School of Education

Education

• Ph.D. in Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• M.A.T. in Secondary English Teaching, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• B.A. in English, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  
  

Research interests

English education, social justice pedagogies, critical theories and critical literacies, contemporary young adult literature, discourse communities

Career highlights

• Principal investigator for Palouse Reads: Community Engagement and Action, a community literacy project funded by the Center for Arts and Humanities at Washington State University in 2023-2024
• Recipient of Excellence in Teaching Award, Graduate Mentoring and Advising, College of Arts & Sciences, Washington State University in 2024
• Recipient of Early Career Achievement Award, College of Arts & Sciences, Washington State University in 2018
• Recipient of Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Service Award, Faculty, Washington State University in 2018
  
  

Recent publications

Books

• Dyches, J., Sams, B. & Boyd, A. (Eds). (2024). Acts of resistance: Subversive teaching in the English language arts classroom (2nd ed.). Myers Education Press. 
• Dyches, J., Boyd, A., Baker, K., & Kaulfuss, A. (2023). Power tools: 30 critical disciplinary literacy strategies for 6-12 classrooms. Myers Education Press. 
• Boyd, A. & Darragh, J. (2023). Reading for justice: Engaging middle level readers in social action through young adult literature. Rowman & Littlefield.
• Beach, R., Boyd, A., Webb, A., & Thein, A. (2022). Teaching to exceed English language arts standards: A critical inquiry approach for 6- 12 classroom (3^rd ed.).  Routledge.  
• Boyd, A. & Darragh, J.  (2019). Reading for action: Engaging youth in social justice through Young Adult Literature. Rowman & Littlefield. 
• Boyd, A. (2017). Social justice literacies in the English classroom: Teaching practice in action. Teachers College Press.
  
  

Journal Articles

Suico, T., Donovan, S., Boyd, A., Hill, C., Bickmore, S., & Unsicker-Durham, S. (2023). Content analysis of young adult literature [scholarly] book publications 2000-2020: Exploring trends in a growing field. English Education, 55(2), 116-135. 

Clark, C., Skrlac Lo, R., Boyd, A., Cook, M., Crawley, A., & Rish, R. (2022). New conceptual tools for be(coming) antiracist (teacher) educators at PWIs. English Teaching Practice & Critique, 21(4), 364-378. 

Boyd, A.  & Darragh, J. (2022). Reading The Serpent King to connect to students’ lives and experiences in rural contexts. English Education, 54(3) 219-235.

Boyd, A., Dyches, J, Bonilla, A. (2022). The foundations of critical teaching. Teacher Education Quarterly, 49(1), 7-28.   

Boyd, A., Rose, S. & Darragh, J. (2021). Shifting the conversation around teaching sensitive topics: Critical colleagueship in a teacher discourse community. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 65(2), 129-137. 

Dyches, J., Boyd, A., & Shulz, J. (2020). Critical content knowledges in the English language arts classroom: Examining practicing teachers nuanced perspectives. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 53(3), 368-384.

Boyd, A. & Darragh, J. (2019). Complicating censorship: Reading All American Boys with parents of young adults. English Education 51(3), 229-260. 

Dyches, J. & Boyd, A. (2017). Foregrounding equity in teacher education: Toward a model of social justice pedagogical and content knowledge (SJPACK). Journal of Teacher Education, 68(5), 476-490.

Glazier, J., Boyd, A., Hughes, K., Able, H. & Mallous, R. (2016). The elusive search for teacher collaboration. The New Educator, 13(1), 3-21.

Bio

Dr. Ashley S. Boyd is a professor and chair for the Department of Teaching and Learning. She has taught graduate courses on critical pedagogies and cultural theory and undergraduate courses on English methods and young adult literature. A former secondary English language arts teacher, Ashley’s scholarship examines practicing teachers’ social justice pedagogies and their critical content knowledge and explores how young adult literature is an avenue for cultivating students’ critical literacies. Dr. Boyd addresses educational inequities and opportunities for social action through qualitative research and analysis. Prior to joining the School of Education at VCU, she served in several administrative roles, including Director of undergraduate studies and Director of university general education.

Curriculum Vitae