Continuing Studies’ Gigliotti awarded national continuing educator award

FROM RICE NEWS STAFF REPORTS

Jennifer Gigliotti, director of Teacher Professional Development Programs at the Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, is the 2011 recipient of the Adelle F. Robertson Continuing Professional Educator Award from the University Professional Continuing Education Association (UPCEA). The award recognizes the scholarship, leadership and contributions to the profession of a person who has entered the continuing education profession in the past five to 10 years.

	JENNIFER GIGLIOTTI

During her tenure at Rice, Gigliotti has made significant contributions to the growth and quality of programs for K-12 teachers, administrators and students. She is responsible for the planning and execution of Rice’s Advanced Placement Summer Institute, one of the largest in the nation, attracting more than 2,300 teachers a year. She has also designed and executed new models of AP professional development, including online courses believed to be the first of their kind in the nation.

Notably, Gigliotti wrote and was awarded a Department of Education Teaching American History Grant for $998,000 written in collaboration with Spring Branch and Fort Bend independent school districts. The program was designed to raise student achievement by improving teachers’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation of American history. She also designed such innovative programs as the Global Education Certificate Program, the Petroleum Academy and the 4×4 Science Symposium.

”I’ve taken great pleasure in watching Jennifer emerge as a true leader within the field of continuing education,” said Paul Sanders, executive director of Teacher Professional Development Programs. ”In her brief four years at Rice, she has earned the trust and respect of not only her colleagues, but also among the teachers and administrators with whom she interacts throughout the Houston K-12 community. We could not be more proud of Jennifer for the deserved recognition she is receiving from UPCEA.”

Gigliotti recently received her doctorate in education from the University of Houston. Research for her dissertation, ”Fulfilling Its Mission? The Promotion of International-Mindedness in IB DP Programmes,” was conducted at Rice’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme workshops through surveys and interviews of IB teachers.

In 2008, the Texas Council for Social Studies invited Gigliotti to make recommendations in preparation for the State Board of Education’s revision and adoption of the new social studies section of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills student exam.

The nomination was submitted by the UPCEA South Region after the region awarded Gigliotti its Professional Continuing Education Leader Award last fall. As the principal U.S. organization for continuing higher education, UPCEA assists institutions of higher learning and affiliated nonprofit organizations to increase access through a wide array of educational programs and services. UPCEA also provides national leadership in support of policies that advance workforce and professional development.

Teacher Professional Development Programs at Rice University’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies served more than 4,000 teachers in 2010 in programs that focus on improving content knowledge and instructional strategies. The school also offers programs for high school students that emphasize personal growth through curriculum-based education and authentic experiences.