Students at all levels make significant progress in fifth-grade teacher Jacqueline Woodruff's classroom at Washington Elementary School in Allentown. Even students with individualized education plans have shown improvement, while those with behavioral issues have become positive and productive members of the classroom. Ms. Woodruff uses a variety of best practices in her teaching, including guided reading, four-square writing, math investigations, hands-on science activities and technology. She also uses assessment data to monitor student progress and reflect on her own teaching strategies, so that she can differentiate her instruction to individual student needs. Ms. Woodruff involves parents in their children's education, winning their support with information, assistance and encouragement, and she trains community volunteers to mentor students for extra help in reading and math. She is not above spending her own money to provide children with extra materials, and has acquired incentives from the community to reward students for good behavior. It's high time this excellent teacher received a reward of her own.
