COLORADO

Nadia Coleman, Lakewood
7th to 8th Grade Social Studies Teacher
Jefferson County Open School

To increase her Spanish language fluency and gain insight into Latin culture, Ms. Coleman attends the Institute of Modern Spanish in Merida, Mexico. As part of the institute, Ms. Coleman attends language classes for teachers, participates in a practicum at a local school, and spends six weeks living with a local host family. She shares her experience with students and teachers by developing an immigration curriculum for her school and making the curriculum available online for other teachers.

FLORIDA

Bridgette Nicole Allen, Tallahassee
7th to 8th Grade Social Studies Teacher
Fort Braden School
Grant Amount: $2,000

Ms. Allen participates in a three-week seminar on the Holocaust and Jewish resistance to genocide, through which she and other U.S. secondary school teachers are learning about the effects of prejudice, stereotyping, and racism. The seminar also explores ways to encourage tolerance, respect diversity, and protect democratic values and institutions. She plans to share what she learns by conducting workshops for other teachers in her district and developing teaching materials for colleagues.

HAWAII

James M. Henry, Honolulu
Associate English Professor
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Partner: Cristina Bacchilega

Dr. Henry and Dr. Bacchilega are transforming a tutoring effort into a mentoring program to help students with low English placement test scores to improve their writing. Upper class and graduate mentors will help their protégés understand how writing for college studies differs from writing in high school, the expectations of college faculty, and how to write for a variety of academic disciplines. By equipping the mentors to help students understand the “college culture” as well as the mechanics of composition, Dr. Henry and Dr. Bacchilega hope to improve the retention rate of at-risk freshmen.

ILLINOIS

Elizabeth Winfrey Freeburg, Carbondale
Associate Professor
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Partner: Sally E. Arnett-Campbell

Working with local high school teachers, Dr. Freeburg and Ms. Arnett-Campbell engage in research to identify resources and develop units of instruction that integrate core academics within the Family and Consumer Science (FCS) curriculum and strengthen the FCS teachers’ role in career development. Information acquired during the study is disseminated through a website, personal visits to selected high schools, and a presentation at an FCS conference.

INDIANA

Ruth Metcalfe, Goshen
Kindergarten to 2nd Grade Literacy Coach
Prairie View Elementary School
Partner: Carrie Garber

Ms. Metcalfe and Ms. Garber establish a literacy study group for novice teachers to become familiar with research on effective literacy practices recommended by the National Reading Panel. Guided by literacy coaches, study group members examine research on topics such as working with English Language Learners, using data to improve classroom instruction, and teaching struggling writers.

MISSISSIPPI

Lillian H. Hill, Hattiesburg
Assistant Professor of Adult Education
University of Southern Mississippi
Partner: Kyna Shelley

Dr. Hill and Dr. Shelley are studying what should be included in a professional seminar series for graduate students preparing to become school leaders and higher education faculty. They use their research to develop and assess the effectiveness of three professional seminars designed to recruit, retain, and increase the research productivity of minority and women students. The seminars address several issues in-depth, including how to maximize the graduate school experience, prepare an effective job application package, and develop collegial relationships.  

MISSOURI

Laurel Maslowski, North Kansas City
9th to 11th Grade U.S. History Teacher
North Kansas City High School

Ms. Maslowski spends two months teaching in a secondary school in Moshi, Tanzania to model best practices for teachers there. To provide content on African decolonization for her own school’s curriculum, Ms. Maslowski gathers materials and interviews community members about Tanzania’s recent independence movement. She shares her experience through classroom lectures, assemblies, staff development events, national conventions, and district press.

Judith Webb, Independence
6th to 8th Grade Coordinator of At Risk Services
Bingham Middle School
Partner: Kaori Meckel

Teachers and education support professionals participate in study groups to learn how to better support students at risk of dropping out of school. Ms. Webb, Ms. Meckel, and their colleagues study how to build stronger personal relationships with students within small learning communities. The study groups also discuss professional texts, mentor each other, and share information from conferences to develop specific intervention strategies that meet the academic and social needs of their middle school students.

NEW YORK

George Hurlburt, Corning
Associate Professor of Mathematics
Corning Community College

Mr. Hurlburt attends the Texas Instruments (TI) Teacher Leader Cadre session to learn to use the TI-Navigator System. Using this system to monitor student use of graphing calculators, he hopes to improve student skills in integrating technology into the mathematics laboratory projects. Professor Hurlburt shares his knowledge through training workshops for colleagues.

NORTH DAKOTA

Brenda Hall, Fargo
Associate Professor of Counseling
North Dakota State University
Partner: Lori DeRemer

To gather information on existing models, develop evaluation tools, and modify the counseling curriculum, Dr. Hall, Ms. DeRemer, and their colleagues study effective ninth grade academy models focusing on the learning and personal development of ninth grade students. The team visits established academy programs, conducts focus groups with students and school personnel, consults with the North Dakota School Counselor Association, and reviews ninth grade student data and records. They share outcomes of the study through West Fargo school district workshops and at state and national conferences.

Linda L. Maize, Beulah
1st Grade Teacher
Beulah Public Schools
Partner: Amy Benz

Ms. Maize, Ms. Benz, and their colleagues study strategies for structuring collaborative groups to maximize student achievement. After a district presentation on professional collaboration, the faculty engages in a year-long book study to find the best ways for teachers to share their expertise with one another.

OHIO

Amy Sue Miller, Westerville
Intervention Assistance Facilitator
Westerville City Schools
Partner: Brett Gambill

Using Understanding By Design, Ms. Miller and Mr. Gambill form a study group with colleagues in three elementary schools to improve their understanding of how to design effective science lessons. The study group combines an initial workshop with quarterly seminars, lesson modeling, and teacher observations. Cadres in each school support the on-going collegial professional development and implementation of the Understanding By Design instructional approach.

OREGON

Russell W. Sanders, Molalla
6th to 8th Grade Mathematics Teacher
Molalla River Middle School
Partner: Nic Gilbertson

To improve the achievement of their middle school students, Mr. Sanders and Mr. Gilbertson work with colleagues to develop a common understanding of effective pedagogy, integrate technology tools, and improve student discourse. The team uses a combination of case studies on effective mathematics instruction and analysis of student work to accomplish their goal.

PENNSYLVANIA

Amy Lynn Simpson, Sharon
Kindergarten to 6th Grade Literacy Coach
C.M. Musser Elementary School
Partner: Barbara Pisarcik

Ms. Simpson and Ms. Pisarcik organize a collegial study group to learn how to lead more efficient writing workshops and increase student achievement. The group meets twice a month to examine resources and apply their learning in mini-lessons with students. Teachers share their study group experience with colleagues by leading district-wide grade level meetings on writing workshops.

TEXAS

Mark Noe, Edinburg
Assistant Professor of Writing and Rhetoric
The University of Texas — Pan American
Partner: Robert J. Affeldt

A faculty study group at The University of Texas — Pan American conducts a literature review of research in Latino rhetoric, discourse, and composition to ascertain if there are recognizable attributes identified as Latino rhetorical practices and to formulate a preliminary pedagogical response that would enhance Latino student retention. The group develops a best practices model for meeting the needs of Latino students writing at the college level and incorporates their findings into strategies for improving the syllabus and writing assignment design in freshman composition courses and across the curriculum.

VERMONT

Eli S. Rosenberg, Montpelier
7th to 8th Grade Science Teacher
Main Street Middle School
Partner: Andrew Scott

Mr. Rosenberg and Mr. Scott establish a collaborative study group focused on using instructional technology to improve student achievement in science. The group generates student data from learning activities using wireless audience response systems and electronic whiteboards and uses this data to adapt their teaching methods and learning materials to better meet pupils’ needs. They share their learning with district curriculum coordinators and educational leaders and present their findings at a state technology conference.

VIRGINIA

Nancy L. Deutsch, Charlottesville
Assistant Professor
University of Virginia,Curry School of Education
Partner: Andrea Jennifer de Forest

Assistant professors at University of Virginia, including a clinical psychologist, qualitative methodologist, and historian, form a study group to improve instruction in graduate-level courses in education by adding multidisciplinary elements to their coursework. Through this study group, participants learn how to bring historical context and a framework of educational equity to their course content and pedagogy. During the summer, they observe each other’s instruction, analyze syllabi, study research, and revise courses. The study group shares their experiences and results with other faculty.

WASHINGTON

Karen Buchanan, Moxee
3rd Grade Dual Language Teacher
Moxee Elementary School
Partner: Lin Lasater

Ms. Buchanan and Ms. Lasater meet weekly with representatives from each grade level to study ways to improve student achievement in mathematics. They plan inquiry-based lessons, observe each other’s teaching, analyze student work, develop rubrics based on state standards, and develop ways to refine student discourse about mathematics. They assess student achievement frequently to adjust the content of their professional study.

WISCONSIN

Amy Faith Hinrichs, Marinette
9th to 12th Grade Language Arts Teacher
Marinette High School
Partner: Karen Sporrer

The Marinette High School English Department explores the intricacies of the 6+1 Trait writing model by reading, studying videotapes, consulting an expert, discussing strategies, and brainstorming lessons in order to deepen their knowledge and create workable rubrics for high school students. The study group develops a consistent assessment system to help improve students’ writing skills.

Felicia Saffold, Milwaukee
Assistant Professor of Urban Education
University of Wisconsin — Milwaukee
Partner: Jennifer Mueller

Dr. Saffold and Dr. Mueller lead a group of faculty from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in an examination of how race, socio-economic status, gender, and sexuality affect their teacher preparation courses. By putting these issues on the table, Dr. Saffold and Dr. Mueller hope to learn how to improve the cultural competence of their mostly Caucasian, female preservice students in anticipation of teaching assignments with diverse student populations.