Sarah Fishstrom
she/her
Assistant Professor
Special Education
Areas of Expertise
- Special Education and Disability Studies
Keywords
Learning Difficulties, Anxiety, Reading
Research Methodologies
- Qualitative Methods
- Quantitative Methods
Research Levels
- K–12
Research Overview
Dr. Sarah Fishstrom’s primary research agenda focuses on understanding the relation between anxiety and achievement for students with learning difficulties. More specifically, she is interested in better understanding the relation between reading difficulties and reading anxiety to support students who have persevering reading difficulties. She also seeks to understand how to better support classroom teachers with accessing and utilizing evidence- based practices including culturally responsive reading supports for diverse classrooms, including a range of English proficiency. Through considering social emotional supports (with a focus on anxiety) and culturally responsive practices as integral elements in instruction -and not separate from academic supports- she hopes to help students reach their academic potential.
- Fishstrom, S., Capin, P., Hamilton, B., Payne, S. B., Dahl-Leonard, K., Dille, J., Wang, H., Vaughn, S. (2025). A meta-analysis of the effects of academic interventions on academic and anxiety outcomes in secondary school children. Journal of School Psychology, 110, 101433.
- Fishstrom, S., Capin, P., Fall, A. M., Roberts, G., Grills, A. E., & Vaughn, S. (2024). Understanding the relation between reading and anxiety among upper elementary students with reading difficulties. Annals of Dyslexia, 74(1), 123-141.
- Fishstrom, S., Wang, H. H., Bhat, B. H., Daniel, J., Dille, J., Capin, P., & Vaughn, S. (2022). A meta-analysis of the effects of academic interventions on academic achievement and academic anxiety outcomes in elementary school children. Journal of School Psychology, 92, 265-284.
- Fishstrom, S. (2025, August). Reading Difficulties and Anxiety: Current and Future Research. Australian Research Council Laureate Meeting at the Australian Catholic University, Sydney, Australia.
- Johnson, R., Salins, A., Fishstrom, S., & Tibi, S. (2025, July). Symposium: Reading anxiety. Presented at Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, Calgary, AB, Canada.
- Fishstrom, S., & McDonald, K. L. (2025, May). Keep Calm and Conjure On! Supports for anxiety in youth. Presented at the 39th Annual Special Parent Information Network Conference, Kaneohe, Hawaii.
- Principal Investigator; Leading a national multi-site focus group replication study examining special education and general education teachers’ views of evidence-based practices
- University of Hawaiʻi, College of Education, Department of Special Education SEED Grant Recipient (May-June, 2024), $9,900
- University of Hawaii, College of Education, College of Education Start-Up Research Funds (2023-2025), $8,000
- Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant, Hawaii Department of Education
- The University of Texas at Austin
- Kentucky Reading Research Center