EQUITY AUDIT AND PLAN FOR IMPROVEMENT

Amy Ford, Fritz Geissler, Phyllis Harris, Laila Marshall, and Christian Nolde

Data

• Examined 8th grade reading and math SOL scores across all 12 Middle Schools in District X• SOL performance for all students • SOL performance for students with disabilities• Education attainment level of teachers (Bachelors,

Masters and Doctorate). • *No inequity was found in teacher educational levels

between schools. Therefore, no correlation between SOL scores and teacher attainment was seen.

Needs• Beliefs and readiness

• Students with disabilities can be successful• Collaborative teaching as Best-Practice Model

• Training• Effective Instructional Strategies

• Reading• Math

• Best Practices for teaching, observing and supporting Inclusive Practices

• Asset-based approach• Coaching• Collaborative technology• I’m Determined

Priorities• Improve student achievement in 8th Grade Reading and

Math• Effective Professional Development

Phases

Readiness/Beliefs• Instruction

• Reading and Math• Support

• Teacher and Administrator• Follow Up

• Coaching

Professional Development

Stages of training (Joyce and Showers)• Awareness (direct instruction)• Conceptual Understanding (Modeling)• Skill Acquisition (Practice with feedback)• Application of Skills (Coaching and Supervision)

• Includes technology based collaboration (discussion boards, blogs, social media, etc.)

Plan

1st Choose 3 schools • Low achieving• Average achieving• High achieving

2nd Provide Readiness Training

3rd Provide Strategy Training

4th Provide Collaborative Teaching Training

5th Determine effective teachers in the district who can serve as coaches

• Train in coaching

Supports for Plan

• Master schedule• Provide incentives for teachers and co-teaching pairs to stay together

• Collect and analyze data for monitoring effectiveness of implementation

• Insure fidelity of implementation

Support from readings:• “PK-12 educators need to take a two-tiered approach to

the issue of inequitable treatment of diverse groups” which includes examining own cultural identity and also becoming directly involved in efforts to change public policy. Pg. 307

• “Culturally responsive teachers take an assets-based approach …” pg. 313

Readings, con’t.• Guerra & Nelson (2008) suggest a four-phase model to

develop culturally proficient teacher: (pg 316)

1. analyze data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, SES (& SWD)

2. assess readiness for change

3. study how culture you belong to influences the way you teach

4. Analyze same student data as in phase 1 but also disaggregate by individual teachers, grade level & department

Source:

The Basic Guide to Supervision and Instructional Leadership

Glickman, Gordon &Ross-Gordon