Meet Dr. Rachel Jensen
Degrees and Experience
- Ed.D., Curriculum and Instruction: Educational Psychology (Liberty University)
- M.Ed., Experienced Teacher Liberal Arts (Colorado College)
- B.A., Elementary Education (Metropolitan State University of Denver)
- Literacy Intervention Specialist Certification (Colorado College)
- Reading Endorsement (Colorado Department of Education)
- Certified Academic Language Therapist (Academic Language Therapy Association)
Biography and Professional Achievements
Dr. Rachel Jensen has taught at Colorado Christian University since 2021, teaching courses in literacy instruction and intervention, supporting student teachers through supervision and placement, and providing literacy intervention in a clinical setting for students who have dyslexia or difficulties with reading and writing.
Dr. Jensen earned her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Educational Psychology from Liberty University and her master's degree in Teaching Liberal Arts and Literacy Intervention from Colorado College. She also holds a Reading Specialist Endorsement with the Colorado Department of Education and is a Certified Academic Language Therapist with the Academic Language Therapy Association.
Dr. Jensen began her career at Charles Hay Elementary and later taught as a missionary in inner-city Los Angeles. After returning to Colorado, she spent 13 years as a Christian K–5 educator before becoming a literacy interventionist. She has also served as an instructional coach and coordinator for MTSS, kindergarten readiness, and READ plans in Douglas County School District.
She has been honored to win the Dr. Leman Award for Teacher of the Year in 2020 and the Douglas County Apple Teacher Award in 2019. Dr. Jensen has served on the Colorado Department of Education's Read Act committee since 2023 and is a Classical Curriculum advisor for a homeschool co-op in the Denver area.
Publications
- Jensen, R., Scheffel, D. (2025). Creating clinical preservice programs that promote self-efficacy to teach the science of reading. Literacy Practice and Research, 49(3), 1. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/lpr/vol49/iss3/1/
- Undergraduate School of Education, Colorado Christian University. (2025). WOW series: Literacy. Colorado Christian University.
- Jensen, R. (2025, November). Recommendations for improving support and training at Colorado Christian University in Colorado [Unpublished manuscript]. Liberty University.
Faith and Learning
CCU is set apart from other universities because discipleship is authentic and woven into all aspects of the students' experience. Inside the classroom, Professor Jensen builds on the university's philosophies of authentic discipleship. This is done implicitly and explicitly as the teacher candidates in her classes experience the love of Jesus through the content and our interactions. It is her hope that they are able to reproduce this model in their future classrooms.