 The National STAR Training Cadre Bios Ann Marie Barter
Ann Marie Barter started her career in Adult Education as a literacy volunteer in 1992. Since then, she has taught ABE, GED, ESOL and HSD courses as well as coordinating an ABE program and working as the Assistant Director in Sanford, Maine. Ann Marie has facilitated projects for the Maine Department of Education including standards-based curriculum development. Currently, she works as a professional development consultant assisting the Maine Adult Education Team in their PD re-design initiative.
Ann Marie has been training for the Equipped for the Future Reading Project, worked with Anne Davies to assist with learner-centered assessment training in Maine, and most recently was Maine's lead teacher/professional developer for the STAR pilot project.
Ann Marie has an M.S. degree from the University of Southern Maine. She was recognized as the Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 2001 by the Maine Adult Education Association and earned an Outstanding Leadership Award by the Maine State Adult Education Team in 2005.
Evelyn Beaulieu
Evelyn Beaulieu began her work in adult education in 1982 as an adult basic education teacher and continued on in that program to serve as the adult education program coordinator and then the local program director. For sixteen years she was at the Center for Adult Learning and Literacy, at the University of Maine, which was responsible for statewide adult education professional development, that last twelve years she was the Director at the Center. During her tenure at the Center for Adult Learning and Literacy she led the Maine STAR Training Team. Since 2000, she has taught Reading Essentials for Adult Literacy for Maine Adult Education practitioners, and Current Issues for Adult Education Directors, a graduate course for directors. She was the state contact and/or trainer for several national adult education initiatives; including Bridges to Practice, Project IDEAL, Equipped for the Future, and the Reading Excellence Act. She was the Maine state lead, professional developer and adult literacy specialist when Maine was a STAR pilot state. She also served as a COABE Regional Representative, providing national leadership for adult education practitioners.
Evelyn is currently the Curriculum Coordinator for two local K-12 school districts in Maine where she is responsible for curriculum, instruction and assessment policies and procedures in the local schools. She brings her years of teaching, facilitating statewide professional development, training in national initiatives, and her adolescent/adult literacy expertise to this position.
Evelyn earned a Doctorate in Literacy at the University of Maine with a focus on adolescent and adult literacy. Her doctoral research was on standards-based adult education professional development. Her Masters Degree is in Education, majoring in Adult Education.
Laura Bercovitz
Laura Bercovitz has worked in professional development in adult education and family literacy for more than 22 years. Primarily, she conducts training for teachers and administrators in the areas of reading, family literacy and outcome-based program development with the Adult Learning Resource Center through various state and national projects.
Laura is involved with STAR in a multitude of ways. She is a member of the national STAR team and helped with the Tool Kit and STAR Institute training development, and is also a national STAR trainer. As a STAR coach, she currently assists candidates in the STAR certification process.
In addition, Laura works with the State on the Illinois STAR Initiative and delivers STAR training to programs in northern Illinois. Providing extensive site-based technical assistance has afforded Laura opportunities to visit programs and observe instructors as they implement support, and teach evidence-based reading. When time allows, Laura likes to return to the ABE classroom to teach.
Stephen Dolainski
Stephen Dolainski entered the field of adult literacy in 1989 as a volunteer reading tutor for the Los Angeles Public Library. His experience in adult education includes teaching in ESL, adult secondary, and ABE reading programs. Currently, he is an ABE Program Adviser for Los Angeles Unified School District, which serves more than 8,000 adult literacy learners each year. He trains ABE teachers, advises administrators on program implementation, develops curriculum, and actively supports teachers in the field. He also presents at local, state and national conferences and meetings. In 2008-2009, the ABE Program is implementing Evidence-based Reading Instruction in 18 LA Unified adult schools. Stephen received STAR training while he served as an agency liaison for LAUSD to coordinate the participation of three LA adult schools in the California STAR pilot project.
Tawna A. Eubanks
Tawna A. Eubanks began her career in adult education in 1991 as an ABLE/GED instructor. She was honored as the Outstanding ABLE Instructor for the Southwest Region in Ohio in 1998. Tawna continues to serve in the Hamilton City Able Program as an instructor and participates in several national and local projects.
Tawna participated in the Equipped for the Future national data collection in the areas of reading, writing, technology, and cooperation. She was a member of the national Equipped for the Future Training Team as well as Ohio's EFF Training Team. Currently, Tawna is a member of the national cadre of STAR trainers, is involved in the national STAR Project in Ohio, and has used the STAR Tool Kit to assist intermediate reading students in her own classroom.
Tawna Eubanks obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Miami University in Ohio.
Elizabeth Griffin
Elizabeth Griffin has worked in the field of adult literacy since 1975. Her varied experiences include serving as an ABE Coordinator, teaching all levels of adult ESL, ABE reading and language arts and Adult Secondary subjects. Currently she is an ABE Program Adviser for the Los Angeles Unified School District, guiding a program that serves over 8,000 students a year. She designs and delivers staff development, develops curriculum, advises administrators on program implementation, and actively supports teachers in the field. She also presents at local, state and national conferences and meetings.
Elizabeth received the STAR training while she served as agency liaison for LAUSD and coordinated the participation of three LA adult school sites in the California STAR pilot project. She is currently involved in the initial delivery of STAR training to LAUSD teachers and administrators and helping to guide implementation of EBRI at those school sites.
Becki Lemke
Becki Lemke has worked in adult education since 1999. She is currently the education coordinator for Cornerstones Career Learning Center in Huron, South Dakota. Under Becki's leadership, the Cornerstones Adult Education & Literacy Program has been recognized for meeting all performance measures twice in three years and for piloting numerous adult education initiatives for the state of South Dakota in the areas of data management, program enrollment, and workplace programming.
Becki has extensive experience in curriculum writing, and has designed curriculum units which incorporate scientifically-based reading practices into all adult education and GED preparation classes taught at Cornerstones. She has developed and presented numerous training programs at the state, regional, and national level. In addition, she served as a STAR Coach for South Dakota, observing and mentoring reading instructors from five programs.
Becki Lemke has a bachelor's degree in English and secondary education from Buena Vista University in Iowa.
Laurie Martin
Laurie Martin has been involved in adult education for over twenty years and has served in many capacities, including ESL and ABE instructor, program administrator, professional developer, and volunteer tutor. At present, she is a professional development specialist with the Adult Learning Resource Center, where she conducts training for adult education teachers and program administrators at the local, state, and national levels primarily in the areas of reading, ESL and learning disabilities. She continues to teach ABE and ESL classes in local adult education programs.
Laurie was a member of the team which developed the pilot and final versions of the practitioner Tool Kit and training for the STAR project. She also developed and delivered training for the STAR pilot in Illinois and the subsequent expansion of evidence-based reading instruction in the state.
Laurie holds a master's degree in Applied Linguistics/TESL from Northeastern Illinois University.
Jane Meyer
Jane Meyer began her work in ABLE in 1990 as a volunteer tutor, served as a family literacy teacher and Even Start facilitator. She is currently ABLE coordinator for Canton City Schools. Under Jane's direction, the Canton ABLE program has earned several state and national awards.
Jane was a member of the National Institute for Literacy's Reading Research Working Group. She participated on NIFL's design team to develop reading training for family literacy programs based on scientifically-based reading research and EFF. Jane has served the STAR project in many roles including member of the national STAR planning team, assisting in the development of the STAR Tool Kit, STAR trainer, STAR coach, and administrator of a local STAR pilot program.
Jane Meyer has a master's degree in Curriculum and Supervision from Miami University in Ohio.
Lynn Reese
Lynn Reese began her work in adult education as a classroom aide in an evening basic skills class. That involvement soon grew to include being an instructor, a tutor, tutor trainer and developmental reading instructor at a community college. Currently, Lynn is the coordinator of an Ohio Regional Resource Center which is charged with providing professional development to adult basic and literacy educators in reading and writing.
Lynn has participated in reading initiatives for adults including directing the adoption of reading standards for Ohio ABLE, development and delivery of reading trainings, chairing a statewide reading steering committee, and planning a statewide reading conference. Her current reading efforts are focused on providing continued technical support to the Ohio STAR pilots and planning staff development to support teachers in their work with adult readers at all levels. Lynn has provided STAR training in Mississippi, Rhode Island, Minnesota and Ohio.
Lynn earned her B.S in Education from the Ohio State University and has completed numerous graduate level courses in reading.
Amy R. Trawick
Amy Trawick has been involved in adult education and literacy since 1994. She began as a tutor for Literacy Volunteers of America and has worked as an ABE/GED teacher, program administrator, and developmental reading instructor in Virginia and North Carolina. Based at the Center for Literacy Studies in Knoxville, TN, her current work consists of consulting, training, research, and curriculum development in the areas of adult reading instruction, contextualized teaching and learning, and standards-based education. Recent projects include ongoing training in the Equipped for the Future (EFF) Reading Project, providing training and consulting for the Student Achievement in Reading (STAR) initiative, and consulting with Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Oregon, and Massachusetts on standards development and implementation in the area of reading.
Amy Trawick earned a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Teaching from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Her concentration was in adolescent and adult reading education, and her research focused on adult intermediate readers.
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