Dennis S. Davis

Dennis S. Davis is an Associate Professor of Literacy Education in the Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences at NC State College of Education. He specializes in upper-elementary literacy instruction, focusing on reading comprehension, assessment, and interventions for students struggling with reading. His work emphasizes supporting educators in developing specialized knowledge to teach reading effectively, particularly for multilingual learners and high-poverty student populations.

He coordinates the M.Ed. concentration in Reading Education and directs the Wolfpack Readers program, offering tutoring services, graduate student training, and undergraduate mentorship. Dr. Davis holds a PhD in Learning, Teaching, and Diversity from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University (2010). His research aligns with the mission of The Literacy Space initiative, which bridges rigorous research with practical literacy interventions.

Key projects include the Building Reading Comprehension through Knowledge, Language, and Structured Inquiry (KLI) intervention funded by IES, and the Systems for Uncorrelating Poverty and Reading (SUPR) project, exploring high-performing schools in high-poverty areas. His recent publications (2020–2025) address barriers in reading interventions, teacher knowledge gaps, and equity in literacy education.

• Affiliations: Elementary Education Program, Literacy and English Language Arts (LELA) PhD concentration.
• Grants: IES-funded KLI project, NC State Interdisciplinary Research Hub SUPR grant.