[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 107 (Friday, June 29, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1461]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING BRODIE CLARK

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON LEWIS

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 28, 2007

  Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Madam speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Brodie Clark, a student at Greenwood High School in Kentucky's Warren 
County School District. Brodie is the recipient of the spring 2007 
Outstanding Student Award from Carnegie Learning, a publisher of 
research-based math curricula for middle school and high school 
students. Brodie received this award for his success in math, and also 
for his ability to appreciate the practical applications of math 
concepts--not just memorized formulas--in his everyday life.
  Brodie is a 10th grade Algebra II student, and enjoys using the 
Carnegie Learning curricula in Ms. Lee's Algebra II class. Brodie has 
excelled beyond Ms. Lee's expectations and has challenged himself to 
complete every Algebra II unit before the end of the school year; a 
task which is nearly complete. He has emerged as a leader in his 
Algebra II class, helping other students understand the material and 
stay on task.
  In his spare time, Brodie enjoys playing disc golf, a sport in which 
he constantly uses math. ``Whether I am trying to figure out the 
distance to the basket, or my score, addition and subtraction are 
constantly being performed. I have to think about the angle I am going 
to throw the disc, and what speed I want to throw it,'' said Brodie. 
``Thanks to math, I am able to do all of this in my head with ease. 
Playing disc golf and doing math allows me to combine my two favorite 
things.''
  Brodie received the Outstanding Student Award from Carnegie Learning, 
a developer of math programs for middle school, high school, and 
postsecondary students. Carnegie Learning is helping students across 
the Commonwealth of Kentucky increase their achievement in math, and in 
a recent evaluation by the Kentucky Committee for Mathematics 
Achievement, was the only one of nine curricula to receive the top 
ranking in every category in the committee's assessment of intermediate 
and middle grades math intervention programs.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing 
Brodie's achievement in math education, and in encouraging more 
students to appreciate the importance of math and science education. In 
the global economy of the 21st century, knowledge of math is absolutely 
critical. While our Nation is concerned by reports that our students 
are falling behind in basic math skills, Brodie Clark is proving that 
our students can succeed if they have access to quality resources, and 
the support of dedicated family and teachers. I would also like to 
thank Carnegie Learning for recognizing his exceptional efforts.

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