Alicia Stewart Kitten

Alicia Stewart Kitten is an Assistant Professor in the Reading and Elementary Education Department. Prior to joining UNC Charlotte, she was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education and Interventions at Central Connecticut State University.

Kitten earned her Ph.D. in special education at the University of Texas at Austin, focusing on learning disabilities and behavioral disorders. Before earning her Ph.D., she served as a middle and high school special education teacher in California, where she worked collaboratively with content area teachers across disciplines. Her research interests involve effective reading instruction for students with behaviors that interfere with learning, specifically students with high levels of inattention. In addition, she is interested in identifying ways to support pre-service and in-service teachers in developing the skills needed to implement effective reading practices across content areas with the goal of improving students’ reading comprehension. Kitten has experience teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses in reading methods and assessment.

CV

Education

Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin, 2019
M.A. in Special Education, California State University Channel Islands
B.A. in Sociology, California State University Channel Islands

Research Interests/Areas of Expertise

Teacher professional development
Reading comprehension
Reading instruction for students with inattention

Awards & Honors

2021 Honor Roll Faculty Award, Central Connecticut State University

2020 Graduate Capstone Advisor of the Year for the 2019-2020 Academic Year, Central Connecticut State University

2015-2019 Office of Special Education Programming Doctoral Fellowship, University of Texas at Austin

Selected Publications

Stewart, A. A., Vaughn, S., Scammacca, N. K., & Swanson, E. (2022). Evidence-based instruction on the reading outcomes of students with inattention: A pilot study. Remedial and Special Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325221117292
Stewart, A. A., & Swanson, E. A. (2022). Supporting reading comprehension for students with inattention. TEACHING Exceptional Children. Advance online publication.
Swanson, E., Vaughn, S., Fall, A.-M., Stevens, E. A., Stewart, A. A., Capin, P., Roberts, G. (2021). The differential efficacy of a professional development model on reading outcomes for students with and without disabilities. Exceptional Children. Advance online publication.
https://doi.org/10.1177/00144029211007149

Stewart, A. A., Scammacca, N. K., Lee, Y. R., Cappelli, P. (2025). Exploring Differences Between Cognition, Reading, Math, and Attention Scores in Students with Disabilities: A Systematic Review. Learning Disabilities Quarterly. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/07319487251318352

Filderman, M. J., Stewart, A. A., Cramer, A., Hughes Berheim, S., Swanson, E. (2024). Intensification of a Reading Comprehension Intervention using Student Data: A Pilot Study. Remedial and Special Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325241249767

Stevens, E. A., Stewart, A. A., Lee, Y. R., Swanson, E.A., & Vaughn, S. V. (2024). Effects teir 2 reading comprehension intervention aligned to tier 1 instruction for fourth graders with inattention and reading difficulties. Journal of School Psychology, 105(2024), 101320, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2024.101320

Swanson, E., Stewart, A. A., Stevens, E. A., Scammacca, N. K., Capin, P., Hamilton, B. J., Roberts, G., & Vaughn, S. (2024). The efficacy of two models of professional development mediated by fidelity on fourth grade student reading outcomes. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 17(2), 288–317. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2023.2181897

Stewart, A. A., Vaughn, S., Scammacca, N. K., & Swanson, E. (2022). Evidence-based instruction on the reading outcomes of students with inattention: A pilot study. Remedial and Special Education, 44(4), 294–307  https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932522111729