William J Therrien
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William J. Therrien

  • Thomas G. Jewell Professor of Education
  • Director, STAR Research in Practice
Currently inviting Ph.D. applications for fall 2025

Office Location

Bavaro Hall 206C
PO Box 400277
417 Emmet Street S
Charlottesville, VA 22903

Biography

Bill Therrien holds the Thomas G. Jewell Professorship of Education. He is the coordinator of the Research in Practice group for the STAR (Supporting Transformative Autism Research) project and is Co-PI for the Special Education Research Accelerator (SERA). He is also the co-editor of Exceptional Children, the flagship research journal of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Therrien has extensive experience designing and evaluating academic programming for students with autism and learning disabilities particularly in the areas of science and reading. In his work, Therrien employs a variety of methods including single subject, experimental, and quasi-experimental group research designs. Therrien has also conducted numerous meta-analyses in the areas of reading, science and special education. He successfully directed/co-directed over 15 federal and state grants totaling more than $21 million in funding.  

Education

Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University
M.Ed., Arizona State University
B.A., The Pennsylvania State University

Curriculum Vitae

Featured Research

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Promoting Open Science to increase the Trustworthiness of Evidence in Special Education

We propose that researchers in special education adopt emerging open-science reforms, such as preprints, data and materials sharing, preregistration of studies and analysis plans, and Registered Reports.

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Promoting Open Science to Increase the Trustworthiness of Evidence in Special Education

We discuss how adopting open-science practices can advance the quality of research and, consequently, policy and practice in special education.

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Introduction to Special Issue: Null Effects and Publication Bias in Learning Disabilities Research

In this article, we first define null findings and publication bias as they relate to group and single‐subject instructional intervention research. We then explore the prevalence of instructional intervention studies that report null findings in the learning disabilities literature.

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Introduction to Special Issue: Null Effects and Publication Bias in Learning Disabilities Research

In this article, we first define null findings and publication bias as they relate to group and single-subject instructional intervention research.

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Faculty Associated

Lab or Initiative Associated

Null Effects and Publication Bias in Special Education Research

This special issue of Behavioral Disorders provides an outlet for methodologically sound studies with null findings.

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Recommendations for Replication Research in Special Education: A Framework of Systematic, Conceptual Replications

The purpose of this article is to consider the potential benefits of conceptualizing special education intervention research within a framework of systematic, conceptual replication.

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Replication Research and Special Education

This article introduces the special issue on replication of special education intervention research by first providing an overview of concepts and issues related to replication.

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Progeny Review: An Alternative Approach for Examining the Replication of Intervention Studies in Special Education

In this review, we examined the extent and nature of replication of intervention research in special education using an “article progeny” approach and a three-pronged definition of replication (direct, conceptual, intervention overlap).

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