“In all my years of being in public education both as a building level administrator (Principal of the Year — NASSP) and in central office (Regional Superintendent for High Schools), I have never seen teachers as enthusiastic about a training as they’ve been about PEAK training.”
-Ann Clark, Charlotte Mecklenburg School District
“(You) have exceeded my expectations and the expectations of my team. You can expect to see Tallmadge, Ohio for a long time to come.”
-Jeff Ferguson, Tallmadge High School principal and now Superintendent
“Folks in PEAK are some of the best teachers I’ve worked with. PEAK has been the most important factor driving improvement in our district.”
-Steve Cousins, Superintendent, Traverse City Area Public Schools
I have not had a program that has caught the excitement of the teachers as PEAK has. It’s been applicable for experienced and for first year teachers. I have never before had teachers cry when they couldn’t attend a training.”
-Jo Ella Ferrell, Principal, Garinger High School, CMS
“There is nothing else out there as effective. 100% of our staff is progressing in the PEAK model.”
-Chris Reitan, Superintendent, Galena City Schools, Galena, AK
“PEAK training is the only comprehensive training that really works for kids and for teachers that I have seen and experienced in all my years in education. In my roles as both a National Board Certified Teacher in an inner city school with low performing students, as an Assistant Principal for Curriculum in one of the highest performing high schools in our district, and now as the Director of Secondary Education I have experienced PEAK training, and observed the effects of its implementation. It’s the only thing I’ve seen really work!”
-Rita Vasquez, Assistant Superintendent, PCSB
and former National Board Certified Teacher, Biology, Boca Ciega High School
“You have totally changed some of our toughest to change teachers. The results we’re seeing our beyond what we thought possible. The differences are so profound that students and parents are both coming to our offices and stopping us in town to thank us for whatever we did – then they ask us to do more of it! We need you up here this winter, and we’re working on sending another team to your institute in Colorado – but this time 15 to 20 instead of 5.”
-Tammy VanWyhe, Assistant Principal, Glennallen, Alaska
Michael Johnson, Principal, Glennallen, Alaska
“This is the most effective, best received training I have ever encountered.”
-Ann Sandoval, Associate Superintendent, Spring ISD, Texas
“The Spence Rogers training is working, the teachers value it, I believe in it, and if people don’t, this is probably not the district for them.”
-Dr. Draper, Superintendent, Spring ISD, Texas
I can’t tell you how much PEAK has meant to me these past two years.
Last year was my first encounter with PEAK and the PEAK strategies. I was a little reluctant at first. Boy was I stupid!!! Little did I know how drastically PEAK would change me and my teaching.
Now with PEAK, my students believe that nothing is impossible for them to achieve in my classes. I even had one student tell me when he didn’t master all the objectives on the first assessment that he knew he would get another chance to do better. And if he didn’t get to the point where he should be after a second reassessment, he would be expected to have yet another opportunity to get there. Then this same kid said to me, “Mrs. Drayton, had you been teaching this way two years ago when I took Spanish, I never would have failed.” I felt ashamed that I had deprived him the first time but elated above elation that because of using PEAK STRATEGIES this kid is now achieving. I can congratulate myself on a job well done because it really does work.
I say to anyone, if you believe in kids, try PEAK. You will find that your life will become more enriched and teaching will mean more than you ever thought it could be.
-Mary Drayton
High School Spanish
Pinellas County Schools
Largo, Florida
September 10, 2004
I am using parallel assessments by objectives and all of my students must score an A or B or they receive a NOT YET. Any student who scores a NOT YET on any objective must do corrective work and must reassess on parallel forms until they have mastered the missed objective. My students are no longer able to choose what they will learn by doing well on some topics, failing others and coming out with a passing grade and insufficient learning. As a learning system, PEAK has taught me how to purposely design my teaching so that students are discovering information and forming meaning for themselves using strategies and questioning techniques shown to be how kids learn best. PEAK has transformed my teaching so that it is on purpose and therefore the learning that is taking place is not accidental.
I would also like to say that Knowledge Walls are making a tremendous difference. My kids are actually learning more and remembering it longer.
For the first time in my teaching career, I am a professional. I can take a group of students, who learn differently and at different rates, and tell them “I will accept nothing less than an A or B.” You know what I get back…”thank you for believing I am worth it”. This year I can point to criteria for credit, engaging activities aligned to my objectives, qualifiers, parallel assessments, correctives aligned to the specifics of each unit, incremental development and distributive practice down to the daily level, and of course music. There are lots of other little things in there too, but I am getting closer and closer to “teaching on purpose”!
-Brandt Robinson
High School Social Studies
Dunedin High School
Largo, Florida
September 8, 2004
I’ve been wanting to e-mail you and let you know that I have thoroughly enjoyed our educational discussions regarding educational issues at GCS and nationwide. Each time I come away with more questions and thoughts that lead me to think more about what I am doing. You do make a difference.
Before parallel assessments, tests were a hit and miss game with regards to student success and achievement. Students were expected to learn concepts, but were not required to actually master… I wanted all learners to succeed, but felt something was lacking in the model of instruction. Now, with the use of parallel assessments, knowledge walls, criteria-for-credit, distributed practice, and 6 Keys, students are held accountable for their learning and I am more precise in my teaching. It’s not a hit and miss anymore. My classroom instruction is aligned with the district’s curriculum checklist and my students are required to master concepts through the use of parallel assessment and distributed practice of concepts. The gap between individual students’ achievements is narrowing, students with varied learning rates and ability levels are being successful and feel great about their learning. I know I am doing everything I can to help my kids obtain more knowledge and keep that knowledge – my state tests are proving it.
It’s moose hunting season, and my family has already gone on one hunting trip. I can’t wait to taste that mouthwatering moose meat in my mouth. Am I a true Alaskan or what? See you in October.
-Kate Thurmond
Fifth Grade
Galena City School
Galena, Alaska
September 7, 2004
I have been teaching high school chemistry for 15 years. For most of those years, I concentrated on becoming a better teacher by furthering my education in chemistry. I figured if I knew more subject matter, kids would learn more from me. Well, about three years ago, I attended the first week of PEAK, and it literally changed my life. I learned so much about the art of teaching kids, all kids, no matter what their backgrounds and abilities. I was so moved that I immediately attended the Week 2 Institute on Effective Assessment, eager to learn more. I can honestly say that this week changed me forever. By starting small, but thinking big, I have made differences in the way I teach, the way I assess, and the way I motivate kids to want to learn. I have had my chemistry numbers grow, and my failure rate shrink. I have proven to myself that all kids can learn chemistry, just in different ways and at different rates. I have Spence and Becky to thank for my transformation. They have helped me move from a good teacher to a great teacher!
-Linda Hanson
High School Chemistry
Reeths-Puffer High School
Muskegon, Michigan
September 2004
The PEAK Effective Assessment Institute made standards make sense to me! I learned do-able strategies to use in my classroom like launch buttons, parallel assessments, and 28/3, and I am seeing an increase in student motivation and understanding. My students are participating more in class and staying on task better. I feel like I am a better teacher.
-Mary Heisel
Social Studies
Glenwood Springs High School
Glenwood Springs, Colorado
I just wanted to take a few minutes to update you on the “positive effects” in my classroom caused by my experiences in the workshop you arranged with Spence Rogers. I have focused on implementing one new practice in my class that I had not previously used. I set-up knowledge walls made by students working in small-group learning centers of Chemistry-information-bricks that students write from the vocabulary they need for effective reading. The students read together in small groups, decide the best “wall-content” and crosscheck the wall contents to assure quality of information and lack of duplication. Interestingly, they take their academic responsibility for the quality of information very seriously! This inter-group responsibility has proven to be a great stimulus to high-quality learning. This has greatly amplified the amount of time-on-task for active reading of their content information in the Chemistry textbook.
We are currently working on chemical bonding and reactions having just completed atomic structure including electron configuration, energy levels, and valence electrons of atoms. So, now that we are at a critical phase of learning in our year, this workshop could not have been done at a better time. By placing up our knowledge walls I have seen an absolute burst of positive energy from my students. This is equally true for my high-end academic producers in AP Chemistry, and the students that I teach who struggle to complete tasks that are required in the curriculum.
I have five periods a day of happy active learners including my regular Chemistry, Honors Chemistry, and AP-Chemistry classes. I will send you some snap-shots of our knowledge walls, and some happy and productive students. Please thank Mr. Rogers for me and pass along this information to those stakeholders who have helped us in this effort.
-George H. Yoakum, PhD
Chemistry Teacher
Orange County Public Schools
Orlando, Florida
December, 2004
Throughout the past year I have been fully participating and engaging my students through many of the PEAK Learning ideas and strategies. One area that I have found to be extremely beneficial for my students is to include a solution station on the back of each home fun assignment. In my solution station there is a step-by-step guide on how to complete each math problem. By sending home these solutions it allows me, the teacher, the opportunity to “go home” with each student and continue their perfect practice. I have found that this allows my students to continue to be successful in their learning both at school AND at home. By including the solutions with the home fun assignment it allows all of my students, many who are at different learning levels, immediate assistance. These solutions allow the students to self check once they have completed the assignment, for others it is a tool to refer when they get stuck at a certain point in a problem, and for some it is a step by step process on how to complete the specific problem.
I have found that because I include the solutions with the home fun I have had a higher percentage of students who bring their home fun to class the following day. Many students have thanked me for including the solutions because it allowed them the opportunity to complete the assignment, and also it has provided their parents/guardians an opportunity to help them if they need additional assistance.
I am so thankful for the many learning opportunities that I have received from the PEAK Learning Community.
-Rebecca Schmitt
5th Grade Math
Burchett Elementary
Spring, Texas
Thought I would take 30 seconds and brag a bit! (Sorry! Just thought you might appreciate this!)
I was thrown back into Math this year…after a three year hiatus…for one year. (I taught both regular and Pre-Algebra!) Anyway, using “Spence and PEAK” strategies…my kids tested much higher on the NWEA MAP test than any other 6th grade math teacher in the district. Just thought I would share that! (It didn’t sit real well with the math teachers who have been teaching for 10 years or so…and told me that allowing kids to retest was not a good idea. Nor did it sit well with people who told me that spiraling review questions at the start of every class was a waste of time.)
Also, I won Chaska Teacher of the Year…second time in 5 years. (2 HS, 3 Middle schools, 8 elementary schools…and a kindergarten center!) It’s rather humbling…but nice to be recognized also.
Okay…enough bragging…just thought I would share the testing! It made me feel pretty good!
Tell your folks hi!
-Mary Perrine
Chaska Middle School
Chaska, Minnesota
May 27, 2010
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