BOSTON, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Global learning
company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) today announced the six
teachers that have been named recipients of the prestigious 2016
180 Educator Awards, which recognize teachers who have
encouraged struggling students to turn their lives around by
helping them develop reading and math skills.
The awards, now in their tenth year, honor educators who have
fast-tracked the progress of students enrolled in reading and math
intervention programs READ 180, MATH 180
and System 44. These solutions use adaptive
technology to personalize learning and raise reading and math
success for struggling students in grades 3-12, combined with an
ecosystem of support for educators to ensure that they have the
tools and resources necessary to accelerate this achievement.
"National Teacher Appreciation Week is an ideal time to cast a
spotlight on these extraordinary educators who have such a
significant impact on the lives of their students," said Margery
Mayer, EVP, Intervention Solutions Group at Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt. "Teachers are a driving force when it comes to improving
students' lives and we cannot do enough to celebrate and honor the
hard work they do every day. Teaching a child how to read or
develop math literacy can change a life in profound ways and we
thank all our educators for their constant dedication to their
students."
The six 180 Educator Award winners were selected using
data that demonstrates significant reading or math improvement
based on students' average Lexile™ or Quantile™ gains, as well as
colleague and student referrals. Each winner received an invitation
to attend the 2016 Model Schools Conference in Orlando, Florida in
June, where an awards ceremony will be held to recognize their
achievements. They will also be awarded with a classroom library of
HMH titles that are selected specifically for their students' ages
and reading levels.
The 2016 180 Educator Award winners are:
Cynthia Berg
McKinley Elementary School, Tulsa,
Oklahoma
Ms. Berg's average classroom Lexile™ growth is 128 points.
She sets high expectations of her students, which encourages them
to have high expectations of their own. Known as a "rock star
teacher" amongst her students, Ms. Berg's colleagues marvel at her
willingness to go above and beyond on multiple levels with both
students and other educators.
"I made teaching a career when I noticed the lives I was
influencing and that is when it became a calling," says Ms. Berg.
"The joy I experience every day as I watch what my students are
able to achieve is overwhelming."
Trenquilla Francis
Vista Del Lago High School, Moreno Valley, California
Every decision Ms. Francis makes has to do with finding ways to
help her students succeed and because of this her average classroom
Lexile™ growth is 263 points. Ms. Francis' colleagues admire her
"exceptional classroom management and powerful, loving, driving
force," while her students recognize her as a person who "expresses
empathy, enthusiasm, patience, humor and supportiveness."
"My students don't have the option to NOT believe in
themselves," says Ms. Francis. "For the past decade, I have told
every new student they are new members of my family and if they
ever struggled with reading, that will change. No one in my family
is going to fall through the cracks."
Julie Gallegos
Bernalillo County Juvenile and Youth Service Center,
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Ms. Gallegos is relentless in providing skill building programs
that have resulted in a 170 point average classroom Lexile™ growth
among her students in a juvenile detention center. Despite the
challenging nature of her work, Ms. Gallegos is a "passionate,
dedicated and talented reading teacher, who constantly celebrates
her students' success," according to her colleagues.
"One of the main goals I have for my students is to increase
their confidence in reading," said Ms. Gallegos. "I feel that it is
extremely important to teach the incarcerated student population
how to use technology that is found in a traditional school setting
and in the workplace so they can broaden their life opportunities
once they return to the community."
Olga Pacot
Citrus
Elementary School, Fontana,
California
Ms. Pacot is a distinguished educator who provides effective
instructional practices that has resulted in a 211 point average
classroom Lexile™ growth. Her colleagues describe her as "a teacher
who excels in all areas of the California Standards for the
Teaching Profession." They also admire her commitment to
provide the necessary scaffolding to ensure students experience
success with effective instructional practices such as Close
Reading.
"As a reading and intervention teacher, I am in a position to
give hope and inspiration to the students who have the greatest
academic challenges," she says. "I want to encourage my students to
believe in themselves and know that they can and will succeed in
life through literacy."
Eric St. Clair
Central Daughin School District, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Mr. St. Clair's goal is to show the growth of his students
through the use of MATH 180, which has resulted in a 179
point average class Quantile™ growth. Mr. St. Clair's colleagues
refer to him as an "innovative and caring" teacher and they admire
his commitment to his students and their overall success in and out
of the classroom. His students appreciate his ability to make them
feel confident and enjoy when he "high fives you as another act of
encouragement to push harder."
"I make it a point to build positive teacher/student
relationships every day," says Mr. St. Clair. "This program has
given me a new lease on education and has made me so much more
aware of each student's goals, deficiencies and dreams than ever
before in my career. It is humbling to have such a profound effect
on students who can now cherish their own successes."
Craig Topolski
Floyd Light Middle School, Portland, Oregon
As both a reading teacher and District Reading Coach, Mr.
Topolski has helped grow his classroom Lexile™ growth by an average
of 212 points. His earnest, open and appreciative demeanor provides
a welcoming classroom for his students, who say that Mr. Topolski "makes their day better and always
keeps it positive."
"My expectations are high for all of my students and I believe
in growth and achievement," says Mr. Topolski. "READ 180
facilitates growth that is quantitative and tangible both to me and
to all of my students. Students in my class 'buy in,' believe in
themselves and express pride in the gains they make."
About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (NASDAQ:HMHC) is a global
learning company dedicated to changing people's lives by fostering
passionate, curious learners. As a leading provider of pre-K–12
education content, services, and cutting-edge technology solutions
across a variety of media, HMH enables learning in a changing
landscape. HMH is uniquely positioned to create engaging and
effective educational content and experiences from early childhood
to beyond the classroom. HMH serves more than 50 million
students in over 150 countries worldwide, while its award-winning
children's books, novels, non-fiction, and reference titles are
enjoyed by readers throughout the world. For more information,
visit www.hmhco.com.
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Media Contact
Meghan Kelly Daly
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Meghan.Daly@hmhco.com
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