Awards for teachers鈥攚e should probably give them out every day. We try to honor teachers and their exceptional contributions in as many ways as we can at 抖阴成人版app. That鈥檚 why our annual Science of Reading Star Awards is one of our biggest events of the year!
We鈥檙e currently accepting nominations through Jan. 31. Apply now!
This annual award program is a great opportunity for us to shine a spotlight on the classroom teachers, school administrators, and educators who are improving student literacy outcomes in schools and communities across the country鈥攍ike 2024 Changemaker Award winner Altramez Simone McQuaige. We hope her significant contributions inspire you in your work鈥攁nd inspire you to nominate a teacher for an award next year!
A leadership role: Experience and experimentation
Altramez Simone McQuaige has spent more than 30 years in education, so it鈥檚 probably safe to assume she knows what she鈥檚 doing. But she鈥檚 not afraid to embrace change, or even take risks. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 go into this profession to do the same thing every day,鈥� she says.
As supervisor of elementary reading and English language arts at Prince George’s County Public Schools, McQuaige took on the challenge of improving literacy instruction in her district by focusing on the .
Foundational skills: Noticing the problem
Several years ago, McQuaige and her team noticed a specific issue with foundational skills instruction, especially in first and second grades. 鈥淲e were seeing a population of students that we weren’t seeing progress with consistency,鈥� she says.
Under McQuaige鈥檚 leadership, a team of coaches, reading leaders, and administrators met to discuss how to improve their foundational skills instruction and student outcomes, asking themselves questions like: Should they shift their curriculum? Their classroom methods? Their entire literacy approach?
Then the pandemic hit.
Coming together: Exploring a new approach
Despite pandemic disruptions, McQuaige and her team convened and launched a cohort of 240 teachers, central office personnel, and reading leaders to learn more about the Science of Reading.
Openness to change was key. The cohort had to be willing to look at the latest research and see鈥攁s McQuaige puts it鈥� that 鈥渟ome of the practices that may have been used from yesteryear were not effective.鈥�
Their decision? Start to shift from a balanced literacy environment to a structured literacy approach involving explicit, systematic teaching of the elements of reading and a strong emphasis on phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies.
Varied stakeholders building energy for change
There was 鈥渆nergy around the shift,鈥� she recalls. The excitement coming from that large team of varied stakeholders helped build further buy-in鈥攁nd success.
鈥淲e wanted to ensure that our reading leaders and our central office personnel with ESOL teachers and special educators had an opportunity to engage in these conversations,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat led us to have teachers practice or pilot programs before we chose the best products to meet the needs of our teachers.鈥�
鈥淲e were building capacity across our district,鈥� she says, 鈥渁nd building leaders and allies to talk about why the shift is necessary, and what they noticed as they started to embed those practices in their instruction.鈥�
Professional development: Continued improvement and support
The result? The district successfully moved to a structured literacy approach in just three years, and improvements in student performance data demonstrate the effectiveness of the changes. 鈥淓ven those who were once reticent are seeing the shift in their students,鈥� McQuaige says of the teachers around her.
She also acknowledges the essential role of their partners: 鈥湺兑醭扇税鎍pp鈥檚 support was crucial as we shifted. We know that as you make the shift, it will never be one and done. The continuous learning across our district, using our 抖阴成人版app team, is invaluable.鈥�
But McQuaige knows that even if the shift in approach is technically complete, she鈥攍ike her students鈥攎ust always be learning. 鈥淟et’s follow the research,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 know research is always changing, and that means we’re always changing.鈥�
Here鈥檚 your nomination form!
Inspired? We鈥檙e looking for our shining 2025 Science of Reading leaders now! Visit our Star Awards page for information like our submission deadline, and nominate a teacher for an award today!
