Third-grade teacher Maria G. Moreno uses innovative activities to help students learn at Santa Maria Elementary School in Laredo. She incorporates learning center instruction to effectively meet the needs of individual learners and offers after-school tutoring for at-risk students. Mrs. Moreno keeps in constant communication with parents in order to encourage their active involvement. Clearly her instruction works well, as 100 percent of Mrs. Moreno's students met the reading standards in the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) in 2004. The third-grade team leader, Mrs. Moreno is also president of the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA), planning chairperson for the Campus Educational Improvement Council (C.E.I.C.), and an active participant in school and community activities. She is currently pursuing her Masters of Science in Educational Administration, and was recently named Bilingual Teacher of the Year.
