January 30th, 2021 by WCBC Radio
McGraw Hill recently announced the winners of the 2nd Annual ALEKS All-Star Educator Awards, a program honoring outstanding educators who have utilized the ALEKS (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces) learning solution to achieve exceptional results, going above and beyond to help students be successful.
“In a year characterized by an accelerated transition to digital learning, it has been incredibly inspiring to see the creative and impactful ways educators have used this software to unlock their students’ potential,” said Simon Allen, CEO of McGraw Hill.
Rob Duncan, an algebra teacher at Mountain Ridge High School, was one of only two K-12 educators to receive this award. Duncan has used ALEKS, which is new to ACPS this school year, as a cornerstone of his fully virtual instructional plan, and it has helped the majority of his students to see double-digit percentage increases in what they have been able to master this year as well as increased performance on state assessments.
“Due to the pandemic, we are all facing many students who have fallen behind in their schooling, especially in mathematics,” said Duncan. “ALEKS is a great program that allows students to work at their own pace, receiving instruction based on concepts that they have failed to master, and work towards mastery.”
Mr. Duncan went on to say, “Each student is experiencing different gaps in understanding, and because this program caters to each student’s individual needs, they are able to increase their understanding. I have one student who began the year scoring at an 18% mastery level, which is very low. Through this program, this student is now performing at 75% mastery. That is amazing and is due to the student’s hard work.”
According to Duncan, his students complete ten topics per week and are encouraged to do more for additional credit. Students who have embraced this opportunity have made amazing advances. “I am very appreciative of this honor, but it is reflective of my students’ hard work and the leadership of Dr. Stephen Thompson, Allegany County Mathematics Supervisor.”
The winners will each receive a $1,000 donation from McGraw Hill to an education-focused non-profit or charity of their choice, a $250 gift card, and a collection of McGraw Hill books for professional learning opportunities.
