At Albin Elementary School, a Teacher Advancement Program (TAP)™ school in Albin, Wyoming, Title I TAP mentor teacher Tracy Petsch has reached a wide range of students both as a teacher and as a trainer of teachers. Working with the district's largest concentration of English Language Learners (ELL) as well as students qualifying for free and reduced-price lunch, Petsch teaches them in small and large groups, as well as individually, using technology such as interactive whiteboards, the Internet and district online literacy programs. Petsch also works with colleagues to involve parents in their children's education. Her highly effective strategies have led to 100 percent of her students achieving proficiency in math, and helped 90 percent of last year's students meet their reading goals as set by Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) criteria, with most exceeding their goals. As a TAP mentor teacher and a nationally certified TAP evaluator, Petsch meets weekly with school colleagues in cluster groups and visits their classrooms to observe and provide feedback, team-teach and model instructional best practices. She also provides training, modeling and mentoring to teachers throughout the district on topics such as DIBELS, Six-Trait Writing and the Sonday Direct Instruction Reading program. Petsch is co-chair of the school's North Central Association (NCA) Committee, and serves on both the district literacy committee and the Superintendent's Advisory Committee.
1985 University of Wyoming, B.A.
