Elaine Sherman is a language arts national consultant for Houghton Mifflin/Holt, a publisher of secondary educational materials. In this position, Elaine has created teacher workshops for the assessment of student writing skills, strategies to motivate "reluctant learners," and linking of curriculum to state and national standards. She travels extensively, to speak conventions. Previously, Sherman was a specialist in the Division of Curriculum and Instruction for the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, a position that she assumed after nearly 20 years of classroom teaching. Sherman received the Clark County Excellence in Education Award in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Elaine is currently researching writing instruction and testing results. She is using Hinman ES as a research base. Three years ago the school's fifth graders passed the state writing proficiency for the first time and they have repeated that effort each year since. Interviews are held with students showing marked improvement to determine "what's working!"
Be an instrument for change. My area of expertise is writing assessment and I am volunteering at an elementary school that had not ever made proficiency on the state writing exam. Working with teachers and students, three years ago, the school's fifth graders passed proficiency for the first time. We have improved our efforts and maintained the proficient status for three years, getting a higher number passing each year! I am hoping to expand the model to other struggling schools.
1967 Arizona State University, B.A.
