Third-grade teacher Jennifer Wong has achieved substantial progress with many at-risk students at Edward Gideon School, one of Philadelphia's most challenging inner-city schools. Using data to drive differentiated instruction and encouraging the application of higher-order thinking skills, Wong has taken students with one- to two-year deficits in their reading level and brought them to grade level by the end of the year. She is a lead teacher in a reduced class size initiative that teams college graduates with classroom teachers. In only her second year as an educator, Wong was recruited to conduct professional development on balanced literacy for the district's new literacy program. She has spoken about classroom management on several occasions at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education, and often serves as a demonstration teacher for student teachers to observe.
