21st Century Schools of Distinction Award
The Intel Foundation, Scholastic Inc., and the Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Foundation recently honored 20 schools with 21st Century Schools of Distinction Awards.
The national awards recognize K-12 schools with innovative best practices that support student success. Two schools were selected as the best of the best in the country and each received a $25,000 award from the Intel Foundation.
The remaining 18 schools each received a $10,000 award, software, hardware, professional development resources, and curriculum materials. The programs designed by these schools were also made available on the Blue Ribbon Schools Web site.
The winners are listed below by state.
Best of the Best: Houston County High School, Warner Robins, Ga., and MacArthur High School, Irving, Texas.
California: Abraham Lincoln High School, San Jose; Cornerstone at Pedregal Elementary School, Rancho Palos Verdes; Sherman Oaks Community Charter School, San Jose; Whitney High School, Cerritos.
Florida: Kendale Elementary School, Miami.
Kansas: Edith Scheuerman Elementary School, Garden City.
Kentucky: Summit Elementary School, Ashland.
Massachusetts: Arthur A. Coolidge Middle School, Reading.
New York: KIPP Academy Charter School, Bronx; Townsend Harris High School, Flushing.
Ohio: Beachwood Middle School, Beachwood; New Albany High School, New Albany.
Oklahoma: Deer Creek Prairie Valley Elementary School, Edmond.
South Carolina: Irmo Elementary School, Irmo.
Tennessee: Greenville Middle School, Greenville.
Texas: Bishop Dunne Catholic School, Dallas; Walnut Hill Elementary School, Dallas.
Washington: Talbot Hill Elementary School, Renton.
2004 Excellence in Education Awards
The Wright Group/McGraw-Hill honored six school districts with the annual Excellence in Education Awards. The awards recognize schools that excel in teaching students mathematics.
The winners, listed below alphabetically, were honored during the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference.
Anchorage School District, Anchorage, Alaska; Ann Arbor Public Schools, Ann Arbor, Mich.; Geary County Unified School District, Junction City, Kan.; Montgomery County Schools, Christianburg, Va.; Nashua School District, Nashua, N.H.; Temple Independent School District, Temple, Texas.
Lifetime Achievement Award in Mathematics
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has honored two educators for their dedication and service to the improvement of mathematics teaching. At the organization’s annual conference, Glenda T. Lappan, the chairwoman of the Mathematical Sciences Education Board, and Thomas P. Carpenter, an education researcher and professor at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, were awarded 2004 Lifetime Achievement Awards for Distinguished Service to Mathematics Education.
2004 ISTE Technology Awards
The International Society for Technology in Education has recognized several educators and a school district for their commitment to technology education.
The nonprofit organization honored Linda Sprague, who teaches at Whit Davis Elementary School in Athens, Ga., with its 2004 Kay L. Bitter Award for Excellence in Technology-Based Pre-Kindergarten Education. Ms. Sprague received a $500 award.
Bill Simpson, the director of staff development services at the San Diego County Office of Education, and Deborah Singer, a teacher at the Design and Architecture Senior High School in Miami, Fla., received the 2004 Affiliate Awards for Outstanding Leader and Outstanding Teacher, respectively. Each received a $1,000 award to travel to the National Educational Computing Conference in New Orleans.
The Irving Independent School District in Irving, Texas received the organization’s inaugural Sylvia Charp District Award. The award recognizes the effective application of technology across a district.
SRA/McGraw-Hill Reading Awards
SRA/McGraw-Hill, a New York City-based provider of research-based educational programs for elementary education and professional development, honored three schools and two districts with Pride of SRA Academic Recognition Awards. The awards are given to schools and districts that maintain high reading test scores or consistently improve student-reading skills with the use of SRA reading curriculum.
The winners are listed below alphabetically.
Detroit Public Schools, Detroit; East Side Charter School, Wilmington, Del.; Lincoln Elementary School, Toppenish, Wash.; Mill Creek Elementary School, Louisville, Ky.; West Contra Costa Unified School District, Richmond, Calif.
2004 National Teachers Hall of Fame
The National Teachers Hall of Fame has inducted five teachers for 2004. The Emporia, Kansas-based organization recognizes teachers annually for their dedication and commitment to improving teaching practices.
Each inductee receives a signet ring, a $1,000 scholarship for a student at his or her school, $1,000 in education materials, a permanent plaque at the teacher hall of fame, and an individual award plaque.
The inductees are listed below alphabetically.
Melaine E. Hocking, Indian Creek High School, Wintersville, Ohio; Barbara B. Kelley, Vine Street Elementary, Bangor, Maine; Jane Koszoru, The College Academy at Broward Community College, Davie, Fla.; John Sullivan, Barnstable High School, Hyannis, Mass.; George Wolfe, Wilson Magnet High School, Rochester, N.Y.
2004 School Counseling Awards
The American School Counselors Association, based in Alexandria, Va., has honored eight school counselors with Professional Recognition Awards. The awards recognize school counseling professionals who strive to help students succeed by creating counseling programs, improving existing counseling methods, and using new ideas to improve school safety, student mental health, and violence and suicide prevention.
The winners are listed below by category.
Elementary School Counselor of the Year: Michael Brian Law, J.M. Odom Elementary School, Moultrie, Ga.
Middle/Jr. High School Counselor of the Year: Gina Vines, J.E. Richards Middle School, Lawrenceville, Ga.
Secondary School Counselor of the Year: Judy Brick-Arney, Springdale High School, Springdale, Ark.
Multilevel School Counselor of the Year: Maxine M. Beckwith, Hazen Public School, Hazen, N.D.
Counselor Educator of the Year: Patrick Akos, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Supervisor of the Year: Kathleen C. “Kae” Kindle, Henrico Public Schools, Richmond, Va.
Advocate of the Year: Janice Mitich, Marana Unified School District, Governing Board, Marana, Ariz.
Legislator of the Year: Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
Violence Prevention Award
The Reston, Va.-based Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America, Inc. honored Rutledge High School in Rutledge, Tenn., with its 2004 Stop the Violence National Award. The award recognizes FCCLA chapters with programs that help empower young people and prevent violence. The national winner received a $1,000 award. South Division High School in Milwaukee was honored as the national-runner up and received a $500 award.
Other Honors and Awards
The American Educational Research Association has honored Kris D. Gutierrez with the 2004 Sylvia Scibner Award. Ms. Gutierrez, a professor and researcher at the University of California in Los Angeles, was honored for her influential research in learning and instruction.
SASinschool, a provider of Web-based instructional software based in Cary, N.C., recently honored JoAnne Blanks with its Creative Teacher Award. The award recognizes secondary school teachers for creative teaching methods that use technology. Ms. Blanks, an American History Teacher at Pearson High School in Roxboro, N.C., will receive a $500 cash award.
Class.com, a private company based in Lincoln, Neb. that distributes Internet-based secondary school courses, honored Martha Bruckner, the president of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, with its Distinguished Educator Award. Ms. Bruckner, who also serves as the associate superintendent for educational services in the Millard Public Schools, located in Omaha, Neb., was recognized for her leadership skills and service to education.
The Bedford, Maine-based National Center for Learning Disabilities awarded Muskegon High School in Muskegon, Mich., with its Carrie and Pete Rozelle Award. The award honors school or school-related programs that offer students with learning disabilities educational, social, and emotional support. The school received a $5,000 cash award and learning software from Kurzweil Educational Systems.
Junior Achievement, an Alexandria, Va.-based youth education organization that offers in-school and after-school programs, named Anna Ruth Vanlandingham—an economics teacher at Lake Mary High School in Orlando, Fla.—its 2004 National Teacher of the Year. Ms. Vanlandingham received a $2,000 prize.
Kelly Educational Staffing, a national staffing service provider and division of Kelly Services, a Fortune 500 company based in Troy, Mich., honored Margo Magnussen as its 2004 National Substitute Teacher of the Year. Ms. Magnussen serves as a substitute teacher at the Bemidji Independent School District in Bemidji, Mich.
, a 5th grade teacher at Bennett Elementary School in Fargo, N.D., has received the Creative 5 A Day Teacher of the Year Award from Dole Food Company. The national award recognizes Ms. Wacha for her efforts to promote healthy childhood nutrition by encouraging her students to eat more fruits and vegetables, and implementing a health-oriented curriculum.
