Video: Watch Ms. Goodwin's interview.

Goodwin continues to be a strong proponent of inclusion and leads the state in implementing inclusion in the Oxford City Schools. She is a member of the Council of Administrators for Special Education (CASE) and is a tremendous asset to the CASE executive committee. Her success stories have inspired other teachers and administrators in special education. Goodwin was instrumental in the implementation of the core reading program, Voyager Universal Literacy System in 2002. Goodwin and her staff continue to ensure the program is used with fidelity and students reach their reading goals.

According to Hasbrouck and Tindal (2005), students in the 50th percentile (national average) read 53 words per minute at the end of the first grade. Oxford City first-graders ended the year above the national average, reading 72 words per minute. Second-graders ended the year above the national average, reading 109 words per minute. And, third-graders ended the year above the national average, reading 123 words per minute. Goodwin says the success of Oxford cannot be attributed to just one factor. She credits the local government, the community, school board members, administration and most importantly the teachers. "Our teachers who make the direct contact with students have made the largest contribution to the success of our schools. They amaze me on a daily basis," says Goodwin. "The care, concern and desire to provide the best instruction possible to our students has set The Oxford System apart," she adds.

Ms. Goodwin has 17 years of experience in education and has worked with a variety of students in grades K-12. She began her teaching career educating students at the Big Oak Boys Ranch, a special place for boys who needed loving homes and parents to fill a void. She moved into the public school setting as a special education teacher and later moved into a position as a school psychometrist for the Oxford City School System. The award for outstanding Special Education Coordinator is named after former coordinator, Margaret Vann, who served as a special education coordinator in North Alabama. Ms. Vann demonstrated leadership at both local and state levels and she played a pivotal role in bringing awareness of the needs of students with disabilities to the general population.