The students in Martin Martinez’s third-grade classroom don’t think they are increasing their achievement, they know it. At Hogan Cedars Elementary in Gresham, OR, Martinez developed a chart system that carefully monitors his students’ progress to make sure each and every student is on track to succeed. And succeed they have; this past school year 94 percent of his students met or exceeded benchmarks in reading and 89 percent in math. At a school currently with Title 1 status, and where more than 40 percent of students qualify for federal free and reduced-price lunches, these gains are the mark of an exceptional educator.
Through a combination of differentiated instruction, project-based learning and highly structured mini-lessons, Martinez is able to drive student achievement with creative and data-driven strategies. To ensure no one fell behind, he took the lead in designing interventions for students facing English fluency challenges and those struggling with math concepts. He also keeps parents involved with a class newsletter he produces about his coursework.
Martinez stays active in his school community as the Title 1 site council chair. He leads staff development meetings and even teaches classes for other instructors on English as a Second Language (ESL) techniques, such as Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) and Sheltered Instruction Observations Protocol (SIOP). He is also in the process of achieving National Board Certification.
