AdvancED Wyoming is proud to announce that Dr. Mary Krisko has won this year’s Excellence in Education Award. Dr. Krisko is the Curriculum Director and Consolidated Grant Manager for Washakie County School District Number One in Worland, Wyoming, and an off-campus instructor for Central Wyoming College. She was the 1998 Wyoming Teacher of the Year, the 1999 National Toshiba Laptop Learning Challenge Awardee, a 1999 NASA NEW participant and a 2000 National Presidential Awardee in Mathematics and Science.

At the state level, she served as president of Wyoming Curriculum Directors’ Association and Wyoming ASCD, facilitated the development of the Wyoming State Science Standards and PAWS Science review, was a member of the governor’s task force on Wyoming Student Assessment and Accountability, and served as an item reviewer for CCSSO’s SCASS Science.

At the present, Mary is active as an AdvancED Lead Evaluator, at both the school and school system levels and continues to serve in this capacity for schools and/or school districts in the United States, as well as DDESS, DODEA Europe, and DODEA Pacific schools.

Wyoming educators will again be provided an opportunity to familiarize themselves with AdvancED's New Standards and Accreditation Protocol. The New Standards became effective for the 2012-2013 school year and as a result duplication of efforts has been reduced and rigor has been increased.

The AdvancED Accreditation Protocol also has changed to include the new Standards and Indicators. Effective 2013-2014 the complete protocol will be implemented to include organizational performance on the Standards and Indicators as well as new components that include student achievement and stakeholder feedback from the required surveys to parents, students and staff. All school systems and schools in the state of Wyoming must become familiar with the new AdvancED Wyoming Accreditation Protocol. AdvancED Wyoming will provide accredited school systems and schools with the tools and resources necessary to smoothly transition to the New Standards and Protocol.

Sharon Bell from AdvancED will join Annette Bohling, Brad Jacobson and certified Wyoming Lead Evaluators to discuss not only the New Standards and Protocol, but also will help attendees better understand all of the services and materials that are yours for the taking simply by being members of AdvancED Wyoming. Please feel free to contact our office, if you have questions.

Plan to attend this year’s Excellence in Education Awards Banquet on March 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Parkway Plaza.

AvancED Wyoming will honor the school system Teachers of the Year, the state Teacher of the Year, the Principals of the Year, the AdvancED Wyoming Excellence In Education award winner and various other awardees who deserve special recognition for the work they do on behalf of Wyoming’s students. State Superintendent Cindy Hill will speak at the banquet and share some of her experiences with our Wyoming educators.

A great time is had by all at the AdvancED Wyoming Excellence in Education Awards Banquet. This Banquet gives everyone an opportunity to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones and celebrate our achievements. We look forward to seeing you there!

Register for the banquet during the conference registration process. Cost for tickets is $15 per person.

AdvancED Wyoming continues its partnership with TIE (Technology and Innovation in Education) for our Spring Conference 2013. TIE is an educational “think-tank" that provides professional development to assist and empower educational communities to respond productively and responsibly in a networked global society. TIE professionals help educators meet learners where they are and take them to where they want to be.

TIE professionals have both wide and deep content knowledge in the educational topics relevant to schools. They utilize effective techniques and research-based approaches to assist educators in growing their instructional practice and leadership capacities. In addition to assisting schools with technology-related professional development, TIE professionals are prepared to assist schools with a wide variety of pedagogical and content-related services. To learn more about TIE please visit tie.net.

AdvancED Wyoming is proud to continue to partner with GEAR UP Wyoming. GEAR UP Wyoming is sponsoring Quantum Learning Level 1 training to be held in conjunction with the Spring School Improvement Conference. Register for Quantum Learning training at the time that you register for the conference.

GEAR UP Wyoming also is sponsoring Monday’s keynote address by Annette Breaux. We are very proud of our ongoing partnership and for all of the help that GEAR UP Wyoming provides to our Wyoming educators!