Jill DeRosa, a second grade teacher at Verne W. Critz Elementary School in the South Country Central School District, recently earned her doctorate from Molloy University.

Dr. DeRosa dedicated four and a half years toward earning the degree, with her dissertation focusing on a subject she is passionate about: how elementary students experience engagement in the classroom, from their own perspective.

“My research centered on listening to students’ voices and understanding what helps them feel connected, involved and motivated during learning,” said Dr. DeRosa. “Their insights were powerful, honest and incredibly important for shaping more meaningful classroom experiences.”

Dr. DeRosa said earning her doctorate “represents years of balancing responsibilities, growing as a researcher and staying committed to improving education through student-centered practices.”

Prior to her doctorate, Dr. DeRosa impressively earned National Board Certification in literacy. The NBC goes beyond a state teaching license; it is a highly rigorous certification process and includes national standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. For Dr. DeRosa, the process included an exploration of literacy content knowledge, differentiation in instruction, an examination of teaching practice and learning environments, and being an effective and reflective practitioner. 

Dr. DeRosa has been a teacher in the South Country School District for the past 18 years. In addition to second grade, she has taught third grade at Verne W. Critz Elementary, as well as first grade at Brookhaven Elementary.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in child studies from St. Joseph’s College and a Master of Arts from Stony Brook University. She also co-authored the book “WIRE for Agency” with Jennifer Hayhurst. In addition, she has presented at national conferences, including the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention, LitCon and the Literacy for All Conference, as well as local conferences such as the Long Island Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development conference, the Association of Suffolk Supervisors for Educational Technologies annual conference and the Long Island Language Arts Council conference.

The district extends its congratulations to Dr. DeRosa on this impressive accomplishment.