Dr. Jonte' Taylor

Jonte’ C. Taylor (JT), Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Special Education at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). His research includes examining effective strategies for inclusive STEAM education for students with disabilities, evaluating innovative classroom practices, and improving school/classroom climates for students, families, and teachers. His STEAM scholarship focuses on supporting inquiry-based STEAM instruction and using research and evidence-based interventions and practices. His school/classroom scholarship emphasizes student/classroom motivation,using the arts in instruction, followership/leadership dynamics, developing student/teacher relationships, and justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion considerations across educational settings.

Prior to being at Penn State, Dr. Taylor did his postdoctoral work as an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) scholar at the University of Iowa investigating science education for students with disabilities. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Tuskegee University and his Master′s and Doctorate from Auburn University in Collaborative Education and Special Education with an Emphasis in Autism and Emotional/Behavioral Disorders respectively. His classroom instructional experiences have included a variety of settings including juvenile justice, PreK-12 grade schools, and group homes environments. with a variety of students including adults with moderate to severe Intellectual Disabilities and students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Emotional/Behavioral Disorders.

Nationally and internationally, Dr. Taylor has served as a Co-Chair of the Leadership Development Committee for the Council for Exceptional Children (LDC-CEC), president of Science Education for Students with Disabilities (SESD), an UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab Expert in Science Education for Students with Exceptionalities, on the executive committee for the Division for Emotional and Behavioral Health (DEBH), and member of the National Science Teaching Association’s Special Needs Advisory Board (NSTA-SNAB). At the university level, Dr. Taylor has served as a College of Education representative on the Penn State Faculty Senate and is the faculty advisor for Penn State Chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children (Penn State-CEC). Dr. Taylor has authored and co-authored numerous publications in top tier journals in the field of special education and science education as well as multiple book chapters. He has keynoted and presented at conferences both nationally and internationally and has collaborated in workshops for teachers across the US.