Dr. Cappello coordinated the district/university partnership at a Professional Development School in Chula Vista for 10 years. Her overseas teaching experiences include instruction in Innovations in Instruction and Curriculum Development for SDSU students in American Samoa. Dr. Cappello’s publication history includes work focusing on the process and products of young children's writing. Her most recent research focuses on using visuals to support English language development and meeting the Common Core State Standards for Language Arts, as well as the use of visuals to support qualitative inquiry.