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 equity
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 equity
Extraordinary Educator Teacher Class of 2024
Lindsey Greer, Teacher
Phenix City Intermediate School, AL
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Compassionate, Rigorous, Safe
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I thrive on data! I use the Diagnostic data to form my groups and see what I need to work with individual students on. I use the Typical and Stretch goals to set goals with individuals and with the entire class to push students to be the best they can be.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Engaging, Safe, Differentiated
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I believe all students can learn math, and data tells me where to start. This is evident in my classroom when I analyze my students' progress toward learning targets, skills, and standards, and use the information to determine what to do next.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Inspiring, Inclusive, Innovative
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Implementing data-driven instruction is the means to fulfill my motto's promise: using the detailed data from i-Ready assessments, personal pathways, and Teacher-Assigned Lessons allows me to tailor instruction to meet students' individual needs and collaborate with my colleagues in fulfilling this mission.
Ana SanMarchi, Mathematics Intervention Specialist
Kenilworth Elementary, AZ
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Collaborative, Engaging, Growth Mindset
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My motto is that data-driven instruction is a roadmap for effective teaching and learning. I utilize i-Ready to deliver high-quality lessons, provide Personalized Instruction, and use the Diagnostic data to empower, guide, and enhance each student's educational journey.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Positive, Engaging, Nurturing
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction is essential in order for educators to meet our students where they are and then base our instruction on helping each of them continue to make growth on their academic journey. I use the i-Ready data provided by the Diagnostics to determine which students for each grade level come to me for intervention and also to create my small groups, and I use the Teacher Toolbox, next steps, and lesson paths while planning my lessons.
Da'Jhon Jett, Teacher
Augusta Lewis Troup School, CT
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Inclusion, Growth, Trust
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction provides the method to meet state expectations while effectively driving students' master learning, thus, allowing stakeholders with an objective point of reference for understanding the student's performance.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Flexible, Inclusive, Supportive
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
To me, data is a celebration of learning—it shows me what is working in my teaching, but more importantly, it motivates my students to take ownership of their learning. I utilize i-Ready to identify areas of strength and set individualized goals for where to support each student next. Data-driven instruction helps me target my teaching and move students forward, which helps them see and celebrate their growth in the next round of data.
Thamar Polynice, Grade 4 English Language Arts (ELA) Teacher
Walker Jones Education Campus, DC
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Warm, Student-Led/Driven, Innovative
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Using data from i-Ready, exit tickets, homework, etc. allows me to zoom in on the smaller individual needs of each student. I believe those small pushes are what makes a student truly thrive.
LaTanya Arias, Interventionist/ESOL Instructor/Title I Instructor
Kingsland Elementary School, GA
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Loving, Welcoming, Equitable
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My motto regarding data-driven instruction is that without it, I am striking at the wind and aimlessly teaching. Relying on i-Ready data and other data sources allows me to be successful, purposeful, and intentional in meeting the needs of each of my students.
Leigh Ann Norris, Grade 6 Mathematics Teacher
Hamilton County High School, FL
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Engaging, Energetic, Inclusive
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My data-driven instruction is my SUPER POWER! Be an i-Ready HERO! (i.e., High Expectations, Real Outcomes)
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Inclusive, Respectful, Collaborative
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My motto is to "empower education with informed insights" by using i-Ready data, FAST assessment data, progress monitoring tests, and informal assessment of students to decide what I am doing in the classroom. Data guides what I do daily in my differentiated small groups.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Rigorous, Engaging, Fun
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My motto on data-driven instruction is: "Every data point tells a story." I leverage a combination of data, including insights from i-Ready, and my personal experiences in building relationships with each student to determine the most effective path for helping them master grade-level standards.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Purposeful, Challenging, Positive
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data drives every instructional decision I make in my classroom. Prerequisites reports help me know where to begin instruction, and student performance on Teacher-Assigned Lessons and Comprehension Checks—combined with teacher observation—tell me how that instruction is going.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Positive, Engaged, Collaborative
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
If teachers want their students to make gains and progress, they must utilize data-driven instruction so that students are mastering skills and being prepared for future learning. i-Ready provides me with data that I use in my classroom to implement intervention and enrichment activities so that my learners continue to move forward in their learning process.
Nikki Torres, Grade 4 Mathematics Teacher
Valverda Elementary, LA
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Inclusivity, Collaboration, Respect
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Using baseline data to meet students at their individual needs to ensure they all have an equal opportunity to grow and meet or exceed their goal. I have my students particpate in the beginning-of-the-year Diagnostic during the first week of school. I then use the data based on the Instructional Groupings to meet with students and provide interventions in a small group setting in specific domains. When students are not working directly with me, they are instructed to complete i-Ready My Path lessons to further ensure the learning gaps are addressed.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Equitable, Mattering, Anti-racist
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Information is data, and my students are well informed. Data conferences and family follow-ups mean stakeholders have the information necessary to grow exponentially.
Rebecca Brenneman, Grade 7 Mathematics Teacher/Mathematics Department Chair
Northern Middle, MD
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Engaging, Rigorous, High-Achieving
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
The numbers don't lie . . . well, most of the time, their truths can guide instruction and increase achievement. Through the use of standardized test scores, i-Ready lessons, and frequent informal assessments, adjustments in placement and adaptation of instruction can occur.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Growth Is Goals
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data should inform instruction in order to provide students with additional support as needed, but all instruction should be based on the grade-level instructional standards established by the state. It is my responsibility to combine what students need with instruction using the data.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Fun, Purposeful, Energetic
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
If you know what the problem is, you can fix it. i-Ready Diagnostics help us identify problems within the classroom. As a teacher, I use this data to accelerate some groups and remediate others. Other data points and reports throughout the year, like Standards Mastery, help guide my direction for my scholars' needs.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Accountability, Engagement, Comradery
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Using my baseline data from the i-Ready Diagnostic test, I create a smart goal, remediate, and use progress monitoring. Then, I target certain interventions using the Teacher Toolbox or activities from Magnetic Reading depending upon what my student needs.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Creative, Challenging, Collaborative
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Effective instruction is not about how well I taught it, but how well my students learned it, and data shows me whether or not the students grasped the concepts I’ve taught. I begin by using Diagnostic and state assessment data and constantly use the data from students' i-Ready learning paths, independent practices, and standards masteries to inform how I need to proceed with my instruction throughout the year.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Welcoming, Inclusive/Diverse, Safe
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
In order to address a wide range of skills and abilities in my classroom, I utilize the prerequisite skills to determine student groupings. I also depend on the Teacher Toolbox for math instruction and to fill achievement gaps in Tier 2 and Tier 3 small groups. Students' i-Ready lessons (i.e., their path) and assigned quizzes allow me to collect data and further inform my instruction.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Safe, Authentic, Joyful
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I use data daily to inform my whole group and small group instruction. Teaching requires a lot of reflection and planning. With daily exit tickets, I am able to gauge where each of my students is on their learning plan, and figure out what I can do to boost them to where they need to be.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Safe, Respectful, Firm/Fun/Fair (That counts as one word!)
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My motto on data-driven instruction is: "It works if you work it!" Data from i-Ready is something that is ingrained in my daily teaching as well as my students' daily learning.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Supportive, Engaging, Structured
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction is very important, and it guides my instruction. I use i-Ready along with other researched-based assessments to prepare my lessons to meet the needs of my students.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Energizing, Rigorous, Empowering
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My daily instruction is data informed, driven by my district’s mission and vision. i-Ready provides me with robust tools to collect data and monitor student progress to maximize achievement for each individual student.
Matthew Weimann, Gifted Support Teacher
Willow Lane Elementary, PA
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Challenging, Grit Producing, Thought Provoking
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data is the GPS of teaching. Without it, one is lost, or instruction is a joyride. Domain 1 of Danielson's Framework for Teaching has Knowledge (data) of Students, right after Knowledge of Content, as one of the very first things to consider when teaching.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Collaborative, Inclusive, Dynamic
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My motto is: "Inform, adapt, excel: guiding learning with data." Data-driven instruction allows us to use measurable student data to inform and adjust teaching strategies and target and adapt the learning environment to be conducive for the students to excel.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Inclusive, Welcoming, Community
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I use data to drive whole group and small group instruction, highlight student achievement, and give my students ownership and authority over their own learning. My students, even at 5 years old, have shown tremendous growth when given the opportunity to take an active role in their learning.
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Inviting, Fun, Engaging
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
From data to destiny: guiding learning adventures
Lisa Concepcion-Elm, Mathematics Specialist
West Hills STEM Academy, WA
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Inclusive, Positive, Fun
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I use the i-Ready data and daily class work and conversations to drive my instruction. My students know what they can do and what they need more help with. Weekly data chats and immediate feedback allow my students to stay focused and to work hard toward their goals.
Emily Castelli, Grade 2 Teacher
Salem Elementary, WV
Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Welcoming, Inclusive, Participatory (everyone is always participating)!
Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
To be an effective educator, data-driven instruction is paramount to making good decisions regarding education and intervention in the classroom. I use i-Ready data to plan small group intervention lessons to assist students with essential skills they may need extra support to become proficient. I also do monthly growth monitoring, which allows me to see if I need to change my approach in class.