Biography
TTaylor Gara is a third year Ph.D. student in the School of Education. Her research focuses on arts education programming among K-12 schools in the U.S., and adolescent development.
Her current work examines the impact of federal educational policy on the state of arts education programs in K-12 schools. Currently, Taylor is also using a mixed-method design to understand the factors that motivate adolescents commitment and persistence in arts-related courses during high-school, and their concurrent and long-term achievement.
Her previous research, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, examined adolescents’ persistence and selection into music, visual art, drama, and dance courses in middle school, and the achievement differences of students enrolled in arts-related coursework, compared with non-arts students.
Taylor received her B.S. in Psychology from Old Dominion University, and her M.A in Applied Developmental Psychology from George Mason University. Taylor has enjoyed dancing since early adolescence. While attending community college, she served as a dance instructor teaching and choreographing Pointe and Jazz classes to early elementary and middle school children.
In addition to dance, Taylor obtained her 200hr yoga teacher certification in 2016, and practices yoga in her free time.
Publications
Gara, T., & Winsler, A. (2018). Art. In M. Bornstein (Ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development. New York: Sage Publications.
Gara, T., Brouillette, L., & Farkas, G. (2018). Did the frequency of early elementary classroom arts instruction decrease during the No Child Left Behind era? If so, for whom? Early Childhood Research Quarterly. DOI10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.01.004
Winsler, A., Gara, T., Alegrado, A., Castro, S., & Tavassolie, T. (in press). Selection into, and academic benefits from, arts-related courses in middle school for low-income, ethnically diverse youth. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts.
Under Review
Gara, T. & Winsler, A. (under review). Selection into, and academic benefits from, dance elective courses in middle school among low-income, ethnically diverse youth. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts.
TTaylor Gara is a third year Ph.D. student in the School of Education. Her research focuses on arts education programming among K-12 schools in the U.S., and adolescent development.
Her current work examines the impact of federal educational policy on the state of arts education programs in K-12 schools. Currently, Taylor is also using a mixed-method design to understand the factors that motivate adolescents commitment and persistence in arts-related courses during high-school, and their concurrent and long-term achievement.
Her previous research, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, examined adolescents’ persistence and selection into music, visual art, drama, and dance courses in middle school, and the achievement differences of students enrolled in arts-related coursework, compared with non-arts students.
Taylor received her B.S. in Psychology from Old Dominion University, and her M.A in Applied Developmental Psychology from George Mason University. Taylor has enjoyed dancing since early adolescence. While attending community college, she served as a dance instructor teaching and choreographing Pointe and Jazz classes to early elementary and middle school children.
In addition to dance, Taylor obtained her 200hr yoga teacher certification in 2016, and practices yoga in her free time.
Publications
Gara, T., & Winsler, A. (2018). Art. In M. Bornstein (Ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development. New York: Sage Publications.
Gara, T., Brouillette, L., & Farkas, G. (2018). Did the frequency of early elementary classroom arts instruction decrease during the No Child Left Behind era? If so, for whom? Early Childhood Research Quarterly. DOI10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.01.004
Winsler, A., Gara, T., Alegrado, A., Castro, S., & Tavassolie, T. (in press). Selection into, and academic benefits from, arts-related courses in middle school for low-income, ethnically diverse youth. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts.
Under Review
Gara, T. & Winsler, A. (under review). Selection into, and academic benefits from, dance elective courses in middle school among low-income, ethnically diverse youth. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts.
