Report to the Board of Directors
December 9, 2015
Division of Academics and Innovation
Louanne Decker, Chief Academic & Innovation Officer
Dr. Ann Minckler, Assistant Director, Grants and Special Projects
Successfully Preparing All Students for Their Futures
Race to the Top Project 1: English Language Learner
Leadership Academy
KENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
Successfully Preparing All Students for Their Futures
Board of Directors
Ms. Karen DeBruler, President Ms. Debbie Straus, Vice President
Ms. Agda Burchard, Legislative Representative Mr. Russ Hanscom, Board Director
Ms. Maya Vengadasalam, Board Director
Dr. Calvin J. Watts Superintendent
Division Chief Officers
Dr. Keith Beeman, Chief Talent Officer Ms. Louanne Decker, Chief Academics & Innovation Officer
Mr. Thuan Nguyen, Chief Information and Digital Strategy Officer Dr. Richard Stedry, Chief Business Officer
School Improvement Officers
Dr. Millicent Borishade Mr. Brad Brown
Dr. Eric Hong Ms. Allison Deno
Executive Directors Dr. Pamela Ansingh, Program and Professional Development
Dr. Razak Garoui, Accountability, Research & Assessment Mr. Randall Heath, Student & Family Support Services
Mr. Chris Loftis, Communications and School/Community Partnerships Ms. Moriah Martin, Human Resources
Mr. Stanley “Stosh” Morency, Information Technology Mr. John Sander, Inclusive Education Services
Ms. Ann Valanzuolo, Standards-Based Instruction
Kent School District 12033 SE 256th Street Kent, WA 98030-6503
253-373-7000 www.kent.k12.wa.us
Race to the Top: Project 7 Report 1
Contents Race to the Top Project Overview ...................................................................................................... 2
District History and Project Information ......................................................................................... 2
Board Goals ................................................................................................................................... 43
Project Budget .................................................................................................................................. 54
Activities and Results ........................................................................................................................ 65
RTTT Year 1 – 2012-2013 School Year .......................................................................................... 65
RTTT Year 2 – 2013-2014 School Year: Activities .......................................................................... 65
RTTT Year 3 – 2014-2015 School Year: Activities .......................................................................... 65
RTTT Year 3 – 2014-2015 School Year: Results ............................................................................. 76
Heritage English Language Learners Leadership Academy ....................................................... 76
RTTT Year 4 and Year 5 – 2015-2017 School Years: Activities ...................................................... 98
How the Work has Changed ..................................................................................................... 98
Budget and Program Considerations for 2017-2018 ...................................................................... 109
Race to the Top: Project 7 Report 2
Race to the Top Project Overview
Race to the Top, Project 1 creates a fund that districts may access to improve teacher and
principal skills and abilities, to assist in the creation of personalized learning environments
in the region’s high-need schools. The emphasis of this fund is on math, science and ELL
instruction as well as teacher/principal leadership.
District History and Project Information
Recognizing the disparity in ELL performance on standardized tests, in 2009 the Kent
School District (KSD) established a partnership with Heritage University to provide
opportunities for KSD teachers to participate in the English Language Learner Academy
and English Language Learner Institute. The Heritage program provides Kent teachers the
ability to:
Focus professional development on data driven teaching and learning need
identified at the school level,
Build professional learning communities to support teacher knowledge and skills
that facilitate culturally responsive teaching across the system,
Apply instructional strategies designed to increase student achievement of all
English Language Learners in their school, with the effect of closing the
achievement gap,
Receive training on pedagogy that fosters equity, inclusion and empowerment of
students,
Access district personnel who model best-practices in English Language Learner
teaching and learning strategies,
Develop a program to meet English language learner teaching needs and
requirements as identified by the district,
Produce qualified candidates with an ELL and/or Bilingual endorsement or
equivalent,
Meet OSPI and state standards for all English language learners.
In order to provide a similar learning opportunity for building and district administrators, the
English Language Leadership Academy has been created. This academy consists of
seven modules designed for building and district administrators, instructional coaches, and
district support personnel to enhance and support concepts and research-based, best
practices for English Language Learners. Through a series of professional development
modules, to the cohort engages in deep, meaningful, and focused learning, gaining
knowledge and job-embedded skills to help support standards-based instruction and
Race to the Top: Project 7 Report 3
assessment for English language learners (ELLs). Culturally responsive teaching (CRT)
strategies are integrated throughout the ELL Leadership Academy. Content is aligned to
the Washington state ELL and bilingual education endorsement competencies (WAC 181-
82A) Multilingual Education Director Nina “Will” Williams participates in all cohort sessions
as co-facilitator.
The seven ELL leadership modules cover the following topics:
Module 1 – Historical and Legal Foundations of ESL/Bilingual Education
Module 2 – Language Acquisition
Module 3 – ESL/Bilingual Models
Module 4 – Culturally Responsive Practice
Module 5 – English Language Learners and Assessments
Module 6 – ELLs in the Classroom
Module 7 – Leadership Practicum
The ELL leadership cohort is a district-wide learning community focused on closing the
achievement gap for all students. Discussions pursuant to the learning are collegial,
intense, and add exponentially to each participant’s depth of understanding. Participants
emerge as changed professionals with a renewed commitment to ensuring equity for all
students. Below is the list of administrators who participated.
Page Meyer Director, Early Learning
Sandra Murray Assistant Director, Instructional Leadership and Professional Learning
Diane Ellis Principal, Pine Tree Elementary
Tricia Hoyle Principal, Fairwood Elementary
Suzy Kontos Principal, Meadow Ridge Elementary
Cynthia Green Principal, Ridgewood Elementary (Formerly AP at Meadow Ridge)
Sherilyn Ulland Principal, Northwood Middle School (Formerly Principal at Mill Creek)
Millicent Borishade SIO
Brian Patrick Principal, East Hill Elementary
Alene Arakawa Assistant Principal, Millennium Elementary
Eric Hong SIO
Lisa Couch Assistant Principal, Daniel Elementary
LySander Collins Principal, Meridian Elementary (Formerly AP at Meridian)
The program aligns to Learning Forward Standards for Professional Learning by providing
Kent School District leaders with professional learning to expand their knowledge, skills,
practices and dispositions in the education of English Language Learners, focusing on the
following standards through the initial learning and ongoing support:
Race to the Top: Project 7 Report 4
Learning Communities – establishment of the cohort model to deepen relationships and
learning connections throughout the year
Leadership – increasing the knowledge and skills of principals, instructional specialists,
and mentor specialists
Board Goals
1. High Student Achievement
6. Highly Effective Staff
Race to the Top: Project 7 Report 5
Project Budget
Project 1-ELL Leadership (Program 1813)Type: Competitive
Carryover Carryover
Year 1
FY 2012-2013
Year 2
FY 2013-2014
Year 3
FY 2014-2015
Year 4
FY 2015-2016
Year 5
FY 2016-2017Heritage University English Language Learner Leadership Academy - This project provides the Heritage University Leadership Program leading to an ELL and/or Bilingual endorsement for administrators in each of the Race to the Top schools. Currently 8building and district-level administrators are participating in this first year program.Nina (Will) Williams, Program Lead
No Award
$0
No Award
$0
Contract #8623 signed 6/13/14$99,608 Effective 9/01/14
Year 3 Budget: $99,608Expenditures (thru July 2015):Contractual $93,312*Indirects $2,000Total $48,656
*Heritage University(Indirects on first $25K)
Position(s) Funded:None
$4,296
Contract #TBD$103,152 Effective 9/01/152-year Award$107,447 with carryover
Year 4 Budget: TBDExpenditures Anticipated:Trainer $16,800Tuition $31,200Books $2,925Materials $500Indirects $3,617Total $55,042
Positions Anticipated:
Contract #TBD$52,405
$52,405
Year 4 Budget: TBDExpenditures Anticipated:Trainer $16,800Tuition $$28,800Books $2,700Materials $503Indirects $3,602Total $52,405
Positions Anticipated:
Race to the Top: Project 7 Report 6
Activities and Results
Below is the work that was proposed for each round of funding and the anticipated
results of the activities.
RTTT Year 1 – 2012-2013 School Year
No grants were awarded
RTTT Year 2 – 2013-2014 School Year: Activities
Award: $0
A proposal for this grant year was submitted to the ESD for consideration, but the
proposal was not funded.
RTTT Year 3 – 2014-2015 School Year: Activities
Award: $ 99,608
This competitive grant will pay for the following:
Proposed Activity Proposed Results
1. Provide the Heritage University English Language Learner Leadership Academy for school administrators, instructional coaches, mentors and district level administrators
Participants will:
Better understand the learning needs of English Language Learners in the classroom
Identify classrooms strategies that support ELL student learning
Be prepared to support instruction for ELL students
Race to the Top: Project 7 Report 7
RTTT Year 3 – 2014-2015 School Year: Results
Heritage English Language Learners Leadership Academy
During the 2014-2015 school year, thirteen administrators participated in the program. Tuition
for eight members of the cohort was paid through RTT. Tuition for five members was paid
through the Roadmap ELL Endorsement Project, which provided opportunities for both teachers
and administrators to engage in gaining endorsements. Had additional participants expressed
interest in joining the cohort, they would have been supported with Title III funding. Response
from the program was very positive, and each administrator has made changes within their
sphere of influence in order to better support English language learners in their schools and
across the district. Below are some examples of how the program is impacting participants’
practice:
All of the first year cohort members understand that removing students from instruction
is the least effective model of ELL instruction, and serves to widen the gap for English
learners (Thomas and Collier, 2001-2009) All are working on ways to approach in-class
support for students and teachers. They are working toward ensuring that ELLs have
meaningful access to core instruction (Lau v. Nichols, 1974), along with explicit
supplementary instruction in the four language development domains.
Cohort members understand the history of bilingual education in America, and what
events have transpired to lead us to where we are in current practice. All have begun to
look at their schools’ practice through the lens of this historical perspective, and can
evaluate the effectiveness of their schools’ English language development services in
comparison to research-based best-known practices.
District leaders who participated in the cohort have utilized their learnings and are asking
more questions about ELL services at high-needs schools. They are also engaging in
ongoing discussions about changing instructional practice, ensuring equity and access
to core instruction, and consideration of building a support system for general education
teachers to become more comfortable with their skills in differentiating and scaffolding
instruction for ELLs in their content area classes.
Principals are planning differently for language development services for the 2015-2016
school year. Several principals in the cohort brought teams of ELL and general
education teachers together for co-teaching training in June, for which we used the
seven models outlined by Honigsfeld and Dove in their book, Collaboration and Co-
Teaching, Strategies for English Learners.
All building administrators in the cohort have gained an understanding of the Washington
State English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), which are aligned to
CCSS/NGSS. They have provided guidance for their staff, as well as opportunities for
school-wide professional learning for implementation of the ELPS. This integrated
approach to scaffolding language development within each Common Core standard is
one of the keys to ensuring that content is made accessible for our English learners.
Race to the Top: Project 7 Report 8
One measure that demonstrates this more intentional approach is the improvement in the 2014-
2015 Washington English Language Proficiency Assessment (WELPA) scores. Data Table B
(attached) shows the growth from SY 2013-2014 to SY 2014-2015 . Most significantly, 875
students achieved Level 4 and exited from ELL services in 2015; 234 students more than exited
the previous year.
SY 14-15 SY 13-14
Total Students Tested 5167 4940
Exited L4 875 17% 641 13%
L3 2571 50% 2661 54%
L2 1469 28% 1383 28%
L1 225 4% 226 5%
Below are the changes in the number of secondary students identified as WELPA Level 1 at the
beginning of the year, compared to the number of students who tested at Level 1 on the WELPA
in February:
Mill Creek Middle School: 25 at the beginning of the year – 5 after WELPA testing
Kent-Meridian High School: 73 at the beginning of the year – 23 after WELPA testing
We are encouraged by the growth we are seeing in quantitative data, as well as the positive
responses and changes in practices reported by those who participated in this first cohort.
Members of the inaugural cohort have all expressed an interest in remaining involved in the
program as new cohorts enter; to collaborate, discuss, and learn along with their colleagues. As
we plan strategically for future cohorts, we are exploring avenues that will allow us to make the
program more cost effective and sustainable while increasing our capacity to reach more of our
school leaders.
Race to the Top: Project 7 Report 9
RTTT Year 4 and Year 5 – 2015-2017 School Years: Activities
Award: $103,152 (over 2 years)
Activity Results
1. For each of the 2 years, provide the University English Language Learner Leadership Academy for school administrators, instructional coaches, mentors and district level administrators
Participants will:
Better understand the learning needs of English Language Learners in the classroom
Identify classrooms strategies that support ELL student learning
Be prepared to support instruction for ELL students
How the Work has Changed
This year the district is establishing a new partnership with another university as a step toward
making this initiative more sustainable and extending the opportunity to a wider audience. The
content meets the newly revised Washington State competencies for English language learner
and/or bilingual education endorsements, and is focused on job-embedded practice for all
participants.
This work is aligned to the grant’s original problem of practice and theory of action which targets
increasing the district’s leadership team’s knowledge of best practice regarding English
language learners and their ability to identify specific ELL practices when observing teachers
delivering classroom instruction. This new plan increases the number of participants at a
significantly reduced price. As graduates of the Leadership Academy, KSD administrators will
be better equipped to evaluate and support teaching staff with regards to ELL through:
Understanding the impact of culture on student learning,
Increased understanding of English language learners’ needs,
Increased knowledge of instructional strategies reflecting research and best practice,
Applying various teaching and scaffolding strategies to enhance achievement,
Using English Language Development Standards to evaluate students levels of
performance and proficiency,
Using the English Language Development Standards, Essential Academic Learning
Requirements and Grade Level Expectations in the development of lesson plans that
include language and content objectives.
Race to the Top: Project 7 Report 10
Budget and Program Considerations for 2017-2018
The following reflect the costs for a cohort of 13 administrators to participate in training this year,
and a cohort of 12 administrators during the 2016-2017 school year.
RTTT Funded Impact to District
2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 13 students 12 students Cost for 10 students
Trainer (Contracted Service) $16,800 $16,800 $16,800
Endorsement Fees ($2400/student) $31,200 $28,800 $24,000
Books ($225/student) $2,925 $2,700 $2250
Training Supplies $500 $500 $500
Total $51,425 $48,800 $43,100
This new university partnership will also allow us to offer ELL and bilingual education
endorsements for teachers at a greatly reduced cost to the district, increasing our capacity to
better prepare our staff to provide high-quality instruction to our English language learners.