Teacher Elisa Schorr has helped expand the science program at POWER (Pursuit of Wellness Education at Roosevelt) Academy in Portland. Schorr played a key role in reforming Roosevelt High School into three small autonomous schools, including POWER Academy, a school focused on individual, community and world health and wellness. Her enthusiasm for science motivated the school to require all sophomores to take two sciences, with Advanced Placement (AP) options available at all levels. Schorr also developed an AP Biology curriculum for at-risk students and currently serves as the school's AP testing coordinator. In the classroom, she frequently adjusts lesson plans to accommodate different cultures and learning styles, uses small groups to help students gain support from their peers and collaborates with staff on cross-curricular instruction. Math scores have increased each year since she joined the staff, and the number of students meeting benchmarks in science rose 13 percent in 2006. Chair of the science department, Schorr has also been co-chair of the Site Council for the past three years and is site team coordinator for the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program.
2001 Willamette University, B.S.
