Fifth- and sixth-grade teacher Sue Pope has turned some of her school's most difficult students into strong achievers at Westridge Elementary School in Provo. She uses formative assessments in her classroom to determine students' weekly progress, and intervenes when students are having difficulty by modifying the curriculum, providing additional help after school, and having adults read with students daily. Ms. Pope motivates students to learn by involving them in engaging activities such as a student newspaper, a storytelling festival and an after-school math Olympiad. Her students consistently earn the highest student achievement gains in the school: every one of her students has passed the criterion-referenced test (CRT) in pre-algebra for the past six years, and nearly every student passes the CRT in language arts. She has presented her effective teaching strategies in language arts, math and assessment at the school and district levels, served on numerous school and district committees, and mentored several student teachers and new teachers. It's no wonder she's considered one of the most requested teachers in the building.
