The US Math Recovery Council® Pioneer Award is designed to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of numeracy. Selection criteria includes years of distinguished service, with particular achievement in leadership, teaching, service, and commitment to growth.

We are pleased to announce the inaugural 2014 Pioneer Award Recipient, Dr. Robert J. Wright. Dr. Wright's nomination packet included many sentiments to solidify his status as a pioneer in transforming numeracy education such as: "Dr. Wright has transformed the world of mathematics through his extensive research of assessing and understanding children's numerical knowledge and strategies." and "Dr. Wright has provided remarkable service towards the betterment of hundreds of teachers and thousands of children in the United States through his ongoing research, professional publications, and professional development."

The Pioneer Award Committee presented the award on May 6, 2014, at the Math Recovery® Conference in Austin, TX. Unfortunately, Dr. Wright was unable to attend our conference this year. He asked Ann Stafford Dillon, one of his co-authors and founder of US Math Recovery®, to accept the award on his behalf.

Dr. Robert J. (Bob) Wright is an internationally recognized leader in assessment and instruction relating to children's early arithmetical knowledge and strategies, publishing four books, and many articles and papers in this field. His work over the last 20 years has included the development of the Mathematics Recovery Program, which focuses on providing specialist training for teachers to advance the numeracy levels of young children assessed as low-attainers. In Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the UK, the USA, Canada, Mexico and elsewhere this program has been implemented widely, and applied extensively to classroom teaching of average and able learners as well as low-attainers. Dr. Wright has conducted several research projects funded by the Australian Research Council including the most recent focusing on assessment and intervention in the early arithmetical learning of low-attaining 8–10-year-olds. He holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in mathematics from the University of Queensland (Australia) and a doctoral degree in mathematics education from the University of Georgia in the U.S. He is an adjunct professor in mathematics education at Southern Cross University in New South Wales.

"In mathematics the art of proposing a question must be held of higher value than solving it." -Georg Cantor
Selection Criteria – Click here to view the complete selection criteria and download the rubric.

We welcome submissions for the 2015 Pioneer Award. The nomination packet should be included in a single packet addressed to US Math Recovery Council®, 15025 Glazier Avenue Suite 207, Apple Valley, MN 55124. The nomination packet must be postmarked by November 1 to be considered the following year.