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	Last updated 6.15.05

Student Achievement Grants: Winter 2007 Recipients

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CA GA IL IA KY ME MD MN MS NJ NY OR TN WA

CALIFORNIA

Shannon J. Gordon, Winnetka
1st to 3rd Grade Special Education Teacher
Sunny Brae Avenue Elementary School
Partner: Robert Schechter

To improve their at-risk students’ writing and comprehension skills, Ms. Gordon and Mr. Schechter implement their creative writing program, “An Author You Can’t Refuse.” Students develop realistic, comical narratives about their school experience and use improvisational performances to create a script for a public assembly. To inspire future students, participants record the writing process and edit the footage into a “reality” television show to be submitted to the local educational station.

Sherry Lanza, Lake Isabella
4th Grade Teacher
Woodrow W. Wallace School
Partners: Tammy Howard, Laura Lassen, Barbara Zimmerman

Through “Create a Master Piece,” Ms. Lanza and her partners integrate the development of language arts skills with the study of great master artists. Fourth grade students in two neighboring school districts research great master artists, study reproductions, and develop reports and oral presentations about the artists. Applying what they’ve learned about various art techniques and from their visit to the Getty Museum, students create a piece of art modeled on a master artist. At the culmination of the project, the students’ art work is presented in a show and judged by a local art association.

Sheryl Ryder, Vacaville
11th to 12th Grade Business and Economics Teacher
Vacaville High School
Partner: Debbie Garcia

With the support of community partners, Ms. Ryder-Burns and Ms. Garcia initiate Virtual Enterprise programs to help prepare their students for work in a real-world business environment. Students learn the daily operations required in running a business from developing a business plan and applying for a loan to creating advertisements and completing federal and state tax forms. At the culmination of the project, students summarize their business activity and present their report to a local business organization.

GEORGIA

Carol Sue Harless, Avondale Estates
9th to 10th Grade Media Specialist
DeKalb Early College Academy
Partner: Woodsen Plummer

Students at DeKalb Early College, an early college initiative for high-ability students who have not been successful in traditional high schools, participate in a documentary project to deepen understanding of literary works and historical background. After reading Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, students examine the force of racism in society and extract a theme from the novel to research. Students develop a storyboard based on their chosen theme and compile footage to create a documentary.

Nezetta C. Smith, College Park
8th Grade Science Teacher
North Clayton Middle School
Partner: Gerri Stringer

To improve students’ technology awareness and science knowledge, Ms. Smith and Ms. Stringer create a virtual science laboratory. Avoiding the prohibitive expenses and time consumption of a traditional laboratory, students are able to run their own virtual experiments. The virtual laboratory combines computational and experimental processes allowing students to use feedback from one to enhance the methodologies applied to the other.

ILLINOIS

Suzanne Law, Oak Forest
6th to 8th Grade Gifted Resource Teacher
Hille Middle School
Partner: Theo Poulos

Using the magic of movie making to motivate their sixth grade students to work beyond what is required simply for standardized testing, Ms. Law and Mr. Poulos expose students to classic literature with “Macbeth Is on my Bus.” Students read a translation of The Iliad, research mythology and history, write a summary of the story, and stage a performance of the story with puppets. Building on this experience, students read Shakespeare’s Macbeth and act out some of the important scenes from the play. The entire class contributes to create a movie production of the play through story boarding, costuming, prop building, acting, filming, and editing. Ms. Law and Mr. Poulos share the students’ movie with other teachers in the district.

Tanya Turner, Chicago
9th Grade Biology Teacher
Hancock College Preparatory High School
Partner: Cara Scavone

Students participating in Ms. Turner and Ms. Scavone’s “Little Hancock on the Prairie” project have the opportunity to work as researchers on an ecological study. Using a prairie environment created on their campus, the urban students identify and classify plants, animals, and insects found in the prairie. They also research and perform controlled experiments within the prairie manipulating variables such as pollutants, invasive species, and pollinators. Students compare species variations within the prairie to that of their local park, write an account of these reflections and of their experiments, and present their work with accompanying photography.

IOWA

Theodore Brightman, Jr., Des Moines
8th Grade Language Arts Teacher
Nathan Weeks Middle School
Partner: Angela C. Furtado

To provide students with the opportunity to address authentic audiences and improve their writing skills, Mr. Brightman and Ms. Furtado implement a project focused on community publishing. Students critically analyze professional publications to identify content and design conventions and work with college professors and business leaders to study language and audience needs and expectations. As part of the project, students respond to local publishing opportunities and present their original nonfiction and fiction writing pieces to a live audience of peer, parents, and community members at a culminating communications fair.

Marilyn Dysart, Marshalltown
7th Grade Language Arts Teacher
B. R. Miller Middle School
Partner: Linda Stephens

To increase their reading comprehension and technology skills, students in Ms. Dysart and Ms. Stephens’ language arts class engage in a multidisciplinary study of robotics. Students read Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot and examine literary allusion and the collection’s three laws of robots. Working with a scholar in residence, students study the theory and practice of robotics and learn to program biomorphic robots. At the culmination of their study, students compose an essay linking the laws of robotics with the world’s ethical systems.

KENTUCKY

Nicholas Brooks, Campton
7th Grade Science Teacher
Wolfe County Middle School
Partner: Mindy Coomer

With “How Things Fly,” Mr. Brooks and Ms. Coomer allow students to use their sense of adventure and discovery to understand the basic physics of flight. To begin to understand aerodynamics and aviation, students construct and test kites, hot air balloons, and rubber-band powered airplanes while recording and analyzing their experimental data. Exploring the four forces of flight and the necessity of equilibrium, students expand their study to balsa gliders. After students use simple straw rockets to learn about projectile motion, velocity, and trajectory angles, the project culminates with groups of students building and launching solid-fuel rockets.

MAINE

Leslie Boyce, Mt. Vernon
4th to 5th Grade Math and Science Teacher
Mt. Vernon Elementary School
Partner: Deborah Dubord

Ms. Boyce and Ms. Dubord implement “The Path to Learning Math” to enhance students’ geometry and measurement skills and to increase student collaboration and school pride. Applying mathematics standards and technology skills, students research and design a two hundred and ten foot path that extends from one end of their school building to the other. Students work with parent volunteers to construct the path and document their progress.

MARYLAND

Donetta Nice, Accident
9th to 12th Grade Business Teacher
Northern Garrett High School
Partner: Mark Kirchner

Ms. Nice and Mr. Kirchner’s students design and construct a solar powered charging station to learn the process and benefits of solar power and how it can be applied to AC power production related to residential wiring in their homes. Students learn about general layout, plan for location and equipment, and produce technical drawings, diagrams, and specifications. Gaining entrepreneurial exposure, students sell unused produced power from the station back to the local utility company.

MINNESOTA

Abigail A. Rombalski, Minneapolis
7th to 12th Grade English Teacher
Interdistrict Downtown School
Partner: Susan Peterson

Recognizing that middle school students especially need experiential education to improve academic achievement and build confidence, Ms. Rombalski and Ms. Peterson organize an interdisciplinary boat building project. Eighth grade students, under the training of Urban Boat Builders Inc., build two eleven-foot Mississippi skiffs modeled after the boats used by African Americans until the Great Migration. After construction, students create a project proposal to launch the boats, assess community needs, and find a permanent use for the boats that will benefit the community.

MISSISSIPPI

Jeanine Latonya Lark, Starkville
6th Grade Science and Social Studies Teacher
Henderson 6th Grade School
Partner: Susan Guyton

Motivated by a student interest survey, Ms. Lark and Ms. Guyton seek to improve mathematics and reading comprehension skills by teaching these unpopular subjects through science inquiries. Students plan and implement investigations, collect and interpret data, and write summaries and analyses of their work. Applying their new knowledge, students research a science topic of their choice, complete an experimental investigation, and present their findings to their peers.

NEW JERSEY

Michele Bonfante, New Brunswick
2nd Grade Teacher
The Academy Project at Lincoln Annex
Partner: Allison Karakowski

To encourage students to become lifelong readers and to develop writing skills, Ms. Bonfante and Ms. Karakowski present a book writing project for all first through third grade students in their school. After working on a class book and visiting with a published author, students apply their knowledge of the writing process to create an original book. The students’ work is professionally bound and published and presented to families at a Young Authors’ Tea celebration.

NEW YORK

Tracey Simmons, Bronx
4th Grade Teacher
Crotona Park West, Public School/ Middle School 4
Partner: Kathleen Frye

Ms. Simmons and Ms. Frye combine the study of mathematical concepts with literacy and technology to improve student achievement. Students study various mathematical concepts and create mathematics picture dictionaries that include digital photographs and drawings of the concepts they have studied. After investigating how the subject is used in the real-world, students work in cooperative groups to create a mathematics book for children.

OREGON

Darren Hunter, Salem
9th to 12th Grade Mathematics Teacher
The Community Schoolhouse
Partners: Ron Burkhart, Jeremy Kresner  

Students at The Community Schoolhouse, an alternative high school for students who have struggled in a traditional environment, learn to use video equipment to produce a student-driven film festival. To promote integrated learning, students master script writing, acting, computer skills, filmmaking technology, budgeting, and leadership. Groups of students produce original movies that showcase their individual talents and interests and are presented to the public in a film festival at a local movie theater.

Brigitte Danielle Jensen, Troutdale
10th to 12th Grade Biology Teacher
Reynolds High School
Partner: Kathy Blanchard

To explore scientific concepts and develop students’ critical thinking skills, Ms. Jensen and Ms. Blanchard create a forensic science unit. Students investigate the murder of a fictional teacher using physics, biology, and chemistry to determine the perpetrator. After researching background information, questioning suspects, designing and conducting experiments, and gathering data, students prepare a Power Point presentation detailing their investigation and theory of the crime.

TENNESSEE

Luajean Bryan, Cleveland
9th to 12th Grade Mathematics Teacher
Walker Valley High School
Partners: Jennifer Borden, Eric Swafford  

Recognizing that diverse classes are best served by multiple presentation modes, Ms. Bryan and her partners implement their project based learning program, “Math and Science from the Earth to the Sky.” Students investigate biology, physics, and calculus concepts from the earth to the sky and utilize technology to collect and analyze data. As a grand finale, students participate in real-world explorations to collect data in either an overnight cavern expedition or un-tethered hot air balloon flight. Using graphing calculators and digital photography, students build presentations of their finished work to show to parent groups and prospective students.

Jessica Holman, Knoxville
3rd Grade Teacher
Dogwood Elementary School
Partner: Kim McDaniel

Ms. Holman and Ms. McDaniel create an interdisciplinary, project-based, technology unit to improve their at-risk students’ academic achievement. After learning the components of a research project, students investigate Earth and atmospheric cycles and participate in hands-on demonstrations of the concepts. To present their learning, students create iMovies or Power Point presentations about their work. Students continue to develop technology skills through investigations of plants and animals and forces of motion.

Cedric Michael Jefferson, Memphis
5th Grade Teacher
Spring Hill Elementary School
Partner: Shaneka Shundrel Lopez

Through “Partners Achieving Immediate Reading Success (PAIRS),” Mr. Jefferson and Ms. Lopez increase students’ reading comprehension and fluency by providing the opportunity to discuss the reading experience with a peer. Fifth grade students learn to deliver simple lesson plans and activities and use these teaching strategies to create reading lessons and evaluations for their second grade partners. Developing fluency and vocabulary, partners work through a text together and periodically assess their own progress.

WASHINGTON

Becky Hendrickson, Spanaway
Kindergarten to 3rd Grade Special Education Teacher
Shining Mountain Elementary School
Partner: Sarah Gifford

Autistic students in Ms. Hendrickson and Ms. Gifford’s class increase their communication, technology, and social skills by working cooperatively to program a robot to perform assigned tasks. Groups integrated with students from a typical second grade classroom learn the parts of a robot and how to manipulate the location and gears using computer software. Students complete experiments with polarity, sensors, and switches and apply their knowledge to perform tasks with the robot.