Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo

Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, EdD

Clinical Professor of Literacy Studies
School of Education

DeCarlo is an expert in literacy education with more than 30 years of experience as a teacher, researcher and curriculum developer. Her research focuses on reading comprehension, teacher education, information and digital literacy for K-12 students and reading and writing instruction for delayed readers and writers. She has also published extensively on the efficacy of innovative learning models, such as flipped instruction and online and remote learning.

 

DeCarlo brings deep understanding of literacy teaching techniques drawing both from her experience as an educator at all levels and as an innovative researcher developing new technique to measure comprehension. She currently serves on the Pennsylvania State Reading Leadership Council and has commented extensively in media coverage of new state curricular requirements and literacy teaching philosophies.

 

As part of a collaboration with researchers from Drexel’s School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health System, DeCarlo has worked to develop a tool for measuring reading comprehension and learning progress using brain-imaging technology. She has also developed collaborative research projects with elementary, middle school and high school teachers and Drexel researchers around the I-LEARN model for education in the information age.

 

She has designed and taught courses in Drexel’s Teacher Education and Special Education programs. DeCarlo has also taught at Montgomery County Community College, Temple University, the School District of Cheltenham Township and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. She holds an EdD in Reading, Writing and Literacy from the University of Pennsylvania.

In The News

Is Angelina Jolie's Handwriting Hard to Read, or are We out of Practice?
Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, EdD, a clinical professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was mentioned in an Oct. 3 Yahoo! Life story about whether Angelina Jolie's handwriting is hard to read or are we just out of practice.
Pa. Assembled Literacy Experts for Reading Reforms. Some Say They Were Never Asked to Do the Work
Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, EdD, a clinical professor in the School of Education, was quoted in a Sept. 29 Penn Live story about the role of council members in Pennsylvania’s attempt to rethink its literacy curriculum.
What to Know From Philadelphia’s Review of its English Language Arts Curriculum
Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, EdD, a clinical professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a Sept. 3 Chalkbeat article about Philadelphia’s review of its English language arts curriculum
Cursive is Making a Comeback. But Does it Deserve One?
Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, EdD, a clinical professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, authored an Aug. 20 column for The Conversation about the history of teaching cursive handwriting in school and a recent push to return it to grade school curricula.
The School Where Kids Can Actually … Read  
Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, EdD a clinical professor in the School of Education, was quoted in a May 11 Philadelphia Citizen story about what schools can learn from the way South Philadelphia’s Sharswood K-8 has raised reading scores in the first year of the city’s new literacy curriculum.
The New Brain Break App for Philadelphia Students Raises Questions About More Screen Time
The School District of Philadelphia recently announced that an app called Rallee will be available to teachers and students in the district.
New Literacy Curriculum for Philadelphia Students Has Rocky Start
Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, a clinical professor in the School of Education, was interviewed by WCAU-TV (NBC-10) in a two-part investigative report about the Philadelphia School District’s curriculum that aired on March 10-11.
Pa. Published, Then Removed Science-of-Reading Curricula Lists After Criticism From Educators
Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, PhD, a clinical professor in the School of Education, was quoted in a June 12 Philadelphia Inquirer story about inconsistencies in a list of teaching resources recently posted by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
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