ARIZONA

Jacqueline Portnoy-Bland, Tucson
K to 2nd Grade Music Teacher
Fort Lowell Elementary School
During the summer of 2004, Ms. Portnoy-Bland learns the Orff Schulwerk method of music instruction, which focuses on kinesthetic activities to foster musical skills, to improve the achievement of her special education students and English language learners. She implements Orff methodology in her classes and shares these techniques with her colleagues.

CALIFORNI

Allene Arvin, Farfield
4th to 6th Grade Teacher
Fairview Elementary School
Seeking to meet the needs of her autistic students, Ms. Arvin attends an autism training program at the University of North Carolina. She learns how to assess autism as well as methods and skills for working with autistic students. After the training, she develops several workshops to share her knowledge with her colleagues.

Seewan Eng, San Francisco
6th to 8th Grade Teacher
San Francisco Community School
Partners: Tanya Friedman, Gary Norman, Joe Rubin, Denise Savoy
Ms. Eng and her partners research performance assessments and identify standards and assessments to help promote students to the next grade level based on achievement. Team members study Deborah Meier’s ideas and experiences with performance assessments and develop an assessment system. Participants also analyze student work and videotapes of their own instruction to align instruction with student needs.

Denise Farinsky, Sacramento
9th to 12th Grade Art Teacher
Grant High School
Ms. Farinsky learns Betty Edwards’s art education methodology, “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain,” to reach students who are not highly skilled in art. This methodology includes nontraditional methods for teaching perspective, composition, proportions, and angles.

CONNECTICUT

Elizabeth Eckert, Fairfield
6th to 8th Grade Teacher
Tomlinson Middle School
Ms. Eckert attends two language immersion institutes to improve her Spanish language skills. At the institutes she engages in research on cultural topics, becomes familiar with contemporary issues in Spanish-speaking cultures, and reflects on pedagogical practices. She develops learning materials and activities, and shares her knowledge with her colleagues.

FLORIDA

Joy Carter, Hollywood
K to 5th Grade Art Teacher
Bethune Elementary School of the Arts
Partners: Sandra Ashley, Jill Baysinger, Lisa Diez, Joanne McEachem
Ms. Carter leads a lesson study group of all fourth-grade teachers to develop and implement mathematics units that increase student achievement. The group analyzes data to identify concepts that students have not mastered, and researches best practices to create lessons addressing those concepts.

Kathleen Lazarus, Daytona Beach
English Professor
Daytona Beach Community College
Partners: Barbara Murray, Vera Miller, Harry Shoff
Dr. Lazarus leads a study group to implement a mentoring program for adjunct faculty. Full-time faculty mentor adjunct instructors by observing classroom instruction and exploring personal theories on pedagogy.

Rebecca Pittard, Ormond Beach
4th & 5th Grade Teacher
Pine Trail Elementary School
Partners: Kip Best, Jeanine Kiser, Diane LeJeune, Linda Samek
Ms. Pittard and her partners, all teachers in different grade levels throughout the district, form a lesson study group to improve mathematics pedagogy. After collaborating to develop lessons, participants conduct classroom observations and reflect on strategies to improve instruction.

HAWAII

Katheryn Crayton, Pahoa
7th to 12th Grade Teacher
Wai Ola “Waters of Life” Public Charter School
Partners: Paige Close, Patricia Fernandes, James Killebrew, Charles Shephard
Ms. Crayton and her partners lead a study group that includes school faculty, staff, students, and board members to explore Hawaiian history, language, culture, and healing practices. After attending each monthly workshop on Hawaiian history and culture, study groups meet to develop learning tools that augment curriculum differentiation and cultural integration.

KANSAS

Frederick Nelson, Manhattan
10th to 12th Grade Physics Teacher
Manhattan High School
Partner: Christopher George
Mr. Nelson and Mr. George form a study group to learn about authentic inquiry-based physics materials. Study group members collaborate to develop student learning materials for the testing of a portable cosmic ray detector and to assess content learning.

MAINE

Steven Selva, Fort Kent
Professor of Biology
University of Maine At Fort Kent
Advancing his knowledge on stubble lichens, a group of old-growth forest species, Dr. Selva travels to Washington, DC, and New York City to study lichen collections at a botanical garden and herbarium. Dr. Selva hopes that studying the actual specimens will enhance the field’s understanding of these often misidentified species. He publishes his findings.

MARYLAND

Kyle Bacon, Lanham
7th & 8th Grade Teacher
Thomas Johnson Middle School
Mr. Bacon, a second-year teacher, attends the Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures for Success Institute to enhance his instructional skills. Working with his colleagues, he creates a plan to implement the instructional strategies that he learns at the institute to address the learning needs of the school’s underserved students.

MASSACHUSETTS

Marion VanArsdell, Northampton
Pre-Kindergarten Special Education Teacher
Jackson Street School
Partners: Janet Benoit, Maria de la Vega, Iraida Pastor, Jen Stiles
To improve learning for their autistic students, Ms. VanArsdell and her partners learn best practices for teaching autistic students. The team—including teachers, paraprofessionals, occupational and physical therapists, and speech pathologists—researches educational interventions and designs individualized instruction for each student.

MICHIGAN

Mark Davids, Grosse Pointe Farms
11th & 12th Grade Teacher
Grosse Pointe South High School
Partners: Rick Forrest, Don Pata
Collaborating with Ameritech and Cingular wireless engineers, Mr. Davids, Mr. Forrest, and Mr. Pata study the science of cell phones. The group identifies the fundamentals of wireless communication. Based on what they learn, participants develop a curriculum on the cell phone and create hands-on activities and materials for students.

Paul Rozycki, Flint
Professor of Political Science
Mott Community College
Partner: David Moxley
Dr. Rozycki and Dr. Moxley develop community service learning resources to encourage faculty and students to be civically engaged. Study group participants identify best practices to guide civic engagement activities, develop and pilot a multidisciplinary service learning course, and evaluate the effect of service learning on student achievement. To share what they learn, participants create a website that highlights best practices and a faculty guide on how to launch and sustain service-learning activities.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Bonnie Robinson, Newport
6th to 8th Grade Teacher
Newport Middle High School
Partners: Barbara Kvetcovsky, Linda Nestler, Christian Stetson, Kathi Yusko
To improve reading comprehension across curricula, Ms. Robinson and her partners learn research-based literacy strategies. The participants study the work of leading experts and observe each other’s classes to identify effective approaches. Creating rubrics for reading and writing, the team shares their knowledge with their colleagues throughout the school and in local elementary schools.

NEW YORK

Sass Brown, New York
Professor of Fashion Design
The Fashion Institute of Technology
To teach her students about ethical entrepreneurship and its relation to community outreach, Ms. Brown travels to Brazil to study a women’s empowerment cooperative. Ms. Brown learns the cooperative’s model for using traditional handicraft skills by building committed relationships between native artisans and established fashion designers. From what she learns, she develops a curriculum that shows how fashion businesses can be built from community outreach and on ethics in design practices.

NORTH CAROLINA

Mary Lyons, Durham
1st & 2nd Grade Teacher
Burton Elementary School
Partners: Melinda Alford, Tracey Lockhart, Michelle Ward, Pam White
Ms. Lyons and her partners participate in a study group to learn, discuss, implement, and reflect on the Balanced Literacy Framework. At each session, participants learn about best practices in reading and writing. Study group members observe each other and develop strategies to improve instruction.

OREGON

Robert Bonner, Cornelius
3rd Grade Teacher
Cornelius Elementary School
Mr. Bonner travels to New Zealand to observe and learn best practices for reading instruction. After touring the country, he implements successful instructional approaches and develops strategies to assess reading skills.

PENNSYLVANIA

Linda Roeder, Wyncote
7th Grade Teacher
Cedarbrook Middle School
Partners: Tina Gorman, Dean Rosencranz, Traci Walter
Ms. Roeder leads a study group to explore adapting the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program to the district’s needs. Through the AVID model, the group learns strategies for increasing the achievement of their minority students. The team shares their learning with district officials and their colleagues in area schools.

Nancy Sadaly, Erie
Reading Specialist
East High School
Ms. Sadaly attends “It’s Never Too Late Literacy Institute” summer institute to learn research-based strategies to improve reading comprehension for secondary students. She uses this knowledge to revise the district’s language arts curriculum and lead her colleagues in implementing best practices in reading instruction.

Maria Yukelson, State College
7th Grade Learning Support Teacher
Park Forest Middle School
Working with students with learning disabilities, Ms. Yukelson attends the Schools Attuned training to better meet the varied learning needs of her students. She investigates cognitive functions and best practices for meeting different learning styles.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Francis Hardy, Spartanburg
10th to 12th Grade Teacher
Spartanburg High School
To help her students understand the cultural effects of black writers on American society, Dr. Hardy attends the National Black Arts Festival. She learns about black history, literature, and culture and acquires updated technology and literary resources for her classroom.

TENNESSEE

Sarah Pierce, Cookeville
9th to 12th Grade Teacher
Putnam County Adult High School
Partners: Kathy Howard, Robyn Nabors, Beverly Perry, Jimmie Webber
Ms. Pierce and her partners revise their U.S. history curriculum for their adult learners. Collaborating with the history specialist at the Tennessee Department of Education, the team analyzes state standards and develops a syllabus and teaching strategies for a U.S. history course. The group shares their work by publishing the curriculum online and through state and county publications and conferences.

TEXAS

Cheryl Craig, Houston
Associate Professor of Education
University of Houston
Dr. Craig travels to two conferences in England to present her research on the obstacles encountered in school-based reform, including reflections on how standardized testing has evoked contradictory reform methods for principals and teachers. At the conferences, she engages in discussions with other participations on how administrators can help teachers overcome obstacles and enhance student achievement.

WASHINGTON

Tom White, Lynnwood
3rd Grade Teacher
Lynnwood Intermediate School
Partners: Kelly Kerani, Al Lyon, Diane Nelson, Colleen Strenge
Mr. White and his partners form a lesson study group to improve classroom instruction. Group members meet weekly to design lessons that meet student needs and reflect on instruction. After developing each lesson, one teacher pilots it as other members videotape and critique the content and implementation.

WISCONSIN

Jayne Haenel, Stetsonville
3rd Grade Teacher
Stetsonville Elementary School
Partners: Melissa Gehrke, Greg Klapatauskas, Tammy Ott, Margo Swedlund
Focusing on Stephanie Harvey’s Nonfiction Matters, Ms. Haenel and her partners develop and use comprehension strategies with their classes. Study group participants survey strategies to help students think critically as they read for comprehension. After implementing these approaches, participants gather and analyze student data to inform their teaching.

Julie Verhagen, Burlington
9th to 12th Grade English Teacher
Burlington High School
Partners: Charles Flad, Thomas Gilding, Mark Hetzel, Mindy McTernan
Ms. Verghagen and her partners investigate research-based teaching strategies that engage at-risk students. Participants explore nontraditional prevention and intervention approaches, and implement student-centered instruction. Based on the success of their work, the intervention strategies will be implemented throughout the district.