Dawn Christine Thieman
Arnold
Summary
Dynamic and committed educator with extensive expertise in educational leadership, research-driven instruction and assessment, and curriculum development and implementation.
Overview
32
32
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Graduate Research Fellow, Translational Grant
University of Missouri – St. Louis
01.2024 - Current
- Collaborate with teacher preparation leadership, prepare agenda, and facilitate weekly PoP Clinical Educator Meetings
- Collaborate with and prepare agenda and serve as a “citizen facilitator” for Fellows only meetings
- Participate in COE Curriculum Alignment Program (CAP) alignment activities and collect research data
- Conduct curriculum mapping on LbSD/assessment alignment for Finish Line undergraduate courses
- Instructor (online), Spring 2026, ELEED 6337: Teaching and Learning Literacy in the Elementary Classroom, 12 students
- Course Redesign, Summer 2025, TCHED 3224/6224: Integrated Content Curriculum for Teaching ELs
- Instructor (online), Fall 2024/2025, TCHED 3224/6224: Integrated Content Curriculum for Teaching ELs, 35 students
- CCC committee member (2022-present)
- Provide monthly coach/clinical educators professional learning activities in Cognitive Coaching 5 Forms of Feedback (2024) and Learning by Scientific Design (LbSD) (2025)
- Collect research on TIR/FL curriculum models and programs
- Experience with MEES and GoReact/Qualtrics data
- Other as assigned by the Translational Grant PI and CoPIs and Director of Teacher Preparation
School District Project Coordinator
University of Missouri – St. Louis
01.2022 - 01.2024
- Instructor (online), Fall 2022/2023, TCHED 3224/6224: Integrated Content Curriculum for Teaching Els
- Course Redesign, Summer 2024, TCHED 3212/6230: Sociolinguistics and Communication in the Classroom
- Instructor (online), Spring 2023/2024, TCHED 3212/6230: Sociolinguistics and Communication in the Classroom
- Instructor (in-person), Spring 2023, TCHED 4391: Literacy for Adolescent Learners in Content Areas
- CPQC subcommittee member
- CCC committee member
- Collaborate with PLI Director and team members to support Teach Residency, Finish Line, and KC Teach for America program objectives, initiatives, and events
- Communicate and collaborate with ORA, Advising, and Scholarship offices
- Assist with PLI program evaluation reports for COE and LEA stakeholders
- Attend monthly Recruitment, EPL, COE, and REAP meetings
- COE Virtual Recruitment Fair participant
- Create and manage PLI Teach Residency Canvas sites
- Co-facilitate Curriculum ReDesign professional learning for courses/modules revision
- Co-develop new curricula with TESOL team for TESOL courses (TCH ED 3212/6230; TCH ED 3224/6224)
- Lead TIR coach/clinical educators in a train the trainer model for instructional coaching on GoReact; collection of TIR MEES data
- PLI financial activities (budgets, financial reports, scholarships, contracts, hire letters, One Card, procurement, travel, events, invoice and reimbursement payment processing and communications with COE BSS, UM Shared Services, and ORA)
SEE-TEL Project Coordinator
University of Missouri – St. Louis
01.2018 - 01.2022
- Co-teach with Drs. Song, Child, & King - TCH ED 6250/6260 (SEE-TEL Cohort 2 courses)
- Co-plan and co-implement Multilingual Story Family Engagement Project (SEE-TEL Cohort 2)
- Assist with data collection and analysis
- Co-plan and co-implement professional learning virtual workshops for SEE-TEL Cohort 2
- Administer OELA NPD Strengthening Equity and Effectiveness for Teachers of English Learners (SEE-TEL) grant budget, activities, and compliance reporting utilizing KMS and G5 grant systems and contract development
- Collaborate with SEE-TEL grant Primary Investigator, Co-Primary Investigator, and grant team members to support grant objectives and initiatives
- Communicate and collaborate with ORA, Graduate Advising, Scholarship offices and Deans for Impact committee
- Plan and facilitate weekly SEE-TEL team meetings, quarterly EL Director and Coach meetings
- Support Grand Seminar for Preservice Teachers (Fall 2021 and Fall 2022), including data collection and analysis
- Provide communications to district partners (grant activities, timelines, contracts, invoicing)
- Co-plan and co-develop four annual Summer Institutes and professional development activities for administrators/other educators, teachers, and instructional coaches
- Co-plan and co-develop Canvas Communal Space for teachers and instructional coaches
- Provide Zoom and technological planning and support for virtual faculty professional development and two virtual Grand Seminars for preservice teachers
- Implement eWalk classroom and virtual observation tool
- Co-plan and co-write content for SEE-TEL newsletter and website
- Maintain SEE-TEL Twitter social media account
Assistant Superintendent/Chief Academic Officer (Retired)
Bayless School District
01.2012 - 01.2017
- Administer all Federal Programs and Discretionary Grants programs, Perkins Secondary Grant, budgets, evaluations, data analysis and reporting utilizing ePeGS (Electronic Planning and Electronic Grants System), and Compliance and IMACS systems tools
- Supervise and evaluate School Counseling, 504 Plans, School Health Services, Title I/Special Reading, Title II/Professional Development and Title III/English Learners (EL), Gifted and Library programs
- District EL Coordinator
- District Special School District Liaison
- Direct development and articulation of K-12 curricula, Build Your Own Curriculum (BYOC) online framework, develop budget and facilitate textbook selection and adoption to implement district curriculum cycle
- District Test Coordinator for state-mandated and local district assessments, data-analysis, and accountability requirements; utilize the Questar, DTC and DLM assessment management systems, and the Missouri Comprehensive Data System (MCDS) portal
- Work collaboratively with administrators to develop and articulate the Building School Improvement Plans, Title I LEA, Title I School Improvement, and Title II, Title III, Perkins plans to assure alignment to the District Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP)
- Coordinate professional development for administration and staff
- Implement the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) program
- Implement the districtwide Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) program
- Employ and maintain the Network for Educator Evaluation (NEE) and ELLevation tools
- Manage and evaluate performance for six employees and co-evaluate Principal performance evaluations
- Facilitate the Bayless Learning Team (District Professional Development leadership team), Student Achievement Advisory Committee, Wellness Advisory Committee, District Character Education Committee, School Safety Committee, VICC/Title I Parent Meetings
- Coordinate the K-12 Summer School Program
- Presenter at MSBA and DESE MELL
- All other duties as assigned by the Superintendent of Schools
Director of Student Services
Bayless School District
01.2010 - 01.2012
- Supervise and evaluate all aspects of district-wide School Counseling, School Health Services, Title I/Special Reading, Title II/Professional Development and Title III/English Language Learners (ELL), Gifted and Library programs, 504 Plans
- District-level student disciplinary hearings
- Continue all responsibilities and duties as listed for Curriculum and Federal Programs Coordinator
Curriculum and Federal Programs Coordinator
Bayless School District
01.2004 - 01.2010
- Project Director for the three-year (2007-2010) Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Mathematics and Science Partnership Grant (a $1.5 million professional development grant)
- Administer all Federal Programs and Discretionary Grants programs, budgets, evaluations, data analysis and reporting utilizing ePeGS (Electronic Planning and Electronic Grants System)
- Work collaboratively with administration to develop and articulate the Building School Improvement Plans, Title I LEA, Title I School Improvement, and Title III plans to assure alignment to the district Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP)
- Supervise all aspects of the Title III/English Language Learner (ELL) and Gifted programs
- Direct development and articulation of K-12 curricula, Electronic Alignment Tool (EAT)/Build Your Own Curriculum (BYOC), develop budget and facilitate textbook selection and adoption to implement district curriculum cycle
- Facilitate collaborative learning/data teams for secondary mathematics and science departments utilizing MAP/EOC, Acuity Algebra and ALEKS data
- Initialize implementation of READ 180, Everyday Mathematics, ALEKS and Discovery Science Education
- Conduct building walkthroughs and Performance Based Teacher Evaluations (PBTE)
- Provide administrative coverage in absence of building principal and/or assistant principal
- Train school staff in data teaming, AIMSweb/RtI, Acuity, and PBIS
Communication Arts and EL Coordinator
Bayless School District
01.2002 - 01.2004
- Serve on MO DESE Communication Arts Curriculum Development for K-12
- Facilitate development and articulation of K-12 Communication Arts and ELL curriculum
- Facilitate staff development in balanced literacy, content reading, writer’s workshop, Sitton Spelling program, assessment, and EL instructional and assessment modifications for K-12 classroom and Communication Arts teachers, Title I Reading, and Title III/EL Specialists
- Facilitate data teams using MAP and local assessment data
- Develop balanced literacy and communication arts walkthrough checklists, literacy and ELL plans, and K-12 Writing Assessment
- Administer Federal Programs (Title I and Title III) program budget, evaluation, data analysis and reporting
- Facilitate K-6 buildings’ literacy events, family literacy events, and after school tutoring program
- Coordinate K-6 Summer School Program
Communication Arts/EL Teacher
Bayless High School
01.2002 - 01.2003
- Provide direct and monitored services to high school EL students
- Develop three courses designed to provide EL differentiated services based upon language proficiency levels and implement modified communication arts curricula
- Implement “Intentionality of Instruction” model in the classroom and to lesson plans and assessments
- Work collaboratively with staff to implement appropriate instructional and assessment modifications
Reading Specialist
Bayless Intermediate School
01.2000 - 01.2002
- Provide special reading services to students from diverse cultural, ethnic, language, and socio-economic backgrounds
- Plan and provide literacy coaching to ten classroom teachers
- Provide building level professional development on balanced literacy, guided reading, literature circles, writing workshop, and writing calibration
- Provide explicit instruction in phonics and vocabulary, reading comprehension strategies, content area reading, and the writing process to improve reading and writing achievement for lowest 40% of qualifying students
- Develop summer reading program in collaboration with library services and coordinate building level literacy activities and events
Classroom Teacher, Second Grade
Bayless Elementary School
01.1996 - 01.2000
- Pilot classroom for the Balanced Literacy model
- Team-teaching with reading specialist the communication arts at-risk program for lowest 20 percent of second graders
- Design and implement parallel curriculum for ESOL and at-risk learners
- Articulate second grade curriculum in all content areas
- Team leader for K-6 Communication Arts curriculum committee
- Title I Reading Tutor
- Establish and facilitate “Read Your Heart Out” building literacy event
Classroom Teacher, Multi-age Fifth and Sixth Grade
St. Aloysius School
01.1994 - 01.1996
- Design and implement a multi-age curriculum for a grade five and six multi-age classroom
- Plan and successfully implement lesson plans, learning strategies and activities, and assessments for all content areas
- Participate in school and parish activities
Education
Ph.D. - Education, Teaching and Learning Processes
University of Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri01.2021
Educational Specialist -
University of Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri01.2009
Elementary Administration Certification -
St. Louis, Missouri01.2004
Master of Arts - English (TESOL)
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri01.2001
Bachelor of Science - Special Education/Elementary Education
Fontbonne College
St. Louis, Missouri01.1994
General Studies -
St. Louis Community College-Meramec
St. Louis, Missouri01.1992
Skills
- Educational leadership
- Curriculum design
- Data analysis
- Instructional coaching
- Program evaluation
- Grant management
Certification
- Superintendent, K-12, 2010, Initial
- Secondary Administration, 7-12, 2010, Career
- Middle School Administration, 5-9, 2009, Career
- Elementary Administration, K-8, 2004, Career
- English Speakers of Other Languages, K-12, 2001, Career
- Special Reading, K-12, 2001, Career
- Special Education, K-12, 1994, Career
- Elementary Education, 1-8, 1994, Career
References
- Dr. Chanua Ross, Director of Community Outreach, University of Missouri – St. Louis, 202 Marillac Hall, St. Louis, Missouri, 63121, (314) 825-5244, rossch@umsl.edu
- Dr. Natalie Bolton, Associate Professor & Translational Grant PI, University of Missouri – St. Louis, 315 Marillac Hall, St. Louis, Missouri, 63121, (314) 516-6820 / (919) 995-2623, kerkhoffs@umsl.edu
- Dr. Lisa M. Dorner, Associate Professor & SEE-TEL Grant CoPI, University of Missouri – Columbia, 118 Hill Hall, Columbia, Missouri, 65211, (573) 882-7938 / (636) 221-0925, dornerl@missouri.edu
- Dr. Emily Crawford-Rossi, Associate Professor & SEE-TEL Advising Committee, University of Missouri - Columbia, 303P Townsend Hall, Columbia, Missouri, 65211, (573) 882-8221 / (503) 473-2919, crawforder@missouri.edu
- Mr. Ron Tucker, Superintendent of Schools (Retired), 588 Parkview Drive, Bloomsdale, Missouri, 63627, (636) 284-1092, tuckerrr@gmail.com
- Shawn Cockrum, DESE Director of Refugee School Impact Program, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education/IISTL, 205 Jefferson Street, Jefferson City, Missouri, 65101, (573) 230-3361, cockrums@iistl.org
Publications
- Thieman, D. & Bolton, N., AI-Enhanced Lesson Planning in TESOL: A Mixed Methods Study of Pedagogical Innovation., In Nari Kim, Minkyoung Kim, Angela Rand, and Keirah Comstock (Eds), AI for, with, and by Instructional Design., Under Review, 2026
- Bolton, N., Miller, P. & Thieman, D., University Clinical Educators’ Feedback Practices: Analysis of Cognitive Coaching Feedback and Pre-service Teacher Standards., In R. Jake Cohen (Ed.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 1783-1792)., Orlando, FL, USA, 2025, https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/225731/
- King, N., Child, G., Song, K., & Thieman, D., Midwestern Teachers’ Developing Equity-Based Mindsets and Practices Over Time: Using Virtual Coaching Cycles for Teacher Transformation., Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2024.2444273
- Dorner, Lisa M., Guan, Shu-Sha Angie, & Thieman, D., “Anil, please tell your dad your report card is really good!” – Language brokering at parent-teacher conferences., In Emily R. Crawford & Lisa M. Dorner (Eds.), Educational Leadership of Immigrants: Case studies in times of change., 1st Ed., 21-28, Routledge, 2020
Conference Presentations
- American Education Research Association (AERA), 04/09/26, Integration of Virtual Cognitive Coaching with Learning by Scientific Design: A Framework for Enhanced Teacher Professional Development., Poster Presentation
- American Education Research Association (AERA), 04/08/26, Futuring Multilingual Classrooms: Critical Linguistic Landscapes for Justice-Oriented, Future-Facing Teacher Education., Paper Presentation
- Society for Instructional Teacher Education (SITE), 03/26/26, AI as a Design Partner: Supporting Linguistically and Culturally Responsive Teaching in TESOL Preparation., Paper Presentation
- Association for Advancing Quality in Education Preparation (AAQEP) Symposium, 04/03/25, Virtual Cognitive Coaching: Enhancing Professional Learning., Phoenix, Arizona
- National Association of Bilingual Education (NABE), 02/08/22, Working Toward Resisting Teacher Candidates’ Raciolinguistic Ideologies and Developing Translingual and Transmodal Pedagogies for EBLs Through Virtual PDs., New York, New York
- National Association of Bilingual Education (NABE), 04/28/21, Stimulating collaborative and reflective inquiry for teaching emergent bilingual learners in COVID19: Guided online coaching., Virtual Platform
- American Education Research Association (AERA), 04/08/21, Integrating Multidimensional Creativity Into A Collaborative and Reflective Online Practicum Course., Virtual Platform
- Cambio de Colores, 06/14/19, Coaching for Teachers of English Learners., Columbia, Missouri
- Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC), 04/14/18, Embracing Diversity of All Abilities: Equity, Culture and Family Partnerships in Early Childhood Education Programs., AEYC Regional Conference, St. Louis, Missouri
Timeline
Graduate Research Fellow, Translational Grant
University of Missouri – St. Louis
01.2024 - Current
School District Project Coordinator
University of Missouri – St. Louis
01.2022 - 01.2024
SEE-TEL Project Coordinator
University of Missouri – St. Louis
01.2018 - 01.2022
Assistant Superintendent/Chief Academic Officer (Retired)
Bayless School District
01.2012 - 01.2017
Director of Student Services
Bayless School District
01.2010 - 01.2012
Curriculum and Federal Programs Coordinator
Bayless School District
01.2004 - 01.2010
Communication Arts and EL Coordinator
Bayless School District
01.2002 - 01.2004
Communication Arts/EL Teacher
Bayless High School
01.2002 - 01.2003
Reading Specialist
Bayless Intermediate School
01.2000 - 01.2002
Classroom Teacher, Second Grade
Bayless Elementary School
01.1996 - 01.2000
Classroom Teacher, Multi-age Fifth and Sixth Grade
St. Aloysius School
01.1994 - 01.1996
Ph.D. - Education, Teaching and Learning Processes
University of Missouri
Educational Specialist -
University of Missouri
Elementary Administration Certification -
Master of Arts - English (TESOL)
Southeast Missouri State University
Bachelor of Science - Special Education/Elementary Education
Fontbonne College
General Studies -
St. Louis Community College-Meramec