Seventh- and eighth-grade language arts teacher Maria Davis provides outstanding instruction and leadership at John P. Parker School, a Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) school in Cincinnati. Her effective research-based teaching strategies, data-driven "best practices" and excellent rapport with students have helped her dramatically increase benchmark scores in reading. Her creative classroom projects include news videos researched and created by small teams of students and evaluated by their peers. Davis has improved the school's overall attendance through a "tardy hall" program she created that provides tardy students with academic makeup time after school. A TAP mentor teacher and instructional level leader for the junior high team, Davis leads weekly team instructional meetings and language arts discussion groups during professional development days. She also taught an English language arts course at Mayerson Professional Development Academy and published an article on a classroom management activity she uses called "Bucks." Her leadership skills earned her an appointment last year as the principal's teacher-in-charge, assigned to take over leadership responsibilities in the principal's absence.
1992 Xavier University, B.A.
