WKU Graduate Receives American Star Of Teaching Award

August 20, 2008

Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University graduate Laura Sanders is one of 51 teachers nationwide selected for this year’s American Star of Teaching Award from the U.S. Department of Education.

Sanders, a kindergarten teacher at Cumberland Trace Elementary School, received the award Tuesday afternoon from Carolyn Snowbarger, director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative.

Sanders received her bachelor’s degree from WKU in 1997 and a master’s in elementary education from WKU in 2001. She was nominated for the award by Cumberland Trace Principal Dr. Mary Evans and fellow kindergarten teacher Patrice McCrary.

A committee of former teachers at the U.S. Department of Education selected the American Stars from among 4,000 nominations based on their success in improving academic performance and making a difference in their students’ lives.

Sanders has a proven record of success in the classroom. For the 2006-07 school year, her students’ reading scores went from 52 percent benchmark in the fall to 91 percent in the spring. For the 2007-08 school year, her students started with 58 percent at benchmark and by midyear, 85 percent met benchmark scores.

“Teachers like Laura Sanders combine a passion for teaching with high expectations that every child can learn,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. “We at the U.S. Department of Education are proud to recognize these dedicated, hard-working professionals who are committed to closing the achievement gap and challenging every child to achieve his or her potential.”
               
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu and at http://wkunews.wordpress.com/. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.