1. A N D R E A M . S P E N C E R , P H . D
5 0 S I N T S I N K D R I V E E A S T , # 1 ,
P O R T W A S H I N G T O N , N Y 1 1 0 5 0
T E L : 6 3 1 . 4 6 5 . 3 4 8 6 ; C E L L 8 6 0 - 9 1 6 - 9 2 7 9
E - M A I L : A S P E N C R @ G M A I L . C O M
C U R R I C U L U M V I T A E
EXPERIENCE
2001 – Present Founder and CEO, Synchrony Solutions, LLC
Consulting, training and technical assistance to educational and not-for-profit human
agencies in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts including:
Representative Consulting Projects:
 Special consultant for advocacy for alternative school students, and students with
disabilities, including co-authorship of Connecticut State Advocate report on the
Sandy Hook Shootings
 Center for Child Development of the Hamptons (CDCH Charter School)
Westhampton, NY, portfolio based assessment
 Center for Children’s Advocacy and Greater Hartford Legal Aid, case review and
recommendations for urban students with special needs
 Conducted and published studies on developmental trajectories of truant students
and adolescent with mental health problems (http://www.kidscounsel.org).
 Association for Neurologically-Impaired and Brain-Injured Children (Queens, New
York) values-based system-wide personnel evaluation
 Northeast-ARC, Danvers, MA Program development and design and delivery of
computer-based human service training programs for persons with cognitive
impairment and other disabilities
 Contemporary Guidance Services, Inc., New York, NY Grant writing and program
development for rehabilitation and vocational training services for adults with
cognitive, behavioral and learning difficulties.
Representative Professional Development Presentations
 San Jose State University, Department of Education Professional development on
neurodevelopmental pedagogical strategies
 Bridgeport Public Schools, Awareness and educational strategies for children with
Tourette syndrome
 Teachers Across Borders neurodevelopmental approaches for diverse learners,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
 Connecticut Department of Children and Families, client record analysis
 Perspektiva, Moscow, Russia, Neurodevelopmental approaches for students with

2. ANDREA M. SPENCER, PH.D.
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special needs
2010-June, 2015 Pace University New York, NY
Dean, School of Education
 Member, Pace University Operations Committee, Deans’ Council, Council of Deans
and Faculty for Promotion and Tenure (CDFPT), Middle States Periodic Review
Report (PRR) Committee
 Managed successful School of Education 2011 NCATE accreditation (National
Council on Accreditation of Teacher Education)with subsequent selection and
institution of electronic information management system;
 Initiated and supported SOE Strategic Plan emphasizing innovative program
development including use of avatar technology for teacher preparation (with
University of Central Florida), STEM Collaboratory project (with Pace Seidenberg
School of Computer Science and Information Systems, and on-line B. S. degree
completion program (Disabilities and Community Living) for human service workers
and caregivers; and worked with faculty to develop and implement dual-certification
Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education Master’s degree programs, and
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL);
 Strengthened partnerships with public schools through Science Saturdays, Early
College High School, Upward Bound, and Liberty Partnerships Program (LPP), and
STEM Summer Camp, serving approximately 500 K-12 students annually;
 Successful grant and contract development and related revenue enhancement of
approximately $11 million in five years, including New York City Teaching Fellows,
college access programs (Upward Bound, Liberty Partnership Program), US DOE
Preservice Improvement Grant, and NSF-funded Billion Oyster Project in
collaboration the Pace Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information
Systems;
 Increased professional visibility of the SOE through varied special events and
partnerships, increasing participation by alumni, inservice teachers and
administrators, after-school providers, and other community-based groups from
fewer than 100 to 2,000 contacts over two-year period; and,
2008- 2010 Bank Street College of Education New York, NY
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
 Member, Deans & Chairs administrative team;
 Managed successful Middle States Periodic Review Report (PRR);
 Developed and piloted electronic e-portfolio as option for Integrated Master’s
Project (IMP);
 Co-Director Project MUSE ($1.2 million), federal program improvement grant for
collaborative design of Grades 7-12 Special Education program with Bridges for
Learning, New York City Empowerment Zone network;
 Co-Director, The Spectrum Project: Preparing Teachers to Teach Children with
Autism and Developmental Disabilities, federal grant ($1.2 million);

3. ANDREA M. SPENCER, PH.D.
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 Co-Director, HEDS-UP federal grant ($1.2 million) focusing on development of on-
line professional development modules designed to improve the quality of higher
education for students with learning disabilities in collaboration with San Jose State
University, San Jose, California; and,
 Co-Director, Special Education Leadership for Change federal grant ($1.2 million)
designed to prepare diverse leaders for inclusive educational environments.
2001-2008 Bank Street College of Education, New York, NY
Chair, Dual Language/Bilingual, Infancy, Child Life and Special Education (Early Childhood,
Childhood, Middle Childhood)
 Academic Committees including Admissions, Faculty Advisory Committee,
Curriculum Committee, Administrative Advisory Committee, Middle States
Accreditation Committee, and Integrated Masters’ Project (IMP) Committee, Five
Fridays Carnegie Foundation grant;
 Instructor, advisor special education graduate education, including pilot
implementation of on-line and blended learning coursework;
 Participant in federal technology grants; and,
 Program development in areas of electronic portfolio, student teaching collaborative
supervision, staff development in New York Public Schools, San Jose State
University, San Jose, California, Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Moscow, Russia
1991-2001 Capital Region Education Council Hartford, CT
Director of Quality Assurance, Program Development & Student Services
 Doubled size of division in five years from $12 million to $26 million through program
and resource development;
 Served as member of Executive Cabinet in management of $85 million regional
education service center serving 29 towns and cities in and around Hartford, CT;
 Designed and implemented workforce training programs, special needs early childhood-
adolescent educational, residential and psychiatric treatment programs, and alternative
high school programs including a magnet middle college high school (co-designed with
at-risk high school students) at Tunxis Community College (Farmington, CT) for
expelled and high risk students from urban and suburban communities;
 Developed and supervised collaborative diagnostic and special services program with 10
school districts focusing on diagnostic and program development services for middle
and high school students with learning and behavior problems, using an innovative,
participatory funding model with area school districts; and,
 Established alliances and collaborative relationships with a wide range of educational
and community organizations throughout the greater Hartford region.
1986-1990 Institute of Living Hartford, CT
Principal
 Supervised inpatient and day treatment educational programs for children (K-12)
with serious emotional disorders and mental illness
 Created and implemented innovative short-term evaluation and specialized

4. ANDREA M. SPENCER, PH.D.
4
educational programs for children and adolescents with thought disorders, based
upon constructivist principles;
 Served as educational liaison to medical and psychiatric personnel, including
consultation and technical assistance to the Jaycees Neuropsychiatric Clinic.
1985 - 1986 Evergreen Center Milford, MA
Director of Programs
 Directed day-to-day operations for educational, residential, psychological and medical
services for severely multiply-handicapped children, including staff recruitment and
training and parent programs.
1979-1985 Perkins School Lancaster, MA
Program Director
 Brought program into compliance with state regulatory requirements;
 Designed and directed day-to-day operations for educational, residential and
vocational programs for 70 moderately/severely handicapped children and adults;
 Development and implemented multilevel staff evaluation/training system; and,
 Established and managed regulatory relationships with three state agencies.
1977-1979 Bancroft North School Owls Head, ME
Program Coordinator
 Brought program into compliance with state licensing standards; and,
 Managed residential, clinical and educational treatment programs for 43 students
with moderate/severe learning and behavior disorders.
1974-1977 Central Connecticut State University New Britain, CT
Assistant Professor
 Instruction and fieldwork supervision of graduate and undergraduate students in
special education in public and private schools;
 Design and implementation of experimental field-based teacher training project;
 Presentation of Head Start and Special Study Institutes for staff of state institutions
for the retarded; and,
 Development of educational videotapes/activities and curriculum packets.
OTHER RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
July 2015 – Member, College Preparation Advisory Board, Partnership for Afterschool
Education, New York, New York, a training and technical assistance provider to a
membership of more than 1600 afterschool programs in New York City;
June 2015 – present: Board member, McCarton School, New York, New York, a
provider of educational programs and services for children and adolescents on the

5. ANDREA M. SPENCER, PH.D.
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Autism Spectrum;
May, 2014 – present: Executive Board member, Family Residences and Essential
Enterprises (FREE), Old Bethpage, New York, a major human service provider for
individuals with disabilities across Long Island and New York City;
2013-present: Educational consultant on issues of school violence and children’s mental
health in school. Connecticut State Office of the Child Advocate, Hartford, CT.
2001-present: Educational Consultant, Center for Children’s Advocacy, Hartford,
Connecticut; providing expert analysis of special needs programs and services for
nearly 500 poor and minority students whose needs were not being met in local
schools;
2007-2012 Board of Directors, Teachers Across Borders, a volunteer organization
providing professional development to teachers in Cambodia;
2004-2006 Education Advisory Board of New York University Child Study Center
1973-74 – Development and evaluation of teacher training materials under the Education
Development Act at the University of Connecticut;
1970-77 – Consultant for programmatic and staff training issues to Head Start, public
and private schools in the area of mental retardation and emotional disturbance;
1966-70 – Classroom instruction – English and reading, Grades 6-12.
EDUCATION
University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
 Ph.D. Special Education
University of Maine Orono, ME
 Master’s in Education (M.Ed) Special Education
 B.A. (English)
RECENT PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS, PUBLICATIONS:
Eagan, S. H., Voswinkel, F.; Ford, J. D., Lyddy, C., & Spencer, A. (2014). Shooting at Sandy Hook
Elementary School: Report of the Office of the Child Advocate, Hartford, CT., November 21, 2014.
Spencer, A. (2014) Blind spot: Missed early warning signs and children’s mental health. Presentation
Human and Civil Rights Commission, Connecticut Education Association, Rocky Hill, CT. May 7,
2014.
Spencer, A. (2014). Presentation to representatives of Connecticut State agencies and public schools
serving children and families with mental health issues. University of Connecticut Law School,
January 6, 2014, Hartford, CT.
Spencer, A. (2013). Blind spot: The impact of missed early warning signs on children’s mental health.
Center for Children’s Advocacy, Hartford, CT.
Spencer, A. & Romero, O. (2009). Las niñas silenciadas: Broken links between language, culture and
learning. Center for Children’s Advocacy, Hartford, Ct.

6. ANDREA M. SPENCER, PH.D.
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.Spencer, A. (2009) School attendance patterns, unmet educational needs and truancy. Journal of
Remedial and Special Education, 30 (5), 309-319.
Spencer, A. (2008) Truancy and unmet special education needs. Center for Children’s Advocacy,
Hartford, Ct.,
Spencer, A. (2007) Truancy: Early patterns of absenteeism. Kidscounsel Newsletter. Center for Children’s
Advocacy: Hartford, CT.
Spencer, A. (2006) Inclusion or illusion? Kidscounsel Newsletter, Center for Children’s Advocacy:
Hartford, CT.
Spencer, A. & Breon, E. (2006) Truancy: A closer look at the link with unmet educational needs.
Center for Children’s Advocacy: Hartford, CT.
Spencer, A. & Breon, E. (2007) The Hartford Truancy Court Prevention Project. The National
Dropout Prevention Network Conference, 2007, Louisville, Kentucky, October 29, 2007.
Spencer, A. & Pollidore E. (2006) Understanding individual learning profiles. Teachers Across
Borders Institute, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Spencer, A. & Shore, R. (2007) The five things I wish every principal really understood about special
education. First New York Citywide Special Education Conference, May 5, 2007.
Spencer, A. & Shore, R. (2008) School Leadership and Special Education: Heightening Awareness,
Strengthening Advocacy. Presentation at National Conference American Association of Colleges of
Teacher Education (AACTE), New Orleans, LA, February 10, 2008.
Spencer, A. & Romero, O. (2008) Universal Design of Postsecondary Education: From Principles to Practice.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press, in press.
Spencer, A., Stone, M. & Aasen, N. (2006) Special education for juveniles. Presentation to
Connecticut Probation Officers, Wethersfield, CT, December 6, 2006.
Spencer, A. & Zutter, K. (2007) Inclusion strategies for teachers. Perspektiva (NGO) Seminar,
Moscow, Russia. September 21-23, 2007
Spencer, A. & Zutter, K. (2006) Focus on the child: Preparing to meet the needs of diverse learners.
National Association of Laboratory Schools Conference, March 31, 2006. Bank Street College of
Education, New York, New York.
Spencer, A. & Zutter, K. (2006) Neurodevelopmental constructs as a framework for working with
bilingual children. San Jose State University, January 21, 2006.
Spencer, A. & Zutter, K. (2005) Preparing Teachers to Support Struggling Learners: A
Neurodevelopmental Framework for Professional Development. International Association of Special
Educators (IASE) Conference, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. July 21, 2005.

7. ANDREA M. SPENCER, PH.D.
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Spencer, A. & Zutter, K. (2004) Neurodevelopmental constructs as a framework for preservice
teacher preparation. San Jose State University, October 22-25, 2005.
Reviewer 2012-2013 Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research.
PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES
John Snyder, Executive Director, Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education, Stanford
University, Barnum Center, 505 Lasuen Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305. 650-724.5858. Former
Dean/colleague.
Mary Ann Murphy, Ph.D., Professor, Director, Center for Community Action and Research,
Dyson College of Arts and Sciences
Pace University, One Pace Plaza, New York, NY 10038
(212) 346-1204; mmurphy@pace.edu
Olga Romero (Retired) Chair, Department of Bilingual, Early Childhood, Special Education and
Child Life, Bank Street College of Education, 610 W. 112th Street, New York, NY
olgar@bankstreet.edu
Fern Khan, Board Chair, Partnership for Afterschool Education (PASE), 120 Broadway, Suite 230,
New York, NY, 10271
(212) 571-2664