Michael Kelley

Michael F. Kelley is an associate professor of early childhood education at Arizona State University. Previously, he served as the division director of teacher preparation for the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and chair of the Department of Elementary Education in the College of Teacher Education and Leadership at Arizona State University. Professor Kelley played an instrumental role in designing the undergraduate curricular reforms that the college has undertaken, including the yearlong student teaching model. He has published more than 80 articles, books, book chapters and policy reports and proceedings linked to education. His research interests lie in understanding the features related to high quality professional development experiences for early childhood teachers that appear to impact child learning.  

Currently Professor Kelley is a member of an early childhood policy and evaluation research team that is globally engaged with Abant Izzet Baysal University and other partners in Istanbul and Bolu, Turkey. The Turkey Early Childhood Education Project in Partnership with Arizona State University is an effort to develop an international partnership model that focuses on early childhood initiatives in both countries. Additionally, Professor Kelley is the lead researcher on a Helios Education Foundation funded project with Childsplay, Inc., that provides job-embedded professional development by pairing professional drama teaching artists with preschool teachers to integrate drama as a tool for achieving early childhood literacy and language outcomes for 3- to 5-year-old children.