Brian Collins

• Ph.D. New York University
• M.A. Middlebury College
• B.A. New England College

• Foundations of Bilingual Education (BILED 701)
• Language Assessment for English Language Learners (BILED 717)
• Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching (BILED 771)

Dr. Collins’ research focuses on the dual language development of children of immigrants in the U.S. and how language competences interface among dimensions of children’s social, psychological, and academic well-being. His research gives careful consideration to contextual factors in the home and school environment and factors unique to children of immigrants. Dr. Collins is a Co-Investigator on the Harvard Project on Child Language and Developmental Psychiatry (CLDP) which follows over 200 bilingual Latino children in 16 elementary public schools from kindergarten to second grade. Findings from this study have important implications for young Latino children and demonstrate multiple strengths and successful/adaptive pathways, as well as academic and social-emotional problems related to language proficiency. In addition, Dr. Collins is an Associate Investigator on New York State Initiative for Emergent Bilinguals (NYSIEB), a collaborative CUNY project funded by the NYS DOE to support the educational achievements of emergent bilinguals in New York City schools. Dr. Collins is committed to connecting his research to educators, clinicians, and specialists who work with bilingual children of immigrants.

• Collins B.A., Toppelberg C.O. (2021). The role of socioeconomic and sociocultural predictors of Spanish and English proficiencies of young Latino children of immigrants. Journal of Child Language, 48(1), 129-156. doi:10.1017/S0305000920000203
• CUNY-NYSIEB. (Eds.). (2020). Translanguaging and Transformative Teaching for Emergent Bilingual Students: Lessons from the CUNY-NYSIEB Project. New York: Routledge.
  Collins, B.A., Kaya, M. Pappas, L. & Zaino, K. (2020) Working Juntos: Bilingual Education, ESL, ELA & Community Organizing. In CUNY-NYSIEB (Eds.) Multilingualism, Translanguaging and CUNY-NYSIEB. NY, NY: Routledge.
• Collins, B.A., Sánchez, M.T. & España, C. (2019). Sustaining and Developing Teachers’ Dynamic Bilingualism in a Re-designed Bilingual Teacher Preparation Program. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. doi:10.1080/13670050.2019.1610354
• Espinet, I., Collins, B.A., & Ebe, A. (2018). “I’m Multilingual” Leveraging students’ translanguaging practices to strengthen the school community. In A. Lazar & P. Ruggiano Schmidt (Eds.), Schools of promise for multilingual students: Transforming literacies, learning, and lives. (pp. 118-133) New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
• Collins, B.A. & Cioe-Pena M. (2016) Declaring Freedom: Translanguaging in the Social Studies Classroom to Understand Complex Texts. In O. Garcia and T. Kleyn (Eds.), Translanguaging with Multilingual Students: Learning from Classroom Moments. New York, NY: Routledge.
• Seltzer, K & Collins, B.A. (2016) Building Bridges & Navigating Turbulent Waters: Translanguaging for Academic and Social-Emotional Well-being. In O. Garcia and T. Kleyn (Eds.), Translanguaging with Multilingual Students: Learning from Classroom Moments. New York, NY: Routledge.
• Collins, B. A., O’Connor, E., Supplee, L. & Shaw, D. (2016). Behavior problems in elementary school among low-income boys: The role of teacher–child relationships. The Journal of Educational Research, 1–13. doi: 0.1080/00220671.2015.1039113
• Toppelberg CO, Collins B.A. (2016). Dual Language Children: Development, Mental Health, and Clinical Implications. In R. I. Parekh (Ed.), Cultural Sensitivity in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Boston: Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Psychiatry Academy Press 327-350.
• Collins B. A. (2014). Dual language development of Latino children: Effect of instruction program type and the home and school language use. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 29(3), 389-397. doi:10.1016/j.ecresq.2014.04.009
• Collins B.A., O’Connor, E, Suárez-Orozco, C. & Nieto-Castañon, A.,Toppelberg, C.O. (2014). Dual language profiles of Latino children of immigrants: Stability and change over the early school years. Applied Psycholinguistics, 35(03), 581-620. doi:10.1017/S0142716412000513
• Koles, B, O’Connor, E. & Collins, B.A. (2013). Associations between child and teacher characteristics and quality of teacher-child relationships: The case of Hungary. European Journal of Teacher Education, 21(1), 53-76. doi:10.1080/1350293X.2012.760337
• Toppelberg, C., Hollinshead, M., Collins, B.A., & Nieto-Castañon, A. (2012). Cross-sectional study of unmet mental health need in 5-7 year old Latino children in the United States: Do teachers and parents make a difference in service utilization? School Mental Health, 5(2), 59-69. 1-11 doi:10.1007/s12310-012-9089-6
• O’Connor, E., Collins, B.A. & Supplee, L. (2012). Behavior problems in late childhood: the roles of early maternal attachment and teacher–child relationship trajectories. Attachment & Human Development; 14 (3), 265-288. doi: 10.1080/14616734.2012.672280
• Samson, J., & Collins, B. A. (2012). Preparing All Teachers to Meet the Needs of English Language Learners (pp. 1-24). Washington, DC: Center for American Progress.
• Collins, B. A., Toppelberg, C.O., Suárez-Orozco, C., O’Connor, E. & Nieto-Castañon, A. (2011). Cross-sectional associations of Spanish and English competence and wellbeing in Latino children of immigrants in kindergarten. International Journal of Sociology of Language, 208 (2011), 5-24.
• O’Connor, E., Dearing, E., & Collins, B. A. (2011). Teacher-child relationship and behavior problem trajectories in elementary school. American Educational Research Journal, 48(1), 120-162. doi: 10.3102/0002831210365008
• Toppelberg C.O., Collins, B. A., (2010). Language, culture, and adaptation in immigrant children. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 19(4), 697-717. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2010.07.003
• Sirin S., Roger- Sirin L., & Collins, B. A. (2010). A measure of cultural competence as an ethical responsibility: Quick Racial and Ethical Sensitivity Test, Journal of Moral Education, 39(1), 49-64.

• Co-Investigator, Harvard Project on Child Language and Developmental Psychiatry 2010-Present
• Associate Investigator, New York State Initiative for Emergent Bilinguals (CUNY-NYSIEB) 2012-Present
• Associate Investigator, Hunter Collaboration, Alignment, STEM and Equity (CASE) 2014-Present