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Cumberland Valley School District Superintendent William E. Harner received the 2009 Ball State Administrator of the Year Award by the National Association for Gifted Children during a national ceremony on Nov. 6 in St. Louis, MO.
The award is a result of his commitment to insuring quality academics and a rigorous curriculum for all students over the years as a principal and superintendent.
“I am both humbled and honored to have received this recognition. However, I consider it a team award. A lot of hard work by a lot of people went into transforming our schools in which the quality of every student’s education matters. What I have learned is that the education of high achieving and gifted students is, more often than not, over looked. The No Child Left Behind Act almost legislates that. The NAGC recognizes that few policy and decision-makers, and educators, focus on providing high expectations and resources for these students,” said Harner. “In a knowledge-based global economy, it is these students who will become the leaders, the entrepreneurs, and the scientists of tomorrow. I believe it is also a national security issue because we are in an age where intellectual power is most relevant. But, what I love most is seeing students academically reaching for the stars and being surprised by their success.”
A common theme in Harner’s work is the emphasis of implementing a rigorous curriculum and providing the support to students so they can achieve to their highest potential. Harner’s accomplishments in the gifted education field and raising the bar for all students date back to 1998 when he served as principal of Hilton Head High School. Through his efforts, he worked with Hilton Head staff to triple student enrollment in Advanced Placement courses and implemented the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. As a result, Hilton Head is ranked by Newsweek as a top American high school.
As superintendent in Greenville County Schools, SC, with academic reforms in place, students saw their academic scholarship dollars more than triple during Harner’s superintendency. Harner attributes this to the commitment of students and staff, and to the increased academic offerings for all students.
In his four years with Greenville, he oversaw the founding of a gifted school for elementary students, the implementation of a pre-Advanced Placement initiative at the middle school level, and 11 Greenville schools become certified through the IB program. Five of Greenville’s high schools were added to Newsweek’s top American high schools list. And, the Wall Street Journal wrote a feature story on how his district doubled high poverty student enrollment and success in gifted programs.
Harner’s commitment to quality academics for all students remained at the forefront of his priorities when he took the helm at Cumberland Valley School District last year.
During his first year with CV, the district saw more than a 50 percent increase in the number of students taking Advanced Placement examinations over the prior year. Further, the staff is working to implement the IB Diploma program. The district is on track to issue its first IB diplomas to students in the Class of 2013.
Last year, 88 percent of CV students who took the college level accelerated tests in 2008-09 performed proficient or higher.
“These numbers are indicative of our student population and of our amazing teaching staff,” said Harner. “The numbers show that our teachers are committed to excellence, and that our students are willing to step up to take the most demanding courses offered.”
Harner also brought to Cumberland Valley Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska, a nationally recognized leader in gifted education, to conduct an audit of the district’s gifted education program. Her recommendations indicated strong support of implementation of the IB program at the high school level, cluster classrooms at the elementary level, and the introduction of a Pre-AP curriculum in each middle school, which began last year.
This year, CV year put into place a school-wide enrichment model concept with cluster classrooms for students in grades three to five. The cluster programs provide academic benefits to all students as it allows for more precise individualized instruction within each classroom. The program is in its first year of inception at CV, and will be measured both qualitatively and quantitatively for possible improvements for next school year.
Harner received his ED.S. from USC in 1998, and his Ph.D. in Educational Administration in 2000.
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