Skip to main content

McGraw-Hill Announces Winners of the Inaugural ALEKS All-Star Educator Awards

The McGraw-Hill ALEKS All-Star Educator Awards honor outstanding K-12 and higher education instructors who have achieved exceptional results in student outcomes through their use of ALEKS®

Tags: PreK-12, ALEKS, Press Release, Higher Education

NEW YORK (January 14, 2020) – McGraw-Hill, a leading learning science company, today announced the winners of its first-ever ALEKS All-Star Educator Awards, a new awards program honoring outstanding educators. The inaugural installment of the award program, launched in 2019 in celebration of the 20th anniversary of McGraw-Hill ALEKS®, recognizes one K-12 teacher and one higher education instructor who have used the ALEKS learning solution to achieve exceptional results, going above and beyond to help learners succeed.

“For 20 years, ALEKS has helped students reach their full potential, but student success cannot be achieved without truly extraordinary educators,” said Simon Allen, McGraw-Hill CEO. “It’s important that the education community recognizes inspiring and accomplished educators who are leading by example. We are thrilled to honor these all-star educators, who have made such meaningful differences in the lives of those they teach.”

The winners of the 2019 ALEKS All-Star Educator Awards are:

Laurie Kane
Teaches: Pre-Algebra
School: Gulf Middle School
District: The School District of Lee County
Where: Cape Coral, Florida

Laurie was given the K-12 ALEKS All-Star Educator Award for her work increasing student confidence in math and helping struggling learners succeed. Laurie sees many students enter her class having not met state standards for math and lacking both the tools and the confidence to be successful. With Laurie’s careful instruction and the support of ALEKS, her students have achieved state test scores that are among the highest in the district, and they feel confident in their skills as they move on to Algebra courses.

To read more about Laurie and hear about her inspiring approach to teaching, check out this blog post.

Tuan Dean
Teaches: Math
School: Triton College
Where: River Grove, Illinois

Tuan was given the Higher Ed ALEKS All-Star Educator Award for his work in improving equity in the classroom and giving all students an opportunity to succeed. Tuan has effectively used ALEKS to fast-track student success in math, motivating his students to set higher standards for themselves and take responsibility for their learning. He is also a trusted resource for other faculty members, providing training for his peers who are considering how best to implement ALEKS in their own classes.

The two winners will each receive a $1,000 donation from McGraw-Hill to an education-focused non-profit or charity of his or her choice, a $250 gift card and a collection of McGraw-Hill professional books.

McGraw-Hill also recognizes four additional educators with Honorable Mentions. The 2019 ALEKS All Star Educator Honorable Mentions – each of whom has made a tremendous difference in the lives of their students – are:

  • JoAnn Weinberg, AIMS and Math Seminar Coordinator at American Heritage School in Delray Beach, Florida, for her work in using ALEKS to increase student performance across all levels of ability. (K-12 Honorable Mention)
  • Gina Martinelli, Math teacher at Oak Creek West Middle School in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, for her work in using ALEKS to guide her students toward becoming independent, confident learners. (K-12 Honorable Mention)
  • Mallary DeSantis, Assistant Professor of Math at Harrisburg Area Community College in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for her work in using ALEKS to substantially improve her school’s developmental mathematics curriculum. (Higher Ed Honorable Mention)
  • Holly Dickin, Associate Lecturer of Math at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, for her relentless dedication to helping her students succeed and excel in math. (Higher Ed Honorable Mention)

Based on the theory of “knowledge spaces” from cognitive science, ALEKS (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces) uses artificial intelligence to create personalized and dynamic learning paths for K-20 students based on their unique needs. Since all students enter a course with varying levels of preparedness, ALEKS’s technology pinpoints what students already know, what they don’t and, most importantly, what they’re ready to learn next. To date, ALEKS has helped more than 20 million students at thousands of K-12 schools, colleges and universities throughout the world.

McGraw Hill

McGraw Hill is a leading global education company that partners with millions of educators, learners and professionals around the world. Recognizing their diverse needs, we build trusted content, flexible tools and powerful digital platforms to help them achieve success on their own terms. Through our commitment to equity, accessibility and inclusion, we foster a culture of belonging that respects and reflects the diversity of the communities, learners and educators we serve. McGraw Hill has over 40 offices across North America, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions for PreK–12, higher education, professionals and others available in more than 80 languages. Visit us at mheducation.com or find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

Contact

Tyler Reed
McGraw Hill
(914) 512-4853