Dr. Shawn Nickerson, who currently serves as the Principal of Bruce Elementary School in the Houston Independent School District, has joined the North Little Rock School District as the Director of School Effectiveness and Literacy Enforcement.
This is a newly-reorganized role in the North Little Rock School District. The Director of School Effectiveness and Literacy Enforcement will serve as the district’s expert on developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating all professional development sessions as directed by the Office of School Performance. This individual will work directly with school principals to connect school-wide literacy goals with evidence-based practices aligned with the science of reading. In complying with the Arkansas LEARNS Act, the Director of School Effectiveness and Literacy Enforcement will regularly report on the types of interventions used and the students that are receiving the interventions in order to meet the third-grade reading standard, as mandated by the legislation.
Dr. Nickerson has more than twenty years of experience in education. As the Principal of Bruce Elementary, she implemented the “Attendance Matters Program” to support families that struggle with attendance, and she revived a campus-wide discipline program that resulted in the decrease in the number of suspensions. Dr. Nickerson has also been credited for implementing sound professional learning and monitoring structures, which resulted in guaranteed high-quality instruction and increased student achievement.
Most notably, under Dr. Nickerson’s leadership as Principal, Bruce Elementary School, once considered a low-performing school, climbed to become a B-rated school.
Dr. Nickerson has served as an Assistant Principal, District Assessment Coordinator, and District Instructional Coach in the Houston and Klein school districts. She began her career in education teaching middle school.
“I am excited to join the North Little Rock School District,” said Dr. Nickerson. “I look forward to supporting teachers and administrators as we strive to do what’s best for every student in the district.”
Dr. Nickerson earned an Education Doctorate in Professional Leadership, a Master of Arts Degree in Educational Leadership, and a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, all from the University of Houston.