March 8, 2022
Humble ISD is one of only two school districts in the State of Texas to be honored for innovation in professional learning with the 2022 Outstanding Professional Learning Award from Learning Forward Texas.
Pictured (from left): Dr. Ann Johnson, Humble ISD Chief Academic Officer; Reginald Cooper, Eagle Springs Elementary; Dr. Elizabeth Fagen, Humble ISD Superintendent; Debbie Perez, Humble ISD Director of Contemporary Instructional Design and Professional Learning; Carolyn Finley, Humble ISD Director of Digital Design and Professional Learning; Rebecca Rhodes, Kingwood High School, Melissa Hayhurst, Executive Director, Assessment and Authentic Learning; Martina Lemond Dixon, Humble ISD Board of Trustees President.
Humble ISD Directors of Professional Learning Deborah Perez and Carolyn Finley submitted the Student Voice Ambassadors program for the Teaching and Learning Department’s entry.
“The Student Voice Ambassadors program partnered with students and relied on their voices to shape the district's vision around instruction and professional learning,” Deborah Perez, Director of Contemporary Instructional Design and Professional Learning, said. “We are pleased to receive this great honor for Humble ISD.”
The purpose of Student Voice Ambassadors is to create ways to engage learners through authentic, meaningful experiences, which directly support Humble ISD’s goals of personalized student learning.
Student Voice Ambassadors consists of 85 students representing all high schools in Humble ISD. In the summer of 2021, through a partnership with Humble ISD’s Teaching and Learning department, students co-designed, co-facilitated, and participated in teacher training sessions around lesson design, digital innovation, authentic assessments, and bias-free teaching.
Rebecca Rhodes, a junior at Kingwood Park High School and a Student Voice Ambassador, was one of the students who took part in the summer meetings. Her team worked on integrating the six competencies of the Portrait of a Graduate into classroom lessons.
“One of the competencies of the Portrait of a Graduate is becoming a global citizen by being involved in the community and knowing global events,” Rhodes said. “In history classes, we incorporated discussions about current world events into lessons being taught to students.”
Rhodes also said her team developed a lesson that included a college planning project to help students calculate the cost of college.
Students participating in the Student Voice Ambassadors Program benefit by learning valuable leadership and communication skills that they can use throughout their lives. It’s also a way for them to help their peers.
Learning Forward Texas, with a membership of 5,300 education professionals across Texas, annually recognizes teams, campuses, or districts that utilize high-quality professional learning to impact student achievement. This year, the organization recognized Humble ISD for using innovation, flexibility, and creativity to continue to lead professional learning during a time of ever-changing schedules, and diverse needs.
“Our current situation has caused districts to continue reinventing their professional learning plans,” Lisa Ham, Executive Director of Learning Forward Texas, said. “The teams from both Humble ISD and Midway ISD have solved this year’s challenges with uniquely innovative solutions to meet the ever-changing needs of their teachers and students.”
The Outstanding Professional Learning Award is selected annually by the Learning Forward Texas Board of Directors. Applicants must complete an online application with a ten-slide presentation that consists of a project description, implementation plan, impact evidence, and next steps.
Humble ISD was recognized at the TASA Midwinter Conference in Austin on February 1. The district will be recognized at the 2022 Learning Forward Texas Annual Conference, which will be held on June 20 - 22, 2022, in Irving, Texas.
Learning Forward Texas is a nonprofit educational association of learning educators devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development.
For more information about Humble ISD Student Voice Ambassadors, contact Email Deborah Perez.
Humble ISD’s Student Voice Ambassadors consist of high school students across the district who help create ways to engage learners while directly supporting Humble ISD’s goals of personalized student learning.
Kingwood High School student Rebecca Rhodes collaborates with other Student Voice Ambassadors to create lessons that incorporate Humble ISD’s Portrait of a Graduate components.
Atascocita High School student Mya Williams brainstorms ideas with fellow Student Voice Ambassadors to use in the design of sample assessments.