Perin, Dolores (dp111)

Dolores Perin

Professor Emerita of Psychology and Education
212-678-3943

Office Location:

531A Building 528

Biographical Information

Dolores Perin, Ph.D. is Professor Emerita of Psychology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research interests center on the literacy skills of individuals with reading and writing difficulties. She edited the Wiley Handbook of Adult Literacy, published in 2020. For 25 years, Dr. Perin taught graduate courses on reading and writing assessment and interventions, and adult literacy. She is currently teaching online non-credit professional development courses in the teaching of reading and writing skills, designed for teachers, other educators, and speech and language pathologists (offered through Teachers College’s Continuing Professional Education). Dr. Perin is a state-licensed psychologist who has expertise in working with children, adolescents, and adults with learning difficulties including dyslexia.

Educational Background

Ph.D. in Psychology, University of Sussex, UK

Scholarly Interests

  • Reading and writing processes in children and adults
  • Adult literacy
  • Academic preparedness of postsecondary students
  • Dyslexia and learning disabilties in adults

Click to visit the Reading Specialist Program Website

Selected Publications

Peer Reviewed Journal Publications

Published

Perin, D. & Lauterbach, M. (2018). Assessing text-based writing of low-skilled college students. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 28(1), 56-78. doi: 10.1007/s40593-016-0122-z

Perin, D., Grant, G., Raufman, J., & Santikian Kalamkarian, H. (2017). Learning from student retrospective reports: Implications for the college developmental classroom. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 47(2), 77-98. doi: 10.1080/10790195.2017.1286956 Perin, D., Lauterbach, M., Raufman, J. & Santikian

Kalamkarian, H. (2017). Text-based writing of low-skilled adults: Relation to comprehension, self-efficacy and teacher judgments. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 30(4), 887-915. doi: 10.1007/s11145- 016-9706-0

Perin, D. & Lauterbach, M. (2016, online first). Assessing text-based writing of low-skilled college students (automated writing scores. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education. doi: 10.1007/s40593-016-0122-z

Perin, D., Lauterbach, M., Raufman, J. & Santikian Kalamkarian, H. (2016, online first). Text- based writing of low-skilled adults: Relation to comprehension, self-efficacy and teacher judgments. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal. doi: 10.1007/s11145-016- 9706-0

Perin, D., De La Paz, S., Piantedosi, K.W., & Peercy, M.M. (2016, online first). The writing of language minority students: A literature review on its relation to oral proficiency. Reading & Writing Quarterly. doi: 10.1080/10573569.20161247399

Passonneau, R.J., Podhar, A., Gite, G., Krivokapic, A., Yang, Q. & Perin, D. (2016, online first). Wise Crowd content assessment and educational rubrics. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education. doi:10.1007/s40593-016-0128-6

Huffman-Kelley, K., Perin, D., & Liu, X. (2015). Integrating reading skills in an introductory science classroom. Journal of College Science Teaching, 44(5), 10-15.

Perin, D. (2013). Literacy skills among academically underprepared students in higher education. Community College Review, 41(2), 118-136. doi: 10.1177/0091552113484057

Perin, D., Bork, R. H., Peverly, S. T., & Mason, L. H. (2013). A contextualized curricular supplement for developmental reading and writing. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 43(2), 8-38.

Perin, D. (2011). Facilitating student learning through contextualization: A review of the evidence. Community College Review, 39 (3), 268-295. doi: 10.1177/0091552111416227. Reprinted in Armstrong, S.L., Stahl, N.A. & Boylan, H.R. 
(Eds.). Teaching developmental reading (2nd ed., pp 409-437). Boston, MA: Bedford/ St.Martin’s Professional Resources.

Marri, A.R., Perin, D., Crocco, M.S., Riccio, J.F., Rivet, A. & Chase, B.J. (2011). Content-driven literacy: One approach to urban secondary teacher education. The New Educator, 7(4), 325-351. doi: 10.1080/1547688X.2011.619948

Perin, D., Crocco, M., Marri, A., Riccio, J., Rivet, A. and Chase, B. (2009). Integrating literacy in content classrooms. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 13 (2), 97-105.

Reynolds, G.A. & Perin, D. (2009). A comparison of text-structure and self-regulation strategies for composing from sources by middle-school students. Reading Psychology, 30, 265-300.

Goldstein, M.T. & Perin, D. (2008). Predicting performance in a community college content-area course from academic skill level. Community College Review, 36 (2), 89-115.

Rogevich, M. & Perin, D. (2008). Effects on science summarization of a reading comprehension intervention for adolescents with behavioral and attentional disorders. Exceptional Children, 74 (2), 135-154.

Perin, D. & Greenberg, D. (2007). Research-based reading instruction in an adult basic education program. Adult Basic Education and Literacy Journal, 1 (3), 123-132.

Graham, S. & Perin, D. (2007). A meta-analysis of writing instruction for adolescent students.Journal of Educational Psychology, 99 (3), 445-476.

Graham, S. & Perin, D. (2007). What we know, what we still need to know: Teaching adolescents to write. Scientific Studies of Reading, 11(4), 313-335.

Perin, D., Flugman, B. & Spiegel, S. (2006). Last Chance Gulch: Youth participation in urban adult basic education programs. Adult Basic Education, 16 (3), 171-188.

Perin, D. (2006). Academic progress of community college nursing aspirants: An institutional research profile. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 30, 657-670.

Perin, D. (2006). Can community colleges protect both access and standards? The problem of remediation. Teachers College Record, 108 (3), 339-373.

Perin, D. (2004). Remediation beyond developmental education: The use of learning assistance centers to increase academic preparedness in community colleges. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 28 (7), 559-582.

Perin, D., Keselman, A. & Monopoli, M. (2003). The academic writing of community college remedial students: Text and learner variables. Higher Education, 45 (1), 19-42.

Perin, D. (2002). The location of developmental education in community colleges: A discussion of the merits of mainstreaming vs. centralization. Community College Review, 30, 27-44.

Perin, D. (2002). Repetition and the informational writing of developmental students. Journal of Developmental Education, 26 (1), 2-4, 6, 8, 18.

Greenberg, D., Ehri, L. & Perin, D. (2002). Do adult literacy students make the same word-reading and spelling errors as children matched for word-reading age? Scientific Studies in Reading, 6 (3), 221-244.

Perin, D. (2001). Academic-occupational integration as a reform strategy for the community college: Classroom perspectives. Teachers College Record, 103 (2), 303-335. 

Selected Book Chapters

Perin, D. (2018). Academic preparedness. In R. F. Flippo & T. W. Bean (Eds.), Handbook of college reading and study strategy research (3rd ed., pp. 181-190). New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor & Francis.

Perin, D. (2018). Teaching academically underprepared students. In J. Levin & S. Kater (Eds.), Understanding community colleges (2nd ed., pp. 135-158). New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor Francis.

Perin, D. (2014). Teaching secondary students to read and write in science In M.C. Hougen (Ed.). Fundamentals of literacy instruction and assessment, 6–12 (pp 165-178). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Perin, D. (2013). Best practices in teaching writing for college and career readiness. In Graham, S., MacArthur, C. & Fitzgerald, J. (Eds.). Best practices in writing (2nd ed.) (pp. 48-70). New York: Guilford Press.

Perin, D. (2012). Teaching academically underprepared students. In J. Levin and S. Kater (Eds.). Understanding community colleges (pp. 87-103). Part of Routledge/Taylor Francis “Core Concepts in Higher Education” series. New York, NY: Routledge.

Perin, D. & Charron, K. (2006). “Lights just click on every day.” Academic preparedness and remediation in community colleges. In T.R. Bailey and V.S. Morest (Eds.). Defending the community college equity agenda (pp 155-194). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Press.

Book

Perin, D. (ed.). (2020). The Wiley handbook of adult literacy. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons. (Electronic copy available August 2019, hardcover copy available October 2019).

Other Work

Perin, D., Raufman, J. R., & Kalamkarian, H. S. (2015). Developmental reading and English assessment in a researcher-practitioner partnership (CCRC Working Paper No. 85). New York, NY: Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. Available from http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/developmental- reading-english-assessment-researcher-practitioner-partnership.html.

Perin, D., Bork, R. H., Peverly, S. T., Mason, L. H., & Vaselewski, M. (2012). A contextualized intervention for community college developmental reading and writing students. CCRC Working Paper No. 38. New York, NY: Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University.

Perin, D. (2011). Facilitating student learning through contextualization. Working Paper No. 29. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University: Community College Research Center. (Written under funding by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Community College Research Center)

Perin, D. (2010). Literacy skills among academically underprepared students in higher education. Commissioned by National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, Committee on Learning Sciences: Foundations and Applications to Adolescent and Adult Literacy

Perin, D. (2010). Adult literacy instruction: State of the evidence on effective approaches and needs for research. Commissioned by National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, Committee on Learning Sciences: Foundations and Applications to Adolescent and Adult Literacy

Graham, S. & Perin, D. (2006, October). Writing next: Effective strategies to improve writing of adolescents in middle and high schools. A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.

Perin, D. (2005, Spring). Institutional decision-making for increasing academic preparedness in community colleges. In C. Kozeracki (Ed.). Responding to the challenges of developmental education. New Directions in Community Colleges, 129, 27-38. 


Principal Investigator:

2006-2009. Postsecondary Content-Area Reading-Writing Intervention: Development and Determination of Potential Efficacy. In      stitute     of     Education    Sciences,       U.S.    Department of Education.

2005-2007. Enhancing Teacher Preparation for Adolescent Literacy through Interdisciplinary Learning Communities.Carnegie Corporation of New York CUNY Graduate School, Center for Advanced Study in Education; all Principal Investigator or Project Director unless otherwise indicated.

2002 Evaluator, Youth in Adult Basic Education Project. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education. Principal Investigators: Bert Flugman and Seymour Speigel.

1994-1997 Self-Directed Workplace Literacy Distance Learning for Developmental Disabilities Workers. U.S. Department of Education, National Workplace Literacy Program.

1994 Training in Fundamentals of Supervision and Leadership for OMH Power Plant and Maintenance Workers. SUNY Maritime College

1993-1994 Multi-Site Power Plant Communication Skills Project. SUNY Maritime College

1993-1995 Workforce Training Projects for Developmental Aides and Custodians: English as a Second Language, Basic Skills and Medical Terminology and Computation Skills Training. New York State Governor's Office of Employee Relations

1992-1993 Communication Skills Enhancement for Power Plant Employees. SUNY Maritime College

1992-1994 Workplace Literacy for Psychiatric Health Care Workers. U.S. Department of Education, National Workplace Literacy Program

1990-1991 Workplace Literacy Instruction for College Preparation of Health Care Workers. U.S. Department of Education, National Workplace Literacy Program

1995-present Professor in Psychology and Education, (previously Associate Professor), Department of Health and Behavior Studies; Coordinator, Applied Educational Psychology: Reading Specialist Program; Teachers College, Columbia University 

1996-present  Senior Research Associate, Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University

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