Dr. Armãndo Tolliver is an education practitioner who brings years of proficient experience in the field, alongside an extraordinary breadth of
knowledge and ability in facing demands to accomplish achievement for all,
academic excellence, education leadership, and creative genius! As indicated in
his first writing post, Reform Building-Level Solutions, indeed, he has
taught and tutored a broad cross-section of student populations, from the
sheltered suburban students, to the melting pot of inner city school youth. Thus, he is adept at addressing the achievement gaps, or better stated "access gaps" that persist in many schools today.
A National Board-Certified candidate and member of professional educators in the School District of Philadelphia, eighth largest school district in the nation by enrollment, serving a racially and ethnically diverse student population. Dr. Tolliver is a results-oriented educator with a remarkable track record of driving student achievement, and a proven ability to empower and support all learners, inclusive of those from traditionally marginalized backgrounds. He fosters a culture of continuous improvement by leading change initiatives. He excels at ensuring high-quality instruction and achieving strong results through effective implementation. Dr. Tolliver prioritizes well-aligned curriculum, ensuring a cohesive learning experience. He adeptly assesses student growth and program effectiveness, keeping stakeholders informed of progress and student achievement. Furthermore, Dr. Tolliver maximizes professional impact by actively engaging families, caregivers, and the broader community. An active member, leader and contributor throughout the
academic community, Dr. Tolliver has a keen eye for recognizing and realizing the potential of both organizations and individuals.
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| Dr. Tolliver with Philadelphia's former superintendent, Dr. William Hite. |
Dr. Tolliver's career path has been like a toolbox filled with different tools for improvement. No matter the role, whether teacher or administrator, his focus has always been on designing, developing, and driving change efforts for continuous improvement, while systematically guiding others through the change process to positively impact the culture and performance of schools.
Dr. Tolliver's impact extends beyond the classroom walls. He actively builds connections between the school, families, and the community, forging partnerships that benefit students and enrich the neighborhood, for example through the Students With A Goal (SWAG) Campaign. These efforts have resulted in increased resources, stronger stakeholder engagement, and a laser focus on student success. Dr. Tolliver tackles complex challenges head-on by developing and implementing practical, measurable, and replicable solutions that address these issues, allowing others to make a lasting impact.
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A Story of Impact Through Data...
Dr. Tolliver is a leader in student achievement who builds not only student success, but also organizational capacity for lasting impact. Throughout his career with the School District of Philadelphia, he has consistently driven impressive academic gains in classrooms and across entire schools, transforming learning experiences for all students (see history of success).
Early Success: During the 2010-2011 school year, Dr. Tolliver's strategic plan and strong pedagogical practices led to a 30% increase in student academic gains. Over 25% of his students scored in the 70th percentile on district biology benchmarks.
Transformational Leadership from the Classroom: Data from the 2013-2014 school year reveals that 69% of Dr. Tolliver's students met Pennsylvania Academic Growth Standards while under his instruction at a District neighborhood high school. Furthermore, student class averages exceeded district and regional averages during Fall 2014 and Winter 2015 Biology Benchmarks. The 2016 data for this assigned location indicated that 94% of his students showed evidence for exceeding growth. This success culminated in double proficiency performance for the entire school on the Pennsylvania Keystone Exam for Biology in 2016, propelling the school's performance tier for Biology from "intervene" to "model" status in both progress on achievement and progress on equity. Dr. Tolliver's leadership significantly contributed to the school's overall rating of exceeding the standard for Pennsylvania academic growth in Biology and recognition as one of Philadelphia's most improved high schools.
Replication of Success: Despite a change in location, Dr. Tolliver's impact remained consistent. In 2017, 100% of his students who completed the Pennsylvania Keystone Exam for Biology achieved proficient (31% of students) or advanced (69% of students) scores.
The teacher value-added index further solidified his effectiveness in exceeding growth standards. Even in a subsequent new location, Dr. Tolliver's students demonstrably met academic growth standards.
Building School Capacity: Dr. Tolliver's impact extends beyond his own classroom. He has fostered a culture of high-quality teaching and learning, empowering other teachers to drive positive change. This, coupled with his development of sustainable systems ensuring equity and access for all students, has led to sustained growth trends across entire schools. One such school, facing significant learning loss due to the global pandemic, witnessed a remarkable rise in growth indicators, moving from "well below" to "meets or well above" in state-assessed subjects. The school's value-added index in 2021, indicated evidence that the school met the growth standard for PA Academic Growth in both Literature and Biology. Similarly, evidence for 2022, indicated the the school met the growth standard for PA Academic Growth in Literature, and moderate evidence that the school exceeded the growth standard in Biology. By 2023, significant evidence indicated that the school exceeded the growth standard in both Biology and Literature.
Dr. Tolliver has shown student academic growth year after year, and he continues to effectively leverage his unique blend of educational success qualifications with schools, programs, and institutions as an Educational Consultant.
From Science to Education Leadership...
Dr. Tolliver's educational journey began with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Dillard University, a prestigious historically Black college located in New Orleans, Louisiana. This experience ignited his passion for science and research, which later fueled his graduate studies in Education Leadership.
He holds a Master's degree in Education Leadership from Strayer University in the District of Columbia and a Doctorate in K-12 Education Leadership from Jones International University. His academic research has focused on exploring salient nonacademic factors related to social, economic and cultural aspects together with traditional academic factors that influence persistence and retention in higher education so that remediation of the impact of these factors can commence at the primary and secondary levels. As indicated in his publication, Influence of Socioeconomic Status on College Retention in Metro North Philadelphia, accurate and comprehensive information about factors that affect retention forms the basis of a successful high school college preparation program that will tend to mitigate the impact of these factors thus ameliorating retention once students matriculate into higher education programs without the need for added remediation.
A Record of Recognition and Leadership...
Dr. Tolliver's dedication to education is evident not just in his results, but also in the numerous accolades he has received throughout his journey. During his time at Dillard University, Dr. Tolliver's academic excellence was recognized by his induction into five prestigious National Honor Societies, including Beta Kappa Chi Scientific, Beta Beta Beta, National Institutes of Science, Alpha Chi Collegiate, and Alpha Kappa Mu.
His career accolades include becoming a National Board-Certified candidate, Leadership Alliance Doctoral Scholar, finalist for the Christian R. and Mary S. Lindback Foundation Excellence in Education Award for distinguished teaching, Fishman Prize for Superlative Classroom Practice nominee, Council of Great City School's Queen Smith Award 2016 nominee for significant contributions to education and the community, National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY) Outstanding Black Males Teacher Fellow done in conjunction with the National Education Association, and a recipient of The Fellowship 2016 Impact Award for his achievements as a leading educator in the city of Philadelphia.
Dr. Tolliver is also a member and affiliated with many professional organizations including Network of Extraordinary Talent (NExT) Philadelphia, an affinity group of the Urban League of Philadelphia, National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), Pennsylvania Science Teachers Association (PSTA), Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT), National Education Writers Association (EWA), America Association of School Administrators (AASA), National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE), The Leadership Alliance, National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and Black Doctoral Network Inc. (BDN). Recognized by colleagues for integrity, excellence, initiative and enthusiasm. A true motivator and student/faculty ally.
Dr. Tolliver's impact resonates across roles, earning him accolades from colleagues, students, and administrators alike. Click HERE to get a a glimpse into what others say makes him a true leader in education.
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The Legacy: Inspiring Growth, Perseverance, and Purpose...
Dr. Tolliver reflects on the enduring impact he aspires to have. Here is what he shared about the legacy he hopes to leave.
"I once read a quote by Joel Barker, “ Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time. Action with vision is making a positive difference.” During my daily reflection, I often ask myself what is really important and then I retain the courage to build my life around the answer, not focused on making excuses for why something cannot be done, rather focusing on all the reasons why it must happen and taking concrete steps to actualize my vision. These moments of reflection have continued to solidify my conviction to serve, advocate, and educate –challenging student’s intellect paired with nurturing each student’s mind, body, spirit, and creative talents in order to sustain success in a world of incessant cultural and economic change. My classroom focus has always been to create continuous, relevant, and adaptive learning experiences for each student. I have been successful in achieving this by exposing students to robust innovative teaching and promoting alternatives to the traditional classroom environment, while adopting pedagogical approaches that extend beyond the status quo. Accordingly, I maintain a sincere desire to create a platform for people to learn, experience and grow. Above all, I stand committed to not only to give every child the hope that learning is truly the passport to achieving dreams, but also to provide them with a forum to pledge their commitment to life-long education, starting with a promise to complete high school and stay dedicated to the conscientious use of their attainment.
As an educator, advocate, mentor, and scholar, the legacy I wish to leave is that what is well planned and well maintained can grow and prosper for many decades; always CHALLENGE YOURSELF to be the best that you can be; BE COURTEOUS, treat anyone you encounter with respect and dignity; and always BE RELENTLESS and give the best you have to offer, for an inventor once said, and I paraphrase, “I have not failed, I have just found ten thousand ways that do not work”. In other words, if you fail, never give up because it is really just a "first attempt in learning," and the end is not really the end because "effort never dies." If you get no as an answer, relax because it just means "next opportunity." You do not really fail until you quit. Remember there are times in life when something constructive is born out of adversity, show fortitude and BE COURAGEOUS. My best advice is to DREAM BIG, be reflective and plan your future, because a life without goals will be a life without purpose. Hopefully, this journey in life will enrich each of us with personal and intellectual growth providing a strong sense of identity, openness to new experiences, autonomy and the ability to take risks. Finally, know that there is a greater power we all have to answer to at this end of this life journey; may we be forever mindful of those on whose shoulders we stand as well as those who follow in our path, but also demonstrate genuine altruism and humility."
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