Dr.

Angela Elsass, Associate Clinical Professor

208 Peabody Hall u Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701 u (479) 601-2722
Department of Curriculum & Instruction, College of Education & Health Professions

April 30, 2020

To Whom It May Concern:

It is my privilege to recommend Miss Madison Foshee for a teaching position in your school. I have had the
opportunity to supervise and teach Miss Foshee at the University of Arkansas while she was enrolled in the
Master of Arts in Teaching program. Due to the nature of these programs, I have been able to establish a
personal and professional relationship with Madison, as she was a student and under my supervision
during a yearlong internship while preparing to become a career teacher. I am confident in my ability to
provide a very objective recommendation due to my position as faculty in a teacher preparation program,
as well as having served as a principal and a teacher in the elementary, middle and junior high grades. I
understand the personal, professional and instructional skills that must be considered when hiring a
classroom teacher and I am confident that Madison will be an asset to the students, school, and the district
for which she will serve as a classroom teacher.

In regard to my position as an instructor in the K-6 Teacher Preparation Program, I observed that Miss
Foshee is respected by her peers and the mentor teachers who have supervised her. Her positive attitude
and friendly personality make her well-liked by all individuals that have come to know her during this
journey of becoming a teacher. She has a cooperative spirit and works well with the other students in our
program. She is reflective and responsible in her coursework and makes the effort to plan and prepare
instruction that will make her lessons engaging and meaningful for students.

Madison is currently completing a yearlong internship and has had the opportunity to experience
placements in 2nd grade at Holcomb Elementary and departmentalized experiences in a middle level setting
in 5th grade science and 6th grade ELA, in the Fayetteville Public School District. She has gained experience
using the Science of Reading research, as well as awareness of strategies to support at-risk learners in
literacy instruction. She demonstrated the skills to design motivating and engaging lessons that align with
state curriculum standards and the district scope and sequence. She has the knowledge and capability to
provide innovative instruction through a variety of strategies that target personalized learning experiences,
as well as effectiveness in classroom management skills. Madison will receive an endorsement in reading
upon graduation for completion of additional coursework specializing in dyslexia and literacy instruction.

Miss Foshee has shown effectiveness in using formative assessments to guide her instruction and has
experience in designing curriculum units using the Understanding by Design model. She designed a two-
week unit for a second grade class using this model in which she effectively taught a unit on fairy tales while
integrating a conceptual understanding of perspective through narratives. Students learned strategies for
reading comprehension and writing during this unit of study.
Miss Foshee also designed and implemented an action research study on the effects of Close Reading
Strategies and Informational Text Comprehension. It was evident through the motivation and
engagement of the students during this intervention that she was successful in designing and implementing
this action research project; however, she was not able to complete the project due to school cancellations
in Arkansas due to COVID-19 in March 2020. The data collection for determining student progress showed
an increase in informational text comprehension through close reading strategies. The intervention data
would most likely have shown significant results if instruction with close reading strategies had continued
and the intervention had not been halted due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

In a conversation I recently had with Madison, she stated that her learning during internship has improved
her understanding of the importance of personalized learning. Her experiences of learning how to group
students based on needs through assessment data has helped her to see the difference it can make in
academic growth. She noted that when a teacher can individualize learning goals though evidence gained
from data, it is so much easier to evaluate and monitor individual learning strengths and gaps. This also
helped her to realize that a smaller group setting can also build confidence through collaboration and the
“safety” of small group settings. Miss Foshee is able to meet the daily challenges of teaching with a positive
attitude and demonstrates the skillset to respond appropriately and effectively in meeting the challenges of
these learners.

I am confident that Miss Foshee has the dedication for working with a student population that is diverse
and have seen the evidence of how she strives to meet the needs for both enriching lessons and scaffolding
to support high-risk students. Miss Foshee has knowledge of the content and pedagogy for designing
cohesive instruction and was evaluated during her internship experience with Charlotte Danielson’s
Framework for Teaching, which aligns with the Arkansas Teacher Effectiveness and Support System (TESS)
evaluation model.

I recommend Madison Foshee for employment as a classroom teacher in your district. She has proven
herself worthy as a dedicated teacher candidate who possesses the desire to share her knowledge of
teaching in a classroom setting. The opportunity for Miss Foshee to share her talent in the classroom will
be beneficial for the students she will teach. I am confident that she will be respected by the parents,
students, and the faculty of the school in which she serves.

Please consider Madison Foshee for employment as a K-6 classroom teacher. She will make a difference for
her students, regardless of their diverse experiences and learning needs. I am more than happy to answer
any questions you may have in regard to Miss Foshee and my recommendation for her as a potential
teacher in your district. You may contact me at (479) 601-2722 or by email at aelsass@uark.edu.

Sincerely,

Dr. Angela Elsass, Associate Clinical Professor

University of Arkansas, College of Education & Health Professions
K-6 Teacher Preparation Program, Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Liaison to Fayetteville Public Schools and Supervisor of Teacher Candidate Internship Experience
Peabody Hall 208
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 601-2722
aelsass@uark.edu