L. Cocke ALM2 Task One Final

docx

School

Western Governors University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

D020

Subject

Sociology

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by ChancellorHyenaPerson1026

1 ALM2 Task One: School Analysis Lauren Cocke College of Education, Western Governors University Delmon Moore December 2, 2023

2 D020 Course – ALM2 Task One A1. Inequity in the Classroom According to Cole (2008), "In dealing with diverse student populations, it is crucial to consider language, heritage, culture, and other contextual factors that may influence academic achievement" (Cole, 2008). Unfortunately, in reviewing data from the "Ridgeland Academy Scenario", it is apparent that there are several groups of students who are experiencing inequity in the classroom. It is shocking to read that Ridgeland has the highest percentage of English learners (ELs) in the district, yet this group of students does not receive a diverse and inclusive education. Rather, it appears, they are scrambling for services and are passively going through the motions of their school day. The Ridgeland data reveals that 14% of the school's students are Hispanic/Latino. When looking at test scores only 40% of this ethnic group are proficient in English and Reading, 48% are proficient in math, and 51% proficient in science. With these numbers being so similar, it is apparent that across all subjects, ELs at Ridgeland are not receiving differentiated and inclusive instruction. With only one EL teacher and paraprofessional, the time it takes to work individually and in small groups with students as well as the time to collaborate with teachers and provide resources for classroom instruction is limited. Because of this, the Hispanic/Latino ethnic group at Ridgeland is underserved. A2. Contributions to Reducing Inequity In my experience in diverse education, one thing that tends to always stand out is when a teacher or peer does not know how to communicate or relate to a student, typically they tend to avoid that particular student. It may not be malicious or intentional, but this avoidance can harm a student's overall school experience. I have seen this avoidant behavior negatively impact EL students' learning because their content knowledge isn't accurately assessed. They may sit quietly

3 in class, without participating in large group discussions, due to a language barrier, and teachers may assume that their silence represents comprehension. This may be happening at Ridgeland Academy as evidenced by the Hispanic/Latino test scores. Avoiding students who are different than us can also lead to an EL student feeling disconnected, lonely, or like they've done something wrong, which affects their willingness to learn and participate in the school setting. As a professional school counselor, it breaks my heart when a student feels like they do not belong because they have a different background. Knowing this can positively contribute to reducing inequity in the classroom for Hispanic/Latino students because it draws attention to the tendencies of people to avoid what they are not familiar with. With this, teachers and administrators can proactively introduce curriculum and instruction that is multi-ethnic and celebrates differences, meeting students where they are rather than forcing them to change and forget who they are. This would also provide opportunities to advocate for EL students and the resources they need to immerse in a predominately English-speaking school district. B. Leadership Strategy for Positive Change The goal of any great culturally competent school leader is to create an environment for their students to feel welcome and safe. To promote positive change and a more equitable school experience for EL students, I would recommend a leadership strategy revolving around servant leadership. Because Ridgeland's faculty is not culturally diverse, extra efforts must be implemented to foster empathy and understanding between differing backgrounds. This servant leadership strategy is centered around community involvement. The school would open its doors to host open houses, parent/teacher nights, art shows, award nights, and events during multicultural awareness months such as National Hispanic Heritage Month. Moule (2012) states, "One way to overcome our assumptions on style is to take the time to study the communities and

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

4 the students we teach" (Moule, 2012). By collaborative efforts to connect with not just students, but their families, teachers and administrators can widen their lenses on how to meet the student where they are at. We can meet with families and develop relationships that foster trust, which impacts how the student feels about school. This, in turn, results in EL students feeling more comfortable asking for help, feeling celebrated for who they are, and having opportunities to feel proud of themselves by showcasing their efforts. Most importantly, school personnel have the opportunity to learn about the Hispanic/Latino culture and become familiar with helping students feel successful. "Seeking out additional cultural experiences and becoming familiar with various interaction styles enable people to feel comfortable and capable of playing and role effectively. Recognizing the boxes that keep us in our worlds so we can understand and sometimes transcend them is the root of cultural competence" (Moule, 2012). B1. Potential Issue in Implementation A potential issue that may arise when implementing more community involvement is teacher pushback. As I've felt before, there are days when I do not want to stay after school for a community event, especially if I am already underpaid and have spent the day dealing with a discipline issue. The Ridgeland Academy Summary data shows that 20% of all students have been suspended, and 15% of them are students of Hispanic/Latino descent. To combat teacher pushback, I would focus on educating why it is important to begin building a deeper relationship with students and their families. I would present the data that shows that Hispanic/Latino students are not reaching proficiency in any subject area, are the second-highest ethnicity to have been suspended, and there is a possible linkage between income status and test score proficiency. Simply put, we as a school have to do more to bridge the gap between home and school. We do not know what our students' lives are like outside the school building if they are living in fight-

5 or-flight mode at home, if are they getting enough to eat, and if they have anyone at home who does speak English who can help with homework. Rather than go door-to-door, we invite families in to show them what we're doing here at Ridgeland, that we care about their students, and that we develop a team between educators and parents to help the student be successful. Additionally, to thank the teachers for serving outside of their contract hours, I would work with local restaurants to find a sponsor who can provide our teachers with dinner on those longer nights. C. Culturally Responsive Teaching According to the "Ridgeland Academy Scenario", few teachers at Ridgeland have experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse students. Nearby school districts tend to attract more experienced teachers. In this, I hear that Ridgeland has less diverse, but new graduate teachers, which can mean that the teachers are willing to learn new ways to reach their students. With the faculty being less diverse than the student population, the teachers and staff must make additional efforts to empathize with and lead with a culturally competent approach. A culturally responsive teaching strategy that would promote positive change and result in a more equitable classroom experience for EL students would be to implement curriculum reform that is inclusive to and representative of Hispanic/Latino cultures. Banks and Banks (2010) describe multiple approaches to curriculum reform including contributions approach, additive approach, transformational approach, and social action approach (Banks & Banks, 2010) "The contributions approach includes the adding of different parts of cultures to the curriculum that already exists, without making changes to the material. The additive approach involves adding content, concepts, themes, and perspectives to the curriculum without changing the material. The transformational approach changes the structure of the curriculum to enable students to view

6 concepts, issues, events, and themes from other perspectives of diverse racial and cultural groups. Lastly, the social action approach encourages students to make decisions on important social issues and take action to help solve them" (Moule, 2012). My challenge for teachers of Ridgeland Academy would be to strive to implement a social action approach in their classrooms. By implementing a curriculum that challenges peers to view concepts, events, and issues from a differing perspective, like that of a Hispanic/Latino individual, a teacher can cultivate in her classroom, a family-like structure of meaningful empathy and support amongst her diverse students (Moule, 2012). Creating and cultivating an environment that empowers students to help solve social issues is a classroom in which students will show up and work hard. This is a foundation for building trust not only between a teacher and her students but between diverse peer groups as well. An EL student who is not proficient in English, Reading, or Math and who doesn't receive as many ESL services as they probably need, but feels connected to their class on a social and emotional level, is one who is more likely to ask for help, share burdens that they otherwise would silently carry, and are more likely to be invested in their education. "Today's students want to know why they need to learn certain facts, expect that they will be respected for who they are, need to have an active role in their learning process, and need personal connections to both their learning and to their teachers" (Moule, 2012). In a school where the faculty is not as diverse as the student population, teachers must make changes in their curriculum approach to bridge the gap and foster an environment of inclusivity and social action. This will promote positive change and result in a more equitable classroom experience not just for Hispanic/Latino students, but for students of all ethnicities. C1. Potential Issue in Implementation

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

7 A potential issue that may arise when implementing diverse and inclusive curriculum changes includes teachers not feeling invested in the change or their changes feeling superficial due to underlying attitudes and assumptions. To ensure effective implementation of the strategy I would have to work alongside teachers to address any biases. "Although we may individually and collectively turn from overt to covert discrimination, there is little lessening of racism's powerful influence and pain unless changes are rooted in attitude and perspective shifts rather than political correctness. Once we address underlying attitudes and assumptions, we can begin to address curriculum reform that will lead to good teaching for all children" (Moule, 2012). Challenging biases is not an easy task for leadership to address, but necessary to begin cultivating a school environment that is more equitable for underrepresented students. Without first addressing discrimination on a faculty level, asking teachers to enforce an inclusive curriculum, from the student's perspective, would feel insincere and superficial. Faculty may also show resistance to curriculum changes due to now knowing exactly how to do that. In that circumstance, it would be beneficial to provide faculty with steps to implementing the changes. Moule (2012) states "Four factors to consider in moving towards transformational cultural learning include focusing on context-rich material that relates directly to student's life experiences, allowing children to engage material on their terms, center the investigation in student ideas, and develop students' interest in how those in different times and cultures may have viewed the events and locations being studied" (Moule, 2012). The focus of these steps is to remind the teacher that their students should be the focus of the curriculum. Essentially, use the students' experiences, ages, cultures, interests, and languages intertwined within the curriculum to grasp their motivation. Addressing biases and educating teachers on how to implement

8 culturally diverse changes within their curriculum are steps to be taken to ensure effective implementation.

9 References Banks, J. A., & Banks, C. A.. (2010). Multicultural education: Issues and perspectives (7 th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Cole, R. W. (2008). Educating Everybody's Children: Diverse Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners, Revised and Expanded. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/westerngovernors-ebooks/detail.action? docID=350251 Cooper, P. (2009). The classrooms all young children need: Lessons from teaching from Vivian Paley . Chicago, IL: University of Chicago. Moule, J. (2012). Cultural Competence: A Primer for Educators (Second). Wadsworth.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

L. Cocke ALM2 Task One Final

Related Documents