Three Teachers in Project Opening Doors Win "All American Teacher of the Year" Awards

 

Three Connecticut teachers participating in Project Opening Doors (POD) have been named “All American Teachers of the Year” by the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI). Project Opening Doors seeks to close the achievement gap in in Connecticut's education system, in part by increasing the number of low-income, underrepresented students who successfully complete Advanced Placement (AP) classes.

 

Patricia Trask (pictured at left), an English teacher at Coventry High School; Fred Carofano (below), a statistics teacher at East Hartford High School; and Laura Dodita, a chemistry teacher at Westhill High School in Stamford are among 18 AP teachers nationwide being honored for their remarkable contributions to their students and to the teaching profession, and for being an inspiring model of excellence to others. 

 

“These teachers have demonstrated a total commitment to our AP students’ academic growth,” said Tom Luce, CEO of NMSI. “They recognize the importance of championing excellence in math and science, which will help more of our young people succeed in school, work and life.”

 

In its first year, the All American Teacher of the Year Award recognizes outstanding math, science, and English teachers participating in NMSI’s Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP). In Connecticut, that program is the CBIA Education Foundation’s POD campaign, which increases the number of rigorous AP math, English, and science classes in Connecticut schools and the number of underrepresented students enrolled in those classes.

 

“Patricia, Fred, and Laura are representative of the dedicated professionals working in all of POD's schools," says Dr. Cam Vautour, president of POD. “It is due to their belief in students and their commitment to high-quality instruction that the program has proven so successful in its first year of operation.”

 

“We are pleased that these three teachers have been recognized for their efforts to help better prepare our students for the future,” adds Judith K. Resnick, executive director of CBIA’s Education Foundation and director of CBIA’s workforce development and training. “Their participation in POD and commitment to their students is helping to close Connecticut’s achievement gap, providing all students—especially those in underserved minority groups—the opportunity to be successful participants in the future workforce.”

 

The teachers will receive a cash award and will be honored at a special award luncheon in Washington, D.C., in mid-May. 

 

Carofano, pictured at right, wrote a rap song about statistics for his math students. To hear him perform it, click here.

 

The Connecticut Business and Industry Association was POD's sponsor in its startup years, providing expertise in grantwriting and fundraising, access to the business community, extensive press coverage, and assistance in pursuing public policy initiatives that make Advanced Placement a legislative priority. Beginning July 1, 2010, Project Opening Doors has been operating under the auspices of EASTCONN, one of Connecticut's six regional education service centers.

 

Project Opening Doors was established in 2008, with nine high schools participating. Ten more high schools joined the program in 2009. The 19 high schools participating in the program are

 

• Ansonia High School, Ansonia
• Bacon High School, Colchester
• Bloomfield High School, Bloomfield
• Bulkeley High School, Hartford
• Cooperative Arts and Humanities Magnet High School, New Haven
• Coventry High School, Coventry
• East Hartford High, East Hartford
• Hill Regional Career High School, New Haven
• New Britain High School, New Britain
• New London High School, New London
• Parish Hill High School, Chaplin
• Plainville High School, Plainville
• Putnam High School, Putnam
• Westhill High School, Stamford
• Wilbur Cross High School, New Haven
• Wilby High School, Waterbury
• Windham High School, Willimantic
• Windsor High School, Windsor
• Windsor Locks High School, Windsor Locks

 

APTIP is a comprehensive approach that increases teacher effectiveness and student achievement in rigorous math and science courses through training, teacher and student support, vertical teaming, open enrollment, and incentives. The program increases dramatically the number of students taking and passing AP math, science, and English exams, and expands access to traditionally underrepresented students. In August 2007, NMSI awarded grants to nonprofits in six states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Virginia – to institute AP training and incentive programs. In the first year, schools participating in the APTIP showed a 52 percent increase in the number of passing scores on AP math, science and English exams – more than nine times the national average. Those schools also produced a 71.5 percent increase in the number of passing scores on AP math, science and English exams by African-American and Hispanic students, greatly improving their chances of earning a college degree.

 

Project Opening Doors currently operates in 19 Connecticut high schools. During its first year of operation, POD students outperformed the state as a whole by a factor of three on math, science and English Advanced Placement® exams.  Particularly strong performance was noted for minority students (26% increase for POD as opposed to 2% for the state), low-income students (10% as opposed to -2% for the state), and female students (46% increase for POD as opposed to 4% for the state). For more information, visit http://projectopeningdoors.org/.

 

NMSI was launched in 2007 by top leaders in business, education, and science to reverse the troubling decline in American math and science education. NMSI is dedicated to improving the U.S. public school system by bringing best practices to education and replicating programs nationally that have proven success in math and science education. Inaugural funding for NMSI was provided by the Exxon Mobil Corporation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. For more information, visit www.nationalmathandscience.org.