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Building a Bridge Without a Toll Booth: Addressing the Professional Development Needs of Teachers of Long Term English Learners Facilitator: LuzElena Perez, MPA Literacy Specialist, Escondido Union High School District, CA UCSD & CSUSM Ed.D Candidate

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The bridge metaphor What does it mean to build a bridge? Whats on either side of the bridge? Who crosses the bridge? What tools do bridge makers need?

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Goals of this Workshop: To consider and discuss: The professional development needs of teachers of English Learners. The research regarding expectations, beliefs and attitudes that teachers hold of minority students. The role that coaching can play in addressing the needs of teachers of English Learners. Explore the potential for meta-studies. Learn about EUHSDs journey.

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Achievement Gap Dropout rates: Latino dropout rates are the highest of any major ethnic group in the United States. Reason: low academic achievement. One-third of all Latino students perform below grade level, this increases their chances of dropping out from 50% to 98%.

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Economic Impact of the Latino Achievement gap: A recent study found that : The achievement gap was the equivalent of a permanent national recession. Had the achievement gap between black and Latino student performance and white student performance been closed the "Gross Domestic Product in 2008 would have been between $310 billion and $525 billion higher" (p.17). Health and civic engagement impacts of the achievement gap. The study concludes that "lagging achievement is a problem for poor and minority children and for the broad middle class" (p. 21). McKinsey & Company (2009). The economic impact of the achievement gap in America's schools.

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Nativity and generation for Limited English Proficient (LEP) adolescents The fact that over half (56 %) of LEP children in secondary schools are U.S.-born makes it clear that many children are not learning English even after seven or more years in school. Source: U.S. Census of Population and Housing, 1 percent PUMS, 2000 as cited in Capps et al., (2005)

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Deficit views could be part of the problem: Research regarding teaching practices towards minority students highlights the deficit views and low expectations held by many teachers of non-White students (den Brok & Levy, 2005; Fritzberg, 2001; Tenenbaum & Ruck, 2007). Deficit views have an adverse impact on the learning environments of minority students (Rosenthal & Jacobson, 1968). Most reform efforts, professional development initiatives, or accountability reports fail to focus on or consider the views teachers hold of their minority students as a factor.

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Theoretical framework on PD and teacher change: Guskey (1986) Model of Teacher Change What kind? Which practices? Measured by? Equity beliefs?

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Measuring student learning How do you measure EL student learning? How often is their learning measured? What feedback do students receive? How are Language Development standards incorporated in the assessment of language development and content learning?

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den Brok & Levy, (2005) Theoretical Framework: Ethnic backgrounds and student outcomes Teacher ethnic background Student ethnic backgrounds Teacher behavior towards individuals and class Student perceptions of teacher behavior (inc. knowledge, beliefs, etc.) Student outcomes (achievement and motivation)

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Professional development can address teacher awareness of beliefs, expectations and views. Teacher beliefs influence expectations which impact student achievement. Coaching can provide an effective approach to addressing teacher beliefs, expectations and views.

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Instructional Coaching Transfer of skills and theory to the classroom is less than 5% in traditional PD, it is over 80% with coaching. Coaching is a critical component in PD. Showers, Joyce, & Bennett, (1987); Garret et al. (2001); Mahn et al. (2005); Russo (2004) Coaching can improve student learning. (Greene, 2004) Just as teaching cannot occur in a context free of culture, neither does coaching. (Lindsey, D. 2010) Instructional coaching can and should address issues of beliefs, expectations and attitudes with teachers of Els.

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Areas of Research: Learning Environments of Minority Students Teachers beliefs, expectations and views of minority students: den Brok & Levy, (2005); Fritzberg, (2001); Rosenthal & Jacobson, (1968); Tenenbaum & Ruck, (2007) New teachers: Ladson-Billings, (2000) Schultz, Jones-Walker, and Chikkatur, (2008) Haberman & Post, (1998)

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How can we study teacher beliefs? Teacher beliefs have been studied in quantitative research projects and have yielded descriptive findings. Studies that seek to explain a phenomenon are generally qualitative studies with a grounded theory epistemology. In order to understand this phenomenon with the goal of theory building research that synthesizes various studies.

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Theory Related Purposes Theory Building Theory Explication Theory Development Schrieber et al. 1997 p. 315 in Zimmer, L. (2006 p.313)

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Goals of Qualitative Meta-Study A meta-study is: The synthesists interpretation of the interpretations of primary data by the original authors of the constituent studies. Zimmer, L. (2006) Qualitative meta- synthesis: a question of dialoguing with text. Journal of Advanced Nursing 53 (3), 311-318. The goals of qualitative meta-study are: Theory development,Higher level abstraction, andGeneralizability Estabrooks et al. 1994, Jensen & Allen 1996, Sandelowki et al. 1997 in Zimmer, L. (2006 p.313)

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Potential of the meta-study Application of a meta-synthesis will push this methodology in educational research in general, specifically it will advance theory development regarding teacher beliefs of minority and language minority students. Theory regarding teacher beliefs can become instrumental in the design of PD. Theory regarding teacher beliefs can greatly benefit the work of instructional coaches.

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Theoretical framework on PD and teacher change: Guskey (1986) Model of Teacher Change Reflective workshops with coaching. Transformative teaching. Measured by quantitative and qualitative data. High expectations, strength based beliefs and affirming attitudes Professional development Change in Classroom Practices Change in student learning Change in teachers attitudes and beliefs.

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Suggested strategies: Collect data that matters. Design PD based on data. Mandate PD to teachers of ELs. PD must include reflective inquiry questions that address beliefs, attitudes and expectations. PD needs to be outcome driven = student achievement. Support teachers through coaching. Coaches need to be trained in issues of cultural proficiency.

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Questions and comments: LuzElena Perez Literacy Specialist Escondido Union High School District Escondido, CA leperez@ucsd.edu or lperez@euhsd.k12.ca.us