Extraordinary Educators: Class of 2023
Extraordinary Educators
Join us in celebrating these Extraordinary Educators! Check out the information below to learn about these amazing educators and what they're doing to impact student learning.
What makes an Extraordinary Educator?
Curriculum Associates Extraordinary Educators in the teacher program:
- Have taught for at least two years
- Have experience using i-Ready® and/or Ready® in their classrooms
- Illustrate growth and achievement via formal assessment(s)
- Demonstrate classroom innovation and engagement practices for students
- Are evangelists for high standards and student achievement
- Are champions of strong outcomes for all students
Curriculum Associates Extraordinary Educators in the Extraordinary Educators Leadership Collaborative:
- Are principals in their first through third years in the role
- Have experience using i-Ready and/or Ready
- Illustrate growth and achievement via formal assessment(s)
- Demonstrate schoolwide innovation and engagement practices for students
- Are evangelists for high standards and student achievement
- Are champions of strong outcomes for all students
Class of 2023
Amanda Price, Teacher, Taylor Elementary School, TN
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Collaborative, Challenging, Safe
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data is the road map to successful instruction in my classroom. I use data to ensure that while I am meeting the needs of all students, I am also challenging the students who have already demonstrated mastery.
Amanda Staton, Reading Interventionalist, Dixon Elementary, MO
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Engaging, Accepting, Exciting
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction will drastically improve a student's success and achievement throughout their educational career. By guiding instruction and intervention around data collected, students will continue to grow and be successful.
Anna Katherine Adams, Teacher—Grade 5 English Language Arts, Singing River Academy, MS
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Innovative, Inclusive, Magical
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I make most of my data a competition between the classes. If one class is below another on one specific standard in our percentages, you bet they will make it their mission to master that skill just to show that other class who is boss!
Anthony Hamorsky, Teacher—Grade 5 Mathematics, Hawkins Elementary School, MS
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Accountable, Supportive, Driven
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
The data the students and I gain from i-Ready sets the pace at which we grow. It drives our instruction, small groups, and remediation.
Cassie Kelcher, Teacher—Grade 4, Riverbend Prep, AZ
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Inviting, Collaborative, Student Centered
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I believe data-driven instruction is a valuable tool for learning, but not the end-all-be-all. Data is useful when used along with standards, curriculum, and student interests. Data-driven instruction is used in my classroom daily along with those previously mentioned.
Charles Giannone, Teacher—Grade 2, Riley Avenue School, NY
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Safe, Respectful, Responsible
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Captain America once said, "I can do this all day!" Data collected from i-Ready Diagnostic can be used to responsively teach across the curriculum throughout the day.
Courtney Linker, Teacher, Melba Jr./Sr. High School, ID
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Respectful, Growth Minded, Safe
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
The data should drive the instruction! Although various factors may impact student performance, the data collected from comprehension checks, i-Ready Diagnostics, and other assessments will allow for more effective and efficient planning, as it provides specific feedback.
Cynthia Stevens, Teacher and Instructional Coach—Grade 4 Mathematics, Mifflin Park, PA
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Inviting, Engaging, Loving
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My motto on data-driven instruction comes from one of my favorite quotes . . . "Children are not things to be molded, but rather people to be unfolded." Data-driven instruction is important because children need different things, and data will show us what their needs are.
Emily Kahler, Teacher—Grade 4, Red Clay, DE
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Engaging, Inclusive, Supportive
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
"Testing is coming." I use this to motivate my students to focus on our end goal as I examine student exit tickets from i-Ready to check for standard alignment and mastery on a daily basis for my weekly data meetings.
Felecia Young, Teacher, Knox Middle School, NC
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Intentional, Authentic Learning
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data is the GPS for each child’s educational journey. It provides pit stops, U-turns, and detours to help them reach their final destination.
Hallie Ouellette, Teacher—Grade 6 Mathematics, Ellis School, NH
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Structured, Safe to Take Risks, Connected
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction is key—it provides students with more accurate and specific learning targets/standards to improve on based on formal assessments. Students are able to be placed in small groups where they can improve on learning targets/standards.
Heather Levine, Teacher, Green Sea Floyds High School, SC
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Encouraging, Inclusive, Collaborative
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction is key to helping the students become the best learners that they can be. Through analyzing the data, I can make informed decisions about what steps need to be taken to help improve my teaching.
Dr. Janie Brown, Teacher—Mathematics, Laurel Middle School, MS
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Motivating, Challenging, Engaging
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I perform data analysis to find gaps and necessary prerequisites so I can plan whole group instruction and then break it up into instructional groups. My Diagnostics, Standards Mastery, Comprehension Checks, and Lesson Quizzes are the foundation for my instructional groups.
Jasmine Lane, Teacher, James E. Plew Elementary School, FL
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Supportive, Loving, Disciplined
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I use my data to meet my students where they are and to plan around their needs. I review i-Ready's FL Benchmark tool to see how my students performed on each benchmark prior to teaching so I know how to pace my instruction.
Jeannette Milburn, Teacher—Grade 6 Mathematics, Braddock Middle School, MD
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Respect, Responsibility, Growth
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Making effective, informed decisions about my students and their learning is reliant upon formal and informal data throughout every moment in my classroom. i-Ready provides many snapshots of my students that allows me to make the best decisions for my students.
Jessica Peixoto, Teacher—Grade 4, Ellen R. Hathaway School, MA
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
High Expectations, Perseverance, Creativity
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
What I ensure in my classroom, is that students "understand" their learning. I want my students to have pride in what they do and what they learn. I set BOY, MOY, and EOY goals for all my Grade 4 students.
Jonathan Kryk, Teacher—Grade 5 English Language Arts, Challenger K–8, FL
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Collaborative, Reflective, Student Driven
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Our classroom motto is: “Progress! Not perfection!” I conference with my students prior to and after every i-Ready Diagnostic and growth check to analyze their GLOWS and GROWS, so they can create their own personal goals to catapult them into success!
Kevin Fineske, Teacher—Mathematics, Horizon Middle School, WA
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Caring, Consistent, Connections
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Using data to inform teaching and learning helps improve instruction by looking at information available for each student. The i-Ready Diagnostic is a great resource, especially when partnered with i-Ready Classroom Mathematics, as the Diagnostic automatically groups students by proficiency.
Laura Bryant, Dual-Language Teacher—Grade 3, Central Elementary, NM
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Fun, Loud, Inclusive
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
"Boom, bam, ready to learn!" Students track My Progress, log their usage time and track their Personalized Instruction lessons on a daily basis. This allows us to make informed decisions as a class on concepts, skills, abilities, strengths, and weakness.
Lendy Milo, Dual-Language Teacher—Grade 2, Oakwood Primary Center, NY
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Trust, Belonging, Self-Confidence
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Analyzing data and using it to modify instruction is just as important, or more important, than collecting data. Successfully using i-Ready and other data requires diving deep into the details of the skills of my students and examining and studying where they are struggling.
Monica Maxey, Special Educator—Grades K–2, Summersville Grade School, IL
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Acceptance, Positivity, Calm
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My motto on data-driven instruction is to never look at the areas of concern with a negative focus. That data is an opportunity to teach skills in a differentiated way to increase academic success.
Monique Ross, Teacher, San Lucas Elementary School, CA
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Hands-On, Rigorous, Student Driven
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I believe data is what gives teachers the necessary information to deliver appropriate instruction to each student. I often show my students the results of their data so we can discuss what needs to be done to see continuous progress.
Nicholas Alfred, Teacher, Lawn Avenue School, RI
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Humorous, Engaging, Supportive
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction ensures that everyone is learning what they need at a level that is appropriate to them. Having open communication with students about their data and setting goals helps keep them invested in their own learning.
Presley Seal, Teacher—Grade 1, Poplarville Lower Elementary, MS
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Engaging, Supportive, Exciting
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data is the core of effective instruction! I am able to use i-Ready Diagnostics, growth checks, individual student lessons, and other data to monitor student progress. With consistent data, I am able to successfully differentiate student instruction.
Raheem Robinson, Teacher—Mathematics, Whittemore Park Middle School, SC
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Relationship, Synergy, Purpose
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I believe that a person's teaching method/style should be based on data. Fortunately, i-Ready has given me plethora forms of data to receive insight concerning my students in the end results in students receiving personalized education.
Rita Chavira, Teacher, Desert View Elementary, NM
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Respect, Inclusion, Encouragement
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Collect, analyze, act! i-Ready is wonderful as it groups students based on need. I collect this information, analyze it, and act according to students' needs.
Samantha Monroe, Teacher—Grade 3, Brighton Avenue School, NJ
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Rigorous, but fun.
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I believe that students are much more successful and show a significant amount of growth when I am able to recognize and instruct students based on their individual levels and needs. Students are also given the responsibility to monitor their progress.
Sarah Barthel, Teacher—Grade 5, Beiger Elementary School, IN
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Engaging, High Expectations, Safe and Inclusive
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
It is very important that students have ownership of personal learning and growth by monitoring Teacher-Assigned Lessons, end-of-lesson quizzes, and Standards Mastery pre- and post-tests. We love viewing our growth reports! Students can see their scores and chart personal growth.
Steven Spoljaric, Teacher—Mathematics, Bayless Junior High, MO
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Mistakes are cool!
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
This is where you are now, this is what you have done, this is where you need to get to later. What are you going to do between now and later?
Taylor Wheatley, General Educator—Mathematics, Kirksville Elementary, KY
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Trust, Enthusiastic, Engaging
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction can be broken down into two parts: the initial data collection that shows where the students are initially or even where some students think they are/belong and the data that you, as the teacher, know that the students can reach or achieve.
Inspire Award
Kiana Pendleton, Principal, Laurel Magnet School of Arts, Stewart M. Jones Campus, MS
Kiana was selected as an exemplar of the strong bonds with school-based visionaries who take i‑Ready to its highest heights in their work.