Erica Litke

Associate Professor

Dr. Erica Litke is an associate professor specializing in mathematics education in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. Her research focuses on understanding and improving instructional quality in mathematics for students in the elementary and secondary grades. Her research has described and analyzed instructional practice in mathematics using observation instruments, connected instructional quality in mathematics to broader policy-related issues in education, and focused on teacher knowledge and professional development.

Recent work takes a content-specific approach to improving instructional practice, honing in on features of instruction that support students’ learning opportunities in algebra specifically. Other research examines the quality of data and statistics lessons in elementary classrooms. She is also interested in the impact of district-level policies designed to address equity in secondary mathematics and current research examines the impact of accelerating students in math in the middle grades.

Dr. Litke’s research has appeared in Cognition and Instruction, Teachers College Record, Elementary School Journal, Teaching and Teacher Education, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, and American Educational Research Journal. She previously served as editor and co-chair of the Harvard Educational Review.

Prior to receiving her doctorate, Dr. Litke was a high school mathematics teacher at a public school in New York City, where she was a Math for America Master Teacher. She has also worked at the National Center for Teacher Effectiveness on projects related to the Mathematical Quality of Instruction and has developed an observation instrument that measures the quality of algebra-specific teaching practices.

Educational Background

• Ed.D, Educational Policy, Leadership, and Instructional Practice, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 2015
• Ed.M, Administration, Planning, and Social Policy, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 2001
• B.A., Mathematics and English, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, 1997

Professional Experience

• Associate Professor, School of Education, University of Delaware, 2016–present
• Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Delaware, 2016–present
• Lecturer, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, 2015–2016
• Achievement Coach, Urban Assembly Network, New York, NY, 2008–2009
• High School Mathematics Teacher, East Side Community High School, NYC Department of Education, New York, NY, 2002–2008

Recent Grants

• Litke, E. (PI), Wilson, J. & Hill, H. C. (co-PIs). Collaborative Research: Supporting Teachers to Develop Equitable Mathematics Instruction Through Rubric-Based Coaching. National Science Foundation 2021–2025. ($2,997,785)
• Hiebert, J. (PI), Litke, E., Gibbons, L. Riser J., & Maxwell, V. (co-PIs). Improving Professional Development in Mathematics by Understanding the Mechanisms that Translate Teacher Learning into Student Learning. National Science Foundation 2021–2025. ($2,995,768)
• Desimone, L. (PI), Hill, K., Blackman, H., Gordan, M. Wilson, J. (co-PIs), Litke, E. (Senior Researcher), May, H. and Porter, A. (Consultants). Grant to study 12 professional learning partnerships across the country as they design instruction that is better suited to student bodies that are mostly black or Latinx. Bill and Melinda Grants Foundation, 2019–2022. ($1,500,000)
• Litke, E. (PI). Empowering Teachers to Improve Algebra Instruction. University of Delaware, General University Research grant, 2017–2019 ($7,500)

Recent Professional Awards

• Early Career Publication Award, American Educational Research Association (AERA) Research in Mathematics Special Interest Group, 2021
• STaR Fellow, Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, 2017–2018
• Nominated for University of Delaware Excellence in Teaching Award, 2017, 2018
• Outstanding Reviewer, Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 2015