She has demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication to fostering a joyful, safe, and rigorous learning environment for her students.
LITTLETON, CO, August 20, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Jennifer Shoemaker Norris, MEd, has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Ms. Norris is a tenured professional in the education sector who has served as a principal at Traylor Academy in Denver Public Schools since 2020. With a career spanning over a decade, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication to fostering a joyful, safe, and rigorous learning environment for her students. Ms. Norris manages a team of over 40 faculty members and the education of over 300 diverse students, ensuring that operations run smoothly and that quality teaching is consistently delivered.
Having begun her career as a reading aide with Manhattan–Ogden USD 383 in Manhattan, Kansas, in 2010, Ms. Norris transitioned to Denver Public Schools in 2011. She taught first grade for one year before moving on to teach kindergarten from 2012 to 2014. Her early literacy and English language development expertise was further honed during her tenure as an elementary school teacher and coach for the district between 2014 and 2018. In 2017, Ms. Norris also took on the role of Ritchie principal intern at Ford Elementary School, which paved the way for her subsequent position as an assistant principal from 2018 to 2020 at Colfax Elementary School.
Throughout her career, Ms. Norris has achieved significant milestones. She is most proud of her work as a teacher and principal where she successfully turned around performance metrics and exceeded expectations. Notably, she raised state assessment scores in literacy for third graders from 4% proficient to 34% proficient in one year. Under her instructional leadership, 72% of Kindergarteners met state literacy expectations at a Title I school. Additionally, Ms. Norris was recognized for contributing an article recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in 2023 for its promising family and community involvement practices.
Ms. Norris holds a Bachelor of Science in elementary education and teaching with a concentration in English as a Second Language from Kansas State University since 2011 and a Master of Science in educational leadership and policy studies, summa cum laude, from the University of Denver since 2020. Adding to her credentials, she holds several professional credentials, including a teacher license from the Colorado Department of Education since 2011, a certificate in Women in Leadership from the Yale School of Management since 2021, a Colorado principal license since 2021, a QPR Gatekeeper designation by the QPR Institute in 2022, and certification in Orton-Gillingham Phonics by MaxScholar LLC since 2023. Ms. Norris is fluent in English and Spanish.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Ms. Norris is actively involved in various civic organizations. She has been a cheer and poms coach at Traylor Academy since 2022. She has also been volunteering with Ken-Caryl Little League and has been a new leader onboarding mentor for Denver Public Schools since 2024. Her other volunteer activities include fundraising for scholarships for various educational institutions and mentoring aspiring school leaders through their graduate programs. Ms. Norris is also active in the Denver School Leaders Association and is a life member of the Kansas State Alumni Association and Kappa Delta Sorority.
Ms. Norris has received numerous awards throughout her career, including recognition as the Top Performing Kindergarten Team by the Denver Public Schools Department of Assessment, Research, and Evaluation in 2014, a Centers of Excellence from the Colorado Department of Education in 2017, a Distinguished Teaching Award in 2018, and among others, a Women's History Month Award from Denver Public Schools in 2023.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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