Jennifer Mitchell

TAP Master Teacher

Year Honored: 2010

Sojourner Truth Academy
Minneapolis, MN

At the time of the Award, Jennifer Mitchell was:

TAP Master Teacher
Sojourner Truth Academy
Minneapolis, MN

http://www.sojournertruthacademy.org

Grade(s): K, 1, 2, 3

Biographical Information

Jennifer Mitchell is a solutions-oriented leader at Sojourner Truth Academy in Minneapolis, MN, highly regarded for her impact on students, parents, and professional peers as a master teacher with TAP™: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement. An expert at evaluating achievement and differentiating instruction to maximize comprehension for each student, Mitchell maintains direct contact with parents and helps fellow instructors with parent meetings. Additionally, Mitchell developed her own individual growth plan in the areas of student achievement, cultural responsiveness and collaboration and leadership—a strategy that has borne fruit for students and staff alike.

Thanks to Mitchell’s zealous efforts, Sojourner Truth has reported impressive achievement gains. When she started at the school as a third-grade teacher, students improved by 83 percent in reading and 80 percent in math on the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) exams. On the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment, 54 percent were proficient in reading (36 percent the prior year) and 43 percent were proficient in math (21 percent the prior year). Just as admirably, the high-poverty school made AYP for math in the lower grades for the first time ever— recording a 16 percent increase in math proficiency in 2008–09 and an 11 percent increase in 2010.

A member of the executive leadership team, Mitchell represented her school at the National TAP Conference sponsored by the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET). Mitchell was invited by NIET to speak about TAP to U.S. congressional members in Washington, D.C. With her burgeoning list of accomplishments, it’s no wonder Jennifer Mitchell is catching the eye of her city, state and nation.

---