Task 1 Strong Examples

Dear Principal A,

Our school serves a population of students with increasing diversity. Over 17% of our students are English Learners, with 33.4% of students having a first language other than English. Another 22% of our students are Students with Disabilities. As a Title 1 school, we provide full inclusion services and separate setting special education and an English Learner Education (ELE) program. Our ELE program includes the Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) model of pull-out English as a Second Language (ESL) classes as well as Sheltered Content Instruction (SCI) in content classes.

Description and rationale for priority academic area

To create a plan that dismantles barriers to learning while improving learning and focusing on a priority academic area, I worked with the Special Education Director, ELE director, ESL department head, English Language Arts (ELA) department head, and ELA teachers. We analyzed student performance data and investigated inclusive practices and culturally responsive teaching practices. We examined ELA MCAS data from 2021 to 2023, for grades 7 and 8, which was broken down for priority student groups. Our data search and analysis focused on two groups: English Learners and Students with Disabilities. 2023 ELA MCAS scores show that both groups had 3% of students scoring in the meeting or exceeding range and both groups had an attendance rating that exceeded 95% for 2023. Analysis of the 2023 8th grade mid-year common writing assessment showed 67% of SWD met expectations while 48% of ELs met expectations. Access scores show the need for better instruction in reading and writing for ELs. End of year survey data indicated that 51% of EL students and 82% of SWD agreed with the statement “I have the resources I need to succeed.” Following this initial data analysis, we decided to concentrate on the academic improvement of ELA with a focus group of ELs, who account for 17.4% of the student population

Analysis of Responsive Data

ELA MCAS data from 2021 to 2023 shows that ELs “meeting or exceeding expectations” is markedly lower than that of their peers. In 2021, 8th grade students meeting or exceeding expectations on ELA MCAS was 29% for all students across the district compared to 15% for ELs. This trend continued for grade 8 students in 2022 where 27% of all students scored meeting or exceeding and 3% of ELs did. In 2023, 25% of all students were meeting or exceeding with 3% of ELs who were. The trend was similar for grade seven students as well.

Looking at the released MCAS test items for 2023, ELs in grade 8 averaged 8.2 answers in which they scored zero points out of the 15 items released. In 2022, ELs averaged 11.7 items in which they scored zero points out of the 19 released items. In 2021, grade 8 ELs averaged 6.8 zero point responses out of 12 released items.

IWhen analyzing 8th grade ELA weekly common writing assignments, it was noted that EL students, on average, scored a full level higher on assignments where they were allowed to choose the topic of the essay.

In addition to MCAS data, we analyzed ACCESS scores from 2021 to 2023. Looking at the scores for ELs in grade 8, we noticed a trend of the reading and writing domains being the lowest scores for the four domains tested. In 2021, 72.7% of ELs’ lowest score was reading or writing. In 2022 57.9% of ELs’ lowest score was reading or writing. In 2023, 76% of ELs’ lowest scores were reading and writing.

Investigating reasons why ELs are scoring lower than their peers, our team looked at attendance data. The 2022/2023 school year’s average number of absences for ELs was 5.1 days, lower than the average number of absences for all students at 6.8 days. In 2021/2022 ELs averaged 15.1 absences compared to 14.6 absences. We looked at the data for 2020/2021, but it is noted that this year is affected by COVID, ELs averaged 18.3 absences, all students averaged 15.7 days. Chronic absenteeism for 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 was higher than that of all students, however for 2022/2023 chronic absenteeism for ELs dropped significantly from 38.1% to 1.9%, which was the lowest percentage for all student groups.

IAfter analyzing, I hypothesized that we need to add targeted support in reading and writing for ELs and expand the curriculum to include focused writing instruction in ELA classes, possibly creating a separate writing course for all students in grade 8. Integrating culturally responsive teaching practices and UDL practices should increase ELs’ MCAS and ACCESS scores. To further investigate my hypothesis I used surveys with ELs and interviewed ELA teachers and the ESL department head.

Twenty grade 8 ELs were surveyed to learn more about perspectives and perceptions of how the school, teachers, and curriculum reflect their culture and identity. 60% of ELs disagree with an additional 10% strongly disagreeing with the statement: ‘My culture and identity is reflected in what is taught’. Students felt that their culture/identity was valued by teachers and the school, while others remained neutral to the statements: ‘My culture and identity are valued by teachers’ and ‘My culture and identity are valued by the school’. Students answered that their cultures and identities are not reflected in the staff at our school, with 90% disagreeing/strongly disagreeing with the statement: ‘Teachers and assistants reflect my culture and identity’. I then interviewed ten of these EL students who revealed that among other concerns, vocabulary was a constant barrier to their ability to read and write.

I conducted interviews with two ELA teachers and the ELA department head. In my interview with the ELA teachers, we discussed the possibility of a separate writing course for grade 8 students in which specific writing techniques would be taught. We discussed how to best support ELs in ELA.

The ELA teachers suggested that co-teaching ELs in ELA classes in addition to ESL classes would provide much needed support for EL students. They also mentioned the need for professional development in the areas of co-teaching, writing, SEI strategies, and UDL practices to improve their instruction and support of all students, including ELs. The ELA Department Head was concerned that the current curriculum did not adequately reflect all students and that efforts to be more culturally diverse are needed.

In an interview with the ESL department head, the possibility of exploring new programming for ELs was discussed. The data shows the need for a different approach to writing instruction for ELs. The possibility of a new curriculum or integrating ELA curriculum into ESL classes was discussed. Also discussed were SEI strategies and how all content teachers can ensure writing becomes a priority for ELs in all classes.

Following the analysis, I have adapted the plan to focus on two areas of improvement: 1. Integrating high quality writing instruction into ELA and ESL classes and 2.

Integrating co-taught classes for ELs in grade 8 ELA that incorporateUDL and SEI practices which will foster culturally responsive teaching. The three basic principles of UDL help to break down barriers to learning by providing 1. multiple ways to engage students (examples would include allowing students to choose their own projects or working in collaborative groups), 2. multiple formats to present information (examples would include providing audio recordings to go along with text, providing videos to explain concepts, offering graphic organizers and word banks), and 3. multiple means for students to express their knowledge (examples would include allowing students to write an essay or create a video or design a poster to demonstrate their knowledge on a topic).

This plan aligns with our school’s Improvement Plan which has a mission to “develop academic and social skills while recognizing individual differences and promoting the discovery and development of individual strengths, talents, and interests.” More specifically, the plan aligns with strategies #2, development of a new ELA curriculum, #3, use of UDL practices, and #5, development of a new ESL curriculum.

School and Community Context and Culture Factors

A component of school culture that greatly impacts ELs is the lack of their identity being represented in both our curriculum and the school staff, the majority of our staff is white and English speaking with few teachers knowing a second language. When surveyed, ELs felt that their identities were not reflected in the staff norin the classroom materials they regularly engage with. UDL practices can help improve our teaching and give our students examples of their culture and identity in our learning activities.

Thinking of how equitable our programs are, it is evident that we fall short on our academic programs for ELs. Our data shows that ELs are in danger of not meeting expectations for MCAS. Equity is being addressed in our school improvement plans but we need to make a change to our instructional programming for ELs.

Gaps and Limitations of Existing Services and Program

I investigated barriers to academic success for two groups of students, English Learners and Students with Disabilities. Our school has full inclusion services and sub separate special education programming with an experienced special education faculty. The number of special education students has remained fairly constant, which maintains a low student-to-teacher ratio, and allows teachers to provide individualized instruction for these students. One limitation of our ELE program is the number of students per ESL class. In grades 7 and 8 one teacher services the ELs. Classes can be above twenty students per teacher. Schedules also create limitations to student services, ESL classes supplant ELA classes for level 1.0 - 2.5 students. This is a factor in students not receiving the high-quality curriculum that allows them to meet expectations on MCAS. Another significant gap in the academic program is the lack of a writing program or intentional instruction in writing techniques for all students. All teachers are required to hold an SEI certification in order to teach ELs, however, time is not dedicated to using or discussing writing techniques in lessons. While all teachers hold an SEI certification, teachers have reported feeling like they cannot support level 1 and 2 ELs.

One strength for our school is that our professional learning communities are strong. As a staff we collaborate effectively and are always looking for ways to reach all students. We had some professional development in the areas of UDL and Culturally Responsive teaching, however this could be bolstered by additional time for integrating these practices into our instruction. We are looking to provide a more equitable education in which all students can succeed.

Input throughout the planning process

During this process, I met with multiple stakeholders, including the ELE director, ESL department head, and the ELA department head. I interviewed ELA teachers in grades 7 and 8 and surveyed ELs to solicit their thoughts and opinions. I was able to get advice and input from these stakeholders. The ELE director was integral in helping me narrow the target student group to ELs. The ESL department head , ELA department head, and ELA teachers were integral in guiding my ideas on a new and more culturally responsive writing curriculum and integrating more co-teaching classes into our program for ELs. The ELA teachers provided input on writing in the ELA classes and their opinions on needing a more structured class. These students along with their teachers pointed out the need for implementation of SEI strategies to support vocabulary development and improved reading and writing skills. The EL surveys were salient in receiving feedback from the students who would benefit from the plan. Their input on their culture and identity needing to be reflected in their instruction and classroom activities was a main focal point for the plan and for better equity for all learners in our school.

Rationale

Artifact 1 – Priority Area and Its Context

The candidate presented a comprehensive analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data elements across multiple years to identify the priority academic area (improved ELA performance) and the focal student group. The candidate described investigating the needs of two student groups before making the final selection of ELs. Quantitative data analyzed included three years of ELA MCAS data disaggregated for ELs, released MCAS essay writing questions, Access data, school-based assessments, school demographic data, as well as attendance rates. Qualitative data included EL student survey information as well as interviews with teachers and various Department Heads. Most significantly, the candidate developed a working hypothesis regarding the academic performance of the focal student group and used this hypothesis to gather additional qualitative data from significant stakeholders including EL students, teachers, and administrators that helped to identify possible strategies to support student learning by removing barriers. Information was also gathered and analyzed regarding strengths and weaknesses in existing policies, practices, and programs within the school related to the priority area and the focal student group. This information provided context and was vital to developing a defensible hypothesis about how to improve student performance in the priority area that aligned with existing school goals to improve equity.

Artifact 2: The Plan for Action Strategies

Dear Principal A,

Last year we sent out a district-wide survey asking students how they learn best. Analysis shows that, across all grade levels, our students report that they are more engaged and learn best when their identities and lived experiences are reflected in the curriculum. This data shows that for our native English speakers, the majority feel that their identities and interests are reflected in the educational materials currently being used. But for our EL students, 60% feel that this is not the case.

When discussing with ELA and ESL teachers the importance of collaboration for successful teaching for ELs we discussed the book, Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Guide to Collaborative Planning, Instruction, Assessment, and Reflection, by Maria G. Dove and Andrea Honigsfeld. They describe how with the growing number of ELs across the country teacher collaboration is no longer just an option, it is the way forward with instruction to address the educational needs of ELs. They state that with a shift in standards and the job of the ELD/EL teacher ever increasing that a shift into co-teaching can be a successful instructional model for ELs.

Vision Statement:

Our school needs to adjust our instruction of English Language Arts, specifically with a focus on writing. Along with the focus on writing techniques including implementation of SEI practices, we need to adjust our curriculum to reflect the cultures of our students by incorporating UDL guidelines. In order to break down barriers to learning for our EL students, the SEI strategy, 7-Step Vocabulary will be implemented to pre-teach select vocabulary. Utilizing the 3 main principles of UDL -, (multiple means of representation, multiple means of actions and expression, and multiple means of engagement), material will be presented to students through varied technology formats, students will be able to engage with this material by designing their own projects and working groups, and students will have choice as to how they wish to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. By integrating student choice into the learning experience, students can work from their strengths and unique background knowledge and engage in more meaningful and authentic learning experiences. As a result, all students, including ELs will be empowered to take ownership of their own learning. Adjusting our curriculum and incorporating UDL practices will bring about improvements to classroom instruction as well as increase our proficiency on standardized testing scores.

Evaluation Measures:

1. Spring 2025 8th grade MCAS scores
2. ACCESS 2025 scores - writing domain specific
3. Quarterly Teacher Surveys assessing the variety of SEI strategies and UDL practices they have implemented as well as their appraisal of the effectiveness of each to meet the needs of ELs from diverse cultures.
4. End of Year Student Climate Survey
5. Progress monitoring and tracking of 8th grade English Learners on weekly common school-based writing assessments
6. Qualitative and quantitative data from classroom observations about student engagement and instructional changes in curriculum.

Theory of Action #1: If all teachers throughout our school use UDL guidelines to present culturally diverse learning experiences that allow for representation for all students by providing flexibility in how students access materials and show what they know then all students including our English Learners will be more engaged in the learning process, and they will improve their performance on classroom writing assignments and MCAS.

Goals for Student Outcomes:

• Increased observation of English Learners engagement in curriculum measured by observations on learning walks.
• Academic improvement on ACCESS for ELs 2.0 for 50% of English Learners and improvement on writing assignments
• 50 % of ELs per grade will show an improvement on their 2025 ELA MCAS scores
• Student survey data will demonstrate that 75% of English Learners report that the curriculum represents their cultural identity.

Theory of Action #2: If 8th grade ELA and ESL teachers consistently co-teach and incorporate high quality curriculum instruction for writing, then the 8th grade English Learners will show increased academic improvement in their writing skills as measured by classroom writing assessments, qualitative observations of student learning and 2025 MCAS scores.

Goals for Student Outcomes:

• 75% of English Learners in grade 8 will show improvement in grades on writing assignments.
• 75 % of English learners will have Student Growth Percentiles at 40 or above
• 50% of 8th grade ELs will show an improvement on 2025 ELA MCAS
• Using student survey data, 770% of English Learners will report that writing instruction is a routine part of their co-taught ELA classes

In order to meet these goals, we will need to weave two strategies together: revise instruction to include UDL strategies and practices and improve writing instruction for English Learners using a co-teaching model.

August–September

I will initiate and lead:

• CCollaborate with Assistant Superintendent and Principal to schedule sessions of professional development to include Universal Design for Learning and Culturally Responsive teaching practices, including working to incorporate materials that reflect each student’s unique culture and identity into the instruction
• Recruit an ELA and ESL teacher to do a book study on Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Guide to Collaborative Planning, Instruction, Assessment and Reflection
• Select an ELA and ESL teacher to begin a pilot co-taught ELA class to target explicit writing instruction including a commitment to utilize SEI practices with fidelity
• Convene a PLC to focus on UDL and culturally responsive teaching practices and how to integrate them into the ELA curriculum
• Survey all students at our school about their perceptions of their identity and culture being portrayed in their daily instruction
• Survey 8th grade English Learners about home language, culture, education history including EL service, and their perception of their ability to access instruction for writing

Outcomes for August–September:

Schedule PD sessions, form PLCs, and gather initial data about student perceptions of their learning experience.

October–November

I will initiate and Lead:

• Facilitate the first PLC meeting, team will investigate current best practices for UDL and culturally responsive instruction using the JIGSAW protocol for articles on best practices
• Convene the ELA and ESL teacher in order to discuss the ongoing progress of a co-taught ELA class
• Read Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Guide to Collaborative Planning, Instruction, Assessment, and Reflection by Maria G. Dove, Andrea Honigsfeld

I will collaborate with others on:

• Collaborate with ESL Department Head and ELA Department Head on ways to best update curriculum to include a variety of student identities and UDL practices

I will task out and provide support, if necessary:

• PLC will create surveys for ELA teachers to analyze their practices in instruction and how it relates to English Learners and their identities as well as their use of UDL strategies in their instruction

Outcomes for October–November:

• PLC will report back on the best practices for culturally responsive instruction and UDL practices, writing class will demonstrate their abilities in writing, select a focus group of English Learners from grade 8

December

I will initiate and Lead:

• Educator discussion group to meet with previously established ELPAC in order to facilitate learning about the cultures of our English Learners
• Hold second PLC meeting to plan effective high-quality curriculum that incorporates culturally responsive teaching and learning, UDL guidelines, and SEI strategies.

I will collaborate with others on:

• PLC will analyze the data collected from student and educator surveys
• UDL planning for best practices in ELA classes in order to increase writing performance
• Book study group will meet to discuss finding on co-teaching and what model will best meet the needs of the English Learners at our school

Outcomes for December:

• Team gathers information on topics, collects data from surveys, and plans meetings of staff. Teachers implement new strategies learned in ELA classes

January–February

I will initiate and Lead:

• Hold third PLC meeting with the goal of how to improve instruction on writing and how to identify measurements of progress other than standardized testing: MCAS and ACCESS
• Create an action plan in order to address instruction and performance

I will collaborate with others on:

• PLC will hold educational meetings in order to share our findings on culturally responsive teaching and learning and UDL strategies that best work for English Learners. We will also share our findings from the surveys administered.

I will task out and provide support, if necessary:

• Instructional leadership team lead by the school principal will design school wide learning walks to study the use of culturally responsive teaching practices and SEI strategies in place and identify any areas in need of improvement.

Outcomes for January–February:

• Establish performance criteria for writing for all students, create an action plan, and hold faculty meetings. Teachers schoolwide shift their instructional practices to include UDL strategies and curriculum that focuses on a variety of cultures

March–April

I will initiate and lead:

• LC meets for their fourth meeting. We will examine writing progress for English Learners. We will also follow up on UDL implementation sharing all best practices and resources that teachers have begun to create and discuss their effectiveness at breaking down learning barriers and representing diverse cultures throughout the leaning and assessment processes.

I will task out and provide support, if necessary:

• ELA and ESL departments will continue to plan and use a curriculum that integrates and is responsive to students' cultures and follows UDL practices. Departments will make sure to integrate curriculum that specifically represents our English Learners, with a focus on the culture of Brazil and Latin American countries. Department Heads will facilitate the planning with teachers carrying out the instruction. Instructional strategies must be flexible so as to create learning situations where the unique cultures of all students can be addressed.

Outcomes for March–April:

• Increase in students being engaged in instruction due to an increase in representation of their cultures in the materials. This will be measured by observations as well as an increase in writing proficiency.

May

I will initiate and lead:

• Survey 8th grade English Learners about effectiveness with UDL practices and culturally responsive teaching practices
• Survey faculty about progress with UDL and engagement with English Learners in their classes
• Give student body the same survey from the beginning of the year about their perceptions of their identity and culture being portrayed in their daily instruction

I will collaborate with others on:

• Final PLC meeting, assessing the effectiveness of UDL practices and culturally responsive teaching practices
• CBook club members will meet to create a plan to introduce the best model for co-teaching for English Learners

Outcomes for May:

• English Learners and all students school wide will have a positive perception of their identities reflected in curriculum and instruction. As a result, students will be more engaged with the curriculum, in particular in the writing classes and writing performance on standardized tests will improve

June

I will collaborate with others on:

• PLC will meet to discuss and evaluate survey data, we will reflect on survey response from English Learners, especially those in grade 8
• Book club and PLC will provide staff with the results of surveys and our findings on best practices in UDL instruction and culturally responsive teaching practices.

I will task out and provide support on, if necessary:

• Departments will start to plan curriculum changes for the following school year.
• People Responsible: Department Heads, teachers

Outcomes for June:

• Data collection of the progress throughout the year. Reflections on what went well and what needs improvement. We will collaborate on next steps for our action plan.

Summer 2025

• In collaboration with the school leadership team and the ELA and ESL departments, we will analyze data on 8th grade English Learners performance on 2025 ELA MCAS, as well as increased SGP from the previous year. The goal will be for 50% of students to move into a higher achievement category as compared to the previous year.

This plan is designed to break down several barriers to academic success for our EL students. It addresses the need to improve writing instructional techniques, including the implementation of SEI practices, which support vocabulary acquisition. The co-teaching model will help lower the student-to-teacher ratio and allow teachers to provide greater individualized instruction. Utilizing UDL practices to adjust our curriculum to reflect the cultures of our students will increase engagement among our EL students and lead to improved standardized test scores. However, there are potential consequences to implementing this plan. Teachers fear being overburdened with new curricula, and the co-teaching model requires reassigning teachers which could negatively impact other ELE classes.

Rationale

Artifact 2 – The Plan for Action Strategies

The candidate presented a compelling vision and two clear, detailed action strategies to improve learning in the priority area for the focal student group which align with feedback gathered from relevant stakeholders. The plan included measurable goals and objectives, a timeline, resources required, a description of roles and lines of responsibility, and multiple processes to monitor progress. The candidate articulated a theory of action that incorporated strategic input from stakeholders and designed strategies that aligned with the school's context and culture and acknowledged potential negative impacts of implementation. Most importantly, the plan takes into account structural inequities, systemic biases, and opportunity gaps in stating the vision, goals, and plan focus. The candidate explained how the plan will support the focal student group by addressing the need for a more culturally responsive curriculum by incorporating Universal Design for Learning practices, and specific writing instructional practices via use of the co-teaching model and implementation of SEI strategies to support EL students thus breaking down barriers to learning.

References

Calderón, M. (2020, March 17). A Whole-School Approach to English Language Learner Achievement. All4Ed

https://all4ed.org/blog/a-whole-school-approach-to-english-language-learner-achievement/

Talusan, L. A. (2022). The Identity Conscious Educator. Solution Tree Press

Dove, M.G. & Honigsfeld, A. (2018). Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Guide to Collaborative Planning, Instruction, Assessment and Reflection. Corwin

Eichhorn, M.S. & Lowry, A.E. & Burke, K (2019). Increasing Engagement of English Learners Through Universal Design for Learning. Journal of Educational Research and Practices, 9(1), 1–10, https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1377&context=jerap

TESOL International Association (TESOL). (2018). The 6 Principles for Exemplary Teaching of English Learners: Grades K-12. Alexandria, VA: Author

Findings and Feedback

Throughout the process of identifying a target student group and developing a solid plan of action to support them in the priority academic area, I sought feedback from the following colleagues: my principal, the Director of Curriculum, the Math Instructional Coach, thAs I progressed through the process of identifying a priority student group and developing a plan of action to dismantle learning barriers and create a more equitable learning environment, I asked for feedback from many stakeholders. I counted on the feedback I received from the many school leaders that guided me along the way and helped clarify any questions that I had when writing my plan. The following educators were integral to the process: ELA teachers in grades 7 and 8, the ELA department head, the ESL department head, the ELE director and my assistant principal.

My assistant principal guided me through Edwin Analytics and showed me how to use the data from MCAS and ACCESS pulled from this resource. We went over the data and how to find what spoke to me from the data. We also discussed how to create graphs and charts that show the data better than what was represented in the spreadsheet of data printed. He was also integral in pointing me in the direction of continuing with Universal Design for Learning as part of the plan, as our district has already begun work with UDL and will continue to implement and refine our practices. Our EL students face systemic bias and structural inequities as the current curriculum does not support their need for on-going high-quality writing instruction and in particular, vocabulary instruction , nor does it provide learning experiences that incorporate each student’s unique background knowledge. Utilizing UDL principles will provide flexible learning experiences that reflect the culture and learned experiences of all students and will improve engagement for all students.

The ESL department head was integral in analyzing and discussing with me the ACCESS scores for ELs in grades 7 and 8 and how ESL classes are scheduled at our school. She was also integral in expressing how ELs culture and identity are an important component in their education. In conjunction with the ELE director, we discussed and came up with the idea of integrating level 1.0 - 2.5 ELs into ELA classes as part of the plan for co-teaching. She was also a key component when discussing strategies appropriate for ELs when it came to writing instruction in ELA classes. We also discussed how all teachers are SEI endorsed and have the tools available to them in instructing ELs in content classes, but these strategies have not been universally adapted and utilized with fidelity.

When looking at the priority student groups and who I wanted to focus on, the ELE director was vital in helping me choose between ELs or Students with Disabilities. She showed me evidence of our growing EL population over the past five years. We looked at both this data and the data of students with disabilities together and saw that with a growing population there is a greater need for a change in the program and curriculum for ELs. We both came to the conclusion that English Learners would be my target student group.

Plan comprehensiveness (focus, theories of action, and proposed strategies)

As I talked about and presented my plan to the ELA teachers in grades 7 and 8, they backed the idea of adding a stand-alone writing class as they feel that they don’t have enough instructional time to include reading and writing into their curriculum. They often feel that students are rushed during writing activities. However, this was revised as this would need a more comprehensive look at scheduling in our school. The teachers also thought the idea of co-teaching ELA sounded like it would be the most feasible way to include more instructional time on writing with two teachers in the class. I suggested the idea that an ESL teacher and ELA teacher should take a course on co-teaching. Our district offers reimbursement for course costs, however, the teachers would need to work on course work on their own time. The teachers were happy to see that the plan included a focus on implementing UDL practices, believing that this would lead to better representation of all students and their unique cultures within the curriculum and better engagement of EL students with the writing curriculum.

The ELA department head thought that adding an additional course in writing would not be feasible within the scheduling parameters at our school. She did suggest that I should focus on piloting a co-taught ELA class with an ESL teacher and ELA teacher as the instructors. This fits into our school's plan to add an additional ESL teacher for grades 7 and 8 in order to address the growing number of ELs in our school and would allow for an ESL teacher in all grade levels. She also agreed that using UDL practices and culturally responsive teaching practices is paramount for the success of ELs and all students at our school.

The Assistant Principal praised the comprehensiveness of the plan citing two strong strategies to support our ELs. The AP felt that the commitment to UDL practices would be particularly effective in supporting EL students who do not currently feel connected to the ELA curriculum.

Relevance of Proposed Strategies

I acquired feedback from many of the stakeholders that I spoke with as I proposed my plan and strategies. The feedback was positive and I was told that my plan related to a lot of work that has already begun in our district. In working with the department heads and the ELE director, we wanted to address the growing number of ELs and how to bring about a more equitable approach to teaching all students. The ELE Director noted the importance of the co-teaching model to bring high-quality writing instruction to EL students by combining the writing content knowledge of the ELA teacher with the skills of the ESL teachers to identify and support the learning challenges unique to EL students.

One part of this plan is trying to get more instructional opportunities for ELs identities and cultures to be represented through UDL practices. We have inequities in our instructional material that do not reflect the cultures of our ELs. Also, educators are lacking in the knowledge of how students of diverse backgrounds learn, this can be addressed through integrating more opportunities to learn from the caregivers of our ELs and for more integration with our Family Outreach Center and ELPAC. Using surveys of student voices will also bring about success to the plan, the students are the reason for the plan in the first place.

The addition of book studies and Professional Learning Communities will be crucial to the success of the plan. Using collaboration as a tool in order to facilitate a change in our instruction will be integral to the success of the plan.

Feasibility

While working on this plan of action, the feasibility of it all was at the forefront of my mind. The stakeholders who I shared my plan with guided me along the way to always focus or narrow the view I was taking. My assistant principal guided me to focus on an area that I was already well aware of and to not come up with ideas far outside of our school improvement plan. This led to the focus on ELs and incorporating their culture and identities into instruction. The ELA department head helped me see that one grade level is better for a plan than trying to implement or pilot for two grade levels. This led me to selecting grade 8 as this is the last grade students take MCAS before there are implications for graduation in high school. She also guided me to see that creating a stand-alone writing course would not be feasible as it creates a change to our programming/scheduling. I did end up adjusting the goal percentages for students after discussion with the ESL department head and because of my ideas from previous goal setting experiences. I adjusted the goal percentages to be a bit lower than what I had initially set out in the plan. Another issue with feasibility is time in the workday to complete any professional development or course on co-teaching. The ELA teachers that I interviewed and the ELA department head said that time is always a problem when wanting to develop a new program and in order to co-teach with fidelity, they would need extra time in which to prepare for what co-teaching entails.

Revisions

After the feedback from stakeholders, these are the following revisions I made with the plan:

1. I focused my Theory of Action 1 on UDL strategies that can help with culturally responsive teaching, as this is an area that our district was previously working on. It is a way to be inclusive of all students and will allow for multiple means of representation. This was also suggested by the assistant principal.
2. I adjusted the percentages for student learning goals. This came from the idea of when I first started creating my own SMART goals and having a conversation with a former principal about lower percentages when first beginning a plan to then be able to increase the percentages as we move from year to year.
3. Upon conversations with the ELA department head, I narrowed the grade level co-teaching pilot to grade 8 only, initially I wanted to include grade 7, but she thought one class would suffice.
4. On the suggestion of the ELE Director, I included a book study group, using the book Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Guide to Collaborative Planning, Instruction, Assessment, and Reflection by Maria G. Dove and Andrea Honigsfeld. This book will facilitate learning on how to implement co-teaching of ELs.

Rationale

Artifact 3 – Findings, Feedback, and Recommendations

TThe candidate gathered substantial input from EL students, teachers, department heads as well as the ELE Director during the initial development phase of the plan. This feedback led directly to determining the two main plan strategies: (1) incorporate UDL strategies to improve equity and student outcomes by making the curriculum more culturally responsive and (2) incorporate the co-teaching model to support the specific learning needs of EL students. Once the initial plan was created, the candidate gathered further feedback on the quality, relevance, and feasibility of the plan and made several changes. Significantly, the candidate provided four specific examples of feedback that was incorporated into the plan. The commitment of the candidate to gather, synthesize, and utilize an ongoing stream of feedback was crucial to creating a plan that met the needs of the focal student group and aligned with the school's culture, climate, and context, including structural inequities and systemic biases.

Category Documents

1. Student demographic and other relevant school context and student performance information—The candidate provided data for the two student groups investigated, focusing on the EL group. Quantitative student academic performance data included 3 years of 8th grade ELA MCAS scores by student group, 3 years of ELs average MCAS test Items with zero points, 3 years of Access Scores showing the percent of ELs with the lowest domain scores in reading and writing, as well as attendance and demographic data.
2. School's existing vision, mission, and school improvement plan—The candidate included the school’s, vision and mission statements as well as the School’s Improvement Plan which shows a link to the candidate’s plan to break down barriers of EL students.
3. School and district priorities—The candidate included a description of three school priorities that relate directly to the selected priority academic area for Task 1: access to grade level material through high-quality instruction, removing barriers through the use of UDL practices, implementing research-based interventions and supports.
4. Data collection forms—The English learner survey data collection form was provided along with student responses. The candidate also provided a summary of responses to the interview questions asked of the ELA teachers and the ESL Department Head. This data helped clarify the priority academic area and focal group for Task 1.
5. Forms (surveys or interview questions)—The candidate provided a description of the data gathered through interviews of six stakeholders including teachers, administrators and department heads which provided feedback on the relevance, quality, comprehensiveness, and feasibility of the proposed plan. The information gathered addressed the selected priority academic area and the identified needs of the focal student group and included suggested plan revisions.

COMMENTARY

During the process of completing the PAL task 1, I became aware of certain areas of my leadership skills that developed. As I started to investigate, I took my intentional equity pauses and expanded my thoughts on my target student group, ELs. One perception of ELs that came about as I was working on this task was that ELs generally are often missing opportunities to learn in classes with their grade level peers due to scheduling constraints and therefore are missing out on high quality curriculum and instruction that ELA classes offer their grade level peers. A leadership skill that I have developed as a result of this is knowing that I will need to look at what is best for student groups as they are educated in a school that I am a leader of and that I may need to make the difficult decision to adjust a program that is no longer meeting the needs of the students.

Looking forward to my future as a school leader, I know that I have to continue to dismantle barriers to learning for all students, not only ELs. One main focus of my instructional leadership will be an emphasis on collaboration. As I worked on my plan, it was evident that I could not do it alone, I needed help along the way. I also learned that other school leaders and educators have strengths that I need to utilize in order to be an effective leader. Collaboration begins with leaders. This is a strength that I possess. I possess the ability to gather people together and have us all work for the common goals that we set forth. I am also strong at hearing other people's opinions and synthesizing what they have told me in order to organize and reevaluate purposes and plans. One adjustment I made as I initially gathered information was to include student voice which I had not originally planned to do. This was suggested by the ESL Department Head who explained that EL students benefit from instruction that plays to the strengths of these students while supporting their needs. She felt it would be helpful to hear from students directly as to what these strengths and needs might be. After completing the interviews with EL students I gained insight into the academic barriers that they face. I learned that it is important to include a variety of stakeholders to understand their needs and concerns.

Throughout this process I turned a weakness into a strength. One of my weaknesses was not understanding how to let data tell a story. As I progressed through identifying a student priority group, I began to understand that data shows what students are capable of and where we as leaders and educators need to improve. There will always be data that will show where improvement needs to be made and it will be my responsibility to analyze this data with teams and come up with ideas for improvements to weaknesses that the data shows. Not only recognizing the weaknesses but also the strengths that data can show as well. Looking at what you do well is as important as looking at what needs to be improved. I believe that my data collection strategies were inclusive of all student groups and that ELs will be empowered in my school because of this. Scheduling seems to be a root cause of barriers to learning and thinking of new ways of programming, rather than doing things the way they have always been done, is one way of understanding how to break these barriers. One area that I will need to improve upon is my ability to delegate. It will be important, moving forward, to delegate more and more of the data analysis to teacher teams so that they take ownership of any findings and help create supports for student learning issues.

As I crafted and revised my plan, I looked for feedback from multiple sources. I included directors, department heads, administrators and teachers. I also included student voices when constructing the ideas for the plan, especially when it came to culture and identity. One perspective I had wanted to include was that of the caregivers of our EL students, but with time constraints that did not work out. Using surveys and interviews was integral to the success of getting feedback and gathering qualitative data. In the future I will prioritize efforts to gain input from the caregivers of ELs as this was an important perspective that was missing.

Looking at the structural inequities and systemic bias that prevent students from accessing high-quality curriculum and instruction at my school, it was evident to me that our programming for ELs needs to be looked at and adapted. While ELs do need instructional classes for language acquisition, such as ESL, it should not be to the detriment of missing out on the high-quality curriculum offered in ELA classes or other content classes. One way to address this issue is co-teaching, which I took into consideration when creating my plan.

One leadership skill that I used to bring attention to my theory of action plan was persistence. Having conversations with multiple stakeholders at varying times throughout this process was invaluable to developing my leadership skills. I also had to persist through difficult tasks and through many conversations with stakeholders all while maintaining my vision for the action plan. This plan will challenge the way we instruct ELs at our school and if fully implemented this action plan could do a lot of good for all students in our school. While this plan changes the ESL program by including co-taught ELA classes, with the addition of a fourth ESL teacher this plan should not create a problem, staff members would be notified of any changes before implementing the plan as they would need to receive professional development.

A big component of this plan is getting student’s perspectives on their culture and identity, the surveys used were translated into primary languages, removing one barrier. In order to dismantle barriers, it is going to take the whole school to be on board with this plan and hopefully there will be an expansion in other grade levels to include co-taught ESL/ELA classes. All stakeholders who reviewed the plan were integral in guiding me and helping me develop the leadership qualities of being clear-headed and responsive to necessary changes in order to ensure that all students are receiving a high-quality education. A major component of my leadership journey will be making certain that all students have a voice and feel that their identities are represented in their education.

Rationale

Commentary

The candidate presented a detailed analysis of their own learning and leadership development throughout this task beginning with an evaluation of the skills employed to create a vision and plan to promote the learning and growth of all students. The candidate described these relevant skills and practices in context, providing clear examples of how they leveraged and adjusted these skills to accomplish each step of the task. Of even greater significance was the candidate's analysis of what was self-identified as a growth area (data analysis) and how, over time, the candidate turned this perceived challenge into a strength. The candidate identified ways to improve leadership skills in the future based on their own analysis and feedback provided by stakeholders. Lessons learned included the need to delegate and the importance of including student/family voice in the decision-making process. The candidate provided a clear picture of their journey as an educational leader and the important takeaways from the experience.