MSU institute, Yazoo County school share education partner honor

Contact: Jim Laird

Yazoo County High School and the MSU-based Mississippi Writing/Thinking Institute received a 2012 MAPE Board of Directors Partnership Excellence Award. At the ceremony were (l-r) Debbie Anglin, MAPE president; MWTI director Kim Patterson and associate director Cheryl Foster; and Angela Hudson, federal programs director, and superintendent Rebecca Fisher, both of the Yazoo County School District. Former governor William Winter presented the honor.
Yazoo County High School and the MSU-based Mississippi Writing/Thinking Institute received a 2012 MAPE Board of Directors Partnership Excellence Award. At the ceremony were (l-r) Debbie Anglin, MAPE president; MWTI director Kim Patterson and associate director Cheryl Foster; and Angela Hudson, federal programs director, and superintendent Rebecca Fisher, both of the Yazoo County School District. Former governor William Winter presented the honor.

STARKVILLE, Miss.--The Mississippi Writing/Thinking Institute and Yazoo County High School are being recognized for their collaborative work with students and teachers.

The Mississippi Association of Partners in Education recently honored a record 18 school-community partnership programs during its 2012 Governor's Awards luncheon. The institute and high school received one of nine Partnership Excellence Awards.

The institute is a division of the Center for Educational Partnerships at Mississippi State University.

Since 1984, MAPE has served as a statewide network of educators and community partners working to provide training and materials to help build local support for the success of all students. Association offices are located in Madison.

The Governor's Award program recognizes creative, results-oriented partnerships that emphasize student achievement in reading, science and math, the arts, fitness and health, community involvement, and many other areas that are vital to academic enrichment.

During a three-year partnership, the institute's reading and writing instruction specialists trained Yazoo County High English and language arts teachers, as well as instructed nearly 400 students annually. A parent literacy night and career fair also were part of the program.

"Yazoo County School District believes that highly trained, highly skilled teachers are at the heart of student achievement," said Superintendent Rebecca Fisher. "During our partnership, MWTI has provided a comprehensive, multilayered professional development plan for improving reading and writing, and we are seeing stronger readers and writers each year."

The award-winning partnership has yielded a desire by teachers and administrators for future collaborative efforts with other community agencies, according to MWTI director Kim Patterson.

"Using the types of processes developed in this project, Yazoo County High School can impact student learning in a positive way, helping students to reach toward their potential," she said.

Mississippi State is online at www.msstate.edu.