Faculty Directory

Cheryl R. Ellerbrock, Ph.D.

Ellerbrock is a professor of secondary education at the University of South Florida. She earned her Ph.D. and M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Florida, where she also completed an M.Ed. in educational psychology. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social science education and psychology from Florida Southern College.

Ellerbrock’s research focuses on fostering responsive secondary school experiences for young adolescent learners. Her work explores middle grades education through interconnected strands that include responsive school environments, teacher preparation and teaching practices. She has served as principal investigator or co-investigator on multiple projects, including a $2.7 million Helios Education Foundation grant that established the undergraduate Middle Grades STEM Residency Program and a $500,000 USF Foundation grant to develop literacy mentoring initiatives for youth in partnership with Sarasota County Schools.

A recognized leader in middle grades education, Ellerbrock serves as secretary and collegiate contact for the Florida League of Middle Schools. She has published more than 45 scholarly works in journals such as The Journal of Educational Research, Research in Middle Level Education Online and Urban Education, and has presented at over 80 international and national conferences. Her recent books include Middle Level Teacher Preparation Across International Contexts (Routledge, 2023) and Talking Diversity with Teachers and Teacher Educators (Teachers College Press, 2014).

Ellerbrock is affiliated with the General Secondary Education Program, the STEM Middle School Residency Program, and the Institute for Research in Education. She also collaborates on InsideART, an arts-based learning initiative that connects social studies and contemporary art to promote visual literacy and civic engagement among secondary students.