Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Abstract:
I collected data about my urban elementary school that includes 903 students of diverse
backgrounds in grades K-6. In collecting this data, I realized that this population of students are
the lowest socio-economic population in the county and consist of mostly Hispanic children
(81%) that are EL students. After analyzing the data and comparing it to other schools across
the nation, state and the district, I found several inequities that surprised me. When looking at
the number of students who are not native English speakers, and come from diverse
backgrounds, compared to the number of white, English-only teachers, I discovered a large
mismatch. This data and its comparison to other schools, created the foundation for the
following inquiry and proposed plan for solutions.
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opportunity to each student. Meaning that students’ education should provide them with an
equal playing field when competing for jobs and wealth. Based on data presented by the
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2016) in 2013, the reading gap between White
and Black 4th graders in the United States had decreased by 6 points from 1992 to 2013.
However, the White-Hispanic reading gap had no measureable change at 25 points (NCES,
2016). The gap for White-Hispanic students narrowed slightly by grade 8 (decreased by 5
points) but by 12th grade, the gap for both Black and Hispanic students was still significant
(NCES, 2016). The White-Black gap was 30 points in 2013 and the White-Hispanic gap was 22
points (NCES, 2016). This data demonstrates that we are not meeting the needs of our minority
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2017), the number of
Hispanic students enrolled in public schools in the United States increased from 9.3 million to
12.8 million in 2014, which was an increase from 19% to 25%. In addition, there was an
increase in Asian students, representing 5% of the student enrollment in 2014, while there was a
decrease in White and Black students enrolled (NCES, 2017). The demographics of our school
populations are changing and that does not appear to be stopping. The NCES predicts that by
2026 the Hispanic student population will continue to grow, estimated to account for 29%, and
the White and Black student populations will continue to decrease (NCES, 2017). In 2016,
NCES reported that there were 4.6 million ELL students enrolled in public schools in the United
In Virginia, there were 97,169 ELL students enrolled state-wide in public schools as of
2014 (Tate, V., 2014). Fairfax County has the highest enrollment in the state with 35,035 as of
September 2014 (Tate, V., 2014). Fairfax County reports that 29% of their total student
population receives ELL services and that 25.4% of their student population is Hispanic (Fairfax
County Public Schools, 2018). That means that roughly one out of 4 students speaks Spanish as
their native language. Nationally and locally, this data points to a significant need to understand
how we can best serve our minority students, particularly ELL students, in order to close the gap
Potential Causes
Teachers want to help their students reach their full potential. Working with low-ELL
students or newcomers can be very challenging. Research shows that oral language and content
vocabulary are critical pieces to growth and understanding for these students (August, D., Carlo,
M., Dressler, C. & Snow, C., 2005; Mendez, L., Crais, E., Castro, D. & Kainz, K., 2015).
Without the academic vocabulary necessary to understand the content, ELL students struggle to
keep up with their English-only (EO) peers (August, D., Carlo, M., Dressler, C. & Snow, C.,
2005; Mendez, L., Crais, E., Castro, D. & Kainz, K., 2015). This gap becomes larger as the
content and vocabulary become more challenging (August, D., Carlo, M., Dressler, C. & Snow,
C., 2005; Mendez, L., Crais, E., Castro, D. & Kainz, K., 2015). Teachers need to be better
prepared to meet the needs of their ELL students. Specifically, they need to have a greater
understanding of which strategies and/or interventions are best for closing the gap.
Students who speak other languages at home also have cultural differences from the
dominant school culture. The cultural differences prevent them from being able to access all of
the opportunities that are available to their white, U.S. born peers (Applebaum, 2003; Collazo,
Culturally Responsive Teachers
2017). They do not understand the nuances of American culture and it holds them back (Collazo,
2017). These cultural differences also cause conflict when the teachers who are providing the
instruction, do not share the same culture as the students (Delpit, 2006). It has been stated that
teachers will often unintentionally lower their standards for ELL students and this prevents them
from receiving equality of opportunity (Applebaum, 2003; Collazo, 2017; Spring, 2012).
Policy
The issue of equality of opportunity for all students has been an ongoing problem for
many years that decision makers have tried to overcome. Historically, many policies have been
set in place to try to ensure that all students receive equitable instruction and opportunities. One
example is No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This policy was put in place to try to close the
achievement gap of low income students, ensure that all students receive a quality education and
to hold schools accountable for student progress (NCLB, 2004). Under this policy, standardized
tests would demonstrate how well all students were learning the content and schools that were
not demonstrating growth would be penalized (NCLB, 2004). Schools who were demonstrating
growth, would receive a higher standard to reach for the next school year (NCLB, 2004). In
addition, other programs such as Reading First were initiated to ensure that schools were using
research-based reading instructional programs (NCLB, 2004). The NCLB act had mixed results.
The positive results were that test scores rose, teachers spent more time focusing on reading and
math instruction, and there was a focus placed on teacher qualifications as well as the under
achieving groups of students (Jennings & Stark Retner, 2006). However, the negative results
were that reading and math instruction sometimes took away from other subjects such as science,
social studies and art (Jennings & Stark Retner, 2006). Additionally, students are taking a lot
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more tests and the focus for student progress demonstration has become standardized tests
The most recent policy initiative is Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). It took effect in
December 2015 and was meant to build upon the NCLB act (Department Of Education, 2017).
Like NCLB, ESSA strives to support the low performing students in the most underperforming
schools (Department Of Education, 2017). However, ESSA also includes stipulations for
ensuring that these schools have high standards in an attempt to guarantee that the students are
receiving the same quality of education as their peers at higher performing schools (Department
Of Education, 2017). Standardized tests are still required under this law and the results are to be
Recommendations
The previously mentioned policies have attempted to support the growing population of
EL students in our nation’s schools. It is our obligation, as educators, to do our best to provide
an equitable learning experience for every student that we serve. The following
recommendations should be considered by the district, schools and classroom teachers who serve
District:
educate them about culturally responsive instruction (Hollins, 2008; Nieto, 1999;
Create an incentive program for bilingual teachers to increase the number of bilingual
School:
Institute teacher home visits to create a more significant relationship with families and to
awareness and to educate them about culturally responsive instruction (Hollins, 2008;
Classroom:
Use culturally responsive instruction (Hollins, 2008; Nieto, 1999; Villegas & Lucas,
2007)
responsive instruction, learn Spanish and make home visits (Danielson, 2007;
Action Plan
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After conducting an equity study at my school and analyzing the data, I noticed several
inequities. These inequities seemed to stem from the cultural and linguistic differences of the
student demographic and the dominant culture. At my school, there are 903 students (Fairfax
County Public Schools, 2016). Out of the 903 students, 864 receive free or reduced lunch (FRL)
and 612 are labeled as English Language Learners (ELL) (Fairfax County Public Schools, 2016).
These are two significant factors that can have a detrimental impact on student success in school
and the majority of the students in my building face these challenges. According to Hollins
(2008), the definition of oppression is the power that one group holds over another. She
discusses how the differences in race, socio-economic status and ethnicity cause struggles for
student success and this demonstrates a discrepancy of power in our country (Hollins, 2008).
This is evident in my school. According to the Test Results (Fairfax County Public Schools,
2016), one quarter of the students in 1st and 2nd grades are reading below grade level. This
deficit increases to 35% of students in 3rd grade who are unable to pass the Reading SOL
Hollins (2008) suggests that teachers need to be taught to be more accepting of the
emotional perspective. Nieto (1999) feels that teachers’ outlooks and opinions can affect how
they perceive their students, the expectations they have for students as well as, impact parent
participation. When teachers view their students through a deficit lens, they perceive their
students as being less capable and they lower their expectations and often teach the basic level of
Culturally Responsive Teachers
curriculum which limits their students’ opportunities to reach their full potential (Gonzalez, et
Hispanic, 10% Black, 5% Asian and 2% White (Fairfax County Public Schools, 2016). The
racial/cultural demographic of the teachers (certified staff) are 78% White and only 22% Black
and Hispanic, combined. According to Sato and Lensmire (2009), teachers in our country are
mostly white women from middle-class backgrounds. Only 7% of the certified staff members
are bilingual. This is a significant mismatch when compared to the number of bilingual and/or
Based on the data collected and the research conducted, I recommend implementing the
Immediate Implementation:
District:
- Create a salary incentive program for teachers who currently speak or choose to learn a second
language
- Be purposeful in trying to hire more ethnically/racially diverse teachers by scheduling more job
September/October:
School:
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- Institute monthly Spanish classes for staff members who desire to learn another language
- Hold the first of 4 quarterly family nights at school to encourage family/staff interaction
- Provide support for grade level teams to institute home visits for select students
- Provide support for grade level teams to learn more culturally responsive teaching
Classroom:
- Incorporate more culturally diverse mentor texts to help students relate to the academic
curriculum
December/January:
School:
- Continue with monthly Spanish classes for staff members who desire to learn another
language
- Hold the 2nd of 4 quarterly family nights at school to encourage family/staff interaction
- Continue providing support for grade level teams to learn more about culturally
time
Classroom:
- Discuss findings from the home visit program with grade level team
- Incorporate a culturally diverse holiday celebration where students and family members
March/April:
School:
- Continue with monthly Spanish classes for staff members who desire to learn another
language
- Hold the 3rd of 4 quarterly family nights at school to encourage family/staff interaction
- Continue providing support for grade level teams to learn more about culturally
time
Classroom:
- Incorporate a culturally diverse spring celebration where students and family members
June:
School:
- Conduct final quarterly professional development session about diversity and changing
- Hold an end of the year Spanish-style celebration for staff members who attended the
Spanish classes
- Hold the final quarterly family night at school to encourage family/staff interaction and
- Hold a school-wide professional development session to discuss findings from the home
visit program
Classroom:
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In order to institute these changes, support will be required from several sources. First,
the district will need the support of the Board of Supervisors to increase the budget so that they
will have the ability to offer salary incentives for teachers who speak multiple languages.
Additionally, they will need the support of the Human Resources department to implement job
The second source that will be necessary to institute change will be my administration. It
would be impossible to implement any school-wide changes without their support. Admin will
need to approve the family night activities and provide the funding for the program. After
working with my administration for six years, I know that they will not implement changes
The final source is, of course, the teachers in the building. Without teacher buy-in, these
programs will not be successful. Teachers and administration will need to work together to make
these new supports successful. Administrators will need to provide the instruction and the
support for home visits, family nights, and professional development. The teachers will have to
participate in both the family nights and professional development, but they will have to carry
Anticipated Obstacles
The first foreseeable obstacle will be finding the funds necessary to offer a salary
increase for bilingual teachers. It is never easy to convince the Board to spend more money on
school funding. In addition, they have recently increased the budget in order to give teacher
raises across the county, so it will be very challenging to convince them to yet again increase the
education budget. The second anticipated obstacle will be convincing administration to support
the proposed programs. It may be challenging to get them to agree that they should concentrate
the professional development in our building on the topic of diversity and culturally responsive
teaching. They may also need evidence-based research in order to convince them to allow
teachers to conduct home visits. Family interaction has, historically, not held a lot of value in
my building so I think this will take quite a bit of persuasiveness on the part of teachers and
administrators. Finally, I feel that the greatest obstacle in implementing these changes will come
from the teachers. I anticipate that teachers will agree that changes are necessary to supporting
our EL population. However, I also anticipate pushback from teachers in regards to the
increasing demands on their times. Additional professional development means more time out of
their classrooms or less planning time. Attending family nights means more time away from
their own families each month. Home visits will require a lot of time, particularly in the
beginning so it is a very big commitment. I feel that teachers will need a lot of convincing to
willingly participate in these programs. Possibly creating a monetary incentive plan to provide
compensation for teachers’ additional workload would be an effective means for gaining teacher
support.
Proposed Solutions
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In order to gain support from the Board, it may require that I attend Board meetings and
be willing to present the problem with supporting research so that they will understand that this
is a significant issue that affects many of our students and we must take action to support them.
Similarly, to gain support from my administration, I will need to have research to support my
argument as well as, including a well thought out plan and a list of ways that these
implementations will benefit our students and their families. Finally, to gain teacher support and
acceptance in my building, I will need to become a teacher leader in the building. Many of the
teachers in my building recognize that there is more that we can do to support our EL students
and they are motivated to make changes, yet they don’t know what to do. Therefore, I feel that
they will support most of these changes very easily. I will need to present research and answer
their questions about the home visits, specifically, but if I have the support of administration, that
I feel that the home visits should start slowly, so that teachers are not overwhelmed by
the experience. Possibly, just one or two teachers from each team can pilot the program and
provide feedback for the rest of the team in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of it. I think
this will create support from the other teachers when they see how impactful a home visit
program can be. Additionally, to ensure teacher safety during the home visits, teachers should
always conduct these visits in pairs; either with another teacher or an administrator.
Reflection
What I Learned
Throughout this process, I have learned many things. The data that I collected showed
that my building is most definitely not an equitable space for learning for certain groups of
Culturally Responsive Teachers
students. It shows that the demographic in my school is very segregated. The population in my
building is 81% Hispanic, 10% Black, 5% Asian, and 2% White. With everything that I have
learned about equality and equity during this course, I can say with all honesty that the students
in my building do not have the same opportunities as students who attend a mostly white school
on the other side of the county. It takes so much more for my students to succeed, so even if
they are provided the opportunity, such as the AAP center, the supports are not enough to help
As a Title I school, we receive extra funds but the budget cuts have made resources tight
and we are still feeling the effects of that. Two major cuts in our building are a shortage of ELL
teachers and class sizes. 64% of the students in my building are ELL students. My grade level,
which consists of approximately 150 students, shares two ELL teachers with another grade level.
It is very difficult for them to meet the needs of our students when they have to divide their time
amongst two grade levels. I feel that this is one example of inequitable opportunities.
Additionally, our class sizes, typically 19 students, are still rather large when you consider how
much support every student needs. In collecting and analyzing this data, I have become more
aware of the difficulties that my students face in order to gain equal ground with their peers. As
a result, I have begun to consider what I can do to make positive changes to support my students.
My Role as a Teacher
This leads me to think about what I can do as a teacher, to improve this situation.
Conducting this study and thinking about student inequities has rekindled my desire to be a
teacher leader. I have had opportunities to act as a teacher leader in the past and I want to do that
again. I feel that my ability to work effectively with my colleagues, my desire to be a life-long
learner who strives to improve as a teacher, and my desire to have an impact on education
Culturally Responsive Teachers
outside of my classroom, will help me to develop as a teacher leader. In addition, I can begin to
look at my teaching abilities. According to Hargreaves and Fullan (2012), the best way to enact
change is by starting with yourself. This makes it seem less daunting, I think. It is also
something that I have always been driven to do, improve myself as a teacher. Improving myself
as a teacher, not only benefits my students, but it also sends a positive message to my team
members. Hopefully, they will be inspired by my actions to also work towards improvement.
Next Steps
Moving forward, as a teacher leader, I can express my concerns about these inequities
and be part of the solution. This might include implementing more effective strategies and
interventions in my classroom, as well as, being part of the School Improvement Plan (SIP) team
again so that my voice can be heard. As stated previously, I will start by examining myself as a
teacher. Since I work with a large population of Hispanic students whose culture is so different
from mine, I will begin by focusing on my effectiveness as a culturally responsive teacher. This
is not a short-term, quick fix. It will take time as well as, the ability to implement changes, as
they become necessary along the way. I feel, however, that the time and energy will be worth it
References
Applebaum, B. (2003). White privilege, complicity, and the social construction of race.
com.mutex.gmu.edu/docview/205235500/fulltextPDF/E6831747F34E4EF0PQ/1?account
id=14541
August, D., Carlo, M., Dressler, C. & Snow, C. (2005). The critical role of vocabulary
development for English language learners. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice,
Collazo, J. (2017). Equitable Perspectives: First-year ESL teachers’ expectations of, and
pedagogy for, culturally and linguistically diverse students. (Order No. 10273997).
Available from Dissertations & Theses George Mason University- WRLC; ProQuest
com.mutex.gmu.edu/docview/1937500834?pq-origsite=primo
Danielson, C. (2007). The many faces of leadership. Educational Leadership, 65 (1), p.14-19.
Delpit, L. D. (2006). Other people's children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. The New
https://www.ed.gov/esea
https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps
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Fairfax County Public Schools. (2016). Demographics: Student Statistics. Retrieved from
http://schoolprofiles.fcps.edu/schlprfl/f?p=108:13:::NO::P0_CURRENT_SCHOOL_ID,P
0_EDSL:206,0
Fairfax County Public Schools. (2016). Test Results: Diagnostic Reading Assessment. Retrieved
from
http://schoolprofiles.fcps.edu/schlprfl/f?p=108:15:::NO::P0_CURRENT_SCHOOL_ID,P
0_EDSL:206,0
Gonzalez, N. (1995). Funds of Knowledge for Teaching in Latino Households. Urban education
Hargreaves, A., & Fullan, M. (2012). Professional capital: Transforming teaching in every
Hollins, E. (2008). A framework for understanding cultural diversity in the classroom. In Culture
in school learning: Revealing the deep meaning. (2nd ed., pp. 135-160). New York:
Routledge.
Jennings, J & Stark Retner, D. (2006). Ten big effects of the no child left behind act on public
Katzenmeyer, M. & Moller, G. (2009). Awakening the sleeping giant: Helping teachers develop
Mendez, L., Crais, E., Castro, D & Kainz, K. (2015). A Culturally and Linguistically Responsive
Vocabulary Approach for Young Latino Dual Language Learners. Journal of Speech,
National Center for Educational Statistics. (2017). Racial/ethnic enrollment in public schools.
National Center for Educational Statistics. (2016). Status and trends in the education of racial
NCLB, (2004). Title I-Improving the academic achievement of the disadvantaged. U.S.
https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg1.html#sec1001
Nieto, S. (1999). Who does the accommodating? The Light in Their Eyes. (72-102). Teachers
Sato, M. & Lensmire, T. (2009). Poverty and Payne: Supporting teachers to work the children of
Spring, J. (2012). Education and Equality of Opportunity. American Education (15th ed.). New
all-in-one.pdf
Villegas, A & Lucas, T. (2007). The culturally responsive teacher. Educational Leadership,
64(6), p.28-33.
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Appendices
Appendix A: Equity Study
Appendix B: Equity Graph
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Appendix A
Status of Labeling at Your School (Report total number [fraction] and Ongoing Thoughts/
percentage) Notes
Principal
2. Students who were expelled the
past year (disaggregate by race,
0
disability, gender, ESL, and
free/reduced lunch)
Principal
6. Participation in ACT/SAT/AP
exams (disaggregate by race, N/A
disability, gender, ESL, and FRL)
students of color is
extraordinarily high.
This makes me think that
my school is racially
segregated. What is the
county doing to fix this?
Since there are very few
students who are white in
my building, the majority
of the students identified
as ‘gifted’ are students of
color. This is good to
see but all this really
means is that they are
pulled out of class once a
week to receive some
6. Students identified as “gifted” in
rigorous instruction by
your setting who are students of 64/66 (97%)
our AAP teacher. It is
color. Compare the response to Item
possible that their
1.
classroom teacher may
provide above grade
level
materials/instruction for
them as well throughout
the day, but this can be
difficult to do when the
majority of the class
needs re-teaching and
interventions.
All of the students in my
room fall under one ‘at-
risk’ category or
another. They are either
SPED, ELL, or FRL or a
7. Students identified as “at-risk” in combination of 2 or 3 of
your setting who are students of these categories. That is
100%
color. Compare your response to a large deficit for most of
Item 1. them to overcome. How
are the county, the
teachers in my building
and I supporting these
at-risk students to ensure
that they are successful?
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2017-2018 data
Considering that such a
large number of students
in my building are
students of color, there
are a significantly low
number of staff that
represent the same races
8. Certified staff who are people of
and cultures. It makes
color in your school: Compare this to 12/54.5 (22%)
me wonder what is being
Item 1.
done to ensure that
culturally inclusive
instruction is used to
help our students ‘see
themselves’ in their
education and not feel
isolated in their
educational experience.
2017-2018 data
This is also relatively
low compared to the
number of students of
color we have in our
building. The majority of
9. Uncertified staff who are people of
these uncertified staff are
color in your school: Compare this to 15/35 (14%)
on the custodial team
Item 1.
and never even interact
with students. What can
be done to demonstrate a
more positive reflection
of people of color in our
school?
10. People of color serving on the County website
3
school board.
2nd grade students reading below School profile, 2016-
grade level: 2017 data
Total students tested: 123
Asian: 0
11. Report two pieces of academic
Black: 4/12 (33%) 4/123 (3%)
achievement data in your setting as
Hispanic: 28/99 (28%) 28/123 (22%)
they relate to race and/or ethnicity.
White: 0
1st grade students reading below
grade level:
Total students tested: 145
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Asian: 0
Black: 3/15 (20%) 3/145 (2%)
Hispanic: 33/121 (27%) 33/145
(22%)
White: 0
PTO: PTO data came from the
Black: 2/11 (18%) parent liaison
Hispanic: 6/11 (54%)
12. Collect racial comparison data on Asian: 0
at least two other areas in your White: 1/11 (9%)
school/setting (e.g., parent-teacher African: 2/11 (18%)
organization participation, student Safety Patrol:
council, safety patrol, band). Black: 5/35 (14%)
Hispanic: 30/35 (85%)
White: 0/35
Asian: 0/35
With such a high
population of students of
color, they represent the
majority of the
participation in extra-
curricular activities such
as band and safety
patrol. This is an
13. What do these racial data mean?
overrepresentation.
In your analysis, include the
However, when it comes
strengths and areas of improvement
to referrals to the AAP
for serving students of color.
center and role models in
the staff, the numbers are
significantly low. This is
an underrepresentation.
How can we, as teachers
and those at the county
level, change this
situation?
2017-2018 data
1. How many English Language 15/18 (83%)
Learners are in your class and what Spanish: 14/18 (77%)
languages do they speak? Twi:1/18 (5%)
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underrepresentation of
bilingual staff. Could
the certified staff serve
this demographic better
if they spoke Spanish,
which is the main
secondary language
spoken in the building?
2017-2018 data
Areas of improvement:
Male teachers in our
building are
underrepresented. Could
this create fewer positive
14. What do these gender data male role models for our
mean? In your analysis, include the students?
strengths and areas of improvement Males participating in
for serving male and female students. the PTO are
underrepresented.
Strengths: There is an
equal representation of
male/female
administrators.
Source:
Frattura, E., & Capper, C. (2007). Leading for social justice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
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Appendix B
64.76%
34%
7%