James Elsberry

Biography

Dr. Elsberry's dad was a Wesleyan pastor in the Iowa and Minnesota Districts. The Wesleyan Church, with all of its rich heritage and teachings, is part of his DNA. The connections with people and places he made during his formative years are an inextricable part of his history. Dr. Elsberry was raised in the upper Midwest. He has been a lifelong fan of Major League Baseball, especially supporting the Minnesota Twins ever since he saw them play at Metropolitan Stadium with his dad and brother when he was a little boy. Another of Dr. Elsberry's passions is watching soccer with his son. One of their lifetime dreams was fulfilled when they attended a quarter-final match between The Netherlands and Brazil at the Cotton Bowl during the 1994 World Cup; seats at mid-field; tight, well-played match; back-and-forth. Brazil won 3-2. Glorious day.

Interests

Dr. Elsberry's doctoral research was on the effectiveness of year-round education (commonly called a balanced calendar) as measured by students' standardized test scores, among other factors. While the premise seems plausible that shortening extended summer breaks should improve learning for students, especially disadvantaged students, the research is mixed. Additional interests include teacher effectiveness, assessment of learning, and program assessment and effectiveness.

Degrees

• Ph.D.
  1992, University of Texas at Austin
• M.Ed.
  1986, University of Texas at Austin
• B.S.
  1970, Indiana Wesleyan University
• A.A.
  1968, Miltonvale Wesleyan College