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Peeples Middle Educator Selected as Highly Qualified Instructional Materials Ambassador
October 22, 2021
Dr. Jacqueline Lacey |
Peeples Middle School ELA coach Dr. Jacqueline Lacey has been selected to serve as a Middle School ELA Highly-Qualified Instructional Materials (HQIM) Ambassador. Dr. Lacey is one of 25 ambassadors statewide selected from more than 250 applicants. Dr. Lacey served as one of 70 HQIM reviewers before completing four months of more intense professional development to become an ambassador. Besides the training, the process involved reading, collaborating, and writing reviews of textbooks and supplemental resource materials.
"While serving as an HQIM reviewer, I learned so much about choosing textbooks and literature that would be sufficient for student learning," said Dr. Lacey of the process.
HQIM Ambassadors are educators from across Mississippi who serve as expert contacts for districts and schools wishing to embark on the ELA HQIM adoption process. The 12-week training program is provided by EdReports and the Mississippi Department of Education. It utilizes the Mississippi rubric and characteristics of high-quality instructional materials. After the intensive training, ambassadors complete formal reviews of submitted materials. They apply their content knowledge and subject matter expertise to ensure all Mississippi students have access to strong instructional materials.
This focus on quality instructional material has led to substantial gains in reading in Mississippi. In 2019, Mississippi students were ranked first nationwide for gains in fourth-grade reading and math. The adoption process saves Mississippi teachers time spent searching for and creating instructional resources that may be weakly-aligned to curricular standards. Through the HQIM review process the state's classroom teachers are much more likely to acquire materials that meet the academic needs of their students.