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EVALUATE 10.2: FINAL PROJECT MILESTONE NO. 2: FINAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Final Project Milestone 2

Final Professional Development Plan

Evaluate 10.2

Brynn Lipstreu

EDU-582-X2271-13TW2

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It is important to understand the challenges that students may face in today’s world. The

students found in classrooms across the United States have different backgrounds. Students

come from different cultural, socio-economic, and academic backgrounds. Knowing the students

of the classroom and their backgrounds is important in identifying and utilizing appropriate

curricula, lessons, and instructional strategies to incorporate into the teaching space.

Institutional Factors

American classrooms are full of students who have varying backgrounds. It is important to

provide an equal opportunity to each for these students regardless of their origins or their

academic capabilities. Through the schooling experience, students can find commonality among

themselves and achieve academic success. Creating a welcoming, high-quality classroom, where

students feel safe to take educational risks, can accomplish much of this.

Classroom expectations need to be set and be consistent for all students. These expectations

should be set high in order to challenge all students to accomplish them. “Cultural group

membership cannot become an excuse for students’ lack of academic achievement” (Gollnick &

Chinn, 2012). Lowering expectations due to empathy about a student’s home situation, such as

socio-economic status or cultural background, is not providing consistent expectations for all

students. Regardless of obstacles students face, it is important that all students learn. This can

be accomplished by maintaining a clear focus on learning.

Students need to be motivated and engaged in learning. Encouragement of student participation

and offering projects that focus on student interest areas leads to their being engaged. Classroom

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projects of interest should extend academic learning and involve social interactions. This social

collaboration allows students to improve upon their communication and mutual work skills.

Student-teacher relationships are key in creating an environment where all students feel safe and

eager to learn. Effective teachers are caring and get to know their students. Teachers that truly

care about their students honor them and their families. They overcome any previous biases they

may have and treat all students and families equally. Through these positive relationships,

students become more enthusiastic about work and their academic performances are increased.

As students are grouped in my classroom, I will not look to group students based upon their

ability levels. According to Gollnick and Chinn (2012) “high ability appears to be more closely

related to race and class than to intellectual potential.” Higher-level thinking is, many times,

earmarked for higher ability groups. By mixing students with different abilities into groups, all

students will learn from the blended consortium. This will allow all students to be engaged and

challenged by higher-level questions. Students will learn from each other how to think in this

manner.

Achievement Gap

An achievement gap is a difference in scores, shown by standardized assessments, of students

from different backgrounds. These differences can include, but are not limited to, ethnicity and

socioeconomic status. According to the April 2009 report, “Detailed findings on the economic

impact of the achievement gap in America’s schools” McKinsey and Company says these gaps

exist regardless of how measures are taken. Both test score achievement and graduation rate

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attainment measures show a gap in achievement between races. This gap of achievement

indicates, on average, that the average black or Latino student is approximately two to three

years behind in learning as compared to a peer white student. This is a serious matter that I am

now aware exists, and I need to be cognizant of the repercussions if it is not addressed.

This achievement gap is evident in test scores of fourth graders and the gap continues to widen

as students progress in age. The 2007 NAEP reading scores of grade four show a national

average of two hundred twenty. When the scores are broken down by race, Asian ethnicity

averages two hundred thirty-one while white ethnicity averages two hundred thirty. This average

drops to two hundred four for Latino ethnicity and two hundred three for blacks. With every ten

points equaling approximately one year of learning, this data shows that Latino and black

students are averaging a two to three year learning deficit. Here in Connecticut, it was shown by

the 2007 NAEP grade four scores that we have one of the highest achievement gaps between

black and white student scores in both reading and math. These low achievement scores are

obtained by fourteen percent of our fourth grade population. Fourteen percent of our fourth

grade learners are of black ethnicity and, on average, two to three years behind in their learning.

Socioeconomic status can play a factor in the achievement gap. According to McKinsey and

Company students receiving federally subsidized lunch also average test scores two to three

years behind students ineligible for such programs. This gap has been shown to persist over a

student’s lifetime. States showing the highest average test scores continue to have a very large

income achievement gap. McKinsey and Company state, “Massachusetts has among the highest

overall NAEP scores, but students eligible for free lunch are six times more likely to be ‘below

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basic’ in grade 4 math than ineligible students.” In grade four NAEP reading and math scores,

there is a thirty percent difference between at or above basic students of low-income families and

those coming from families that are not low income. Reading scores for the 2005 NAEP reading

test show that seventy-seven percent of students from higher income families are at or above

basic. This is in comparison to the forty-six percent of students from low-income families

scoring at or above basic. Ninety percent of higher income students are at or above basic in math

scores in comparison to the sixty-seven percent of students of low-income families. With thirty

percent of our students receiving free and reduced lunch, we need to look closely at this and

address the needs of our learners from low-income families.

While these achievement gaps have been documented, so have improvements. The achievement

gap has narrowed in the past forty years. The highest gap closure occurred from the early 1970’s

to the 1980’s. This progress then flat lined until the late 1990’s. In the past fifteen years, the

closure of the achievement gap has seen progress again. McKinsey and Company report that the

country’s largest school district in New York City has shown an improvement in test scores of

what is traditionally the lowest achieving group of low-income black students since 2003.

Latino students in Ohio have overcome the achievement gap. These students are now scoring the

same as their white peers in eight states. The same Latino students from Ohio are scoring better

than their white peers from thirteen states. This data, as reported in McKinsey and Company’s

report, gives us hope that we will close the achievement gap that we have identified in our

district.

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McKinsey and Company’s report offers many reasons why this achievement gap must be closed.

Elementary school achievements are a predictor of college success. Achievement levels between

fourth and eighth grade are correlated. This is also true for achievement in eighth grade and

probability of college entrance. The degree that a student attains is correlated with lifetime

earnings. A student who advances him or herself to be a professional degree holder earns more

than three times that of a peer who stopped his or her education at the end of high school.

Incarceration probability decreases as education advances. It is reported that black men with a

college education are fives times less likely to be jailed than their peers who dropped out of high

school. Health conditions are correlated with education levels as well. Unhealthy behaviors,

such as smoking and obesity, are highly correlated with adults that achieved a lower education.

Students with a low education background often vote less as well. From the statistics that

McKinsey and Company offers, we can see the importance of the impacts of education on the

public population.

The first step in closing the achievement gap is to identify it. We have identified this gap in our

state assessment scores. Now that we know this gap exist, we need to come up with a cohesive

plan to address the needs of our students. Since we know that these test scores are an early

predictor of a student’s lifetime success, we need to identify needs on an individual basis and

concentrate on delivering an education that will close the achievement gap.

Critical Assumptions

School is a place where students should have an equal opportunity to learn, but the stresses that

come with worrying about money can affect students and their capabilities to learn. It is

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important for teachers to offer strategies and opportunities to students of low-income

backgrounds that will begin to close the socio-economic achievement gap.

Students who are food insecure may worry about their food sources. There may not be enough

supplies or they may run out. These students may miss meals. A breakfast society is something

that could be offered through my classroom. Students can come to school half an hour early to

fill up on a nourishing breakfast. During this time, students can make connections with each

other or myself. I would want to keep this time non-academic to entice more students to take

advantage of it. Students will be better equipped to perform well with the stress of worrying

about breakfast out of the equation.

I would also initiate a homework alliance after school for students in my class. I would offer this

during the week directly after school hours. Students could come in and work on their

homework. Students from low-economic homes often have parents who achieved a lower level

of education themselves. Offering to assist students with homework after school gives all

students an opportunity to seek out help from me. Students can complete homework before

going home where they are confronted with the hardships of their daily lives.

The working hours of parents in low-economic homes do not often mesh with opportunities to

come into school. I would like to offer a coffee hour to parents. I would do this monthly. Times

would be varied to include before school, a plan period during the school day, after school and

even evening hours. I would communicate with parents which time I would be available for that

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month and give them the opportunity to come in, hear about the current activities of school, ask

questions, and express any concerns.

A classroom library borrowing system would allow students, who otherwise may not have access

to books, to borrow books of interest to read. While public libraries offer book borrowing,

students may not have the means to travel to the library or obtain a library card. A classroom

library is open to all students to borrow from. This system offers the convenience of location.

Students are in school and can check books out from the classroom. This gives all students

access to quality reading materials.

It is important for teachers to try to level the playing field within the classroom for all students.

As we work towards leveling the field, we will work on closing the socio-economic achievement

gap. There are factors that affect students that are beyond our control. We can however, provide

students with strategies to deal with those factors and a place to feel comfortable where those

factors are not felt as strongly.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies

Teachers who are culturally responsive use appropriate materials that students can relate to

through their culture or experiences. Knowing your students and their backgrounds and using

this knowledge to help deliver lessons can help you reach a culturally responsive classroom.

Again, it seems like getting to really know your students is the way you create a learning

environment where students feel comfortable taking risks in learning. According to Gollnick and

Chinn (2012), "education that is multicultural respects the cultural diversity of students and

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supports equity and social justice with the goal of helping student reach their academic, social,

physical, and emotional potentials."

It is important to include lessons that teach students regular curriculum but also incorporate

information that integrates cultural backgrounds. Black history is an example of a cultural group

that has a large role in American history. It should be taught to all students as an integrated part

of our regular curriculum. Learning of this topic should take place through various materials, not

just history textbooks. Black history, as all cultural histories, can be controversial and should be

taught using real-life experiences. There are many pieces of literature that offer real-life

experiences of Americans with differing cultural backgrounds. Reading these allows students an

inside window into the experiences of blacks in America. These accounts are very much a part

of America’s history and should be interwoven throughout curricula.

Our grade three Language Arts curriculum uses many pieces of literature to focus on various

objectives students need to master. These objectives are reading comprehension objectives. We

use quality texts to teach these objectives. These pieces of literature can also be used to teach

cultural histories to students. Shared reading text is at a reading level appropriate for the teacher

to read to students, but all students can understand and comment on the content. During shared

reading, the teacher reads text to students. Students have opportunity to discuss the weekly

objective and other matters the text may highlight. Small group text can be chosen to expose

students to great literature on black history as well. We have many options for this at varying

DRA levels. Due to the constant change in level needs, these books should be sought out using

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our electronic book circulation process. Using these books with students will reinforce the

weekly reading objective as well as expose them to black history topics.

Using materials to teach students about cultural differences is best to integrate these lessons into

other curricular areas. Students spend ninety minutes daily with their reading objectives, and I

think that this is a great spot for cultural materials to be incorporated. As our objectives are

taught throughout the year, students are learning about other cultures as well as their identified

reading comprehension objective. This creates a natural flow of learning and gives students an

opportunity to revisit these topics again and again.

Lessons that involve multicultural diversity allow students to share their own experiences and

make connections with academic materials. The following outlined lesson plan is to be executed

as part of an immigration unit of study in grade three. The activity is designed to help students

see what it means to be a Pilgrim in today’s world. This lesson for the text Molly’s Pilgrim does

illustrate the meaning of a true Pilgrim. It also shows some diversity that exists in today’s

classrooms. This text gives a different meaning to the word Pilgrim from that which students

traditionally learn.

The original lesson was improved to show more multicultural diversity. The original lesson did

not allow students to reflect upon their own heritage. This text lends an opportunity for students

to begin an investigation of their own backgrounds of culture. Rather than simple understanding

Molly’s heritage, students can research their own cultures to share with students. Through this

change, there are additional Connecticut GLE’s addressed in this lesson. The following

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highlighted changes reflect variations that extend this lesson to allow students to investigate their

own heritages and create a doll, as Molly’s mother did, to represent a family member. Changes

to the lesson that show culturally responsive teaching strategies are highlighted in the sample

lesson that follows.

Lesson Plan Molly’s Pilgrim

(after multicultural restructuring)

“Big Idea” this lesson plan supports:

Knowledge of concepts, themes and information from history and social studies is necessary to promote understanding of our nation and our world.

Lesson Plan Component CriteriaTitle Molly’s Pilgrim

Using the book by Barbara Cohen, students will respond to the social and historical significance of this portrayal of the Thanksgiving holiday. Students will also participate in constructing a Venn diagram and completing a cloze activity. Additionally, students will research their own personal culturally heritages and present a clothespin doll representing such.

Connecticut GLE’s 1.1.1 Identify and examine local connections to significant events and themes in United States history.

1.3.5 Investigate one’s own family heritage, making comparisons to classmates and community members.

1.6.12 Analyze how and why people settles in various areas in their community.

1.13.24 Explain characteristics that help define an ethic group.

1.13.25 Compare and contrast individual identity (e.g beliefs, values, abilities) with that of peer group and other ethnic/cultural groups.

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2.1.1 Gather information in content areas through independent use of reference material and electronic media. 2.4.7 Present information gathered on a social studies topic with clarity, voice and fluency. 2.5.10 Create visual presentations on social studies topics depicting relevant information

Objective(s)/Learner Outcomes Students will respond to the social and historical significance of this text.

Students will complete a clothespin doll as Molly (in the text) did according to their family heritage questionnaire.

Essential Questions Why do people immigrate?

What effect did immigrant groups have on the social, political and historical context of our nation?

Materials Molly’s Pilgrim by Barbara CohenChart paperMarkersClothespin Doll/Family Heritage Project parent descriptor and questions

Anticipatory Set What is a pilgrim? What do you know about Pilgrims and why they came to America? Review that Pilgrims came to America for various freedoms. They are people that traveled to America to leave behind times of sorrow.

Procedures Introduce the objective: go over anticipatory set and ask essential questions.Go over vocabulary: Words are discussed, used in a sentence and defined. {tenement, Yiddish, Jewish, synagogue, ignorant} Then words are added to the word wall.Establish prior knowledge, purpose and predictions: Questions to ask…What is a Pilgrim? What did Pilgrims come to America for?Predictions: Based on the title, Molly’s Pilgrim, and the illustrations on the cover, what do you think this story might be about?Purpose for reading text: As we read this story, we will learn about Molly and her heritage.Reading of text: Book may be read as read-aloud, within small groups, or individually by students.After reading: Questions to ask and chart on Venn diagram: How is Molly’s family the same as the traditional Pilgrim family? How is Molly’s family different than a traditional Pilgrim family? How is Molly’s family the same as your family? How is Molly’s family different than yours?

Differentiation Students needing to hear the story over have the option of

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using podcasts. Graphic organizers can be used to record information heard in the text.

Closure Group Discussion:What are reasons different people came to America?After reading Molly’s Pilgrim do you have a different idea of what a Pilgrim is?Do you know when your family came to America?Do you know why your family came to America?Molly’s mother thought of herself as a Pilgrim and made the doll to represent such. What do you think a Pilgrim in your family would look like?

Assessment Written or recorded response to the question:Clothespin Doll/Family Heritage Project (see Appendix A and B)

Modifications/Accommodations Use of graphic organizers, answer frames, recordings or dictation.

This highlighted assessment project allows students an opportunity to learn about their own

family trees. Students will share their project dolls with the class and explain what they learned

from the parent questionnaire. This additional activity gives students a chance to explore their

family tree giving the experience of immigration a more personal feel. With the sharing of

family cultures, students will learn about each other, creating a more respectful climate in the

classroom.

My ultimate goal as a teacher is to supply all students with an extraordinary educational

experience, regardless of their backgrounds. I strive to create a stimulating and unbiased

environment in which all students feel safe, assured, and willing to take risks in learning.

Education’s purpose is to empower students to become successful in their lives. Teaching skills

that are useful to students, both at the present time and in their futures, is important.

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References

Boyles, N. (2009) Launching RTI comprehension instruction with shared reading.

Gainesville, FL: Maupin House Publishing, Inc.

Connecticut State Department of Education. (2011) CT Social Studies Curriculum Framework

Grades PK-12. Retrieved from http://www.sde.ct.gov

Gollnick, D. M., & Chinn, P. C. (2012). Multicultural education in a pluralistic society. (9th ed.).

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

McKinsey & Company (2009) Detailed findings on the economic impact of the achievement gap

in America's schools. Retrieved from www.mckinsey.com

Russo, P. (2007, September). Teaching tolerance: The do's and don'ts of teaching black history.

Retrieved from http://www.tolerance.org/activity/dos-and-donts-teaching-black-history

Southern New Hampshire University. (2013) EDU-582-X2271 Ed Factors of Diversity

13TW2 , Module 4, Children Living in Poverty

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http://www.tolerance.org/activity/dos-and-donts-teaching-black-history


Appendix A

Attention Parents

Clothespin Doll Project

Recently, our class read a book titled Molly’s Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen. Molly and her family

moved to America from Russia. Molly’s mother made a clothespin doll that looked like herself

as a girl in Russia.

Your child will be creating his or her own immigrant doll representing one of his or her

ancestors. It should be dressed in a costume representing ethnic origin or occupation. Scraps of

fabric, lace, buttons, yarn, or other material will help make this “family member” come to life!

Please help your child with the information they need to complete this project. Use the Parent

Questionnaire to answer questions about this ancestor that could be included in a brief piece of

writing about the doll. The writing will be done in class.

Sharing these dolls and their stories is an important way to tell our family histories and make our

immigration study more personal.

The doll and its story are due on Friday, April 13th.

I hope your family enjoys this opportunity to share old family stories and perhaps learn a few

new ones in the process!

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Thank you for your continued support!

Appendix B

Name ____________________________ Date ______________

Parent Questionnaire

Parents, please take time to answer these questions. When your child has the answers, he or she is to choose a country that represents his or her ancestry and create a doll.

In what country were you or your ancestors born?

______________________________________________________________________________

Are there still family members in that country?

______________________________________________________________________________

Why did they leave the country of their birth?

_____________________________________________________________________________

Who were the first members of your family to arrive here?

______________________________________________________________________________

How did they get to the United States?

_____________________________________________________________________________

When did they arrive in this country?

______________________________________________________________________________

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What are or were other languages spoken by your family members?

______________________________________________________________________________

Are there any celebrations or traditions that the family brought over that are still observed?

______________________________________________________________________________

Do you have any pictures of them to share? ______________________________________________________________________________

Can you share any interesting information about your family or their immigration to this country?

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