Melba D. Woodruff was a classroom teacher for over 40 years and it was in the classroom where she had her most profound impact.  She encouraged her students to do their best, dream their dreams, and work hard to fulfill them.  For many of her students Woodruff was more than their professor, she became their mentor and friend.  In addition, Woodruff was a leader of the profession as an author and officer of many professional organizations.

In recognition of Woodruff’s dedication to the profession this award was established in 2004 with funds from a series of national conferences on foreign language acquisition by children donated by Dr. Michael Evans and Dr. Rosemarie Benya to recognize an exemplary K-6 foreign language program.  An annual stipend of $500, which will be award to the school or school district, is provided by Wright Group/McGraw Hill.

Criteria for Selection

Submissions must describe how the program is exemplary in each of the following five areas:

1. Program Model
   1. Elementary school foreign language program during the school day in place for a minimum of five years.
   2. Participation open to all students.
   3. Articulation plan for elementary school through high school for sequential language learning.
   4. Periodic program evaluation.
2. Curriculum
   1. Curriculum aligned with the “5 Cs” of the national standards.
   2. Integration of language with content areas as appropriate to the program model and grade level.
3. Staffing
   1. Elementary school foreign language teachers are highly qualified for their positions.
   2. Evidence of active involvement of staff in foreign language professional organizations that promote early language learning.
   3. Evidence of teacher participation in foreign language professional development.
   4. Communication among language teachers and classroom teachers (if appropriate to the model).
   5. Evidence of teamwork in school, school district and community.
4. Advocacy
   1. Evidence of promoting early language learning, advocating for early language learning in the community and interaction with the community.
5. Achievement
   1. Evidence of student success.
   2. Program outcomes aligned with program model.

Procedures for Nominations

The nominating packet should include the following:

1. Narrative that addresses the above criteria from program teachers and administrators.
2. Documentation, such as newspaper articles, that support the above criteria.
3. Letters from parents, administrators, professional organization leaders, teachers from other content areas, including classroom teachers.
4. The entire dossier packet should not exceed 30 pages (each side of a page denotes one page).  Packets should be submitted online.

Procedures for Selection Committee

1. Committee members review submissions by individual applicants.
2. Committee members rate and rank the submissions.
3. At the discretion of the committee, the award may or may not be presented during a given year.
4. No member of the ACTFL Board of Directors or Officer may write a letter of support for any award nominee or actively shepherd the nomination of an award candidate.  If a dossier packet is resubmitted that contains a support letter written prior to the establishment of these guidelines, that letter will be removed from the packet by the Committee Chair.
5. No member of the ACTFL Board of Directors, Officer, or contracted employee is eligible for nomination for any award while holding these positions.

Deadlines

• Nomination submitted online on or before: May 28.
• Copies of all documentation pertaining to the winner sent to the ACTFL Executive Director: September 1.
• Copies of all documentation pertaining to finalist(s) returned to individual(s) who submitted them: September 1.
• Woodruff Award Chairperson submits a 200-word statement on why the recipient was chosen: September 30.
• Representative(s) of the winning program submits 150-word acceptance remarks to be printed in Awards Ceremony Brochure: September 30.

Previous Recipients

2012: E. E. Waddell Language Academy, Charlotte, North Carolina; 2011: West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, Plainsboro, NJ 2010: Holliston Public Schools, Holliston, MA; 2009: East Grand Rapids Public Schools, Grand Rapids, MI; 2008: The River Oaks Baptist School, Houston, TX; 2007: Winston-Salem/forsyth County Schools, Winston-Salem, NC; 2006: St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, MN; 2005:  Eisenhower International School, Tulsa, OK.

Award nominations should be submitted online. SUBMIT NOW. Please sure to use the appropriate cover sheet when preparing your nomination packet for submission.