Dr. Mariana Castro

Instructor

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Biography

Mariana Castro has over 30 years of experience in education research and development, focusing on significant disabilities among bilingual and multilingual students and their families within Madison schools. She has taught science and ESL, and coordinated the implementation of bilingual programs in the district. After joining WIDA in 2006, she took the lead in professional learning and directed standards development and research evaluation projects. Her work includes the WIDA Standards related initiatives for early years and K-12 English and Spanish. Additionally, Mariana has served as an adjunct faculty member at Edgewood College and UW—Whitewater, where she briefly coordinated the secondary ESL certification program at UW—Madison. She currently serves as the principal investigator in research that integrates language with core teaching practices, explores the use of innovative technology to support the teaching of multilingual learners, and develops curriculum for dual-language immersion programs. Mariana is dedicated to preparing future and current teachers to facilitate the academic success of multilingual students.

Research Interests

Experience

Deputy Director

— Present

Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) • Madison, WI

Oversaw research projects and lead initiatives in bilingual education.

Instructor

— Present

Discussion Project • Madison, WI

Facilitated discussions and educational programs.

Requirements for University of Wisconsin–Madison

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:92
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:125
Overall
Required:125
Prerequisites
Programming experience (Data Structures, Machine Organization) One year college-level calculus
Application Checklist
  • Statement of Purpose
  • CV/Resume
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Unofficial transcripts
Specialization Notes

Department: Department of Computer Sciences