Several years ago, Frank Ward, Jr., left architecture in search of a more fulfilling career. Now, as a fifth- and sixth-grade math teacher at Kashmere Gardens Elementary School in Houston, Mr. Ward is an architect of student learning. Taking a diagnostic approach to instruction, Mr. Ward frequently assesses student progress and adapts his instruction to individual learning styles. Understanding that students must be able to read math problems in order to solve them, Mr. Ward promotes literacy in his classroom, often reading to his students or assigning them to read books and write reports. Two weeks before the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), Mr. Ward organizes a "Family Reunion" in which the entire grade level meets daily to review everything that has been taught, with students leading the instructional sessions. These strategies have helped Mr. Ward's students score consistently well on the TAKS. Student learning has blossomed at Kashmere Gardens, and Frank Ward has been one of its most effective gardeners.
