs in Elementary Education.

Dr. Parker teaches graduate courses in curriculum, instruction, management, differentiation, and teacher education and collaborates with teachers and interns at Garfield Elementary, a Professional Development School (PDS) site. Her current research projects, collaborative efforts with colleagues and doctoral students, include the following: mentor teacher professional development, elementary teacher preparation, clinically-centered teacher education, elementary organizational structures (departmentalization/self-contained classrooms). Prior to her doctoral studies, Dr. Parker taught students in grades 4-7 in both Virginia and Georgia and has received outstanding teaching awards across her career (P-12, graduate school, and faculty).

In addition to service activities in the School of Education, Dr. Parker is actively involved in national teacher education organizations (AACTE, ATE, and NAPDS). In each of these organizations, Dr. Parker has served in leadership roles that advance the field of clinical teacher preparation (AACTE Clinical Practice Commission, ATE Clinical Fellow and Inquiry Initiative, ATE Task Force on Addressing the Needs of Mentor Teachers, NAPDS Conference Chair).

Elementary teacher preparation in PDS settings
Teacher preparation and study abroad experiences
Innovations in teacher education, co-teaching
K-8 teacher practices
Departmentalization/self contained practices in elementary settings
Young adolescents’ school experiences

Parker, A. K. (2024). Mason’s Elementary PDS Program: Leveraging a history of collaboration to grow and sustain school/university partnerships. In M. Cosenza, D. Gomez, and J. Ferrara, (Eds). A resource guide to best practices in Professional Development Schools. Information Age Publishing.
Phillippo, K., Brown, E. L., Galib, L, Fujimoto, K., Iachini, A., Lennix-Israel, C.,Parker, A. K., & Childs, T. (submitted July 2023). Equity intersections: Teachers' experiences with student wellness support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Accepted to AERA Open (January 2024).
Nagro, S. A., -Macedonia, A., -Raines, A. R., -Day, J., Parker, A. K., Parsons, S.,Coogle, C. G., & Zenkov, K. (2023). A systematic review of teacher factors for successfully educating students with disabilities. The New Educator, 19(2), 77-102.
-Childs, T.M., Brown, E., Brown, N., Iachini, A., Phillippo, K., Galib, L., Parker, A. K., & Fujimoto, K. (2022). A Mixed Method Study of Teachers’ Appraisals of Student Wellness Services and Supports During COVID-19. Journal of School Health, 92(7), 637-645
Helmsing, M., Parker, A. K., Glaser, H., Zenkov, K., & -Porter, A. (2022).Coaching cubed: Mentor teachers’ perspectives on the exponential nature of supporting teacher candidates during uncertain times. Special Themed Issue: School University Partnerships , 15(1).
Brown, E. L., Groth, L. A., Parker, A. K., #Laurits, E., O’Brien, C. (2022). Pathways to partnership: How a differentiated approach sustained PDS efforts during times of uncertainty. Special Themed Issue: School University Partnerships, 15(1).
Glaser, H., Zenkov, K., Helmsing, M. & Parker, A. K. (2021). Adding the “T” to the “PCK” in clinical experiences: How technology shaped our partnerships. The New Educator, 17(4), 353-374. (NOTE: Awarded The New Educator Taylor and Francis Outstanding Article Award)
Zenkov, K., Helmsing, M., Parker, A. K. & -Glaser, H., & Bean, A. (2021). Portraits of the teacher educator as weary pedagogue: Narrating our way to a post-pandemic vision of educator preparation. The Teacher Educators’ Journal, 21(14), 106-125.
Parker, A.K., Zenkov, K., & -Glaser, H. (2021). Preparing school-based teacher educators to serve as mentors: Maximizing clinical practice and PDS partnerships. Peabody Journal of Education, 96(1), 65-75.
Parker, A.K., Sprague, D. Brown, E. & Casablanca, F. (2020). Leveraging school-university partnerships to support the transition to online learning. In R.E. Ferdig, E. Baumgartner, R. Hartshorne, R. Rakowski & C. Mouza (Eds.), Teaching, technology, and teacher education during the COVID-19 pandemic: Stories from the field (pgs. 197-202). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
Parker, A. K. & Rakes, L. (April, 2020). “I almost changed my major”: Teacher candidates' perceptions of grade level organization and its influence on their professional development. Current Issues in Education.
Daoud, N., Parker, A. K., & Leggett, A. (accepted Dec 2019). Extending Clinical Experiences: Supporting Doctoral Students Development as University-Based Teacher Educators in PDS Context. School University Partnership.
Parker, A. K., Zenkov, K., & Dennis, D.V. (2019). Exploring the lexicon or lack thereof in clinical teacher preparation. Action in Teacher Education, 4(3), 249-264.
Zenkov, K., Dennis, D.V., & Parker, A. K. Bless your heart,” BBQ, and clinical practitioners as neologists: Developing a lexicon for clinical practice. Accepted to School University Partnerships (Anticipated 2019).
Parker, A. K., Groth, L., and -Byers, C. Designing and implementing site-based course instruction (2019). The New Educator , 15(2), 130-155.
Zenkov, K., Parker, A. K., Parsons, S., Stunkard, C., & Keifer-Kennedy, M. (Summer, 2018). A snapshot of the Clinical Practice Commission’s report on clinical teacher preparation. PDS Partners, 13(3), 1-4.
Parsons, S., Parker, A. K., Zenkov, K. , +Erbrecht, A., +Kraft, J., & +Slattery, C. (2018). School-University Partnerships as a Means to Recruiting and Retaining Effective Teachers. Submitted to PDS Partners 13(4), 11-13.
Parker, A. K. +Ferguson, L., -Daoud, N., +Doyle, M., +Sokolowski, C., +Stoffel, A., #Paraiso, L., #Janofsky, M., #Paraiso, L., & *Whelan, K. (Winter, 2018). The yearlong internship model as a catalyst for building and sustaining partnership. PDS Partners, 13(2), 19-21.