Dennis Sisco-Taylor

Dennis Sisco-Taylor, Ph.D., serves as an Assistant Professor of School Psychology in the School of Education at Gonzaga University, bringing extensive K-12 public school experience from San Diego, CA and Salt Lake City, UT.

His academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in School Psychology, University of California, Riverside
• M.A. in School Psychology, University of California, Riverside
• B.A. in Psychology & African-American Studies, California State University, Fresno

Dr. Sisco-Taylor's research centers on Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) implementation, data-driven educational decision-making, and curriculum-based measurement across reading, writing, and mathematics. He specializes in adapting these frameworks for culturally and linguistically diverse students, with strong emphasis on educational equity and evidence-based interventions for English learners and students with special needs.

His publication history reveals consistent focus on assessment-to-intervention pipelines, particularly in literacy and mathematics. Recent work explores language proficiency impacts on reading fluency and foster care dynamics, while earlier research established foundations in word problem solving and pseudo-word recognition for diverse learners.

Recognition includes:

• Assessment for Effective Intervention's "Article of the Year" (2015)

He actively secures external funding through grants like SPRAWL ($30,000 from Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board, 2023-2025) and Project RECESS ($3,000 from Jordan School District, 2019-2020). As an educator, he trains future school psychologists through courses in academic assessment, MTSS, and consultation.

Current initiatives include the SPRAWL project advancing statewide school psychology services renewal in Washington, demonstrating leadership in collaborative efforts to transform educational support systems.