As I was reading Darling-Hammond's "The Flat World and Education: How America's Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future" for my Dynamics of the Equitable Classroom class, I was energized by finding my main interest as an educator right now represented in this learning!I have always had a heart for working with struggling students. My current position as Academic Specialist for Donaldson Way Elementary School in American Canyon allows me to do this work at both an administrative level, as well as in the classroom with students. I coordinate all of our intervention, K-5. I also will be teaching ELA intervention for grades 4 and 5 this year. Over the past few years as the AS, I have noticed that our earliest learners who arrive less prepared have a nearly impossible time finding their way out of the learning gap, especially on the DIBELS assessment, which measures the acquisition of early literacy skills. After several trimesters of tracking their growth, implementing interventions, and analyzing the data, I also discovered that this group of learners at my school seems to be nearly the same group as our SES Title 1 students on Free Lunch. I know that what we have been doing isn't enough. Although the intervention we have planned does see some gains, it's not drastic enough. What is the missing part? It often seems to come down to the fact that some growth isn't enough growth. Due to the "moving target" of the DIBELS performance levels, students can make significant growth, but still not move out of the "intensive" group.
How can we make substantial gains for this group to help them out of the danger zone? How far behind did these students enter in Kindergarten? Is there a home connection that could make a difference? Has anyone else been able to achieve the accelerated growth that I am looking for? I am hoping to find all the answers to these questions, and hopefully more as I jump into the world of educational research. Wish me luck as I begin a journey to help our wonderful students!
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I am so excited to be reading about equity in schools. I have always had a heart for this type of work. As a college student at UC Davis in the 90s, my major was sociology, with an emphasis on gender and family. I spent 3 years as a research assistant and literacy program volunteer for young inmates (ages up to 25 yrs) at the California Youth Authority prison system. After my time there, I decided I'd rather focus my attention on an earlier stage, in hopes of making a difference. So I became a case manager and health educator for low-income pregnant women in Napa. I helped women learn about nutrition during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and Lamaze. I asked them questions about their quality of life and helped them make plans for their futures. After 6 years, I found myself wanting to help children in need more directly. I decided to go back to UC Davis and earn a teaching credential. Since then, the majority of work I have done in classrooms has been trying to help close the achievement gap. I taught reading intervention classes for years part time, while raising my daughter and son. Several years ago, I was offered a position teaching Read 180 to struggling 4th and 5th graders at my school. That opportunity led me to another wonderful opportunity. For the past 4 years, I have been the "Academic Specialist" and Read 180 teacher at my school. I am so grateful to be in a position of leadership, where one of my main goals is to look at our students who struggle and find ways to help. This book, "The Flat World and Education", is right up my alley. In fact, when I first inquired about Touro, I was initially interested in the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusive Education program. Equity and diversity in education (and life) has always been my strongest interest. In reading the first three chapters, there were many moments where my thoughts were something like, "Yes! Of course! Isn't it obvious?" I continue to wonder why this information is not at the top of policy makers' agendas. However, Ms. Darling-Hammond makes many new points about hidden motives and sneaky practices that hide evidence of wrongdoing that were shocking. One example she gave was the "Texas Miracle" (sudden score increases in Texas schools in response to high-stakes testing), which wasn't a miracle at all. Schools were caught manipulating scores by preventing their lowest students from taking the tests. The author quoted one of her interviewees, "'...It's not a miracle to manipulate things. A miracle is saving kids actually in reality... It's not to manipulate things so that it appears {to be something it's not}. It's a facade.'" Reading through, I also began to develop questions about my school, and where I see the "achievement gap" very clearly, even in Kindergarten and first grades, within a single classroom. I was reminded by the author that unequal experiences before students ever set foot into a Kindergarten classroom start them off behind. I felt sad and helpless from my position, eager to make a difference for the students at my school. What can I do when students arrive standing in the gap? How can I help? Just asking this question pulls my attention to our upcoming research project. There must be something. And I'm in the right place to figure it out. |
Jona SandauI'm a student in the Innovative Learning Master's Program at Touro University. I'm really excited to make a difference for my students! Archives
March 2019
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