2 Arkansans given presidential awards
Jennifer Richardson, a science teacher in Greenbrier, and Christi Snow, a math teacher in Springdale, are among 102 teachers across the country to be named recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
The educators will receive their awards at a Washington, D.C., event in the coming year.
The award winners are selected annually by a panel of scientists, mathematicians and educators after an initial selection process at the state level. Each year, the award alternates between educators teaching kindergarten through sixth grades and those teaching seventh through 12th grades. The latest award winners are teachers for kindergarten through sixth grades.
Winners of the presidential honor will receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation to be used at their discretion. They also are invited to Washington, D.C., for an awards ceremony and several days of educational and celebratory events, including visits with members of Congress and the Obama administration.
“These teachers are inspiring today’s young students to become the next generation of American scientists, mathematicians, and innovators,” President Barack Obama said in a statement. “Through their passion and dedication, and by sharing their excitement about science, technology, engineering, and math, they are helping us build a promising future for all our children.”
4 school districts on exam honor roll
Four Arkansas school districts were recently named to the fourth annual Advanced Placement District Honor Roll by the College Board, a nonprofit organization that produces the Advanced Placement courses and exams that enable students to receive college credit for high school work.
The Alma, Beebe, Farmington and Prairie Grove school districts were among 477 districts in the country and Canada that were honored by the College Board for increasing student access to Advanced Placement coursework while maintaining or increasing the percentage of students who earned scores of 3 or higher on Advanced Placement exams. Students who earn a 3 or higher on the 1-to-5 scale are typically eligible for college credit hours or assignment to college courses above the freshman level.
Selection for the honor roll was based on three years of Advanced Placement data, from 2011 to 2013.
School board group elects new officers
Jerry Don Woods, vice president of the Dardanelle School Board, is the newly elected president of the Arkansas School Boards Association.
Steve Percival, a member of the Fayetteville School Board, was selected to be president-elect. Brenda McKown, a Beebe School Board member, will serve as vice president. Sandra Porter, a Bryant School Board member, was elected secretary-treasurer. Paul Hance, with the Batesville School Board, will serve as past president.
The elections were decided by the organization’s delegate assembly during its annual meeting this month at the Marriott Hotel in Little Rock.
The Arkansas School Boards Association is a not-for-profit organization that has provided programs and services for the state’s locally elected school boards for more than 50 years.
High school dean gets national office
Bob Gregory, interim dean of academic affairs at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, has been elected to a national office.
Gregory is the new secretary of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology board of directors.
Gregory was appointed to the organization’s board in June and elected as secretary at the consortium’s national meeting in Indianapolis in November.
The consortium is an organization that works to foster, support and advance the efforts of schools whose primary purpose is to academically prepare students for leadership in mathematics, science and technology.
The consortium was established in 1988 to enable members to exchange information and program ideas. The consortium has about 100 institutional members in 31 states.
Arkansas, Pages 14 on 12/29/2013