EDL530 School Culture and Equity Leadership

EDL530 M8 Part 1 ELS

English Learner Standards Reflections

To illustrate English Learner Standards (ELS) covered in EDL530, and since four out of eight ELSs have been incorporated into as many as 14 of the 16 assignments in this course, I will list the individual standards verbatim, followed by a reflection on how the linked artifact meets the standard (in italics). 

 

5.09 Quality Standard I: Educators are knowledgeable about CLD populations

5.09(1) ELEMENT A: Educators are knowledgeable in, understand, and able to apply the major theories, concepts and research related to culture, diversity and equity in order to support academic access and opportunity for CLD student populations.

5.10 Quality Standard II: Educators should be knowledgeable in first and second language acquisition.

5.10(2) ELEMENT B: Educators are knowledgeable of, understand, and able to apply the major theories, concepts and research related to culture, diversity and equity in order to support academic access and opportunity for CLD student populations.

Since the course title for EDL530 is School Culture and Equity Leadership, nearly every assignment addresses ELS 5.09 Quality Standard I, Element A, and ELS 5.10 Quality Standard II, Element B. While rarely addressing CLD student populations specifically, since I have less than 4% English as a Second Language (ESL) students, in the EDL 530 M4 Critical Thinking Assignment I describe prevalent minorities including my four Japanese students. In the EDL530M7 Discuss Post, I discuss intersectionality, and how we are all made up of multiple aspects of self that impact our experiences. In the EDL530 M1 Critical Thinking Assignment, I conclude by saying, “In terms of an asset- vs. deficit-based approach, the course reading that appealed most to me was Embracing Asset-Based School Leadership Dispositions In Advancing True Equity And Academic Achievement For Students Living In Poverty which states, though ELL could be substituted for poverty, “leaders must provide spaces for educators to name, identify, and let go of deficit views, creating an educational paradigm shift on how we work with and perceive children living in poverty. A leader’s disposition should reflect an asset-based understanding in viewing the world shaped by valuing who our students are and what experiences they bring with them that can be bridges between what they know and what they are learning as an effective and equitable way of providing what each student needs as they need them (Lalas & Strikwerda, 2020),” (Fortner et al., 2021, p. 58). I like this quote because it brings together the idea that, like racism, poverty, [ELL,] or any other deficit-seeming situation, still has strengths that can be built upon, as a bridge to what they need to know next. This is how I approach learning with students and how I expect my teachers to teach as well, so we work on this, we talk about this, and we grow around this,” (excerpt from my EDL530 M1 Critical Thinking Assignment).

I believe that 5.9A and 5.10B are about cultural competence and understanding students, and an asset-based approach does this. To further illustrate this, in my EDL530 M8 Discussion post, I created an infographic about our Student-Centered Learning Approaches and Frameworks including a culture of connection, individualized instruction, responding to student needs, Restorative Practices, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), improved instructional practices through coaching and schoolwide professional development, inclusive and rigorous curricular materials, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and cultural awareness. These are in parallel with the four NYS.Ed Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework categories (Babar, K, n.d.): (1) Welcoming and Affirming Environment, (2) Inclusive Curriculum and Assessment, (3) High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction, (4) Ongoing Professional Learning and Support.   It also shows linkage with ideas from A Portrait Of A Culturally Responsive School System (2021) including (1) Equity and Access, (2) Mission, Vision, and Values, (3) Instructions, (4) Community Engagement. These beliefs as described within these artifacts are important in showing my competence in these areas of CDL populations and language acquisition.

 

5.09 Quality Standard I: Educators are knowledgeable about CLD populations

5.09(2) ELEMENT B: Educators are knowledgeable in, understand, and able to use progress monitoring in conjunction with formative and summative assessments to support student learning.

At our school, we have a Read Act initiative underway in its second year. This initiative is clearly described in the EDL520 M2 and EDL 520 M4 Critical Thinking Assignments from our last course. Prior refection on these artifacts can be found at https://www.clearyprincipalportfolio.com/edl520-els. In this course, the EDL530 M1 Discussion post references this same initiative; it describes how Dibels 8 progress monitoring can be a deficit-based approach, however, at CCS we intentionally use the information to determine and build on the strengths of our ELL students and other readers. 

Additionally, throughout this EDL530 course, I describe the new Instructional, Curricular, and MTSS Coach (ICMC) who supports teachers and their MTSS-identified students (including CLDs) with the use of data-driven interventions and progress monitoring to find what works best to support them. The use of the ICMC is illustrated in the EDL530 M5 Discussion post reflecting upon a PD session with all the staff. This artifact shows how our Professional Development is shifting culture in the area of data-driven instruction.

 

5.10 Quality Standard II: Educators should be knowledgeable in first and second language acquisition.

5.10(1) ELEMENT A: Educators are able to understand and implement strategies and select materials to aid in English language and content learning.

While there were 3 assignments in EDL530 that were listed in the syllabus as addressing ELS5.10(1)A, I do not feel these assignments, as I wrote them, do that. Rather I refer to the aforementioned assignments from EDL520: At our school, we have a Read Act Initiative underway in its second year. This initiative is clearly described in the EDL520 M2 and EDL 520 M4 Critical Thinking Assignments from our last course. Prior refection on these artifacts can be found at https://www.clearyprincipalportfolio.com/edl520-els. 

 

References

Babar, K. (n.d.). Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework PDF. New York State Education Department. Retrieved October 27, 2024, from https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/crs/culturally-responsive-sustaining-education-framework.pdf

FINAL Revised 3.21.22 - Portrait of a Culturally Responsive School System. (2021). National Charter School Resource Center. Retrieved October 27, 2024, from https://charterschoolcenter.ed.gov/sites/default/files/upload/reports/Portrait-of-a-Culturally-Responsive-School-System.pdf

Fortner, K., Lalas, J., & Strikwerda, H. (2021, Feb. 9). Embracing Asset-Based School Leadership Dispositions In Advancing True Equity And Academic Achievement For Students Living In Poverty. Journal of Leadership, Equity, and Research, 7(1), 51-69. https://journals.sfu.ca/cvj/index.php/cvj/issue/view/17/53

EL PD Hours Matrix w/ overview and reflection expectations