Eric Kursman May 1, 2012 George Mason University EDLE 690 Dr. Diana DAmico
SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 2
OVERVIEW Over the past three years, Blue Ridge Middle School has upheld an excellent track record for academic achievement; however, as reading scores for Special Education students improve over the course of their three years in the building, scores start out initially low in sixth grade. Based on testing data over the past three years, sixth grade Special Education students scored below state and national standards on the SOL Reading test. By failing to meet academic expectations for all students in the English department, specifically the sixth grade Special Education population, the school failed to meet AYP and failed to fulfill its mission statement -- its promise to its students, their families, and the surrounding community. Although Blue Ridge is doing very well as a whole, this shortcoming casts a shadow on the schools shining record for academic achievement. Based on key themes that emerged within vast amounts of educational research on reading within Special Education populations, I believe we need to focus on the root causes of these low scores: vocabulary skills and test data analyses. To effectively remedy this root cause, I propose we create a year-long professional development program for all core content-area teachers that strengthens explicit, cross-curricular vocabulary instruction and provides methods and strategies for teachers to interpret and use reading test scores to help drive individual instruction within their classroom. With this intervention, the experienced faculty at Blue Ridge Middle School can remedy the root causes of sixth grade Special Education Reading test scores: inadequate vocabulary skills and both test score disaggregation and employment. In this proposal, we will examine rationales behind implementing such a program with Blue Ridge Middle Schools unique faculty, results generated by the implementation, key players and stakeholders involved in the implementation, plans for action and evaluation, and potential limitations during the span of the implementation. Although low test scores within the target SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 3
population blemish the schools sterling academic track record, the unique faculty at Blue Ridge is poised to capitalize on this program as a family and renew its promises of equitable, excellent academic achievement to the community. RATIONALE In review, this proposal is addressing the consistently low sixth grade Special Education Reading SOL scores over the past three years that mar an otherwise sterling test record for Blue Ridge Middle School. This Special Education population scored 78% passing in both of the past two years. Breaking down those numbers yields important information: The sixth grade Special Education population swelled between the last two years, but the passing rate remained the same; this suggests that this achievement gap continued to persist but now on an even broader scale. The highlighted population is not self-contained Special Education Language Arts students but Special Education students enrolled in General Education Language Arts classes. Most of the low scores for Special Education students accessing the General Education curriculum were the result of low vocabulary skills. These skills are not being explicitly taught in the General Education classroom. Without purposeful vocabulary instruction in the classroom, Bryant et al demonstrated that low vocabulary skills will continue to persist and adversely affect reading comprehension. General Education teachers have little to no knowledge of how to break down Reading assessment data to drive classroom instruction. As Dennis points out in his research: if testing data determines strategies to fix the problem, how can future testing data affect instruction to remedy the issue when teachers lack the knowledge to break down and utilize test results in the first place? Without explicitly teaching vocabulary in a cross-curricular manner, students lose the needed repetition and immersion of vocabulary skills. In their research, Bryant et al demonstrate the collaborative power of cross-curricular vocabulary instruction: team-based, cross-curricular vocabulary instruction is nearly twice as effective as isolated vocabulary practice in only one class. SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 4
The low scores of sixth grade Special Education students are significant to Blue Ridge Middle School for a number of reasons: The low scores in question are the root cause for the school failing to meet AYP for three years in a row. These low scores indicate that the school is not fulfilling its mission statement: teachers and staff members are not facilitating equitable achievement for all learners. The community expects Blue Ridge to maintain academic excellence; lower test scores can lead to lower school ratings which have the potential to affect prospective new families in the community and even property values within the district. Having broken down what these low scores mean for Blue Ridge and validating the significance of this problem, the following will demonstrate how the proposed action will lead to school improvement. By introducing teachers to strategies of how to interpret vocabulary-based reading results, content-area general education teachers gain the insight into how to assess their students vocabulary skills and where students need specific assistance. Denniss research demonstrates how simply understanding meanings behind reading assessment data can help teachers alter instruction to meet students at their level. Furthermore, by introducing teachers to strategies of how to interpret vocabulary-based reading results, content-area general education teachers gain the insight into how to assess their students vocabulary skills and where students need specific assistance. The research team of Bryant et al demonstrated that when explicitly teaching vocabulary in teams, students gain more advanced vocabulary skills due to cross-curricular repetition of consistent strategies. Effectively, the proposed professional development has the potential to raise the Reading SOL scores of sixth grade Special Education students and, in turn, restore Blue Ridges reputation for outstanding academics.
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OUTCOMES To determine the effectiveness of the proposed vocabulary intervention, we will see a number of indicators or success. Students Teachers Swansons research demonstrates that as Special Education students master stronger vocabulary skills, their reading fluency will increase as well as their reading comprehension. With our Special Education students, we will see increased vocabulary awareness, higher fluency rates, and overall improved reading comprehension. We will see faculty members disaggregate test data to drive instruction, and we will see Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and cross-curricular teams plan and implement vocabulary studies within individual classes.
In order to observe these successes, we will look for outcomes in the following areas: Blue Ridge Middle School Sixth Grade Special Education Students Name of assessment What we will look for When Reading SOL Higher passing rates than each of the previous two years June 2013 LCPS Reading Benchmark exams Statistically significant improvement on vocabulary-based questions and overall reading comprehension October 2012 April 2013 Gates Reading Test Statistically significant improvement on vocabulary-based questions and overall reading comprehension September 2012 March 2013 Vocabulary-based assessments from individual classrooms Improved reading comprehension and vocabulary skills Throughout 2012-13 school year Blue Ridge Middle School Core Content-Area Teachers Formative assessment/task What we will look for By when Reading test data disaggregation Teachers demonstrable evidence of how test data breakdown shaped vocabulary instruction Throughout 2012-13 school year Vocabulary lessons adapted for individual curriculum PLC-generated vocabulary units of study October 2013 Teacher Feedback Surveys Confidence of how to break down and utilize test data Throughout 2012-13 school year SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 6
INVOLVEMENT The staff at Blue Ridge Middle School believes, it takes a village to educate a child. These are the following members and stakeholders involved: Stakeholders Why are they stakeholders? Content-area teachers Explicitly using vocabulary testing data to drive instruction Team Leaders Facilitating bi-monthly formative assessments of team progress Parents Supporting school-based vocabulary instruction by supporting reading at home Communications What goal will they accomplish? Faculty Professional Development Teach strategies for disaggregating test data and designing vocabulary lessons Two to three briefings at separate faculty meetings Provide teacher and key player feedback; demonstrate new vocabulary lesson Three teacher feedback surveys Assess teachers understanding and confidence of using new strategies Email As needed for updates Key Players Who is helping? How are they helping? What are they doing? They will provide that help by Eric Kursman Designing plan to raise scores Implementing SIP Allyson White (English Department Chair) Supporting Eric Teaching workshop, communication with Brion Bell and Sandy Duke Sandy Duke (Reading Specialist) Bridging Special Education instruction and General Education instruction Teaching workshop, providing materials, offering Reading experience expertise during planning and implementation Brion Bell (Building Principal) Supporting the SIP proposal Helping secure resources, conducting oversight Matt Bolen (Assistant Principal in charge of Special Education) Providing background data Data Warehouse numbers, Special Education filing and paperwork, Special Education communication Julie Pearson-Wease (Special Education Department Chair) Anchoring Special Education support Supporting Sandy with materials, assisting with Special Education communication
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ACTION PLAN Although Blue Ridge Middle School boasts high test scores across the board, sixth grade Special Education Reading scores consistently fall below state and national averages. This is an enormous problem for AYP, meeting the schools mission statement, and delivering equitable high-quality instruction for all students. Teachers at Blue Ridge Middle School need to learn how to interpret test score data to drive instruction and explicitly teach vocabulary to strengthen reading comprehension from a cross-curricular approach. Taking this action Will eliminate these causes Producing the following outcomes: Evidence: Instructing teachers to interpret reading test data Teachers ignorance of what reading data means Identify different strengths and weaknesses of individual students Dennis 2008 Allowing vertical/horizontal teams to create explicit vocabulary units Lack of explicit vocabulary instruction within content- specific curriculum Content- and grade-specific vocabulary instruction units Bryant et al 2000 Common approaches to explicitly teach content-specific vocabulary across the curriculum Special Education students accessing the general education curriculum only receiving vocabulary instruction in Reading/Language Arts Reinforcing vocabulary skills and reading comprehension across the curriculum Bryant et al 2000 Continually using explicit vocabulary instruction across the curriculum all year long Students unfamiliarity with vocabulary and decoding skills Higher reading comprehension SOLs, Gates, BMAs, in-class assessments SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 8
Tasks to be completed Goal of task Who By when Resources Needed Success Signals Expected Results Schedule All- Staff PD Set date for All-Staff PD Eric Kursman and Brion Bell 6/7/2012 Back-to-school retreat schedule Date set for all-staff PD Create PD and sample lessons for PD Provide staff with PD and ready- to-go vocabulary instruction Eric Kursman and Sandy Duke 7/20/2012 Various Reading texts (already on hand), time for three meetings, paper for copies PD is clear, concise, and simple; lessons are easily adaptable Complete PD plan and sample lessons Conduct PD Workshop 1) Teach teachers how to break down and utilize testing data to drive classroom instruction 2) Allow vertical/horizontal teams to draft explicit vocabulary units Eric Kursman, Sandy Duke, Allyson White, Susan Macwhorter 8/15/2012 Refreshments (light snacks and drinks), laptop carts, working wireless internet, hard copies of sample lessons, Promethean Board, three-hour unencumbered time block, use of cafeteria, teacher feedback surveys On feedback surveys, >80% confidence in staff to use instruction in class, as department, and on team-level Conduct PD Workshop Create common, explicit vocabulary instruction Develop consistent approaches to teach content-specific vocabulary across the curriculum Teams, Team Leaders; Departments, Department Lead Teachers 10/15/2012 Unencumbered time (1.5 hours during PD, 1 hour during Sept and Oct each for both team and grade- level department meetings), curriculum guides, laptops Teachers vocabulary instruction follows curriculum guides and pre-made vocabulary strategies Team and grade-level departments create common vocabulary instruction Implement explicit vocabulary instruction Students grow accustomed to common explicit vocabulary instruction across the entire curriculum all year long All staff 10/22/2012 Common, explicit vocabulary instruction (see above task) Improved reading comprehension for all students on in-class formative assessments Students receive common, explicit vocabulary instruction in all core classes Communicate with staff Keep faculty abreast of instructional concerns, trends in progress; solicit feedback on progress Eric Kursman, Brion Bell 5/29/2013 15 minutes at each of three faculty meetings, 45 minutes at each of two after-school PLC meetings, teacher feedback surveys Teachers report successful progress on in-class formative assessments Staff and key players communicate Administer Gates Reading Test, SOLs, Benchmarks 1) Establish student levels at beginning of the year 2) Collect data on growth of student reading achievement All staff 5/29/2013 Gates Reading Test, SOLs, Benchmarks Higher reading comprehension scores and vocabulary-based results Students assessed by Gates Reading Test, SOL, Benchmarks Assess testing data (see above) for trends Determine success of implemented project Eric Kursman, Sandy Duke, Matt Bolen 7/1/2013 Test results, Data Warehouse, time Higher reading scores for 6 th grade SpEd students Testing data assessed for statistically- significant trends SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 9
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Considering that professional development is an enormous portion of this proposal, I need to closely examine what I already know about successful workshops. First, I know that teachers harbor negative initial reactions to mandated professional development. There is almost an instinctual reflex for teachers to reject this instruction. It is important that I recognize this because I will need to find a method to break this seemingly natural reaction. Although I currently do not know how to positively reframe professional development, I look forward to gaining more insight during my class on Adult Motivation and Conflict Resolution. Second, I know that professional development is best when it is easily adaptable into any teachers classroom. By designing this workshop for the faculty at Blue Ridge Middle School, I already have a leg up: I have intimate knowledge about our teachers personalities, teaching styles, and pedagogies which will provide an initial guide as to what may work and what may not. This is important because I need to create ready-to-go resources: lesson plans, handouts, units, and assessments. I will create these materials through collaboration with the Reading Specialist. It is also imperative to reflect on what I need to learn to create a meaningful professional development experience. First, how do I engage adults? I already know how to engage young adult learners, but adult learners present different challenges. How much structure do I provide without seeming overbearing? How do I formatively assess comprehension amongst a room of teachers when they know how to feign understanding better than their students? Second, how do I most effectively use my limited instructional time? How do I weigh time spent lecturing without losing interest against time spent in collaborative groups without losing focus? How do I balance reviewing old material without seeming condescending against covering new material without seeming overwhelming? I realize that many things I need to know are important questions that I face every day as a teacher with young adults in my classroom. How does this dynamic change with adults? Does it change?
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EVALUATION In order to gauge the effectiveness of the proposed program, we need to identify how we will evaluate the success of the program:
CONSEQUENCE ANALYSIS Now, no good plan is set forth without first considering all possible consequences. In terms of benefits, we hope that this proposed program would improve sixth grade Special Education Reading SOL scores, bolster reading comprehension for all grade levels in all subjects, strengthen vocabulary skills for sixth grade Special Education students who access the General Education curriculum, and boost collaborative, consistent team- and department-level curriculum development. On the other hand, there are possible drawbacks. To begin, Blue Ridge Middle Schools already overburdened staff may view this project as just another thing on [their] plate. Also, some teachers Formative Assessment Data collected When collected How analyzed Teacher feedback surveys Confidence in using strategies with students (especially SpEd), frequency of using strategies with students, self- efficacy ratings 8/15/2012 11/15/2012 2/15/2012 Disaggregate confidence ratings, frequency of implementation, self-efficacy LCPS Benchmark Assessments Overall reading scores, vocabulary- based questions 11/15/2012 4/25/2013 Compare initial BMA to final BMA scores of all students, especially 6 th grade SpEd students, for trends of improvement In-class assessments Reading comprehension assignments chosen by teacher discretion 12/12/2012 3/15/2013 In PLCs, share assessment data, seek trends of all students, especially 6 th grade SpEd students, together as team Summative Assessment Data collected When collected How analyzed Gates Reading Test Overall reading comprehension score, vocabulary in context, vocabulary in isolation 10/1/2012 5/1/2013 Teams and grade-level departments use strategies from PD to break down data of all students, especially 6 th grade SpEd students 6 th grade Reading SOL and History SOL Overall scores; overall reading comprehension; vocabulary-based questions 6/1/2013 Teams and grade-level departments use strategies from PD to break down data of all students, especially 6 th grade SpEd students
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may remark that direct vocabulary instruction will detract from class time otherwise spent preparing for SOL exams. Furthermore, the teaching staff at Blue Ridge has a history of ignoring wonderful resources created and passed on by the Reading Specialist: why would the staff suddenly change their ways and make productive use of her resources? In addition, parents may not see the value or benefit of bolstering vocabulary skills outside of English Language Arts. Finally, teachers may not be aware of the accuracy of their self-efficacy or they may feel pressured to compromise the fidelity of their self-reports regarding their execution of the vocabulary program within their classroom, their confidence in disaggregating test data, and implementing vocabulary lessons within their day to day teaching. There are, however, a number of methods to combat these drawbacks. First, we must convince the staff that vocabulary is vital to their curriculum they must cover it one way or another! This proposed project is not additive work these vocabulary lessons are merely a vehicle to deliver the same instruction that is already tied to SOL standards. Second, time spent on this program is time spent preparing for the SOL; strengthening vocabulary hones critical thinking processes, inference skills, and expands students lexicons. Third, we need to show the staff that these strategies and lessons are already prepackaged and ready to go. In the past, teachers have tried to individually adapt new strategies for their classrooms on their own now, teachers have the support of their entire team and grade-level department to help plan, adapt, and implement the new program. Fourth, we will create an immediately-accessible rationale pamphlet (in both eduspeak and laymans terms) for parents who seek explanation about the new program. Finally, all teacher feedback will be anonymous to reduce pressures about assessing poor teaching. The only identification will be team names or department names. Furthermore, Principal Brion Bell will not have access to these forms; teachers are being assessed by the colleagues, not by their boss. Most importantly, we will stress that we view all teacher feedback forms as communication pieces and nothing more. These surveys are an opportunity for teachers to reach out for any assistance (if needed) and for stakeholders to monitor progress throughout the implementation; these surveys are not for pointing fingers at teachers (we get that enough from society as it is). SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 12
Works Cited Bryant, D. (2000). Reading outcomes for students with and without reading disabilities in general education middle-school content area classes. Learning Disability Quarterly, 23(4), 238-252. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1511347. Bryant, D. (2001). The effects of professional development for middle school general and special education teachers on implementation of reading strategies in inclusive content area classes. Learning Disablity Quarterly, 24(4), 251-264. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1511114. Dennis, D. (2008). Are assessment data really driving middle school reading instruction? What we can learn from one student's experience. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(7), 578-587. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40012383. Swanson, E. (2008). Observing reading instruction for students with learning disabilities: A synthesis. Learning Disability Quarterly, 31(3), 115-133. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25474643.