Mary Margaret Kerr
School of Education
University of Pittsburgh
4307 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
PHONE: 412-648-7205
EMAIL:
mmkerr@pitt.eduFull Time Faculty - Professor
Career Summary
A former faculty member at Vanderbilt University, Dr. Kerr joined the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh in 1980, where she holds appointments in Administrative and Policy Studies, Psychology in Education, and Child Psychiatry. Also licensed as a superintendent, Dr. Kerr has worked in urban school districts throughout her academic career. Her focus has been the improvement of services for students with emotional and behavioral problems.
In the Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Kerr initially directed school-based research and training programs. Taking a public service leave from the University, Dr. Kerr served Pittsburgh City Schools as Director of Pupil Services, where she administered services such as guidance, social work, counseling, alternative education, health services, school security, and discipline.
Dr. Kerr was appointed by the federal court in California to serve as Consent Decree Administrator for the Chanda Smith special education case in LAUSD. In this capacity, she worked for nearly a decade with attorneys, families, and educators to reform all special education services for over 82,000 students. Returning to the University as a full-time faculty member, Dr. Kerr directs training services for the University’s youth suicide and violence prevention center, STAR-Center. This state-funded Center provides crisis response services, training, and policy consultation to school districts and agencies across Pennsylvania.
In 2005, Dr. Kerr designed a new graduate concentration in school-based behavioral health for the Department of Psychology in Education.
Continuing over two decades of work with the Pittsburgh Public Schools, Dr. Kerr is now leading a technical assistance team for the implementation of school-wide positive behavioral supports for K-8 schools.
Dr. Kerr's work in applied settings has provided case study material for textbooks and many presentations and publications. She has also served as an education consultant to the U.S. Department of Justice and to many state and local educational agencies. With C. Michael Nelson, she authors Strategies for Addressing Behavioral Problems in the Classroom, now in its 6th edition. In 2009, her text, School Crisis Prevention and Intervention, was published by Merrill/Prentice-Hall.
School Affiliations
- Department: Administrative and Policy Studies - Professor
- Department: Psychology in Education - Professor
- Program: Applied Developmental Psychology - school based behavioral health
- Program: School Leadership - doctoral advisor
Education
- EdD, Education, The American University, 8/1/1977
- MEd, Special Education, Duke University, 5/1/1973
- BA, Developmental Psychology, Duke University, 5/1/1972
Recent Publications
Books
- Kerr, M.M. & Nelson, C.M.(2010) Strategies for addressing behavior problems in the classroom, 6th Edition. Columbus, Ohio: Merrill/Prentice-Hall
Journal Articles
- Kerr, M.M., & Valenti, M. (2009). Controls from within the classroom: Crises or conversations? Reclaiming Children and Youth, 17(4), 30-34.
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Recent Course Instruction
Spring 2010 (2104)
Fall 2009 (2101)
Summer 2009 (2097)
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Recent Presentations
- Bullying Prevention Research
Invited Keynote Address, Arkansas Safe Schools Conference,Little rock, AR
- Perils, Pressures, and Paradigm Shifts: Mental Health Crises on Campus
Invited Keynote Address, Community College of Allegheny County Faculty Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
- Evidence-based Practices for Supporting Student with Behavioral Disorders
STAR-Center Training Institutes
King of Prussia and Pittsburgh, PA
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Current Professional Participation
- Member, Editorial Board, Behavior Modification
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (PA)
- Member, PA Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory Board and Garret Lee Smith Grant Advisory Group
- International Studies in Educational Administration Journal
- Journal of Alternative Schooling
- Consulting Editor
- Consulting editor
- Preventing School Failure
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Recent Consulting
- Expert Commentator, ABCNews.com, 2001- present.
- Protection and Advocacy, Inc. of California (PAI)
- Expert Consultant for Report on Restraint and Seclusion in California Schools
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Recent Grants
- Pittsburgh Public Schools: Positive Behavioral Support Leadership and Technical Assistance (Funded by Staunton Farms Foundation), $300,000.
- Watson Institute Behavioral Support for Youth, Training Director for Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support for 11 schools, $35,000
- Pittsburgh Public Schools
Technical Assistance for Reserve Teacher Corps
$43,500
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Recent Collaborative Efforts
- Research or Scholarship
- STAR-Center. I direct the outreach services for Services for Teens at Risk, STAR-Center. The Center, funded by the PA General Assembly as a suicide prevention, treatment, and training center, is in its 23rd year. The Center serves as the focal point for efforts to develop new knowledge in preventing and treating suicidal behaviors, depression and interpersonal violence. (More Information...) [http://www.starcenter.pitt.edu]
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Recent Service
- Non-University Service
- Founding Director, Project Reassure (Hurricane and Disaster Relief Organization) (More Information...) [http://www.projectreassure.org]
- School of Education Program or Specialization-level Service
- Member,Committee to Redesign the Principal Preparation Program
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Recent Projects
- Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Technical Assistance Team
A grant from the Staunton Farms Foundation to the Pittsburgh Public Schools will provide support for a University technical assistance team led by Dr. Kerr to guide the district's efforts in implementing PBIS in its schools serving grades K-8.
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