Patty

Silver

Education 

• Ph.D. in Instructional Leadership for Changing Populations, Notre Dame of Maryland University, 2023 
• M.A. English/TESOL, Salisbury University, 2007 
• B.A. General Arts and Science, Penn State University, 1981 

Certifications 

• Best Plus ESL Testing Administrator 
• ​​​​​​​EdTPA Scorer 

Research Interests 

• Professional Development Schools: I have conducted numerous studies on best practices for multilingual learner support at professional development schools. These include technology and STEM integration, apprenticeship programs, teacher coaching, and the effectiveness of various state grant initiatives. 
• ​​​​​​​Systemic Functional Linguistics: I have conducted research into the writing differences of multilingual learners who have had much of the education in the United States versus international students and monolingual English students. 

Publications and Presentations 

1. Silver, P., Dupuis, J., Durham, R., Schaff, R., Pallett, L. (2025). Building Technology Integration at an Urban School through a PDS Partnership. School University Partnerships. 

2. Larson, K., Savick, S. Silver, P., Poling, R. (2024). Promoting Faculty Collaboration to Support School-University Partnerships and Increase Coaching Self-Efficacy (In process). School University Partnerships.  

3. Silver, P., Dupuis, J., Durham, R., Schaff, R., Pallet, L. (2024). Building technology integration at an Urban School through a PDS Partnership. School University Partnerships. 

4. Silver, P. (2023). A Systematic-Functional Linguistics Analysis of Community College English Essays of Resident Second Language Writing as Compared with Monolingual English and International Student Writing. ProQuest. 

5. Savick, S., Durham, R., Silver, P., Letizia, A., & Watson, M. (2022). Professional Development and Community School Models Meet to Make a Difference. Ferrara, J., Nath, J., & Beebe, R., Eds. PDS and Community Schools. (pp. 191 – 217). Information Age Publishing. 

6. Silver, P. and Schaff, R. Building Technology at an Urban School through a PDS Partnership [lecture], ISTELive25, July, 2025 

7. Silver, P. and King, M. Behind the Scenes of an Apprenticeship Program [lecture], National School University Partnerships, Anaheim, CA, March, 2024 

8. A Systemic Functional Linguistics framework analysis of community college English essays of resident second language writing as compared with monolingual English and international student writing from non-credit bearing classes [lecture], Symposium of Second Language Writing, Tempe, AZ, October, 2023 

9. A Linguistic Look into Differences Among Types of Developing Writers [lecture], College Reading and Learning Association, November, 2023 

10. Enhancing Multilingual Learner STEAM: A PDS Partnership and the MEER Grant [lecture], National Association of Professional Development Schools, Jacksonville, FL, March, 2023 

11. The GEER Grant and our PDS Partnership: Notre Dame of Maryland University and John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle School [lecture], National Association of Professional Development Schools, Chicago, IL, February, 2022 

12. Teacher Book Clubs: Examining the Refugee and Resettlement Experience[lecture], National TESOL Conference, Online, March, 2021. 

Grant Leadership 

• Creator of TESOL apprenticeship classes for Elevate grant (2023) 
• Director: Maryland Emergency Education Relief (MEER) grant (2022) 
• Principal Investigator: Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) grant (2020 – 2021) 
• ​​​​​​​Director: Consolidated Adult Education & Family Literacy Grant, EL Civics (yearly, 2009 – 2016) 

Professional Affiliations and Membership: 

• The North American Systemic Functional Linguistics Association 
• TESOL International Association 
• ​​​​​​​Maryland TESOL  

Awards 

• NDMU SSND Mission and Ministry Leadership Award, 2024 
• Maryland Adult and Continuing Education Leadership Award, 2018 
• ​​​​​​​Association of Academic University Leadership Award, 2017 

Bio

Professor Patty Silver joined the faculty at Notre Dame of Maryland in August of 2017. Her teaching experience includes, among other topics, Issues in TESOL, English Language Learners for the Classroom Teacher, Principles of Linguistics, Methods and Materials for TESOL, Assessing Second Language Acquisition, and English Grammar for ESL Teachers.

Professor Silver has presented at conferences for the last twenty years on many TESOL topics, including: Undocumented Immigration, Contextualizing ELL Coursework for Health Care Careers, Deferment Action and the Maryland Dream Act, Transition Initiatives for ESL Programs, Developing a Career Pathway Model, ESL Grammar and Culture, Teaching Effective Speaking Skills to ESL Learners, Student Transitions with USA Today, Learning English on your Feet, Hands-On Learning, Competency-Based Instruction, CASAS for ESL, Teaching English with Video Clips, Weaving Family Literacy into ESL Instruction, Multilevel Classes through the Maryland Adult ESL Content Standards, Maryland Adult ESL Content Standards Training, Global Teaching Principles and Beyond Realia, and Teaching Adult ESL through Field Trips.

Professor Silver feels strongly about social justice issues for immigrant learners. She co-created the documentary, The New Immigrant, Changing Populations on the Eastern Shore, which highlighted that the benefits of today’s immigrants to Maryland. Professor Silver has taught and led programs to support immigrants for the last twenty years. She volunteers as a high school speaker to motivate and direct immigrant students to college. Professor Silver regularly meets with immigrant community college students to help them through the maze of getting started in college and persisting through their first two years.