Melissa J. Cuba

Associate Professor of Special Education
College of Education and Human Development

Melissa Cuba is an Assistant Professor of Special Education and a multilingual scholar at the University of Maine’s College of Education and Human Development. Her research centers on developing and enhancing evidence-based practices and policies to mitigate the disproportionality of multilingual learners in special education, with a focus on improving educational outcomes. She has published extensively on factors influencing opportunities and outcomes for multilingual learners and has contributed articles on instructional strategies that effectively support these students. Drawing on 15 years of PreK-12 practitioner experience, Melissa brings deep expertise in working with multilingual learners with and without disabilities, as well as collaborating with the school professionals who support them.

Cuba, M. J., Taylor, J. P., Tariq, A. R., Lee, J.-Y., & Avellone, L. (2026). Disproportionate Representation of Multilingual Learners With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review. Review of Educational Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543261426579

Flanagan, S., Brown-Chidsey, R., Cuba, M. J., & Will, K. (2025). Elementary teachers’ self-reported knowledge of the science of reading: An exploratory study. Journal of Education, 205(4), 330-342. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220574251333347

Cuba, M. J., Waters, C., & de Oliveira, L. C. (2024). Empowering multilingual families by reconceptualizing family engagement. Journal of English Learner Education, 16(2). https://stars.library.ucf.edu/jele/vol16/iss2/5/

Howorth, S. K., Marino, M., Flanagan, S., Cuba, M. J., & Lemke, C. (2024). Integrating emerging technologies to enhance special education teacher preparation. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIT-08-2024-0208

Cuba, M. J., & Tefera, A. A. (2024). Contextualizing multilingual learner disproportionality in special education: A mixed-methods approach. Teachers College Record, 126(1), 29-60. https://doi.org/10.1177/01614681241233877

Cuba, M. J., Nomi, B. C., & McMillan, J. H. (2023). Supporting undocumented students: A comparative study of training methods for pre-service school professionals. Journal of Education for Teaching, 49(2), 222-235. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2022.2066463

Matute-Chavarria, M., Cuba, M. J., Lavín, C. E., Katz, S., Brown, M. R., & Aborishade, A. P. (2023). Using technology to coach culturally and linguistically diverse families in the behavior intervention plan process: Embedding funds of knowledge. Journal of Special Education Technology, 38(1), 6-14. https://doi.org/10.1177/01626434221139213

Education

Ph.D. in Education, Concentration in Curriculum, Culture and Change, 2020, Virginia Commonwealth University
M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction in ESOL, Special Education and Spanish, 2012, George Mason University
B.A. in World Politics, Philosophy and Spanish Literature, 2002, Catholic University of America
Portrait of Melissa Cuba
Associate Professor of Special Education