DALLAS—December 7, 2010—Learning Forward presented its prestigious awards at its 2010 Annual Conference in Atlanta, Ga. Learning Forward’s annual awards program recognizes individuals for their commitment to improving student achievement through effective professional learning. School Improvement Network sponsored the 2010 awards.
Learning Forward honored Andy Hargreaves and Douglas Reeves with the Contribution to the Field Award. This award is Learning Forward’s highest honor bestowed to individuals for their impact on the field of professional development. Hargreaves, Thomas More Brennan Chair in the Lynch School of Education at Boston College, has expanded our understanding of educational leadership, and what works in school improvement through his extensive research on teachers and education systems around the world. Reeves, the founder of the Leadership and Learning Center, connects research-based insights on leadership, assessment, standards, and accountability to the day-to-day work of schools striving to improve student learning.
Bradley A. Ermeling, Ronald Gallimore, Claude N. Goldenberg, and William M. Saunders received the Best Research Award for their two studies on “Increasing Achievement by Focusing Grade-Level Teams on Improving Classroom Learning” and “Moving the Learning of Teaching Closer to Practice. This five-year study of 15 Title I schools examined the impact of professional learning communities on student achievement and teacher instruction. Ermeling is Senior Research Associate and Executive Director of Pearson Learning Teams. Gallimore is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at UCLA and Senior Research Consultant to Pearson Learning Teams. Goldenberg is Professor of Education at Stanford University. Saunders is Vice President of Pearson Learning Teams and Research Associate at UCLA.
The Susan Loucks-Horsley Award honors the memory of Susan Loucks-Horsley by recognizing an individual who exemplifies Susan’s commitment to instill efficacy in others, collaborate across boundaries, and sustain impact on the field of professional development. This year Learning Forward was delighted to present this award to Peg Smith, an individual who is committed to raising the standard of professional development in mathematics. Smith is a professor in the Department of Instruction and Learning in the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh and a Senior Scientist at the university’s Learning Research and Development Center.
Past President Deborah Childs-Bowen received the Distinguished Service Award for her unselfish leadership and support of the organization. For 16 years Childs-Bowen has served Learning Forward members by presiding as the President in 2005, serving on the Board of Trustees for six years, launching the first School Team Conference, convening the first network for regional education lab staff, presenting and facilitating at over 20 conferences, and advocating for Learning Forward’s standards and quality professional development.
Learning Forward named Building a Professional Learning Community at Work: A Guide to the First Year, by Parry Graham and William M. Ferriter, the Staff Development Book of the Year. This award recognizes a book that makes a significant contribution to the field of staff development. In this award-winning book, the authors address the critical questions that arise when schools begin their work to become professional learning communities. Graham is principal at Lufkin Road Middle School in Wake County, N.C. and a clinical assistant professor in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina. Ferriter is a National Board Certified Teacher of sixth grade language arts and social studies at Salem Middle School in Apex, N.C.
