BOSTON, May 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Global learning
company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) today announced the 15
winners of the national 2016 180 Student Awards, which
recognize students who have made tremendous gains in their reading
and math achievement using READ 180, MATH 180
and System 44, intervention programs that use
adaptive technology to personalize instruction for students and
accelerate growth. Each of this year's winners has excelled in
their respective programs, overcoming significant obstacles to
attain reading and math proficiency and turning their academic
careers around.
"Our winners range in age, background and location, but they
share many of the challenges faced by students across the country
when it comes to achieving academic success," said Margery Mayer,
EVP, Intervention Solutions at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. "Their
determination to succeed in the face of often overwhelming
obstacles – what researchers call 'grit' – and the support and
dedication of their teachers serve as great models as we look to
help our students learn, grow, and take on new challenges both in
and beyond the classroom."
The 180 Student Award winners were selected based on
teacher recommendations, student statements and data demonstrating
reading or math growth according to Lexile™ or Quantile™ frameworks
respectively, validated measures used across the country to measure
student progress. Each winner will each receive a $1,000 prize to be used towards furthering her or
his education, while the student's school district will receive
$1,000 worth of HMH
educational materials for use in classrooms.
The 2016 180 Student Award winners are:
For READ 180:
- Jocelyn Contreras, Grade 4,
Age 11, LaBelle Elementary School, Marietta, Georgia
- Jocelyn is the oldest of five children and lives in a home
where English is not spoken. Despite this challenge, Jocelyn has
grown her English language skills, increasing her Lexile scores by
616 points. According to her teacher, she "never gives up" and
wants to go to college to become a doctor.
- Alexie Evan, Grade 7, Age 13,
Rocky Mountain School, Goodnews Bay,
Alaska
- Alexie suffered from hearing difficulties that delayed his
language skills and required surgery to resolve. He lives in a
remote village and has overcome significant challenges to achieve
Lexile growth of 388 points. He has independently read over 2
million words this school year alone.
- Carlos Gallegos, Grade 9, Age
15, Mission Achievement and Success Charter School, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Carlos faced inherent struggles as an English-language student
who also had a learning disability, but his determination and
positive attitude has resulted in incredible academic gains with
Lexile growth of 966 points, as well as a newfound love of art and
music.
- Kaylynn Jones, Grade 6, Age
11, Temperance-Kutner Elementary School, Fresno, Calif.
- Kaylynn has managed to completely exceed her predicted growth,
increasing her Lexile scores by 342 points. Referred to as a
"success story" by her teachers, Kaylynn's newfound academic
success has enabled her to become an active leader on campus; she
is now a part of the student government, choir and numerous sports
teams.
- Borum Long, Grade 12, Age 18,
Grace M. Davis High School,
Modesto, Calif.
- After enduring great hardship as a result of the Cambodian
Civil War, Borum enrolled at the Davis High School Language
Institute in 2012 as the only native Khmer speaker. Since then, he
has achieved incredible linguistic and academic success, using
READ 180 to help increase his Lexile scores by 730 points
and gain a 3.91 GPA, giving him a bridge to college. He has
recently been accepted to three universities.
- Zackary Mills, Grade 10, Age
16, West Feliciana High School, St.
Francisville, Louisiana
- According to Zachary's
teachers, the READ 180 program has given him a great deal of
confidence that has boosted his academic abilities in and out of
the classroom. His mindset toward reading has completely shifted
and as a result, he has increased his Lexile scores by 505
points.
- Julio Sanchez, Grade 8, Age
13, Wilson Middle School, Wakima,
Wash.
- When Julio began the READ 180 program, he had one of the
lowest Lexile scores in the class. Over time, his scores continued
to increase, resulting in a 697 point Lexile growth. Julio has
inspired his own family to become passionate readers and is also an
ongoing source of inspiration among his classmates due to his
determination to overcome academic challenges.
- Laura Uccellini, Grade 8, Age
14, William Davies Middle School,
Mays Landing, NJ
- Laura's confidence has grown with each Lexile gain, and
overall, her scores have increased by an outstanding 913 points. As
a result of Laura's willingness to work hard and growing
confidence, she has been accepted into the local high school's
magnet program.
- Kaleb Watson, Grade 4, Age
10, Summit View Academy, Independence,
Kentucky
- Kaleb's teachers believe that the confidence that he has gained
from being in the READ 180 classroom is going to continue to
help him grow as a reader and a lifelong learner. Armed with his
new reading fluency, vocabulary and comprehension, Kaleb is also
happy to pay it forward by helping his little sister learn to read.
Kaleb has increased his Lexile score by 301 points.
For MATH 180:
- Mikaela Delgado, Grade 8, Age
13, Roosevelt Junior High, Modesto,
Calif.
- Mikaela has historically struggled with math but in the past
year, she has increased her Quantile score by 360 points. Her hard
work has led to a growing ability to solve complex math problems
and her teachers describe her as the epitome of a growth mindset
and someone who supports and encourages her classmates in every
way.
- Gadge Lum, Grade 7, Age 13,
Gillette Road Middle School, Cicero, New
York
- Gadge has faced many obstacles that make school difficult for
him but always comes to class with a smile. His perseverance has
resulted in his increasing his Quantile scores by 580 points using
MATH 180, helping him gain the confidence to realize that he
has the ability to make his academic dreams come true.
- Dennise Sieh, Grade 8, Age
13, Discovery Middle School, Fargo, North
Dakota
- Dennise emigrated with her family from Liberia and has overcome many personal
difficulties, including the tragic death of her father. She has
worked hard to catch up to grade level and has increased her
Quantile score by 350 points.
For System 44:
- Brianna Boodman, Grade 5, Age
11, Cole Canyon Elementary School, Murrieta, Calif.
- Brianna used to say she "can't read" but today she says she
"can read." Her family and teachers have been inspired by watching
her confidence blossom along with her reading skills. She has
increased her Lexile score by 573 points.
- Kalia Lee, Grade 5, Age 11,
Temperance-Kutner Elementary School, Fresno, Calif.
- Kalia is soft spoken but there is "a powerful amount of
strength behind her quiet exterior." An English Language Learner,
Kalia has increased her Lexile score by 355 points. She continues
to demonstrate focus, perseverance and hard work both in and out of
the classroom, where she stays on top of her school work while also
helping to care for her four younger siblings.
- Jaeden Rivera, Grade 6, Age
12,Carteret Middle School, Carteret,
NJ
- Jaeden has approached his reading challenges with a positive
and upbeat attitude. His confidence has increased and he shares his
success, becoming the "go-to guy" among his peers when it comes to
reading help. Jaeden has increased his Lexile score by 210
points.
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.
Follow HMH on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Media Contact
Meghan Kelly
Daly
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Meghan.Daly@hmhco.com
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