At first glance I was unable to see what experience I had gained over the past several years in the Ph.D. program.  I equated research experience with conducting a research study (e.g., a pilot study) on my own from beginning to end.  But after talking with Dr. King-Sears, I realized that is not the case.  Through my combined experiences of coursework, graduate research assistant (GRA) position, and internship at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), I have experienced every aspect of developing a research study.
   
     Through the development of manuscripts for publication, conference presentations, development of an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) grant, and the EDSE 844: Current Issues in Special Education class, I have learned how to synthesize current literature.  With this experience I am able to provide a comprehensive empirical rationale for the need of an intervention study or literature review.
   
     Through my coursework, internship at JHU, experience as a GRA, and development of the IES grant, I am able to develop an intervention to be implemented with students receiving special education services.  Through the development of this intervention I am able to determine what data sources to collect, how to select participants, develop an intervention, ensure fidelity of the treatment, measure social validity, collect data, and organize the data for analysis.  Even though I have not conducted a pilot study at this time, I am confident with this experience I will be able to implement a successful intervention.
   
     Through my EDRS 811: Quantitative Methods in Educational Research class and EDRS 821: Advanced Applied Quantitative Methods class I have been able to practice and learn the experience necessary to analyze data that has been collected from a study.  In addition, these classes have provided me with an opportunity to practice writing how to present the data in a manuscript. 
   
     I may not have conducted a pilot study before I started my dissertation plan, but I do have the experience to move forward with a research study.  I believe the past four years have provided me with several opportunities to practice my skills and gain the experience I need to complete a dissertation.