Impact of SIP

CLOSING THE READING ACHIEVEMENT GAP BETWEEN AFRICAN AMERICAN
STUDENTS AND THEIR PEERS AT A SUBURBAN MIDDLE SCHOOL: THE IMPACT OF

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANS.
by
JASON HUTCHINS
B.S. University of Central Florida, 2006
M.A. University of Central Florida, 2010
A dissertation in practice submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the degree of Doctor of Education
in the College of Education and Human Performance
at the University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida
Summer Term
2014
Major Advisor: Carolyn Walker Hopp

© 2014 Jason Hutchins
ii
ABSTRACT
The goal of this Dissertation in Practice was to design a School Improvement Plan
focused on improving reading performance of African American students at Suburban Middle
School (SMS). The problem of practice was that African American students at Suburban Middle
School have performed significantly lower than their White peers over the course of the 2009-
2013 school years in reading performance. The reading deficiencies of African American
students needed to be directly addressed in a new School Improvement Plan (SIP). The literature
review of this study found that there are many different components that influence the reading
performance of African American students. For this Dissertation in Practice, a new School
Improvement Plan focused primarily on 6 different areas will be the end result. The components
that will be examined are: 1) school climate, 2) utilization of data, 3) parental involvement, 4)
professional development, 5) instructional strategies, and 6) collaboration. While these are the 6
key elements of successful models, there were also additional sub groupings within each element
that also had an influence on student achievement levels.
In addition to examining previous School Improvement Plans at SMS, the end result and
final deliverable was a School Improvement Plan designed to close the existing achievement gap
in reading between African American students and their peers at SMS. Suggested use for the new
model of the School Improvement Plan was to focus specifically on the 6 key elements to
address the reading performance of African American students.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... viii
LIST OF ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................. x
CHAPTER 1 ................................................................................................................................... 1
Problem of Practice ..................................................................................................................... 1
Organizational Context ............................................................................................................... 3
History and conceptualization (Local and National) .................................................................. 4
School Perception of the Problem............................................................................................. 16
A Nationwide Problem ............................................................................................................. 20
Factors that Impact the Problem ............................................................................................... 21
Disidentification........................................................................................................................ 23
Cultural Settings and Cultural Models ...................................................................................... 26
The Model ................................................................................................................................. 27
Culturally Relevant Lessons ..................................................................................................... 28
Strong Leadership ..................................................................................................................... 29
CHAPTER 2 ................................................................................................................................. 31
Middle School Reform .............................................................................................................. 31
Commonalities of successful middle schools ........................................................................... 31
iv
Application of Critical Components ......................................................................................... 33
School Climate: School Mission ............................................................................................... 34
Perceptions ................................................................................................................................ 35
Academic Climate ..................................................................................................................... 37
Non-School factors ................................................................................................................... 38
Perceptions and Experience ...................................................................................................... 39
Application of Critical Components ......................................................................................... 40
School Climate .......................................................................................................................... 41
Utilization of Data to Improve Schools .................................................................................... 43
Parental Involvement ................................................................................................................ 46
Professional Development ........................................................................................................ 49
Professional Development Goals .............................................................................................. 49
New Culture .............................................................................................................................. 53
Adequate Time .......................................................................................................................... 54
Mediated Learning .................................................................................................................... 56
Instructional Strategies.............................................................................................................. 57
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy .................................................................................................. 58
Collaboration............................................................................................................................. 60
v
Shared Values and Vision ......................................................................................................... 61
Supportive Conditions .............................................................................................................. 63
Capacity Building ..................................................................................................................... 63
Effective Leadership ................................................................................................................. 64
The Design ................................................................................................................................ 66
Proposed New School Improvement Plan ................................................................................ 69
CHAPTER 3 ................................................................................................................................. 77
Goals of the Plan ....................................................................................................................... 77
Target Audience ........................................................................................................................ 77
Anticipated Changes ................................................................................................................. 79
Knowledge and Skills Acquired ............................................................................................... 80
Changes in Attitude................................................................................................................... 82
Steps, Measurement Tools, Procedures, and Activities ............................................................ 83
Tangible Results........................................................................................................................ 84
Model Modification .................................................................................................................. 85
Anticipated Impact .................................................................................................................... 86
Supporting Research ................................................................................................................. 87
CHAPTER 4 ................................................................................................................................. 97
vi
Implications of the Plan .......................................................................................................... 102
Recommendations for Further Research ................................................................................. 104
APPENDIX: IRB PAPERWORK .............................................................................................. 106
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 108
vii
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 SMS School Improvement Plans, 2009-2010 SMS School Grade A: Percentage of
Students Scoring at or above grade level in Reading (2009). The differences in achievement in
reading between White and African American students. White 67% African-American 51% ...... 5
Table 2 2010-2011 SMS SIP SMS School Grade B Percentage of Students in Subgroups making
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) (2010) The differences in achievement in reading between
White and African American students. White 69% African American 49%. ................................ 8
Table 3 2011-2012 SMS SIP SMS School Grade C Percentage of Students in Subgroups making
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in Reading (2011). ). The differences in achievement in
reading between White and African American students. White 62% African American 33% .... 10
Table 4 2012-2013 SMS SIP SMS School Grade C Percentage of students in subgroups making
Adequate Yearly progress (AYP) in Reading (2012) The differences in achievement in reading
between White and African American students. White 56% African American 37% ................. 13
Table 5 2013-2014 SMS SIP SMS School Grade Not available yet Students Scoring at or above
Achievement level 3 on FCAT 2.0 (2013) The differences in achievement in reading between
White and African American students White 55% African American 33% ................................ 15
Table 6: Examples of School Data and Areas of Applicability .................................................... 44
Table 7: Proposed New School Improvement Plan Essential Components to Improve the
Reading Proficiencies of African American Students at SMS. .................................................... 67
Table 8: Students Scoring at or above Achievement Level 3 on FCAT 2.0, or Scoring at or above
Level 4 on FAA (Florida Alternative Assessment) ...................................................................... 69
viii
Table 9: Early Warning Systems Middle School Indicators ......................................................... 71
Table 10: Specific Parental Involvement Targets ......................................................................... 73
ix
LIST OF ACRONYMS
AYP- Adequate Yearly Progress
DiP- Dissertation in Practice
ESE- Exceptional Student Education.
FAA-Florida Alternate Assessment
NAEP- National Assessment of Educational Progress
NCLB- No Child Left Behind
PLC- Professional Learning Communities
SEL- Social Emotional Learning
SES- Socioeconomic status
SIP- School Improvement Plan
SMS- Suburban Middle School
SWPBS- School Wide Positive Behavioral Supports
x
CHAPTER 1
Problem of Practice
The problem that exists at Suburban Middle School (SMS) is that while certain identified
subgroups have been achieving progress in reading, there is a major disparity between African
American students and their White peers. This is a problem that is occurring in the 6th, 7th, and
8th grades at SMS. The result is a widening of the achievement gap between the African
American students and other subgroups. The National Assessment of Educational Progress or
(NAEP) indicates that in 2007, African American students at the fourth grade level scored 27
points lower than White students on a 0 to 500 point scale. When reaching the eighth grade, the
gap still existed, and there was no measureable change to report when 2007 reports were
compared to 1992 and 2005 results. African Americans still scored on average 27 points lower
than their white classmates (Rueda, 2011). Some educators believe that systemic racism is the
cause of the discrepancy in achievement levels between African Americans and White students.
One researcher claims that the field of reading comprehension and research testing is primarily
responsible for the current state of inequities. The examination of research and testing methods
remains important in an attempt to “level the playing field.” If there are inconsistencies and
inequities that exist, the current achievement gap will only increase before it gets any better.
Attempting to create tests and standards that do not contain cultural biases is a difficult task.
There are a multitude of research articles that attempt to explain why there appears to be
more non proficient students among African Americans than others. African American students
in the United States are reported to start school about one half of a standard deviation behind
1
their White peers on standardized reading tests. Racial disparities in achievement are believed to
increase by about one tenth of a standard deviation during each year of school (Burchinal,
Steinberg & Friedman, 2011). One possible cause of a lack of knowledge later on in school may
be attributed to what some experts refer to as a participation gap: “Disparate participation in
rigorous coursework and programs is slowly becoming recognized as a contributor to the overall
gap in achievement between African American students and their peers” (Ford, Grantham &
Whiting, 2008, p.10 ). If the students are simply not participating, then the prerequisite
knowledge that is required to be successful is never being obtained by the students.
A portion of this Dissertation in Practice will focus on what the achievement levels of the
African American students were at Suburban Middle School (SMS) in reading for the 2009-
2010 to the 2013-2014 school years as compared to their White peers. This problem is being
examined in this paper in great detail for a multitude of reasons. The first is that reading
comprehension skills are needed to be successful in all courses that are encountered in a
kindergarten through twelfth grade environment. The second reason is that a quality education
may be instrumental in achieving a certain quality of life in students from all walks of life and
socioeconomic backgrounds. The third reason is simply a matter of social justice. “Social justice
focuses on challenging the arrangements that promote the continuation of marginalization and
exclusionary practices; and it supports a foundational process of respect, care, recognition, and
empathy” (Theoharris, 2007, p.148). The problem that is being encountered by Suburban Middle
School is that all of the students are not being served in an appropriate manner to achieve
2
success. In order to understand discrepancies in service it is necessary to examine the
organization in which the problem is occurring.
Organizational Context
Suburban Middle School is located in Suburban County school district in the state of
Florida and has been designated as a Title I school. Suburban County Schools currently consist
of a little over 41,000 students and employ 2,655 teachers. The district operates 59 schools, 8 of
which are middle schools. The racial makeup of the city that SMS is located in is 66.60% White,
29.12% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander,
4.12% Hispanic, and the rest being from two or more other races (Suburban County School
Overview Website).The stakeholders at Suburban Middle School are the administration, the
literacy coach, the students, the parents, and members of the faculty. The administrative team
might be one of the most important groups of stakeholders in that it hires personnel that must be
qualified and motivated to pursue a daunting task. The literacy coach at SMS is responsible for
identifying deficiencies in reading skills by providing various reading tests throughout the school
year as well as collaborating with teachers to improve upon instructional strategies. The literacy
coach has known some of the students for two years and is an incredible asset to the school, the
faculty, and the students. The faculty is responsible for implementing methods and instructional
strategies that will ultimately result in goals being met and gaps in achievement either being
reduced or eradicated. The faculty may be required to provide additional assistance such as
tutoring in order to meet the goals. Suburban Middle School currently has a total of 196 African
American students out of a total of 891 students. Among the 196 African American students, 106
are males and 90 are females. These students combine to make up 21.9% of the total population
3
of the school. Out of the 196 African American students, 168 receive free or reduced lunch. This
gives Suburban Middle School the designation of being a Title I school. To qualify as a Title I
school, 40% of the students who attend that particular school must live in poverty (Isernhagen,
2011). Title I mainly focuses on accountability that is based upon the results of each individual
school. This means that funds provided by Title I programs are able to be used in a flexible
manner instead of only targeting qualifying students for academic assistance. This in turn allows
schools to address the needs of Title I students and other students within that particular school
(Stavem, 2008). In hopes of promoting accountability, schools that qualify for Title I funding are
required to develop and implement a comprehensive plan within one year of receiving school
wide Title I status (ESEA, 1965).
History and conceptualization (Local and National)

In order to better understand the achievement gap between African American students
and their White peers we need to examine the School Improvement Plans (SIPS) from the years
2009- 2010 to 2013-2014 that SMS utilized. It should be noted that the terminology and/or the
way to gauge achievement levels differs throughout the various School Improvement Plans. For
each SIP there will be six different categories that will be examined. The areas that will be
examined are the strategies that SMS used as a school to support school climate, utilization of
data, parental involvement, professional development, instructional strategies, and collaboration.
4
Table 1 SMS School Improvement Plans, 2009-2010 SMS School Grade A: Percentage of
Students Scoring at or above grade level in Reading (2009). The differences in achievement in
reading between White and African American students. White 67% African-American 51%
Focus Strategy 1 Strategy 2 Strategy 3 Strategy 4 Strategy 5
School No subheading
climate addressing
school climate
in the SIP.
Utilization of Progress Reading
data monitoring, teachers will
implementing analyze data
curriculum and determine
maps and revisions.
immediately
offering
remediation for
deficiencies.
5
Parental Goals were Provide a Insure that Host a fall Provide

Involvement present- Were school calendar each team open house information
parent of events/ will have an and spring on school
involvement activities to activity that visitation day based
activities and each household. will involve during activities
strategies Challenge each parent school hours, and events
targeted to team to hold at participation Provide on the SMS
areas of least one parent once during incoming 6th website,
academic need? conference with the year, grade Ensure
Based on each student’s teams will students and parental
information parents. Teams develop a parents with access to
from surveys, will develop a plan to an Esembler
evaluations, plan to check check informational (On-line
agendas, or agenda books agenda brochure grades and
sign ins. regularly for books, use during assignments)
parental the SMS orientation
communication. marquee in
Continue the front of the
utilization of school,
the SMS FCAT
marquee. family night
Continuation of during the
the FCAT second
family night semester of
hosted during school, keep
the second SMS
semester of the website
school year updated,
Ensure
parental
access to
eSembler.
6
Professional An in service
Development will be
conducted for
all teachers
with specific
strategies for
student
fluency,
comprehension,
and vocabulary
development
Instructional Reading Differentiated Four days a Reading
Strategies teachers will instruction will week, each instruction
share best be used in all teacher school wide
instructional classrooms. assigned a for twenty
practices and Literacy Coach Daily eight
develop will work with Huddle minutes.
common teachers to (Homeroom)
assessments. provide will utilize
knowledge and AVID
implementation weekly
of Reading material to
Strategies. target
Reading
strategies
and skills.
Daily
Huddle will
focus on
7
Collaboration Reading Implement The Reading

teachers will intensive Leadership
meet monthly remedial Team will
to develop instruction work
objectives, classes in together as a
essential reading at all professional
questions, grade levels learning
instructional utilizing regular community
strategies and and exceptional to ensure all
progress Student teachers are
monitoring Education identifying
(ESE) teachers essential
standards
and using
best
practices.
Table 2 2010-2011 SMS SIP SMS School Grade B Percentage of Students in Subgroups making
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) (2010) The differences in achievement in reading between
White and African American students. White 69% African American 49%.
Focus Action 1 Action 2 Action 3 Action 4 Action 5
School No Positive
Climate subheading Behavior
addressing Support
school climate (PBS)
in the SIP
Utilization of Scheduling AS400 FCAT data. Mini Review
data struggling schedules and Monitor assessments rosters of all
readers into achievement through generated on Intensive
appropriate liaison will mentor logs, Edusoft. reading
Intensive monitor observations, AVID will be classes vs.
Reading attendance of interviews monitored student needs
classes students and surveys through demonstrated
according to required to by mentors student on FCAT
needs attend and students products such results from
demonstrated tutoring each in the as binders, spring
in FCAT month. program. - tutoring logs, 2010.Teacher
results Based projects etc. generated pre
and post tests
8
Parental Develop a Contact will Sign in

Involvement volunteer be made with rosters,
coordinator. parents via parent
Survey at progress climate
open house to reports and surveys
determine phone calls to
areas of need encourage
and/or interestattendance to
tutoring
Professional Enhance the subjects- FCIM, Will conduct
Development tutoring Strategy for AVID, Read appropriate
program by follow up 180, staff
providing monitoring- Inclusion development
training to AVIS site on reading
teachers in team monthly WOW I’m a strategies
research based meetings, writer based on the
models (i.e. AVID overview- needs
graphic certification All teachers. identified by
organizers, binders. Training I the Literacy
word walls, Responsible first nine leadership
vocabulary for weeks team.
strategies. monitoring- Administration
FCAT AVID site will conduct
explorer/ team. frequent
Study Island. classroom
walk throughs
to ensure that
the literacy
strategies are
being used by
every teacher.
9
Instructional Instructional Literacy Implement Authentic Enhance the

Strategies strategies will strategy of differentiated reading and tutoring
include the week instruction to writing program by
cooperative through include real assignments. providing
learning, FCIM(Florida world Cooperative training to
hands on Continuous problem learning, teachers in
manipulatives, Improvement solving. hands on research-
and Model) Springboard manipulatives, based models
differentiated process (mini curriculum and (i.e. graphic
instruction. benchmark from college differentiated organizers,
lessons, board. instruction word walls,
instructional vocabulary
focus strategies
calendars, etc.)
mini
assessments.
Collaboration No
subheading
concerning
collaboration
in the SIP
Table 3 2011-2012 SMS SIP SMS School Grade C Percentage of Students in Subgroups making
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in Reading (2011). ). The differences in achievement in
reading between White and African American students. White 62% African American 33%
School No Opportunities Positive Behavior Parent Teacher

Climate subheading for student to Support (PBS) climate surveys
addressing work with training (School- surveys,
school mentors, based PBS team) Sign in
climate in the expand rosters for
SIP. mentoring open house
program and other
throughout similar
campus events
10
FCAT data Student Mini Read 180 Implement

Utilization of and class surveys, data assessments, report, and
Data rosters on chats through classroom formative progress
AS400 teams, generated tests, assessments, monitor
student Edusoft, FAIR Observation inclusion
grades data process
closely
Parental Develop a Survey at
Involvement volunteer open house
coordinator to determine
areas of
need/ and or
interest
Professional Simply says Training and AVID, (7-8 grade PENDA,
Development professional materials core subjects) Edusoft
development differentiated training,
of staff instruction (all FCIM
instructional
staff)read 180(6-8
grade Intensive
Reading
teachers)inclusion
(6-8 core
subjects)
11
Instructional Differentiated Authentic Schedule Implement

Strategies instruction to literacy struggling readers Read 180
include real (Reading, into appropriate with fidelity,
world Writing, and Intensive Reading Literacy
problem Discussion) classes according strategy of
solving in content to needs the week
area demonstrated in through
FCAT results and FCIM
FAIR process
performance (mini
benchmark
lessons,
instructional
focus
calendars,
mini
assessments,
etc.
Collaboration No PLC Curriculum based
subheading meetings teams
addressing
collaboration
in the SIP
12
Table 4 2012-2013 SMS SIP SMS School Grade C Percentage of students in subgroups making
Adequate Yearly progress (AYP) in Reading (2012) The differences in achievement in reading
between White and African American students. White 56% African American 37%
Focus Strategy 1 Strategy 2 Strategy 3 Strategy 4 Strategy5
School No subheading PBS training

Climate addressing school for PBS
climate in the SIP Team
Utilization of AS400, District Appropriate Student
Data FIDO,PMRN,FCAT based scheduling of survey
star, ESE data benchmark students,
tracking grid, prior assessments classroom
FCAT scores, through observation,
Florida Assessment Edusoft, classroom
for Instruction in teacher generated
Reading (FAIR), generated tests,
Edusoft assessments, formative
Mini assessments
assessments
Parental There is an online
Involvement link for parental
involvement (Could
not access the
online link)
Professional Will occur during Each Content Area AVID,
Development common planning professional Reading differentiated
times and once each development Professional instruction,
month on day(s) Development Read 180,
Wednesday teachers will (NGCAR- inclusion,
morning during be afforded PD), Thinking
designated PLC the Professional Maps, FCIM,
times. opportunity Development Writing
to attend is aligned strategies for
professional with all content
development Strategies area teachers
sessions that through
will help PLCs
them use the
data systems
effectively.
13
Instructional Integrate reading Introduce Implement Authentic
Strategies strategies in classical differentiated Literacy
content area classes literature by instruction to (Reading,
by providing providing a include real Writing, and
reading booklist, world Discussion)
professional Cooperative problem in content
development grouping solving area.
opportunities.
Collaboration No subheading PLC
addressing meetings,
collaboration in the curriculum
SIP. based teams,
data chats
through
teams
The School Improvement Plan for SMS for the 2013-2014 school year is shorter in length
and on a different template than the previous four years. There has been a change in the format
of School Improvement Plans across the state of Florida. The new template is shorter and
appears to take a more structured and focused approach. While some of the previous plans were
80 to 100 pages long, the most current one was a total of 36 pages. The new plan was not as
confusing to follow when tracking desired outcomes.
14
Table 5 2013-2014 SMS SIP SMS School Grade Not available yet Students Scoring at or above
Achievement level 3 on FCAT 2.0 (2013) The differences in achievement in reading between
White and African American students White 55% African American 33%
School No subheading
Climate addressing
School Climate
in the SIP.
Utilization Advance e-Sembler(Grade Each core
of Data Systems 400 book area teacher
(AS 400), management will provide a
Edusoft (data system)FIDO(Dat pre and post
base for a base for school assessment
progress and student data), for progress
monitoring), FCAT explorer, monitoring
PENDA Safari Montage during the
(instructional (Provides K-12 before and
data school districts after school
base)PMRN( with a program,
Language Arts comprehensive Thinking
data base for solution for their Maps training
progress digital media
monitoring) distribution and
visual instruction
needs.
Parental Academic Research based PTO Method for Coordinati
Involvement workshops/me approaches to meetings, tracking on with
etings will be parent Title I nights, Parent title I and
provided for Involvement that FCAT Night, Involvemen District
parents will be AVID nights, t- sign in Parent
throughout the implemented may Band sheets for Involveme
school year to include the performances, all parent nt Council-
increase parent following: Open Acting play, involvemen School
involvement House School F.A.M.E. t meetings Family
and student Advisory Council are on file. Liaison
achievement. (SAC) meetings, Family attends
School monthly
liaison has Title I
data portal District
to track meetings.
parents
15
Prof. SMS teachers will Professional Small groups

Develop. attend various development will be sent
professional will occur to
development during professional
opportunities to common development
help them to use planning off site that
the data support times and correlate
systems once each with RtI
effectively. month on goals.
Wednesday
morning
designated
PLC times
Instructional Before and after Literacy
Strategies school program, strategies
community service
learning
Collaboration No subheading Simply
addressing mentions
Collaboration in teacher
the SIP collaboration
School Perception of the Problem

Three informal conversations took place at Suburban Middle School in an attempt to
identify any additional concerns that pertain to the reading performance of African American
students. During one of these conversations, the literacy coach provided some of her opinions on
why the current achievement gap exists between African American students and their White
peers. She stated that motivational, cultural, and organizational factors may be partially to blame.
She claimed that she does not think that African American parents are motivated to read at night
with their children. The literacy coach also cited a lack of adequate nutrition, single parent
16
families, and living in crime ridden areas as additional causes of the achievement gap at
Suburban Middle School. Culturally, she believes that many people are not able to relate to some
of the experiences that African American students have on a daily basis. She stated that she feels
that from an organizational stand point many administrators are quick to identify African
American students as being the cause of disciplinary problems. At times this may result in
suspensions which ultimately result in missed instructional time. She also believes that many
African American students are missing the phonological piece of reading instruction. Other
problems that she cited were a lack of knowledge coming from pre- kindergarten programs as
well as possessing a lower level of vocabulary than their peers. Models of teaching that the
literacy coach deemed effective were structured precision teaching as well as believing that the
curriculum should be very structured or else African American students will quickly become
disengaged. She also believes that the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act has hurt many students
by placing them in an intensive reading class before they are able to adequately represent their
individual abilities. At times, she has seen fifteen or sixteen year old eighth graders who have no
motivation to continue on in school after being retained multiple times.
In addition to the literacy coach at Suburban Middle School, two reading teachers also
expressed their opinions. The first reading teacher has eight years of experience as a teacher. She
is a graduate of the University of Florida and holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership
as well. She has spent the majority of her teaching career teaching a large number of African
American students. Reading inadequacies that she has identified at SMS consist of a lack of
engagement, problems with motivation, and a lack of background or previous knowledge
17
demonstrated by the students. The No Child Left Behind act (NCLB) was also cited by her as a
problem. She feels that due to this piece of legislation, she now has a backlog of older students in
her eighth grade reading classes. Another issue that was identified is that some students have not
even been out of the suburb in which SMS is located. This lack of life experiences may inhibit
their background knowledge and reading capabilities. Another possible reason for reading
inadequacies is embarrassment. She feels that many African American students are embarrassed
by the fact that they do not read well. This particular teacher feels that building a relationship
with the student is very important in getting him or her to perform better. Behavior issues were
also cited as an obstacle to improving reading performance. She mentioned that behavior issues
need to be dealt with first before attempting to make instructional gains. One identified cause of
students entering her classroom behind their peers is a lack of positive role models. She feels that
many in the African American community value professional athletes or entertainers but that
there is not much value put on obtaining an education. Effective teaching strategies that were
mentioned consisted of effective classroom management, small group instruction, hands on
activities, paired reading, and journaling. She also feels that Socratic circles, tiered instruction,
and technology are tools that can be utilized to get desired results. Organizational problems at
SMS were identified as communication problems, standard operating procedures, and having
more consistency when addressing disciplinary issues. She acknowledged that the administration
has made an attempt to improve performance by having subject area teachers have common
planning together. At the same time this teacher says that there is a lack of teamwork or
individuals coming together for the common good. She feels that currently there are a lot of
18
different ways that problems are handled and that teachers need to be informed more about
expectations from the administrative team. While there are new programs and instructional
strategies that are being provided to reading teachers, there is a lack of modeling these strategies.
While teachers are able to read about them, nobody is modeling them or showing what they
would look like in the classroom or the real world.
The second reading teacher has eight years of experience at SMS. Three of those years
are as a reading teacher and the other five were as an exceptional student education (ESE)
teacher. She also feels that motivation and building a relationship with the student are important
factors in improving reading performance. In addition to those two factors, the teacher
mentioned that there appears to be issues with reading comprehension and fluency. As far as
organizational issues are concerned, she feels that students need a driving force that is going to
enable them to succeed. She mentioned that the enjoyment has been taken out of school at the
middle school level. While in elementary school teachers strive to make lessons entertaining for
students, middle school is strictly about disciplinary issues and “getting it over with” to move on
to high school. This particular reading teacher feels that current problems within the organization
are due to a combination of environment and instructional personnel. She also feels that many of
the faculty members do not understand where many of the students are coming from and the
challenges that they face on a daily basis. The comment that White teachers do not understand
the backgrounds and cultures of African American students was also mentioned. When asked if
she felt that disciplinary concerns were an issue, she said yes. She thinks that many of the Black
students are stereotyped as being difficult to teach or work with. She explained that some of this
19
can be attributed to previous students who have had a history of behavioral problems at SMS.
Teachers learn that a sibling of that particular student is now in their classroom and they assume
that they will have the same problems that they did with the sister or brother. She also feels that
there is a willingness or desire to label African American students as needing an exceptional
education program earlier than White students. The teacher stated that the problem with African
American students achieving adequate yearly progress in reading at Suburban Middle School
appears to be motivational, cultural, and organizational. The achievement gap that exists between
African American students and their peers is not only occurring at SMS; it is a problem that is
prevalent across the United States.
A Nationwide Problem
The achievement gap that currently exists has a long history. The percentage of racially
and ethnically diverse students in the American public school system has increased from 22% in
1972 to 43% in 2006 (Rueda, 2011). One researcher claims that the field of reading
comprehension and research testing is primarily responsible for the current state of inequities. Al
Willis (2008) has attempted to document the parallel development of reading assessments and IQ
tests. Willis claims that, “Most problematic are shared and fundamental assumptions about the
intellectual superiority of the White male population and the development of social and
educational systems that support this premise.” In addition to this, Willis believes that reading
comprehension research and testing has also helped to maintain these dominant ideologies that
exist. This has been done through philosophical underpinnings of the researchers as well as the
content and interpretation of tests. Certain researchers are also suspected of promoting reading
tests and assessments as scientific facts (Willis, 2008). The examination of research and testing
20
methods remains important in an attempt to “level the playing field.” If there are inconsistencies
and inequities that exist, the current achievement gap will only increase before it gets any better.
Attempting to create tests and standards that do not contain cultural biases is a difficult
challenge. Some researchers have started this process by examining the cultural relevancy of
curriculum in promoting student achievement. It is believed that cultural discontinuity can cause
apathy, academic detachment, and school discontent (Sampson & Garrison-Wade, 2011). While
cultural relevancy contributes to the achievement gap, there are some other factors that must be
examined as well.
Factors that Impact the Problem

Some factors that impact the problem of reading proficiencies of African American
students are the fact that Suburban Middle School is a Title I school, disidentification, a lack of
cultural relevance of the lessons, and cultural settings and models. Disidentification can
described as a self-protective strategy that enables students to separate their self-esteem from
academic achievement and also enables them to focus on other domains of their lives
(McMillian, 2003).
Title I schools have been influenced by the No Child Left Behind act (NCLB) perhaps
more than any other schools in the public school system. This is important due to the fact that the
majority of school age Black males attend schools with this government designation (Donnor &
Shockley, 2010). The George W. Bush administration attempted to implement (NCLB) as a
solution to students in the United States being underprepared as well as the continuing trend of
unequal academic outcomes of African American students. One of the main points in regards to
the No Child Left Behind act is to ensure that public schools are being held accountable for the
21
academic progress of every student at that school (Donnor & Shockley, 2010). The No Child
Left Behind Act has requirements that teachers need to meet in order to be deemed highly
qualified. The requirements are that the teacher must have a bachelor’s degree, demonstrate
competence in their subject matter, and have full certification (United States Department of
Education, 2004).The designation of Title I was an effort by the government to provide financial
assistance to local educational agencies in hopes of being better able to provide an education for
children that live in low income families (Public Law 89-10, Section 201). In an attempt to
change some of the disparities that occurred in education, the federal government tried to
improve the educational quality that economically disadvantaged students are exposed to through
Title I programs by using compensatory programs such as Head start (McDonnell, 2005; Public
Law 89-10). No Child Left Behind required schools that received Title I funding to use
standardized tests in an effort to gauge whether or not all students were receiving the same
education. One problem with the NCLB act is that it focuses on outputs instead of inputs such as
resources, quality of instruction, and accessibility (McMillian, 2003). In many Title I schools
African American girls outperform African American boys at every socioeconomic level. In
addition to this, the differences are the most profound at the lowest socioeconomic levels
(Wheat, 1997). Even though the NCLB act was designed to help minority children, the
achievement gap between Caucasians and African American students still exists (Burt, Ortlieb &
Cheek, 2009). One possible solution is to increase the level of student engagement through
finding topics that African American students are interested in and can relate to at the same time.
22
Disidentification
One important area to consider in regards to African American students reading
achievement levels may be academic disengagement. Academic disengagement means that
students do not have the psychological investment that may be needed to master skills and
academic knowledge (Newmann, Wehlagea, & Lambom, 1992). On the opposing side, academic
engagement can be defined as the sense of connection that a student has with academics and the
value that the student places on academics and related outcomes (McMillian, 2003). Prior
research has shown that stereotypes that are held by faculty members may be a contributor to the
achievement gap between African American males and their peers (Osborne, 1995; Steele &
Aronson, 1995). There is actually a contradiction between disidentification research and the No
Child Left Behind Act. While NCLB advocates reporting test scores to help eliminate
achievement gaps, disidentification proponents believe that score reporting may further alienate
some African American students. Disidentification researchers also believe that emphasizing
group differences through test scores may actually influence unconscious cognitive interference
for students (Steele & Aronson, 1995). Other studies have found that relationships between
teachers and students may be improved when recognizing diversity instead of operating under a
“color blindness” approach (Burt, Ortlieb & Cheek, 2009). Also according to Burt, et al. (2009),
teachers should not try to assimilate differences into the dominant culture; in order to be
successful, teachers need to value differences not simply recognize them. Not only do education
policies control curriculum and instruction, they may also have an influence on the social and
economic advancement of African American students (Donnor & Shockley, 2010). Perhaps now
more than any other time in history teachers and public schools are held more accountable for
23
preparing their students for serving the public good as well as private interests (Kliebard, 1999:
Hargreaves, 2003).The reauthorization of the Elementary Secondary Education Act has made it
mandatory for schools that receive Title I funds to use standardized tests as a means to gauge
academic achievement (Donnor & Shockley, 2010).
Standardized test scores are examined in two different ways. The first way is that the
final scores are aggregated. This is done in an effort to identify whatever achievement trends
may be occurring throughout various school districts and schools. The second approach to
examining test scores consists of more factors. The test scores are disaggregated according to
socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, English language proficiency and disability status (Donnor
& Shockley, 2010). There is a need for additional training in gender, economic, cultural, parental
involvement, male mentors, school reform, and community and after school extracurricular
activities when attempting to score standardized tests (Dalhouse, 2005).Teaching strategies that
are culturally responsive and that also consist of connecting home values and classroom patterns
of participation may be necessary when instructing African American students (Au, 2001).
Culturally responsive teaching can be defined as, “using the cultural knowledge, prior
experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make
learning encounters more relevant to and effective for them” (Gay, 2000, p.29). More
specifically, possible solutions for improving the literacy of African American students may
consist of the following: Increasing the use of multicultural literature in classrooms, promoting
cultural responsiveness in teachers’ interactions with students as well as classroom management,
and using assessments that reflect students’ literacy achievement instead of ones that may
24
contain biases (Au, 2001). The level of teacher expectations might also play a role in the
achievement of African American students. For some students, their academic difficulties and
struggles might be linked to what they perceive as low teacher expectations in addition to the
teacher and student relationship (Ferguson, 2003: Noguera, 2003). Prior research has shown that
students who are in the middle grade levels may be more susceptible to behaviors that may
inhibit their academic performance. Middle grade students may be more prone to participate in
academic cheating behaviors (Murdock, Hale, and Weber, 2001). Some middle school students
may even begin to consider dropping out of school (Rumberger, 1995). In addition to the former
problems, many students begin to show declines in self-esteem as well as motivation (Anderman,
Maehr & Midgley, 1999). Another problem associated with having low expectations about
students is that teachers may simply stop providing the student with challenging work (Tyler &
Boelter, 2008).There may be some behaviors that teachers that have lower expectations for their
students demonstrate on a daily basis. Among these behaviors are providing less time for
students to answer questions correctly, being praised for things other than the academic tasks at
hand, simply being given the answers instead of being provided with clues, and finally students
who had lower expectations were criticized more frequently and more harshly than high
expectation students (Tyler & Boelter, 2008).In order for students to be engaged in the task at
hand in a cognitive manner, certain behaviors must be demonstrated. When cognitive
engagement is occurring students are deep in thought about what needs to be learned, learning
the material, and thinking creatively about the material (Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2003). Through
the use of empirical studies and many different reports from various government and educational
25
agencies, teacher attrition rates have also become a major concern (Ingersoll, 2003). These
studies and agencies have identified schools that have a high percentage of minority students, a
high poverty rate, and a high percentage of low income students as having the highest attrition
rates (Kersaint, Lewis, Potter & Meisels, 2007). Many of the new hires at such challenging
schools tend to be new teachers who are very inexperienced or improperly prepared (Chizhik,
2003). With this lack of proper preparation and experience coupled with a lack of parental
involvement, it may be quite difficult for new teachers to succeed.
Cultural Settings and Cultural Models
Reviewing the literature provided possible answers to cultural and contextual issues that
exist within the organization at SMS. The two connected challenges are the minority
achievement gap and barriers that block school improvement and reform. Two key components
of this research are cultural settings and cultural models. More specifically the two areas that
were examined are home influences on learning and school and teaching improvement. Some
problems may be attributed to what are referred to as a difference of explanations (Baratz &
Baratz, 1970). This is an explanation that views the cause of minority underachievement as
discontinuities between home and school cultures. Examples of this are values, language, and
behavioral expectations (Baratz & Baratz, 1970). Others believe that deficiencies in academic
achievement are not the student’s fault. Labov (1972) claimed that African American children
performed poorly due to a failure on the part of the White testers to understand the logic and
coherence of Black vernacular English. Many researchers believe that the underachievement of
African American students can be attributed to differences between Black students and others.
26
These differences include language, norms of behavior, cognitive styles, and other parts of
personal and interpersonal functioning. Taking all of those variables into consideration,
researchers started to believe that the achievement of minority children could be improved
through schools being able to identify these differences and design curriculum and instruction
that the children understood (Cazden, 1986).
The Model
This Dissertation in Practice will present a model that addresses key elements that focus
on improving achievement in reading among low performing students. Changing schools is a
much more monumental task than simply changing curriculum and instructional practices.
According to Sarason (1971), the school’s culture, the very fabric of its existence, is what must
be changed. Important to school reform is the current research that is being conducted that deals
with school cultures and how they influence the way that teachers act and think the way that they
do. This research has actually turned into a science that attempts to implement “reculturation.”
Reculturation can be defined as changing the behaviors, norms, language, expectations, and
different modes of interaction among people who work in schools (Fullan, 2000). One of the
main problems that researchers are experiencing is that there is isolation between experts who
are working on school improvement plans versus those who are dealing with the
underachievement of minorities (Gallimore & Goldberg, 2001). There is a need to connect all of
the theories and the framework of these two problems in order to achieve more positive results.
Cultural settings and cultural models are often tied into problems that exist within school reform,
as well as underachievement of minority students. Cultural models are more than a teacher with
27
whom students can easily identify. Cultural models in this sense refer to “shared mental schema
or normative understandings of how the world works or ought to work” (Gallimore & Goldberg,
2001).
A better explanation of cultural models may be tools of the mind that represent
historically evolved and shared ways of thinking and storing possible responses to adaptive
challenges and changing conditions (Cole, 1985). Cultural models can also be experienced
outside of school, and as a result, problems become much more complex. While teachers can
attempt to provide the most beneficial environment and make an attempt to understand
differences, they do not know what occurs after the dismissal bell. While cultural settings can be
a very complex issue, allowing students to maintain feelings of cultural relevancy may later
enable educators to begin the reform process that will later result in improved cultural settings
and cultural models.
Culturally Relevant Lessons

The main cause for the culture/context in relation to achievement is a lack of culturally
relevant lessons in reading. Research has shown that if a student is interested in a specific topic
they are more apt to perform at a higher level. If a teacher were to be able to connect with
students on a level that was compatible with their cultural beliefs the chances of reducing the gap
would increase. According to Whaley (2011), culture can also be referred to as “subjective
culture” or ideas, ways of doing things, and objects that are created by a group of people. While
this is a convenient definition for culture there are many other aspects that may have an influence
on cultural attitudes. Some theories about racial gaps in academic achievement attribute
socioeconomic and structural barriers as being causes of cultural attitudes and behaviors that are
28
associated with African Americans (Slaughter-Defoe, Nakagawa, Takanishi & Johnson, 1990).
Some researchers even go so far as to claim that educational aspirations are not even compatible
with Black culture. This perspective signifies opposing or conflicting roles for African
Americans that exist in a school setting. Among these are ethnic and racial group membership
which may create barriers in both roles of group membership and succeeding as a student
(Whaley & Noel, 2012). In other words cultural group identification among Black students is
believed to impede their ability to succeed academically. Whaley & Noel (2012) sum this up
better by saying that identification with the academic domain, which promotes European
American perspectives, has created some conflict between African American students and their
cultural community. It also implies preference for that culture over African American culture: or
identification with their culture of origin makes them vulnerable to negative racial stereotypes
(Whaley & Noel, 2012). If there are in fact teachers at SMS who do not understand some of the
cultural differences among the student population, it is the responsibility of the leadership team
to provide faculty members with additional training.
Strong Leadership
Improving schools in order to improve academic achievement requires strong leadership
and a good deal of communication with teachers, families, staff members, and members of the
community (Manwaring, 2011). Marzano (2003) believes that leadership from the top may in
fact be the most important component of effective school reform. This is a relevant topic due to
the fact that Suburban Middle School is a Title I school that is sometimes under the microscope
after receiving a grade of “C” last year. Suburban Middle School had visits from the
Differentiated Accountability team all year long on a regular basis and solutions to the current
29
problems including reading performance need to be addressed on a consistent basis. While there
are still uncertainties in the process, comprehensive school reforms are implemented by
administrators in hopes of addressing the need to improve student performance. This can be
achieved by implementing certain comprehensive school reforms that are found to be effective.
Some of the literature implies that comprehensive school reform models operate on the pretense
that a single process will enable schools to improve the achievement levels of all of their
students. In order to be considered a comprehensive school reform, the U.S. Department of
education has identified eleven characteristics that help define what a comprehensive school
reform consists of. Urban schools are defined as the number of households that are served within
the central city of a metropolitan area are 75% or greater (Shippen, Houchins, Calhoon &
Furlow, 2006). While researchers are often quick to point out that urban schools often serve
children from low income backgrounds this does not have an effect on the study. Low
socioeconomic status by itself does not seem to contribute to reading failure.
30
CHAPTER 2
Middle School Reform
Commonalities of successful middle schools

One of the key components in enabling students to perform better is collaboration and
working in teams. “Since the work of the organization (the education of youth) is too
complex and uncertain to be left to professionals operating in isolation from each other,
teams of teacher are required to work together to carry out the main function of the school”
(Trimble, 2002, p.34). In addition to collaboration, the research team also identified two
other common practices of high performing high quality schools. All five of the middle
schools used teams of grant writers to receive more money for the purpose of implementing
reform initiatives. A major aspect of raising achievement was the ability to raise additional
funds. The successful schools also developed and set goals while focusing on certain
strategies in order to meet their individual goals. The schools also had built in criteria when it
came time to make decisions. Other possible contributors to success in a high poverty
environment were length of team timing, classroom practices, common planning time, and
family income of the students (Mertens & Flowers, 2003). While some educators only
observe student achievement data to measure success others believe that middle school
students are more effective at schools that are socially equitable, academically excellent, and
developmentally appropriate (National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform, 2002).
Ultimately student achievement scores will be the deciding factor when determining success
and failure levels of schools but there are many different aspects that may impact student
31
achievement. One challenge for middle school personnel is that they may need to understand
classroom instructional practices and curricular coordination and integration. In addition to
those key aspects educators may also need to understand various socioeconomic
backgrounds, gender differences, and diverse learning strategies (Mertens & Flowers, 2003).
Two areas that need additional research in order to determine their effectiveness in high
poverty schools are interdisciplinary teaming and common planning time. One problem that
may occur when attempting to examine the effects of poverty on school achievement is
distinguishing the effects of family background and other social contexts (Lauen & Gaddis,
2013). Researchers in social science have influenced the educational policies in the United
States for quite some time. Many of these studies have attempted to categorize students by
race and poverty status (Kahlenberg, 2001; Bazelon, 2008; Grant 2009). Some educational
researchers have claimed that there are four different explanations that are specific to the
effects of classroom poverty on student achievement. The first groups of factors are referred
to as institutional factors. Institutional factor consist of lower quality teachers, slower pacing,
lower expectations, less rigorous curriculum, and low parental involvement in schooling
(Barr and Dreeben, 1983; Sedlak, Wheeler, Pullin & Cusick, 1986; Lee, Bryk & Smith
1993). The second institutional mechanism is known as contagion mechanism. Contagion
mechanisms are when predominately low achieving peers demonstrate downward leveling
norms (Crane 1991; Harding, 2003; South, Baumer & Lutz, 2003). The third institutional
mechanism that attempts to explain how poverty may have an effect on student achievement
is referred to as a relative deprivation mechanism. These can be described as a lack of
32
competitive pressure as well as having a lower average comparison group (Attewell 2001;
Crosnoe, 2009; Davis, 1966). On the opposing side some research has shown that neighbors
or peers that are not poverty stricken and are affluent may have a negative effect on student
performance as well. Relative deprivation has been believed to lower the aspirations,
attainment, and achievement levels of students within schools that are not in high poverty
areas (Davis 1966; Marsh & Parker, 1984; Bachman and O’Malley 1986, Marsh, 1987;
Jencks and Mayer 1990; Attewell 2001; Crosne 2009). While many may believe that it is an
advantage to be exposed to affluent peers it may in fact be a disadvantage. This disadvantage
can be attributed to the decrease in curricular placement, grades and aspirations, more so
when the students involved are competing for scarce resources (Lauen & Gaddis, 2013). The
final finding is that poverty may have no effect at all on student achievement once the
background of the student is properly controlled. This is often explained as a selection
mechanism. This means that the effects are actually due to families selecting schools and
classrooms based on factors that can be correlated with classroom poverty level and the
growth of test scores (Hauser 1970; Mouw 2006). Knowing that poverty might not have
much of an effect on reading performance if the background of the student is controlled
serves as a transition into parental involvement as well as perceptions and experiences.
Application of Critical Components

Needs for the design were determined by looking at previous school improvement plans
from Suburban Middle School. In addition to looking at previous data a thorough search of the
literature involving school improvement plans was conducted. The trends in research pointed
towards six different areas that should be considered key aspects or elements of school
33
improvement plans. These six areas are school climate, proper utilization of data, parental
involvement, professional development, instructional strategies, and collaboration. (Andrews &
Lewis, 2007; Archer Banks & Behar Horensstein, 2008; Armento, 2001; Banks, 2001;
Bernhardt, 2004; Brown, Roderick, Lantieri & Aber, 2004; Desimone, 2011; DuFour, 2007;
Eaker & Keeting, 2008).
This Dissertation in Practice focuses on redesigning a School Improvement Plan that
addresses the need to improve achievement in reading of African American students. The
achievement gap that currently influences the academic achievement of African American
students could consist of academic climate, the racial composition of schools, and family level
factors. These family level factors are parental involvement and the socioeconomic status of the
student’s parents. The problem of practice is that African American students at Suburban Middle
School performed significantly lower than their peers over the course of the 2009-2013 school
years in reading performance. The reading deficiencies of African American students need to be
addressed by the School Improvement Plan (SIP). The key elements of the design are school
climate, proper utilization of data, parental involvement, professional development, instructional
practices, and collaboration. While these are the key elements there are additional sub groupings
in the Dissertation in Practice that may also have an influence on student achievement levels.
One necessary component in improving academic performance is that all of the faculty members
are aware of what the actual school mission at SMS consists of.
School Climate: School Mission

Many educational researchers are questioning whether or not the process of reforming
middle schools is actually improving academic and socio-emotional development. Some policy
34
makers have also begun to question if the curriculum at most middle schools is rigorous enough
(Anfara & Lipka, 2003). While school reform is often talked about and given priority over other
matters there appears to be confusion when attempting to implement practices. Many parents and
scholars operate under the assumption that if a middle level philosophy is implemented
citizenship, personal development, and achievement will somehow follow (Russell, 1997). An
additional problem when attempting to gauge student achievement is inconsistencies that exist in
the research process. Attempts at reform and diagnosing problems concerning student
achievement often end up with conflicting results. In addition to conflict there is a lack of
longitudinal studies, conflicting designs, weak research designs, and an insufficient number of
studies (Van Zandt & Totten, 1995). Student achievement by its very nature is hard to measure.
While student academic achievement is currently measured by standardized testing it should not
be the only factor in determining individual performance. What may be needed are more debates
in regards to how to define student achievement as well as assess it from a holistic approach
(Anfara & Lipka 2003). While it is very difficult to gauge student achievement it is even more
difficult to quantify teachers perceptions and feelings about African American students and
performance issues.
Perceptions
Earlier some of the perceptions of the reading teachers at SMS and the literacy coach
were discussed. Some of the reasons that the literacy coach gave for the current achievement gap
were motivational, cultural, and organizational factors. She also felt that many of the faculty
members were not able to relate to some of the experiences of African American students. One
of the reading teachers stated that reasons for the achievement gap were a lack of engagement, a
35
lack of previous knowledge on the part of the students, organizational structure, and behavioral
issues. The final reading teacher believed that establishing relationships with African American
students was important. In addition to the previous belief she also stated that many White
teachers do not understand the background or the cultural differences of African American
students.
If the perception that a teacher has about a student is negative there may be a higher
chance of academic failure. If a teacher feels that a student is not performing well in the
dominant culture because of atypical codes of speech or behaviors or feels that the particular
student is of average or lower than average in intelligence there is a greater chance of academic
failure (Marks, 2005). Expectations of the parents and beliefs about academic achievement may
be a key factor in exactly how well the student performs. Parents that have demonstrated high
expectations for their children often and also have plans for the future of their child’s education
(Entwisle & Olson, 2005). Research also shows that children that live with two parent families
are more apt to receive more supervision, resources, and enjoy greater stability than single parent
families (Kim, 2004). Socioeconomic status (SES) has often been a good predictor of student
achievement levels. When adding the race of the student to the equation socioeconomic status
does not remain a strong factor in accounting for differences in academic achievement (Kim,
2004). Much of the research that has been done on having a clear school mission identifies three
important aspects of the mission. The three key components that are necessary to achieve success
are vision, mission, and beliefs (Nelson et. al. 2007). While all three of these are integral parts of
a school mission it might be beneficial to all to prioritize different components within each
36
section of the mission. Later on in this Dissertation in Practice school climate will be analyzed,
first it might be beneficial to examine the impact of academic climate on academic achievement.
Academic Climate
Processes within the school or organizational factors can be responsible for the
achievement gaps that exist between Black and White students. There is a multitude of research
that shows that students coming from disadvantaged social classes are often placed in slower
learning classrooms than their advantaged peers (Condron, 2007). The end result in this
placement is often that students that are in higher performing groups learn more while lower
group placements result in inhibited learning (Condron 2008; Hoffer, 1992).Academic climate is
often determined and affected by the socioeconomic status of the students that attend the school
(High, 2004; Kahlenberg, 2001; Lareau, 2003; & Palardy, 2005). Many different studies have
come to the conclusion that while the academic climate of a school is a social force apart from
individual student’s characteristics it can have a positive influence on student achievement and
various outcomes (Mickelson & Greene, 2006). The influence of academic climate has been
deemed as extremely important by some researchers. Rumberger and Palardy (2005) conducted a
study in which the findings suggested that in some southern middle schools the mean
socioeconomic status of the school was four times more impactful than the socioeconomic status
of the parents was at predicting student achievement. Educators may be able to control academic
climate but one area that educators have very little influence on is outside of school.
37
Non-School factors
It is quite possible that disparities in achievement between students can be attributed to
non school factors such as family background. Some researchers believe that students that come
from poor families do not achieve as much academically due to inequities and social class
differences. Examples of these inequities are health and nutrition, residential mobility, quality of
housing, and approaches to child rearing (Rothstein, 2004). The schools themselves can only be
held accountable to a reasonable degree. Social stratification is an area that schools cannot
control. Social stratification may be responsible for producing racial disparities as well as
disparities in learning. This makes it very difficult for school reform to have any kind of effect
on achievement gaps (Karen 2005; Rothstein 2004; Wilson 1998). Another difficult aspect for
schools to combat is that many researchers have discovered that inequalities that occur in
learning may be mostly happening during the summer months when children are not in school.
Many researchers are in agreement that schools often serve as great equalizers while non school
factors during the summer are partly responsible for class based achievement gaps that occur
(Downey, 2004). Downey (2004) also claims that while schools may influence differences in
social classes they do not have much influence on the current achievement gap that exists
between Black and White students. His research has primarily shown that the academic skills of
African American students often start to fall behind their peers during kindergarten and the first
grade. Perhaps these findings should lead us to a series of pertinent questions. Do disparate non-
school environments lead to social class disparities in learning? Do inequalities that exist
between schools contribute to disparities in learning between White and African American
students? In order to answer these questions there needs to be more research studies focused on
38
why class gaps grow during the summer and why the achievement gap between the races occurs
mostly during the school year (Condron, 2009). Class and non-school factors consist of family
related factors, cultural and social capital, and health related factors (Condron, 2009). Some
studies have concluded that students that live in one parent families face things that may inhibit
academic achievement (Downey 1995; McLanahan and Sandefur 1994). In addition to single
parent households housing mobility may have a dramatic effect on academic performance as
well. The more time that a family spends moving and preparing to do so may result in more days
of school missed (Rothstein, 2004). Many times when families are constantly moving it can be
attributed to living in poverty.
Perceptions and Experience

Some educators believe that parents as well as the teachers of African American students
do not spend enough time focusing on reading materials that the students value (Paul, 2000).
While Black students have made some gains in reading performance national and statewide tests
have shown that there are still significant disparities in reading achievement between Black and
White students. Perhaps teacher quality may have a direct impact on the current achievement gap
that exists. Some researchers believe that teacher perceptions of current levels of reading
proficiency of African American students need to be examined. A possible solution would be for
research teams to analyze to what extent the prior knowledge that a teacher has in relation to the
racial achievement gap affects the performance in reading of African American students
(Flowers, 2007). While some researchers believe that standardized testing may not be the best
way to measure achievement it is still necessary to understand how this form of testing affects
reading achievement for African American students. It would be beneficial to African American
39
students if more research was conducted to learn how to improve the test taking skills of this
particular subgroup of students (Flowers, 2007). According to Flowers (2007) one solution to
better understanding the problem may be to compare the scores on reading tests to those of other
African American students or examining scores by gender within the race. In addition to
standardized testing, teacher quality, and perceptions there are a multitude of other variables that
may influence the level of reading performance that African American students are able to
achieve. School setting, physical and emotional characteristics of the students, and the
educational environment are additional areas that need to be investigated in order to fully
understand the problem (Barton, 2003). Schools that are effective regularly evaluate their schools
based on data and research. Effective schools also have a clear mission, frequent monitoring of
programs, instructional leadership, high expectations have good relations with parents and are
safe and orderly (Nelson, Fairchild, Grossenbacher & Landers, 2007). Having completed a
general overview of various components that affect the reading performance of African
American students it is now necessary to apply this knowledge in order to create a new school
improvement plan.
Application of Critical Components

Needs for the design were determined by looking at previous school improvement plans
from Suburban Middle School. In addition to looking at previous data a thorough search of the
literature involving school improvement plans was conducted. The trends pointed towards six
different areas that should be considered key aspects or elements of school improvement plans.
These six areas are school climate, proper utilization of data, parental involvement, professional
development, instructional strategies, and collaboration.

40
School Climate
One way to change or influence school climate is through the use of discipline
procedures. One problem appears to be that punitive discipline may not always solve the existing
problems. Much of the disciplining process that occurs at schools is geared towards targeted
intervention, broad prevention, and the development of self-discipline. The traditional route to
dealing with these problems is to respond with punitive and exclusionary practices that often
have little value (Osher, Bear, Sprague & Doyle, 2010). Many different behaviors can be defined
as low level aggressive behaviors but they are still a disruption to instructional time. Among
these behaviors are cutting class, rule violations, cursing, bullying, refusal to complete
assignments, fighting, and vandalism. School discipline plans should include more than just
punishments, they should also include the opportunities for students to develop self-discipline
(Bear, 2005). The factors that influence disciplined behavior or the lack thereof consists of
student, teacher, and school culture; the socioeconomic status of the student, the composition of
the classroom and the school, Two popular universal approaches to developing a school wide
discipline program are School wide positive behavioral supports (SWPBS) and Social emotional
learning or (SEL). In the past Suburban Middle School has used a variety of positive behavioral
supports with limited success. For the purpose of this Dissertation in Practice we will examine
Social emotional learning (SEL). Social emotional learning is an approach that combines
relationship skills, social awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, and self-
awareness and also builds connections between staff members and students (Collaborative for
Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2003; Osher et al., 2008; Watson 2003). Social
emotional learning could be beneficial to Suburban Middle School in that it is believed to help
41
develop a variety of the students’ individual qualities. These qualities are primarily related to
positive mental health, moral development, as well as development of cognitive, emotional, and
social components (Berkowitz, Sherblom, Bier & Battistich, 2006; Catalano, Berglund, Ryan,
Lonczak & Hawkins, 2004). One of the main goals of SEL is to begin or attempt to create a
foundation for fewer disciplinary issues while improving academic performance at the same time
(Durlak, Weisberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, n.d.; Zins, Wiessberg, Wang & Walberg,
2004). Another anticipated or desired positive outcome of Social emotional learning is that the
emotional and social capacities of the individual improve. More specifically the students are
enabled understand character education which in turn facilitates other qualities. These qualities
that SEL tries to influence are conflict resolution, self-understanding, respect, resilience, and
bonding with others (Schwartz, 2006).
Perhaps the best approach at SMS might be to keep some of the current practices of
SWPBS while implementing certain aspects of SEL at the same time. Certainly a one size fits all
approach will not work for every individual at Suburban Middle School. School wide positive
behavioral supports (SWPBS) primarily target office referrals by using data based decisions to
determine behavioral problems (Durlak et al.). While it is true that educators need to utilize data
in order to make informed decisions it might also be beneficial to have an additional measure in
hopes of improving current behavioral issues throughout the school. While taking an approach
grounded in Social emotional learning may help students develop additional attributes there are
not many interventions that can be used by the administration to deal with disruptive behaviors
that are occurring (Osher et al., 2010). Solely utilizing School wide positive behavioral supports
42
can produce some deficiencies as well. When SWPBS programs only have concrete reinforcers
to curb student behavioral problems they are not likely to assist students in developing emotional
and social qualities that are related to self-discipline (Bear, 2005, 2009, in press). Much of the
present research shows that multiple types of interventions and supports are needed to achieve
concrete results. Combining Social emotional learning and School wide positive behavior
support programs while fostering supportive student and teacher relationships may improve
disciplinary issues throughout the whole school (Metzler, Biglan, Rusby & Sprague, 2001). In
order to be able to target students that may benefit from Social emotional learning educators
must use data that will enable them to make informed decisions.
Utilization of Data to Improve Schools

There must be reliable and valid data gathered when attempting to develop an effective
School Improvement Plan. A data driven approach needs to be utilized when focusing on
specific areas of improvement. Often times administrators make decisions that are possibly based
on personal experiences or informed intuition instead of data (Ingram, Louis, and Schroeder,
2004). While gathering and analyzing data may be a daunting task at times the goal should not be
to gather huge amounts of data just for the sake of having data. The main purpose of gathering
and analyzing data should be to use meaningful data in order to implement effective practices.
While many middle schools focus on achievement exam scores they must also realize that it is
important to disaggregate or break the data down by gender, race, and other variables
(Schmoker, 2003). Contextual information may play an important role when attempting to
reform middle schools as well. Examples of contextual factors would be examples of student
work, lesson plans, and parent survey results (Flowers & Carpenter, 2009). The following table
43
shows examples of school data and areas of applicability to include in School Improvement
Plans according to Flowers and Carpenter.
Table 6: Examples of School Data and Areas of Applicability

Leadership and Instructional School climate Parent
professional practices Involvement
development
Leadership team Curriculum Attendance rates Parent attendance
meeting minutes materials rates at activities
Grade level meeting Lesson plans Discipline rates Types of parent
minutes activities
Leadership and Instructional School climate Parent
professional practices Involvement
development
Interdisciplinary Examples of student Safety data Parent
team meeting work communication
minutes examples
Professional Rubrics and Climate survey PTA or PTO
development assessment criteria results meeting minutes
calendar
School assessments Student self- Dropout rates Parent survey
assessments results
Years of teaching Master schedule Student
experience services/guidance
records
Type of certification Technology
capacity
Turnover rates of Benchmark testing
teachers and staff results
Budgets Standardized test
results
Attendance rates
There also needs to be a process which all faculty members can use to make informed
decisions. It is possible that many of the faculty members at a middle school may not have
experience analyzing data and might feel overwhelmed when attempting to do so (Ronka,
44
Lachat, Slaughter & Meltzer, 2008). Flowers, Murtans, & Mulhall 1999, 2002 have developed a
process that is designed for schools and educators to use data when making day to day decisions
about making improvements at their schools. According to the research team the process that
was designed assumes that faculty members do not have much training in data gathering and
exploration, have very little time to conduct data gathering and exploration, and that the faculty
members also have a desire to raise important questions among stakeholders. The following steps
are needed to properly complete the process for using data: Step 1- Review your school
improvement plan. Step 2-Determine how the data will be used. Step 3-Identify relevant data.
Step 4-Examine and discuss the data. Step 5-Set goals and evaluate progress. The research team
of Flowers (2009) then provides additional information in regards to completing each step of the
process. An important step when reviewing your school improvement plan is to analyze specific
goals, this will enable the faculty members to have the ability to determine what the primary
focus of the school currently is. Prioritizing goals is also an important aspect of the first step in
using data. The actual process of prioritizing the goals may begin to create a consensus among
staff and administrators and could definitely be instrumental in providing a starting point for a
school improvement plan (Flowers, Mertens & Mulhall, 1999, 2002). One major challenge may
be to remain within the structure that is already in place at the middle school or place of
employment. Available data should become a resource for all team members to use and have
access to on a regular basis. As previously mentioned collaboration is an important element
when attempting to improve student achievement. Also according to the research team there are
key elements that should serve to create a culture of collaborative learning that is geared towards
45
student learning and student achievement. Elements that would help to create such an
environment would be to engage parents and community members, provide specific areas of
responsibility, make sure representatives of different groups can come together to share
information, keep things moving, and involve as many staff members and faculty as possible
(Flowers, Mertens & Mulhall, 2000). Identifying relevant data can actually be a fairly easy
process.
According to the researchers the main question that members of the school improvement
committee need to ask themselves is whether or not the data is relevant to the school
improvement plan. If the data does not appear that it will be beneficial to the school then it
should simply be placed to the side (Flowers & Carpenter, 2009). Examining the data should be
done as a group, this will enable faculty members and administrators the chance to see if all team
members involved understand how to interpret the data. One of the most difficult parts of
reviewing and interpreting data is remaining objective throughout the entire process (Flowers et
al. 2009). When setting goals it is important to consider short and long term goals when
implementing a school improvement plan. Ideally long term goals will be set to occur in three to
five years. In the meantime short term goals are included to measure the amount of progress that
is being achieved along the way. Short term goals let the faculty know if they are heading in the
right direction while it also offers them the possibility of experiencing successes along the way
(Flowers et al. 2009).
Parental Involvement
Parental involvement has been found to be associated with positive gains in a student’s
academic and cognitive outcomes (Arnold, 2008). Parental involvement could actually occur by
46
attending school events or assisting the child with required work or homework assignments.
Possibly more important is the association of race or ethnicity in parenting practices with
academic achievement. Racial and ethnic socialization can be identified as the process in which
parents shape their child’s attitudes and understanding about the impact of race via specified
messages and practices (Murray & Mandara, 2002). Different aspects of racial and ethnic
socialization include teaching culture and origin in hopes of facilitating a sense of ethnic and
cultural pride (Banerjee, Harrell & Johnson, 2011). Research has shown that this socialization
can have an impact on academic achievement. Researchers also found an interaction between
high parental involvement and high cultural exposure. In addition to this when students that have
parents who possess attitudes that favor diversity and their practices reflect positive in group
cultural experiences the students seem to benefit in cognitive ability and achievement (Caughy,
2002). Parental involvement influences the student’s beliefs and attitudes about education.
Parental involvement in specific educational activities appears to be much more of a factor than
involvement in the school that the child attends (Clark, 1983; Epstein, 1995; Lareau; 1987).
While the majority of parents probably want their child or children to succeed not all parents take
it upon themselves to participate in ways that will actually help to maximize the level of student
achievement (Mickelson & Green, 2006). Productive home-school relations may require parents
to put in additional effort in support of their child’s education. One middle school helped this
process along by having counselors and assistant principals loop or follow the students through
their middle school careers as to familiarize themselves with the families. Parents were often on
curriculum committees and were also required to participate in at least four school functions
47
throughout the school year. Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) workshops were
held two times a month for parents and students (Nelson et. al. 2007). Middle school teachers
often need to deal with declining parental involvement as the students progress from elementary
school to middle school (Brough & Irvin, 2001). Parents may often serve roles such as selling
tickets for school events or operating concession stands. It may benefit all involved if parents
could serve in a greater capacity. While these efforts are usually appreciated by all it might be
more beneficial to all parties if parents were more involved specifically with student learning.
Good examples of duties that parents could perform are serving as a member of the school
leadership team, acting as a resource person for special activities or school programs, and serving
as an aide or a tutor (Valentine, Clark, Hackmann, and Petzko, 2002). Not only does serving in
these roles help the students it also takes some of the burden off of the teachers and the
administration. Outside of being an aide or a tutor most opportunities that parents have to
volunteer do not deal directly with student achievement and working in a classroom
environment. Socioeconomic status of the parents has been shown to be a significant predictor of
achievement levels. Usually students that come from higher socioeconomic backgrounds score
higher on tests and achieve higher grades than their classmates that come from lower SES
backgrounds (Mickelson et. al 2006). However, it should be noted that socioeconomic status is
considered to be a weak predictor of achievement for Black students. Researchers have found
that parental involvement and cultural capital or socioeconomic related social processes are a
greater predictor of achievement for African American students (Mickelson et al. 2006).
48
Professional Development
Students that experience difficulties in reading often have problems that begin to
compound over time. One major problem with students that read at low levels is that later they
might experience difficulties with understanding complex narrative and expository texts that
become increasingly difficult in high school and beyond (Slavin, Cheung, Groff & Lake, 2008).
This makes it even more crucial for students to improve their reading skills during middle
school. Accountability programs throughout the United States have been responsible for
mandating additional reading instruction to a large portion of middle school students (Deshler,
Palincsar, Biancarosa & Nair, 2007). While this is a good start a major component of school
improvement may be professional development opportunities for teachers. Schools must ensure
that all of the faculty members are working together as a team. The following quote sums this
sentiment up. “To provide successful professional development in middle schools, principals
must engage teachers in strategies that support school-based collaborative problem solving and
decision making activities that are concentrated on improving student achievement” (Clark &
Clark, p. 47, 2004).
Professional Development Goals

Professional development is viewed by some as being one of the most important aspects
when it comes to achieving successful reform. It is not nearly enough to simply complete
professional development sessions and then expect instantaneous results. The reform may in fact
rely on the teacher learning that occurs that ultimately results in greater student learning
(Desimone, 2011). A more important question might be what actually makes professional
development valid or effective? For a long period of time professional development seemed to
49
focus on teacher attributes or lack thereof instead of encouraging reform. Over the last thirty
years or so the focus regularly appeared to be on commitment to innovation, changing attitudes,
or teacher job satisfaction (Desimone, 2011). The following bullet points list five core
components as well as provide a brief description of ideal factors of each aspect. These five core
features are taken from an examination of empirical research that was conducted by Laura
Desimone. She is currently an associate professor of public policy and education at the
University of Pennsylvania. The following five common features and explanations are taken
verbatim from p.69 from a 2011 article entitled “A Primer on Effective Professional
Development.”
 Content focus- Professional development activities should focus on subject matter
content and how students learn the content.
 Active learning- Teachers should have opportunities to get involved, such as observing
and receiving feedback, analyzing student work, or making presentations, as opposed to
passively sitting through lectures.
 Coherence- What teachers learn in any professional development activity should be
consistent with other professional development, with their knowledge and beliefs, and
with school, district, and state reforms and policies.
 Duration- Professional development activities should be spread over a semester and
should include 20 hours or more of contact time.
50
 Collective participation- Groups of teachers from the same grade, subject, or school
should participate in professional development activities together to build an interactive
learning community.
While determining what professional development activities are important is a difficult
task it may be even more difficult to gauge what specific professional development is
actually worth paying for. Many administrators and educators understand the importance of
professional development but also need to be mindful of the costs. One complicated factor is
that recertification, professional development, and local salary schedules are all interwoven.
Add a required number of school days to the mix and it becomes extremely difficult to
identify what money is spent and who is supposed to pay for it (Christie, 2009).
Recertification itself has not entailed the most effective strategies or professional
development in most states. Even worse might be the fact that recertification programs and
associated professional development participants seldom go through a valid or reliable
evaluation after it is completed. The usual outcome is that teachers and educators are
awarded the points for simply attending the event and there is little or no actual change that
occurs within instructional practices (Christie, 2009). Professional development has long
been a factor and a strategy to improve teaching practices. Unfortunately it seems that
educators have failed to understand the advantages that could be produced by effective
professional development programs. There have been increases in accountability measures
and attempts to improve student achievement but not many schools view professional
development as a strategy for school improvement (Elmore, 2002). If we are considering
51
school improvement as our main goal to be achieved through professional development then
there are some overarching principles that need to be addressed. In order to increase student
achievement educators need to understand adolescent learning and development, curriculum
design, knowledge of the organizational structures by the principals and the teachers, and
finally instructional strategies (Clark & Clark, 2004). Leadership may well be one of the
most important factors that need to be addressed when attempting to implement a
professional development program. If there is an attempt to change school culture where the
end result is a higher level of student achievement there needs to be a leader that possesses
and demonstrates certain characteristics. A leader must be able to model learning, be able to
build positive relationships with teachers and students, and they must also listen to what the
faculty members have to say (Clark & Clark, 2002). In addition to good leadership
professional development also needs to be specialized. More specifically the following
elements of professional development are geared towards specialized middle level skills and
knowledge that are designed for school improvement for student achievement. These
elements are site based and focused on school improvement, must include a variety,
facilitates and values collaboration, focuses on improving student learning and achievement,
assesses needs of teachers and principals, provides enough time, uses accepted adult learning
strategies, and evaluates and assesses effectiveness.
If the goal is to focus on student learning through professional development, the actual
learning must pertain to the difficulties that are encountered by real students within real
classrooms (Elmore, 2002). Many schools have assigned one or more people to coordinate
52
the school’s professional development program. Sometimes this person is assigned to oversee
the coordination of school improvement and professional development (Richard, 2003). The
opposing strategy is to have an entire committee assigned to professional development and a
school improvement council. In other situations it may be a leadership team that consists of
department heads, team leaders, and administrators (Clark & Clark, 2004). A variety of
professional development activities might help to combat the tedium of some professional
development activities. Some traditional approaches may always be a part of professional
development programs. Among these are courses at a university, in-service meetings
provided by the district, workshops, and professional conferences. While it is an option to
continue these programs researchers have also provided us with some interesting alternatives.
These alternatives are staff development activities with the team, grade level staff
development, exchanging lesson plans, and simply having sessions that are structured to let
teachers participate in discussions about best practices and school improvement (Mertens &
Mulhall, 2002).
New Culture
The support and the creation of a new culture that embraces collaboration may be another
result from professional development programs. The program should ensure that it makes an
attempt to engage all of the administrators, faculty, and staff members while addressing student
achievement and overall school goals (Jackson & Davis, 2000). Having a sense of belonging or
being a member of a team is an important factor in professional development. Research has
shown that professional development programs are more effective if they contain teachers from
53
the same grade level, team, department, or school instead of consisting of people from various
schools (Desimone, Porter, Garet, Yoon & Birman, 2002).
Focusing on improving student learning and achievement could possibly be the most vital
part of a successful professional development program. Important parts of attempting to increase
student achievement are having strong instructional leadership that focuses on standards (Clark
& Clark, 2002). Effective leaders or principals have attempted to find different ways to focus
directly on student achievement. Some leaders meet weekly with teams to examine instructional
and curricular planning while ensuring that school and district standards are being followed by
the faculty members (Clark et. al, 2000).
It is also important for professional development programs to meet individual needs in
conjunction with organizational needs. These needs should also be discovered through
administrative and teacher input (Clark & Clark, 2002; Flowers, Mertens & Mulhall, 2002). One
problem may be that a group of individuals will not be able to agree on what they perceive as
existing problems throughout the school. It seems that many times principals want to focus on
school improvement topics through professional development while teachers often want to
receive professional development in relation to instructional strategies. If there are differences,
there should be program that will enable both administrators and teachers to receive both kinds
of training (Flowers, Mertens & Mulhall, 2002).
Adequate Time
Providing adequate time to attend professional development activities can be a very
complex problem. When taking many different strategies and program specifics into account it
becomes even more daunting. Considerations for an effective professional development program
54
are coaching, providing feedback, monitoring instructional practices, visiting classrooms, as well
as designing, implementing, and assessing curriculum and instruction (Valentine, Clark,
Hackmann & Petzko, 2000). Adding these various components to existing responsibilities and
scheduling conflicts and providing teachers with professional development opportunities is a
difficult process.
Using accepted adult learning strategies is a key area of professional development topics
need to be interesting to the people that are learning the theories. The adult theories should also
consist of activities and methods that are engaging to administrators and teachers while at the
same time promoting mutual inquiry (Clark & Clark, 2004). Learning the strategies and practices
that are needed should actually be done in the school and the classroom. Curriculum
development, assessment, and some of the major decision making that needs to occur should be
viewed or perceived as major opportunities for learning (Clark et. al., 2004).
The final part of a successful professional development program is that it needs to
evaluate and assess effectiveness. This evaluation and assessment process needs to consist of
gathering information or data using a variety of procedures while using multiple sources (Clark
et. al., 2004). The evaluation process should also examine teaching practices as they are related
to school, district, and state standards. Evaluation should also gauge teaching practices in a non-
threatening manner while at the same time being conducted in both formal and non-formal
manners. Finally the evaluation process should also assess the progress, the overall effectiveness
of the professional development program, and how it is affecting school improvement (Clark et.
al., 2004).
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Mediated Learning
One possible solution to contributing to closing the achievement gap may be to use
mediated learning. Mediated learning makes an attempt to bond the student and the teacher
through interactive processes. It attempts to create nurturing relationships by focusing on lessons
or learning considered culturally important to African American students (Jackson, 2005). There
are also attempts on the part of the teacher to establish learning concepts that create personal
motivation for students. Another goal of the teacher is to further engage student by using certain
activities that will build confidence and guide then through discussions while at the same time
making relevant connections to the students’ personal experiences (Jackson, 2001). Discussions
that encourage Black students to learn about cultural themes and lessons while also learning
about important and relevant academic subjects may help bonding occur between the teacher and
the student that is very important during the learning process (Jackson, 2005). The mediation
theory states that the interaction between the teacher and the student is the most important aspect
due to the fact that it helps to assess learning to be part of the instructional process as well as
learning the concepts (Jackson, Lewis, Feurstein & Samuda, 1998).
While it is important to examine methods that may be used to improve performance more
specifically it is necessary to take a look at how SMS proposed to close the achievement gap in
reading that was and is still occurring between African American students and their White peers.
The following are two goals and a table that shows anticipated barriers, strategies, person or
people responsible for monitoring, process used to determine effectiveness of strategy, and
evaluation tool.
56
Instructional Strategies
Cultural connections are another important factor to consider when attempting to close
the achievement gap. This becomes especially true when we examine what the future may
consist of. Some experts have predicted that by the year 2020 nearly half of the nation’s school
population will consist of non-Caucasian cultural groups (U.S. Bureau of Census, 2000).
Important and relevant questions might be what do educators need to know in order to educate
this growing student population? How are educators supposed to be able to effectively address a
range of abilities and talents, many different languages, and a variety of cultures (Irvine &
Darling, 2005)? Some educators and researchers view the current mismatch of race between
educators and the students as a problem. In 2002, the National Education Association reported
that almost 90% of the teachers in the United States were White, around five percent were Black,
and the rest consisted of other races (National Education Association, 2002). While we cannot
change the race of educators we can strive to have more of an understanding about cultural
differences. Culture can be described as consisting of social values, cognitive codes, behavioral
standards, worldviews, and beliefs that give order and meaning to our own lives as well as the
lives of others” (Delgado-Gaitan & Trueba, 1991). While multiple cultures can be a part of every
classroom they are also partly responsible for creating a multitude of different environments.
These environmental interactions include negative and positive relationships, acceptance or
rejection, accommodations and conflicts, and group and individual behaviors (Irvine & Darling,
2005). In order to close the achievement gap there must be an opportunity to learn, culturally
relevant pedagogy, and fostering good relationships between minority students and teachers.
57
The opportunity to learn may not be adequately provided to African American students at
many schools. Some researchers appear to believe that in order to provide more opportunities
educators need to focus on factors that are needed to create a relationship between the teacher
and the student as well as the use of culturally relevant pedagogy (Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings,
1994; Lee, 1995). One particular area that may be ignored by researchers is how students
actually feel about their environment and the teachers that they spend the school year with. Lee
(1999) identified three different areas that he felt contributed to the underachievement of
minority students. He found that African American and Latino students listed the following
structures and practices that hindered their learning. Components of teacher apathy were
identified as a lack of caring teacher and student relationships, the perception of discriminatory
and racist patterns or expectations, and teacher centered classrooms (Lee, 1999).
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

Culturally relevant pedagogy can be defined as, “A theoretical model that posits effective
pedagogical practice through addressing student achievement, helping students to accept and
affirm their cultural identity while developing critical perspectives that challenge inequalities
that schools perpetuate (Ladson & Billings, 1995, p.469). According to Heflin (2002) there are
three different areas that need to be addressed when attempting to engage African American
students in reading literature. The three areas that were identified pertain to cultural relevancy.
The three components are intertwining the cultural patterns of the student’s lives with the
material, relating the methods to home and community patterns that the students are accustomed
to, and having the curriculum represent the culture and background that African American
students live in.

58
While it may be possible to implement culturally relevant pedagogical practices it may be
more difficult to understand how to foster positive student and teacher relationships. It may be
necessary to attempt to improve school climate or culture through the improvement of
relationships within the school. A researcher named Madhere came up with a model of cultural
nesting in 1998. His model attempted to identify how relationships between students and
teachers actually occur. His theory of nesting states that culture usually involves associating
visible and or assigned characteristics as well as psychological characteristics (Madhere, 1998).
The theory of nesting also believes that ethnicity, race, national origin, and language are the most
common ways that educators determine what culture an individual comes from. The manner in
which the teacher or the student interprets all of these factors together might determine how
willing the teacher or the student is to fostering a relationship with the individual (Madhere,
1998). When attempting to improve or change the attitudes and behaviors of teachers there are
multiple factors that may get in the way. Davis (1996) identified three different barriers that may
inhibit changing attitudes and behaviors in relation to instructional practices for culturally
diverse students. The three barriers were listed as social class membership, race, and gender. The
other two subgroups were the prior experiences that the teachers had with diversity, and the
actual support of individualism and individuality (Garcia & Pugh, 1992; Sleeter, 1995). One of
the most profound challenges in attempting to increase the number of culturally relevant lessons
is that no two schools are the same. Not only are the students different there are also differences
in structures, processes, and culture as well as the needs of the community that they are located
in (Irvine & Darling, 2005).
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Collaboration
Many researchers have stated the importance of common planning time or teaming when
addressing the topic of collaboration. The most important goal of teaming might be when
teachers work together in an attempt to integrate and coordinate the kind of instruction that will
be delivered to the students in the classroom (Mertens & Flowers2003). Some researchers
believe that there is a strong association between integration, interdisciplinary practices, and
curriculum coordination. Mertens and Flowers (2003) concluded that when the frequency of one
practice increases, the level of the other one increases as well. Another way of saying this is for
curriculum to be successfully coordinated as a team, the integration of interdisciplinary
approaches and subject matter need to happen on a regular basis. Interdisciplinary teaming can
be defined as, “A group of teachers from different subject areas who work together to coordinate
and integrate curricula and instruction for a common group of students” (Mertens & Flowers,
2003).
Another important factor or aspect of collaboration is the forming of Professional
Learning Committees (PLCs). This term has been used in many different ways. It can represent a
variety of different groups that have been assembled including subject area departments,
interdisciplinary teams, and grade level groups (Teague & Anfara, 2012). Perhaps the best
working definition of a professional learning community was provided by a team of researchers
in 2006. “Organizational structures in which teachers work collaboratively to reflect on their
practice, examine evidence about the relationship between practice and student outcomes, and
make changes that improve teaching and learning for the particular students in their classes”
(McLaughlin & Talbert, 2006, pp. 3-4). One of the key factors of professional learning
60
communities is that simply instructing or teaching is not enough. Educators are also responsible
for making sure that the students in their classroom are actually learning (DuFour, 2004). To take
it a step further a team of researchers has identified common characteristics of successful
schools. These characteristics are a focus on student learning: collaboration among
administrators and teachers, shared values and goals, and supportive working conditions. It was
determined that various groups of educators that possessed these skills or qualities would
become known as professional learning communities. (Little, 1982, 2006; Rosenholtz 1989a,
1989b; Wenger, 1998, 2000). Having examined different components of successful schools we
must now examine different areas of professional learning communities. These areas consist of
shared values and vision, shared and supportive leadership, collective learning as well as
application to practice, shared personal experience, supportive conditions, and barriers to
developing and sustaining effective professional learning communities (Hord, 1997, 1998, 2008).
Shared Values and Vision

Shared values and vision encompass more than simply having a mission statement that is
passed on from one school year to the next. Some researchers believe that it is more important to
have and develop a particular vision for the school that has a primary goal of focusing on student
learning (Pankake & Moller, 2003). There needs to be a sense of ownership as well as teamwork
involved in developing and implementing shared values and a vision. Two researchers named
Printy and Marks believe that the administration and the teachers at a school need to desire more
than simply making changes. These researchers found that when the administration and teachers
had common beliefs regarding providing an excellent education for their students that schools no
longer attempted innovation simply for the sake of change (Priny & Marks, 2006). This might be
61
explained in a more specific manner by the following quote. “When schools passionately and
sincerely adopt the mission of ensuring high levels of learning for all students, they are driven to
pursue fundamentally different questions and work in significantly different ways” (Eaker &
Keating, 2008, p. 15). When pursuing these questions and using different practices, student
achievement improves as does the efficacy of the administration and the teachers (Andrews &
Lewis, 2007; Hord & Sommers, 2008; Hipp & Huffman, 2010).
Shared and supportive leadership has been used in hopes of making school improvements
for a great deal of time. Administrators that work at schools that have successful PLCs have
some common characteristics. These characteristics include but are not limited to shared
responsibility, authority, and leadership. The final commonality is that the administrators also
participate in nurturing relationships with the teachers at their schools (Hord, 1997; Huffman &
Hipp, 2003). In order for an administrative team to build capacity that will lead to improving
learning the team must make a conscious effort to clearly state the expectations for teachers and
monitor and review all pertinent processes (Teague & Anfara, 2012).
Collective learning and application to practice is another important element of
professional learning communities. According to Hord (2009) the learning that occurs within
professional learning activities needs to become a habit and the group must ensure
that learning occurs on a continuous basis. Seeking answers to the question of what students
should be learning is part of the process of collective learning and application to practice.
Additional parts of this area are what the students should be learning, how teachers will know
that it has in fact been learned, and what to do when students are struggling (Cohen & Hill,2001;
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DuFour, 2004). A PLC must also take place in a democratic environment that encourages
discussion amongst its members while at the same time allowing dissent and debate in a healthy
environment (Teague & Anfara, 2012).
Supportive Conditions
Supportive conditions could possibly be the factor that binds all of the other elements of a
PLC together (Huffman & Jacobson, 2003). The conditions that need to be supportive in order to
be successful are both structural and relational conditions (Hord, 1997, 2008). Relational
conditions would consist of reflective dialogue, risk taking, celebration, recognition, caring
relationships, respect, and trust. Structural conditions on the other hand would simply consist of
time and space that are needed to complete specific tasks (Hord & Sommers, 2008). In previous
research studies many teacher have felt that there are too many other deadlines and things to do
instead of participating in professional learning communities. In order to combat these
limitations common planning times, considerations of scheduling, and proximity of the people in
the PLC were identified as important factors to take into consideration (Teague & Anfara, 2012).
Capacity Building
Capacity building has been deemed an important factor of professional learning
communities in addition to collaborating with other faculty members. Capacity building
throughout a school is much more than block scheduling, teaming, and common planning times
(Brown, Anfara, Jr. & Rooney,2004; Mattox, Hancock & Queen,2005; Van Zee, Lay & Roberts,
2003). According to Fullan (2007) capacity building can be defined as, “the policy, strategy, or
action taken that increases the collective efficacy of a group to improve student learning through
new knowledge, enhanced resources, and greater motivation on the part of the people working
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individually and together” (p.58). Five components have been identified for all forms of capacity
building. These components are leadership, technical resources, program coherence, professional
communities, teacher knowledge, skill, and disposition (Anfara & Mertens, 2012). It is also
important to note that all five components are interrelated and all of the factors have the ability to
affect one or more of the other factors in a positive or negative manner (Anfara & Mertens,
2012).
Effective Leadership
Leadership is possibly the most important of all of the components that are needed in
order to have success when attempting to build capacity. If there is not quality leadership
provided in a school environment, any attempts to build capacity will be impeded (Anfara &
Mertens, 2012). According to some researchers leadership could possibly account for up to one
fourth of student achievement (Marzano, Waters & McNulty, 2005). Some also view the
principal as being the facilitator and the person responsible for the other four components of
capacity building. This is evidenced by a quote from an educational researcher. Fullan( 2006,
2007) claims that “The role of the principal is to cause the previous four factors to get better and
better in concert” (2007, p.164). It might be more beneficial to break the roles and the
responsibilities of the principal into different areas. Leithwood (2004) identified three different
domains that he considered to be at the heart of capacity building. The three different domains
consist of developing people; setting directions, expectations, and goals; and redesigning the
organization.
Technical resources play a vital role in achieving capacity building in order to improve
schools. Having a quality staff of teachers and support personnel is not enough for school
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reform. Building capacity at a school may require more resources than the school currently
possesses. Additional materials and resources such as time, space, and equipment may be needed
to facilitate change (Fullan, 2007). More specifically, teachers need to be provided with tools
that will enable them to not only begin but also maintain their individual efforts that are aligned
with the instructional goals of the school (Anfara & Mertens, 2012).
Program coherence can be defined as, “the extent to which a school’s programs for
students and staff learning are coordinated, focused on clear learning goals, and sustained over a
period of time” (Newmann, King & Young, 2000). Many feel that the stronger the program
coherence, the easier it is at a later date for the organization to run in a smoother fashion. If the
school programs are aligned in a consistent manner with instructional goals, the school
organization will be more effective as well as more secure (Hughes, Copely, Howley & Meehan,
2005).
As stated earlier in this Dissertation in Practice, professional communities can be an
essential part of improving schools. However, it is not sufficient to simply meet at a designated
time without having clear goals. According to Hord (2009) there are three characteristics that
need to be present in a successful professional community. The first characteristic is that the
group itself should be small and meet on a weekly basis. The second present characteristic needs
to be a reliance on data before making any important decisions. The third and final characteristic
is that the topics that are discussed should focus on curriculum and instructional strategies while
at the same time considering student needs.
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The Design
In order to develop the new School Improvement Plan for Suburban Middle School, the
six essential components of school climate, utilization of data, parental involvement, professional
development, instructional strategies, and collaboration were defined. This Dissertation in
Practice will present a model that includes tools for educational professionals to use when
designing a plan to impact achievement in academic performance, more specifically the reading
performance of African American students.
Table 7 describes the six elements and specific strategies that impact reading
achievement, reading achievement of African American students, and specific evidence and
goals that describe performance outcomes.
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Table 7: Proposed New School Improvement Plan Essential Components to Improve the
Reading Proficiencies of African American Students at SMS.
Effects on reading Effects on reading Evidence and goals
achievement achievement of
African American
students
School Climate One of the main goals There may be a higher Decreased detentions,
of using Social percentage of African referrals, and
Emotional Learning in American students suspensions.
order to improve that attend Title I Decreased dropout
school climate is to schools where the rate. Needs
begin or attempt to school climate may assessment survey
create a foundation need more results at the end of
for fewer disciplinary improvement than the year as compared
issues while schools in more to results at the
improving academic prosperous areas. beginning of the year.
performance at the
same time.
Utilization of data A data driven Ensures that the needs Identifies the current
approach needs to be of individual problem areas.
utilized when subgroups can be met Evaluate data after
focusing on specific by utilizing progress reports,
areas of achievement. disaggregated data. report cards, FAIR
testing, and FCAT
testing to determine
areas that need
improvement.
Parental Parental involvement Researchers have Number of parents

Involvement has been found to be found that parental that attend school
associated with involvement and events compared to
positive gains in a cultural capital or the previous years
student’s academic socioeconomic related numbers. Parents are
and cognitive social processes are a participating in
outcomes. greater predictor of specific academic
achievement for activities. Counselors,
African American ESE teachers, and
students. assistant principals
follow students
throughout their
career at SMS.
67
Effects on reading Effects on reading Evidence and goals
achievement achievement of
African American
students
Professional Professional Training could be Focused development content
Development development is viewed related to diversity on coherence. Proper duration
by some as being one and culturally of training.
of the most important relevant materials as
aspects when it comes well as culturally
to reform. The reform relevant pedagogy.
may in fact rely on the
teacher learning that
occurs that ultimately
result in greater
student learning.
Instructional Improves reading Can help avoid the Examine lesson plans for
Strategies strategies that affect disidentification of culturally relevant topics.
student engagement. African American Examples of student work,
students. Culturally rubrics, benchmark testing,
relevant pedagogy is and standardized testing.
considered a
theoretical model
that posits effective
pedagogical practice
through addressing
student achievement.
Collaboration Encourages the use of Capacity building Meeting minutes, lesson plans
interdisciplinary teams increases the that are designed jointly and
which can teach efficacy of the entire by interdisciplinary teams and
reading concepts in all group in order to consist of relevant curriculum.
areas. Some increase the reading Professional learning
researchers believe achievement of communities that meet
that there is a strong African American consistently. Focus on student
association between students. learning, collaboration among
integration and teachers and administration,
interdisciplinary shared values and goals, and
practices and supportive working
curriculum conditions.
coordination.
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Having studied the effects on reading achievement of African American students and their peers
it is now necessary to write an actual School Improvement Plan for Suburban Middle School.
The letters TBD are used for 2014 target percentages due to the fact that these numbers will
depend on which school is using the SIP.
Proposed New School Improvement Plan

FDOE SIP 2013-2014
This section meets the requirements of Sections 1114(b)(1)(A),(H), and (I), and 1115(c)(1)(A), P.L. 107-
110, NCLB, codified at 20 U.S.C. 6314(b).
Area 1: Reading
Table 8: Students Scoring at or above Achievement Level 3 on FCAT 2.0, or Scoring at or above
Level 4 on FAA (Florida Alternative Assessment)
Group 2013 Target % 2013 Actual % Target Met? 2014 Target %
African 43% 33% No 49% TBD

American
White 63% 55% No 66% TBD
Overarching goal
G1. To improve the percentage of African American students scoring at or above Achievement
Level 3 on the new state reading assessment.
Supporting goals to improve reading performance of African American students
G2. Decrease the percentage of students demonstrating early warning systems (School climate).
G3. Increase specific parent involvement in academic activities.
G4. Improve professional development program.
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G5. Improve upon collaboration efforts.
G6. Improve faculty knowledge of the utilization of data.
Action plan for Improvement
Problem Solving Key: G= Goal S=Strategy
Area 1: Reading
G1. To improve the percentage of African American students scoring at or above Achievement
Level 3.
on the new state reading assessment. (There will need to be a concordant score utilized to
correlate FCAT from the prior year and the new assessment).
G1.S1-Teachers will use culturally relevant pedagogy and content.
Targets Supported
 Learning Gains, CELLA, Postsecondary Readiness
Resources Available to Support the Goal

 Lesson plans
 Thinking Maps
 Mini Assessments
 Data chats
Plan to Monitor Progress toward the Goal

 Administrators will examine lesson plans, Fair testing, new standardized test (AIR).
Person or Persons Responsible for Monitoring

 Literacy Coach
 Reading teachers
 Administrators (Checking lesson plans
Target dates or schedule

70
 Every nine weeks
Evidence of completion
 Examine the lesson plans of reading teachers every nine weeks
Table 9: Early Warning Systems Middle School Indicators

2013 Actual 2013 2014
number Actual % Target%
Students who miss 10 percent or more of available 100 12% 5% TBD

instructional time
Students who fail an English Language Arts course 25 3% 1% TBD
Students who fail two or more courses in any 75 9% 4% TBD

subject
Students who receive two or more referrals 200 24% 10% TBD
Students who receive one or more behavior 50 6% 1%TBD

referrals that leads to suspension.
Students who failed a mathematics course 30 4% 1% TBD
G2. Decrease the percentage of students demonstrating early warning systems.
G2.S1 Implement Social Emotional Learning strategies with the current practices of
School Wide Positive Behavioral Supports.
Targets Supported
 Referrals, detentions, progress reports, report cards, attendance reports
Resources available to support the goal

 Mentoring and Instructional strategies that encourage Social Emotional Learning
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 Check to see if the number of referrals, detentions, failures, and absenteeism have
decreased at the conclusion of each nine week grading period.
Person or Persons Responsible for Monitoring

 Administration, data clerk, Family School Liaison
Target Dates or Schedule

 Ongoing
Evidence of Completion
 FCAT testing results
G3. Increase specific parental involvement in academic activities.
Area 9: Parent Involvement
Title I Schools may use the Parent involvement Plan to meet the requirements of Sections
1114(b)(1)(F) and 1115(c)(1)(G),P.L. 107-110, NCLB, codified at 20 U.S.C. 6314(b).
Parental Involvement targets for the school
The following are current practices that SMS uses, many of these are useful. The highlighted
portion of the current SIP states that a research-based approach will be implemented when
in fact a multitude of the research shows that parents need to be specifically involved in
academic pursuits.
Parent involvement Plan

Students with involved parents perform more successfully in academics.
Academic meetings/workshops will be provided for parents throughout the year to increase
parent involvement and student achievement. Research based approaches to parent
involvement that will be implemented may include the following.
 Open House
 School Advisory Council (SAC) meetings
 PTO meetings
 Title I Nights
 FCAT Night
 AVID Nights
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 Band Performances
 Acting Play
 F.A.M.E.
Method for Tracking Parent Involvement
 Sign in sheets for all parent involvement meetings are on file. Family School Liaison has
data portal to track parent contacts.
 Coordination with Title I and District Parent Involvement Council:
 School Family Liaison attends quarterly District Parent Involvement Council.
 School Family Liaison attends monthly Title I District meetings.
Table 10: Specific Parental Involvement Targets

Target 2013 Actual Number 2013 Actual % 2014 Target%
Open House 2 25% 30% TBD
SAC Meetings 6 10% 30% TBD
PTO meetings 6 10% 30% TBD
FCAT nights 2 30% 40% TBD
Avid Nights 1 10% 30%TBD
Band Performances 3 25% 30%TBD
G3.S1-Attempt to improve school climate as well as recruit tutors from parents by using
surveys.
G3.S2 Keep surveys short and efficient, hand them out before non-academic events, and collect
them before the event begins.
G3.S3 See if it is within the budget to mail items home instead of trusting students to deliver
flyers to their parents.
Targets Supported
 Attendance at various events, survey results
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Resources Available to support the goal-Open house, SAC meetings, PTO meetings, (AIR)
nights, Avid nights and Band Performances.

 Analyze data after each Open House, SAC Meeting, PTO meeting, (AIR) nights, Avid
Night, and Band Performances.
.
Person or persons Responsible for Monitoring

 Family School Liaison
 Data clerk
 Administration

 Ongoing
 Final numbers reported on sign in sheets, Surveys will be at the beginning, middle, and end
of the school year
G4. Improve Professional development program.
G4.S1. Five core components will be used when implementing professional development
activities. 1. Content focus. 2. Active learning. 3. Coherence. 4. Duration. 5. Collective
participation. “A Primer on Effective Professional Development.” (Desimone, 2011).
G4.S2- Ensure that each faculty member is scheduled for a minimum of 20 hours of professional
development per semester.
Targets supported
 Proper scheduling to ensure that required amount of attendance is possible.
Resources available to Support the Goal

 Professional Development meeting minutes
 Evidence of learning after completion of professional development
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Plan to Monitor Progress Toward the Goal
 Each professional development activity will be screened to see if it contains the 5
identified key components 1) Content focus 2) Active learning 3) Coherence 4) Duration
5) Collective participation
Person or Persons responsible for Monitoring

 Department Heads and Instructional Coaches

 Planning times need to be coordinated during pre planning. Professional development- A
minimum of 10 hours in the first semester and 10 hours during the second semester.
 Logs maintained to record actual number of hours of professional development have been
completed.
G5. Improve upon collaboration efforts.
G5.S1- Implement interdisciplinary professional learning communities.
G5.S2 Planning times should be based on “pods” in order to promote interdisciplinary teaming.
Math teachers could collaborate with Science teachers while Language Arts teachers
would collaborate with Social Studies teachers. Exceptional Student Education teachers
would collaborate with Reading teachers.
Target supported-
 One teacher for each core subject has a room in each pod.

 Lesson plans
 Meeting minutes
Plan to monitor progress

 Outcomes within curriculum design
Person or persons responsible for monitoring

 Designated leader within each professional learning community
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G6. Improve faculty knowledge of the utilization of data.
G6.S1- New training will be implemented to examine data. In addition to more training a five
step process will be used to examine data. 1). Review your school improvement plan. 2).
determine how the data will be used.3). Identify relevant data. 4). Examine and discuss the
data. 5). set goals and evaluate the data (Flowers, 2009).
Targets supported
 School improvement plan

 Standardized test results
 Report cards
 Fair testing
 Mini assessments
 FCAT Star
Plan to monitor progress toward the goal

 Real world data analyzing by faculty members to show mastery
Person or persons responsible for monitoring

 Literacy Coach
 Department heads
 Administration
Target dates or schedule

 Beginning of the school year
Evidence of completion
 Completion of data tracking logs
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CHAPTER 3
Goals of the Plan

This Dissertation in Practice was originally designed to focus on improving the
achievement gap that existed between African American students and their peers at Suburban
Middle School. It morphed into a School Improvement Plan that addresses components and
strategies that will benefit African American students and possibly others. In order to examine
the School Improvement Plan in more depth we must first discuss what the goals of the SIP were
and what the expectations and desired outcomes were.
While the main goal was to close the achievement gap between African American
students and their peers at Suburban Middle School there needed to be supporting goals or key
concepts that would also influence reading performance. Within this process one of the areas that
needed to be addressed was the need to improve school climate. The other critical concepts were
proper utilization of data, parental involvement, professional development, instructional
strategies, and collaboration. After completion of the school improvement plan it was realized
that that if the latter five concepts were addressed that should in turn help to improve or enhance
the school climate and the reading performance of African American students.
Target Audience
The target audience of the school improvement plan was all of the stakeholders that are
involved with Suburban Middle School. The stakeholders consisted of the administration, the
faculty, the students, the parents, and all of the support personnel that work at SMS. In addition
to the main stakeholders it is possible that this Dissertation in Practice may help other schools
that are located in Suburban County. Reading performance may often influence performance in
77
other subjects in school as well. Outsiders in addition to stakeholders were expected to benefit
from the model by being able to improve school climate, utilize data in a more effective manner,
improve community relations through more parent involvement, improve upon instructional
strategies, and by collaborating in a more efficient and beneficial manner. One interesting area
that was recognized in the 2013-2014 School Improvement Plan was that if some goals were not
met and the percentages fell short the answer seemed to be to further increase the desired
percentage in hopes of “doubling up and catching up.” An example of this was when the 2013
targeted percentage for African American students to score at or above achievement level 3 on
the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) was 43%. The actual percentage of this
particular subgroup achieving this level or above was 33%. The 2014 Target percentage of
African American students achieving level 3 on the FCAT was then set at 49%. It was a little bit
baffling to expect a 16% increase after the initial goal of 43% was not met in the first place. In
the newly proposed SIP the desired increase of students performing at or above achievement
level 3 on the new state reading assessment has been addressed as to be determined (TBD). This
was done because all schools are different and the setting of goals will depend on the desired
outcomes of that particular school. Some educational researchers feel that educators need to
experience some success initially and then build upon that. The percentages of these goals were
determined in an effort to have realistic expectations of success. One of the most important
factors is that change is actually occurring throughout the school.
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Anticipated Changes
The anticipated changes in reading performance were attributed to teachers utilizing
culturally relevant pedagogy practices as well as using culturally diverse lesson plans. This was
done in an effort to increase student engagement. The desired changes in performance were that
students may have more of a desire to learn if they could relate to some of the content that is
presented in reading instruction. The only performance goal was the desire to increase reading
performance among African American students at SMS. Students were also expected to learn
more about self-control through obtaining more coping skills by using social emotional learning.
Outside of the performance goal there were five other goals that were expected to
improve school climate and reading achievement. One example of a learning experience is that
faculty members were expected to participate in professional development activities. Although it
is difficult to quantify learning gains, the quality of professional development programs is
expected to improve. There are also anticipated changes in the learning experiences of the
parents. This will occur with greater parental involvement. In the parental involvement sections
of this Dissertation in Practice it was mentioned that parents need to participate in more
academic endeavors throughout the school.
The actual organizational structure itself was not expected to change but there were
anticipated changes in the overall school climate. School climate was expected to change through
the use of discipline measures teaching skills instead of strictly being punitive. One of the main
concerns is that disciplinary issues take away from valuable instructional time that can be used to
attempt to close the existing achievement gap. School culture and climate are believed to be
major contributor to the performance of the individual. As previously mentioned, academic or

79
school climate is different than a student’s individual characteristics but it can still have a
positive influence on outcomes and student achievement (Mickelson & Greene, 2006). In order
to influence student achievement, the faculty members at SMS needed to acquire new knowledge
and skills.
Knowledge and Skills Acquired

The new knowledge that faculty members gained was in relation to enhancing the reading
performance of African American students, early warning systems that middle school students
demonstrate, parental involvement, and key aspects of a quality professional development
program. The steps that were needed to accomplish improving the reading performance of
African American students was really dependent upon all of the six different areas that were
addressed early in the Dissertation in Practice. These areas were school climate, utilization of
data, parental involvement, professional development, instructional strategies, and collaboration.
One of the main knowledge components or skills that were developed was the
implementation and utilization of social emotional learning. Many of the faculty members may
not be familiar with this concept. Traditionally many schools have focused more on the punitive
side of discipline instead of empowering students to improve their behavior through making
good choices. School climate can realistically be improved by all five of the other components of
the proposed school improvement plan. The utilization of data is to ensure that faculty members
are made aware of students that either need the most assistance or are possibly being underserved
at Suburban Middle School. Parental involvement is included not only to keep parents informed
but also to improve the academic performance of their children. Professional development
influences the school climate by enabling the faculty members to understand culture differences
80
and provides them with the ability to make connections with the African American student
population. Instructional strategies consist of culturally relevant pedagogy and strategies that will
engage students thus avoiding disciplinary issues and improving the overall school climate at
SMS. Collaboration was implemented as interdisciplinary teams in order to increase overall
knowledge, skills, and the practice of all faculty members. If teachers are not familiar with the
practices of others it becomes extremely difficult to have a shared mission or vision for the
school.
The knowledge and skills acquired concerning the utilization of data was twofold. The
first aspect was that faculty members as well as administration need to be aware of the
importance of breaking down the data by using disaggregated data. The second important
concept was to utilize the five step process of properly using the data. This process consisted of
1) Reviewing the school improvement plan. 2) Determining how the data will be used. 3)
Identifying relevant data. 4) Examining and discussing the data. 5) Setting goals and evaluating
the progress. In addition to breaking down data and using a specific process, faculty members
should also be able to prioritize goals and be used as a resource that all members of the team
have access to on a regular basis.
The main importance of increasing parental involvement at Suburban Middle School was
to improve the academic performance of African American students in reading. This was
expected to be accomplished by having attitudes and expectations of parents influence the
academic achievement of their children. Researchers have found that the gains pertaining to
81
academic achievement increase when parents are participating in specific academic activities
instead of extracurricular ones.
The knowledge that was gained through implementing new instructional strategies was
the importance of culturally relevant pedagogy. Faculty members were made aware of three
areas that need to be addressed when trying to engage African American students in reading
education. The three areas are relating the methods to home and community patterns that the
students are accustomed to, having the curriculum represent the culture and background that
African American students live in, and intertwining the cultural patterns of the student’s lives
with the material.
Collaboration is a broad concept but there were still some identified areas of knowledge
of which faculty members needed to be made aware. In order for the curriculum to be
successfully implemented by the team at SMS the integration of interdisciplinary strategies needs
to happen on a regular basis instead of simply being an afterthought. An additional desired
outcome was that teachers would know what to focus on during the meeting of professional
learning communities. Far too often professional learning communities meet and the ensuing
discussion consists of irrelevant topics. According to (Hord, 2009), when professional learning
communities come together they need to focus on four different specific areas. These areas are 1)
A focus on student learning. 2) Shared values and goals. 3) Supportive working conditions and
4) Collaboration among teachers and administrators.
Changes in Attitude
Expected changes in attitude were not only directed towards African American students.
There were also expected changes in how the faculty members would view future school
82
improvement plans. Previous school improvement plans were often convoluted documents that
were difficult to understand. These documents were often more than eighty pages in length and it
felt like a chore to read them. With the advent of shorter and more precise school improvement
plans, hopefully the faculty and staff members at SMS will realize that SIPs can actually serve as
important tools for middle school reform. Professional learning communities should actually be
examining the school improvement plan to know what expectations and goals exist within the
school. It is the job of the administration to effectively communicate these visions and goals to
the teachers in order to achieve specified goals. Changes in attitude in relation to African
American students consisted of wanting to inform teachers that if they have negative perceptions
towards students the chances of academic failure increase. This can be evidenced by some
beliefs of researchers that were stated earlier in this Dissertation in Practice. If there are teachers
that feel a student is not performing well due to atypical codes of speech or behaviors or feels
that an African American student is of lower than average intelligence then the chances of
academic failure increase (Marks, 2005).
Steps, Measurement Tools, Procedures, and Activities

The overarching goal was to improve the reading performance of African American
students. When examining the research six critical areas were identified. It later became apparent
that all of the individual areas could be implemented in hopes of improving school climate. It
also became apparent that some school improvement plans are written in very vague terms. The
proposed new school improvement plan is sometimes lacking measurement tools due to the fact
that all schools are different. That is why TBD (To be determined) is included in the charts. All
83
existing data from the time of attempting to implement a new school improvement plan will vary
from school to school. Procedures and activities were taken directly from supporting research in
an effort to ensure accountability and to have a focused approach in regards to improving
academic performance. Examples of these procedures are the identification of five steps to utilize
while analyzing data as well as five critical components that every professional development
program should contain. The duration of adequate professional development training was also
included. The effectiveness of lesson plans designed to increase the reading performance of
African American students can be determined whether or not culturally relevant lessons and
culturally relevant pedagogy are being implemented or not. The measures for parental
involvement are whether or not parents are starting to be included in academic activities instead
of volunteering in a multitude of other activities.
The measure for the utilization of data is whether or not faculty members are able to
demonstrate proficiency when examining real world data in an effort to improve academic
achievement. Finally, the measure of collaboration is whether or not interdisciplinary teaming is
being used to shape and guide the curriculum.
Tangible Results
Tangible results would be an improvement in school climate based upon survey results,
not only the recognition of the importance of data but also the utilization of it in a beneficial
manner. Keeping parents informed and being in the know by increasing the levels of parental
involvement would hopefully result in improved performance and grades throughout the school
year. Overall school reform was also an expectation through improving the school climate.
Lower incidences of detentions and referrals were a result of teachers and administrators using
84
social and emotional learning in conjunction with school wide positive behavior supports.
Student engagement was another tangible result once lessons were tailored to attract and hold the
interest of African American students. A final tangible result was a better informed and trained
faculty that hopefully had an increase in efficacy when it came to improving the performance of
African American students in reading. This could be determined by whether or not the five
different aspects of professional development had been implemented on a consistent basis.
Model Modification
One particular area that would need to be modified is the target percentages for African
American students that are scoring at or above achievement level 3 on the Florida state reading
assessment. Realistically all six of the goals could be modified in the school improvement plan.
Target percentages could be set for early warning systems, parental involvement, increasing
specific parental involvement, and hours spent in professional development based on the needs
of the school from year to year. School Improvement Plans can consist of many different factors;
there are an unlimited number of modifications that could be made to the SIP. The plan to
modify any area would be to analyze data from the previous year as well as the previous school
improvement plan. Examples of data that could be analyzed were included in the DiP earlier.
Standardized testing, FAIR results, surveys, mini assessments, portfolios, projects, and a
multitude of other items could be analyzed in order to determine what changes in goals and or a
school improvement plan need to occur. The group or subgroup of students that is targeted for
improvement could also change from year to year depending on performance. If the desired
outcomes are not being experienced then the manner in which groups collaborate could be
changed. Collaboration could occur as interdisciplinary teams or could be done based on subject
85
or grade level. Additional needs assessment surveys could also be administered to determine
which areas need to be addressed. There are so many different areas that may have an effect on
school improvement and reading performance that additional research could be conducted to
determine other components or strategies that could be utilized to make changes for the
following year.
Anticipated Impact
The anticipated impact was to improve the reading performance of African American
students at Suburban Middle School. The strategies that were examined and changed in order to
make an impact were the six identified strategies in the proposed school improvement plan.
Those six areas consisted of school climate, utilization of data, parental involvement,
professional development, instructional strategies, and collaboration. School climate was
expected to improve due to many different factors but one of the key components was the
addition of social emotional learning to the current practices of school wide positive behavioral
supports. The reading performance of African American student was supposed to be impacted by
the utilization of data ensuring that all faculty members became proficient in analyzing data by
using a research based approach. The anticipated impact on parental involvement was not only to
increase the amount of parents that are involved in school activities but to increase the number of
academic activities that they are involved in. Ultimately changes in professional development
were that teachers were expected to learn more during these training sessions. In the past,
professional development has consisted of simply attending an event with no follow up
afterwards. Often the teacher is only responsible for completing a survey that rates the quality of
the professional development. There is usually no follow up to determine if the strategy, skill, or
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concepts have actually been mastered by the participant. By ensuring that attendees to
professional development sessions are actively involved, that training is coherent, and that the
proper duration of training is received the anticipated changes are better trained and prepared
faculty members. Anticipated changes springing from culturally relevant pedagogy strategies are
simply better relationships between the African American students as well as the faculty and
staff members at Suburban Middle School. When students feel that their cultural differences are
being ignored or not given importance, they may become disengaged and disenchanted with the
academic programs at SMS. By using culturally relevant pedagogy and lesson plans, an
anticipated change is that African American students will feel that the teachers are more
committed to their success and increasing the level of their reading achievement. Anticipated
changes concerning collaboration are that it will be easier for a team to identify possible
deficiencies and set goals than it would be for an individual. If there is not collaboration
occurring throughout the school teaching can be a very isolating experience. All faculty members
bring different strengths and weaknesses to the table. It is important to have multiple people
analyze data and discuss their practice in order to be successful as a school. Another important
factor is that many of the new faculty members can reap benefits from collaborating with more
experienced faculty members concerning teaching practices.
Supporting Research
The supporting research identified six different aspects or components that have an
impact on the reading performance of African American students. These six factors are school
climate, utilization of data, parental involvement, professional development, instructional
strategies, and collaboration.

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While school climate was expected to improve due to the other five strategies, one
important part that was expected to improve school climate was social emotional learning. Some
people have estimated that there are over 200 types of classroom based social emotional learning
programs in the United States (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning,
2003). In addition to this in 2001 a resolution supporting the teaching of social emotional skills
in schools was passed at the National Conference of State Legislators (Hoffman, 2009).
Following that resolution Illinois became the first state to actually have specific social emotional
learning standards for k-12 students in 2004 (Hoffman, 2009). There may be many educators that
have not even heard of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) but that could be quickly changing.
Social Emotional Learning has started to be taught in various in service programs as well as
teacher preparation programs. An organization named the American Association of Colleges of
Teacher Education (AACTE) developed a program involving ethical and moral issues that
teachers face, included in this program was a section on SEL (Imig, 2007).One existing problem
is there are many different definitions or explanations of what social emotional learning actually
consists of. Some believe that it is simply a prevention program that includes information from
juvenile justice, mental health, and public health agencies. While others claim that SEL includes
emotional awareness, handling difficult interpersonal situations effectively, establishing positive
social relationships, and making responsible decisions (Hoffman, 2009). The latter seems to be a
tailor made approach that would benefit the students in addition to improving the school climate
at Suburban Middle School. No doubt some educators will view SEL as another task or burden
added to an already existing laundry list of things to do on a daily basis. Perhaps some of the new
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research concerning SEL would help to change their minds. There is starting to be an increased
number of research articles that explain positive outcomes related to the implementation of social
emotional learning programs. More specifically, there have been links shown between the use of
SEL programs and improved feelings of competency among teachers, increases in student
academic achievement, and improved student behavior with a reduction of referrals (Brown,
Roderick, Lantieri & Aber, 2004; Cherniss et. al., 2006; Cohen, 2001; Elias & Arnold, 2006;
Greenberg, Kusche & Riggs, 2004; Rimm-Kaufmann & Sawyer, 2004; Schaps, Battistitch &
Solomon, 2004; Solomon, Battistich,Watson, Schaps & Lewis, 2000; Zins, Bloodsworth,
Weissberg & Walberg, 2004).
The overarching goal of this Dissertation in Practice was to improve the reading
performance of African American students. Jackson and Davis (2000) recommend using ongoing
assessments as well as data to improve classroom practice that will later help to increase
learning. This concept states the importance of the proper utilization of data in a very basic
manner. While this may be a well-known concept, there is still one existing problem. The
problem is that not many people are paying attention to teachers actually learning how to use the
data in order to improve learning. Often teachers that have not been supported, trained, or
prepared to analyze the data to the instructional strategies may become resistant to examining
data (Trimble, Gay & Matthews, 2005). That is why the proposed new school improvement plan
included steps to follow when collecting data as well as the need to provide additional training
with faculty members actually working problems that involve data analysis. In a recent study,
sixteen principals were interviewed in order to determine what kind of data they gathered as well
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as what they used the data for. The majority of the principals answered that data was used
primarily for accountability. One existing problem is that only about half of them answered that
they used data for the sake of school improvement (Shen, Cooley, Reeves, Burt, Ryan, Rainey &
Yuan, 2010). In addition to school improvement there is another area that is often being
overlooked at the same time. The researchers determined that the utilization of data was often
focused on tracking and outcomes instead of attempting to influence the learning process (Shen
et. al, 2010). While there are some negatives or possible corrections needed in the utilization of
data there are still many positive outcomes. For instance, federal, state, and even local systems
understand the importance of not only collecting but using data to improve learning and
instructional practices in conjunction with final outcomes such as standardized testing (Shen et.
al, 2010). According to Salpeter (2004), student achievement data is just one of the many
different kinds of data that can be collected in hopes of making improvements or changes. This is
confirmed by Bernhardt (2003, 2004, 2005). She claims that in fact four different types of data
need to be collected. These types of data are 1). Perception data, this actually describes what
people think about the learning environment. 2). Student learning data, this pertains to student
performance. 3). School process data which defines what the school is actually doing and what
the results are. 4). The final and fourth type of data that should be collected is demographic data
that attempts to provide educators with background information on the school itself, staff
members, and students (Bernhardt, 2003, 2004, 2005). When reviewing these four different types
of data it was discovered that this Dissertation in Practice has addressed all four of these areas.
Perception data was addressed when conversations occurred between reading teachers and the
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literacy coach. Student performance was the overarching goal and current data was examined to
determine the achievement gap between African American students and their peers. School
processes were identified and examined within the previous five years of school improvement
plans at Suburban Middle School. The demographic data was also examined in chapter 1 of the
DiP.
Parental involvement is a very complex matter when it pertains to student achievement or
the lack thereof. Parental involvement and the collaboration between schools and the parents of
students have been deemed important because society has begun to recognize that students
cannot be educated by schools alone (Epstein & Sheldon, 2006; Machen, Wilson & Notar, 2005).
An existing problem is that some African American parents may be critical of the different
agendas of schools because of bad prior experiences (Williams & Baber, 2007). Teachers may
respond to this criticism with distrust or apathy when they feel that the parents of their students
are not willing to support their goals and plans for success (Archer-Banks & Behar-Horenstein,
2008). Prior research has also shown that the working class and poor African American parents
are more likely to criticize schools than affluent or middle class African American families
(Diamond & Gomez, 2004). On the positive side, parents of African American students that are
high achievers are able to use various strategies to ensure that this success continues. Among
these strategies are close monitoring of homework, additional academic work, and tutoring
(Gutman & McLoyd, 2000). This refers back to a relevant point in the DiP when it was
determined that parents need to be involved in more academic activities instead of simply
attending extracurricular activities (Clark, 1983; Epstein, 1995; Lareau;1987). One interesting
91
factor is that social class appears to play a major part in levels of parental involvement with
schools. Some researchers believe that working class and middle class African Americans deal
differently with environments within schools (Diamond & Gomez, 2004). Also according to
Diamond and Gomez (2004) working class and middle class African American families are often
responsible for customizing the experiences of their children’s school experiences. A better way
of saying this is that middle class parents often appear to be more involved in the course
selection and the actual selection of the school than working class parents. Working class parents
are less willing to intervene on the behalf of their children and are more confrontational than
middle class parents (Diamond, 2000; Lareau & Horvat, 1999).
Professional development has changed substantially over the last fifteen years or so.
There has been a different way of thinking concerning the development and delivery of
professional development in education in the United States (Cobb, 2005). Schools have been
asked to start looking at professional from different viewpoints such as using a systems
perspective even before No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Cobb, 2005), Systems approaches or
thinking enabled teachers to see patterns in education instead of just single events that occurred
(Senge, 1990). The advent of this way of thinking may have contributed to schools thinking in a
more advanced fashion instead of just concentrating on single professional development events.
This in turn resulted in professional development programs that would actually help to improve
teacher learning and student achievement at the same time (Cobb, 2005). Possibly the best way
to evaluate the effectiveness of professional development programs is to gauge how well the
program increases the effectiveness of teachers as well as the student achievement outcomes
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(Cobb, 2005). Another important factor in relation to determining the effectiveness of
professional development programs is that schools need to evaluate the program at three
different times. The programs need to be evaluated during planning stages, formatively, and
finally summatively to study student achievement and teacher growth (Killion, 2002). One major
problem is that this does not always occur. While many teachers participate in what is referred to
as professional development, schools need to question the quality and value of many professional
development programs. Many forms of professional development do not guarantee success, high
quality delivery, or positive effects on teaching and learning (Hill, 2009). Some research has
claimed that professional development can actually do harm instead of increase proficiency. In
the past many district employees have expressed their disapproval of advice and strategies that
are presented during professional development. At times training has been inconsistent with
curricular and instructional approaches that were approved by the district (Hill, 2009). The
ambiguous nature of professional development programs makes even more of a case to ensure
that each program contains the five important areas that were mentioned earlier in this
Dissertation in Practice. According to Desimone (2011) successful professional development
programs need to contain the following 5 elements. 1). Content focus- meaning focused on
subject matter and how students learn the content. 2). Active learning- activities such as
observing and receiving feedback, analyzing student work, or making presentations. 3).
Coherence or consistent with knowledge, beliefs, and with school, district, and state reform
policies. 4). Duration- At least 20 or more hours of contact time. 5.) Collective participation-
Same grade, subject, or school.
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When attempting to increase the reading performance of African American students one
critical component is culturally relevant pedagogy. With the current number of immigrants
moving to the United States daily in addition to the number of U.S. born ethnic minorities
educators need to be ready to make adjustments (Banks, 2001). Researchers have predicted that
by the year 2020 nearly half of the school population will be non- Caucasian students (Bureau of
Census, 2000). By the year 2050 it has been predicted that close to 57% of students in the U.S.
will consist of Asian American, Latino, and African American students (U.S. Department of
Commerce, 1996). One of the main reasons that teachers need to develop cultural understanding
in addition to culturally relevant pedagogy is the fact that culture can easily be misunderstood.
One researcher says, “Culture is complex, multidimensional, continually changing, and
influenced by a wide variety of factors; this reality should encourage education professionals to
develop positive caring relationships among minority students and their teachers and strive for
cohesion, motivation, and achievement in schools” (Gay, 2000, p.47). Gay (2000) also provides
an in depth explanation of what culturally relevant pedagogy entails and consists of. He says that
culturally relevant pedagogy uses performance styles, frames of reference, prior experiences, and
cultural knowledge to make learning more relevant and effective for students that are minorities.
One of the main focuses of using culturally relevant pedagogy is to teach and increase the
academic performance of culturally diverse students (Howard, 2003). With the overarching goal
and the main focus of this Dissertation in Practice being increasing the reading achievement of
African American students culturally relevant pedagogy is an important factor to consider when
developing a new school improvement plan.
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Attempting to improve a school without collaborating would be nearly impossible. The
forming of professional learning communities is a very common practice among educators. The
more challenging part is deciding which aspects of the PLC are the most important and what will
help the community perform in the most effective manner. Simply meeting without common
goals and shared visions might not be beneficial at all. There appears to be an increased number
of schools that are using professional learning communities in hopes of making sustainable
changes (Teague & Anfara, 2012). It is quite possible that the work of teachers in professional
learning communities may increase the skills of all involved which will result in being able to
assist students to improve academically (Bezzina, 2008). Professional learning communities need
to meet on a regular basis and there needs to be guidelines in order to be successful. One
important factor is that developing and sustaining PLCs requires leadership and direction
(Teague et. al, 2012). A better way of stating this is,
As visionary leaders, administrators can incorporate the professional learning community
model in their schools to increase understanding and communication, improve problem-
solving capacities and develop an organized change process for collectively building
“community” in the organizational structure of the school. (Huffmann & Jacobson, 2003,
p.248)
The previous quote demonstrates that collaboration in schools is needed by all members of the
faculty and the administration. Judith Little (2006) has studied the commonalities between
school improvement and relationships among teachers. This was done in an effort to understand
important foundations of professional learning communities. She found that professional
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learning programs that are continuous and make an impact contain the following elements or
principles. 1). Teachers teach others the practice of teaching. 2). Faculty members design, plan,
research, evaluate, and prepare materials together. 3). Observations and useful critiques are
implemented, meetings are frequent, continuous, and talk about teacher practices are concrete
(Little, 1982, 2006). Additionally (Wenger, 2000) provides an additional insight into PLCs by
saying that, “leading knowledge organizations are increasingly likely to view communities of
practice not merely as useful auxiliary structures but as foundational structures on which to build
organizations” (Wenger, 2002, p. 21). The aforementioned quote is evidence that professional
learning communities are starting to be held responsible for making contributions to revamping
organizations and improving schools.
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CHAPTER 4
The first course in the doctoral program consisted of analyzing data and understanding
standard based reforms as well as a general history of education in the United States. Studying
the trends and current issues in education was beneficial in understanding how and why there is
such an emphasis on accountability in education. The racial achievement gap was examined and
later became the major focus for this Dissertation in Practice. A large portion of the class
consisted of analyzing data that related to adequate yearly progress (AYP) in a K-12 setting. This
was a great foundation in starting to understand the importance of analyzing data in an effort to
later implement effective practices to increase student achievement.
The second course dealt with facilitating, learning, development, and motivation. This
class served as an introduction to the gap analysis process. This Dissertation in Practice (DiP)
actually has sections about each one of the topics that the name of the course lists. One important
factor of the gap analysis was being able to understand performance goals as well as evaluation
plans. In addition to those two important topics were goals, measures, standards, and existing
gaps within the organization. Global goals, intermediate goals, intermediate goals, and solutions
were also an integral part of the gap analysis process. The gap analysis for this course dealt with
the achievement gap between African American students and their peers. There was a large part
of the gap analysis that consisted of assessing learning and achievement. Since the DiP addresses
student achievement, this was yet another building block to gaining knowledge that would be
needed at a later date. In addition to learning and achievement, context and culture were
addressed in the gap analysis in order to determine if there was a conflict in the activity setting
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between background values, expectations, and beliefs. This was an interesting area to study,
particularly as it relates to African American students. This course was also laying the
groundwork for the Dissertation in Practice. In addition to the gap analysis a couple of
assignments consisted of reviewing a peer reviewed empirical article on a work based problem.
One of the articles was about persistence in the face of academic challenge for
socioeconomically disadvantaged children. This article was chosen before I started to work at my
current place of employment. It was interesting that this was the chosen topic before working at a
Title I school. The second article that was reviewed dealt with comprehensive school reform, a
major topic that was also addressed in the Dissertation in Practice.
The Organizational theory course was an important piece in order to understand a variety
of different organizational structures. At my former school I was working in an environment that
utilized vertical coordination. The principal had implemented a structure in which he controlled
subordinates through his unquestioned authority along with specified rules and policies. At my
current school I am working for his wife who operates under a completely different leadership
style. At my current place of employment, collaboration is much more appreciated. I tend to
think of the human resource frame when I think of my new principal. She seems to believe in
investing time and training into her faculty members in hopes of developing quality educators
and staff members. Organizational theory concepts have helped me to determine what practices
provide the best results for student achievement. Organizational context was a section in the
Dissertation in Practice and it was interesting to learn more about the organization that I have
now been at for two years.
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Identifying complex problems of practice focused on understanding the importance of
conducting interviews, use sampling procedures, developing appropriate evaluation questions,
and avoiding bias when attempting to gather relevant data to perform research. Not only were
these a necessity to participate and finish the doctoral program all of those elements are
applicable to school improvement efforts. One other important area was that we were required to
make a mock Institutional Review Board (IRB) submission. Some of the students knew exactly
what direction they were headed in and actually submitted the information that they would use
for the DiP. This was not the case for me but I did learn and realize all of the expectations that
the IRB had for submitting information and how much of a tedious process it can be at times.
Analysis of data for complex problems of practice was a very informative course that
focused on research practices. This was an introduction to the Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences (SPSS). We used SPSS to develop data bases, conduct independent samples t-tests,
dependent t-tests, and mixed methods research. Deficiencies in research were analyzed as well as
validity and reliability. While my DiP did not end up containing traditional research methods it
was still very beneficial when conducting a review of the literature and analyzing research
methods of various studies. It served as very beneficial classes to people like me who are new to
the research process. It enabled me to develop hypotheses and differentiate between the various
kinds. I became a better practitioner when I learned about descriptive statistics, standard
deviations, various methodologies of research, purposes of research, and qualitative and
quantitative research.
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Leadership in a learning organization enabled me to better understand what the
administration and district employees need to be concerned about on a daily basis. It provided us
with a historical view of leadership as well as a modern day analysis of it. Challenges for leaders
and capacity building were examined in great detail. My DiP contains a section on capacity
building through the use of professional learning communities. Social aspect was another
element that was examined. This is a relevant topic due to the fact that attempting to close the
achievement gap between African American students and their peers can be considered a matter
of social justice. Three article critiques were assigned and this was another chance to become
proficient in analyzing research methods but this time it was from a leadership perspective. One
of my article critiques contained aspects relating to school culture, collaboration, diversity, and
equity which are also key factors involved in my Dissertation in Practice. Two other article
critiques discussed authentic leadership and trust between administrators and teachers and
leadership for learning, two more relevant topics.
It was a surprise when I took classes at the 6000 level for my specialization. Two out of
the four courses were more difficult than some of my doctoral level courses. My specialization
courses consisted of exceptional student education (ESE) courses. I attribute the difficulty of the
courses to the fact that the majority of the work was application. My undergraduate and my
master’s degree were both in Sports and Fitness. Even though I have currently been working as
an ESE teacher for three and one half years these classes exposed me to topics that I do not
encounter very much. The overwhelming majority of my students are Specific Learning Disabled
(SLD). My two most difficult ESE classes dealt with grant writing and writing curriculum based
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assessment probes for Math, Reading, and Writing. Probably the most difficult course I took was
titled Assessment, Diagnosis, and Curriculum Prescriptions for Students with Moderate and
Severe Disabilities. The class consisted of conducting social and emotional assessments,
assessing students with autism, and screening processes for assessment, diagnosis, and
classification and placement. These concepts were very foreign to me and my initial work and
assignments were probably evidence of this. Ultimately I succeeded and learned a great deal.
While these courses may not have helped me directly with writing my Dissertation in Practice
the work ethic that was developed in completing these courses helped me to continue on and not
give up on the arduous process of writing a DiP.
The final experience that shaped me as a practitioner and a teacher has been the actual
writing of the Dissertation in Practice. I feel that it has unconsciously taught me how to think
about a large scale problem and break it down into smaller sections. My initial thoughts or
research may not be fluid the first time but narrowing down, revising, and rethinking things with
the guidance of Dr. Hopp has been a great experience. From what I understand, the process for
writing dissertations is usually a very isolating experience. I know that our program has made
great changes in this respect. For that I am thankful, I can’t imagine being successful without the
support I have received. The program has been challenging and consisted of a lot of hard work. It
should be difficult to earn one of the highest degrees at the university. Moving forward I feel that
the persistence and the knowledge that I have gained as a doctoral student is hard to quantify. I
expect it to serve me well in any future jobs that I have in education.
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Implications of the Plan
The implications for the proposed school improvement plan are that even though the
design was developed for a Suburban Middle School it could probably be used in an urban
environment as well. School climate, utilization of data, parental involvement, professional
development, instructional strategies, and collaboration are elements that can be implemented
into any school improvement plan. The categories or strategies of the plan could also be used to
address any topic related to student achievement. After the completion of this Dissertation in
Practice, I am required to submit the finished product to Suburban County. I am hoping that
some of the people in the district will actually read it instead of simply filing it away somewhere.
As stated earlier in the DiP, one of the problems that researchers are facing is that there is
isolation between experts that are working on school improvement plans versus those that are
dealing with the underachievement of minorities (Gallimore & Goldberg, 2001). It would be
beneficial for the county as well as all of the stakeholders at SMS to try to learn more about
school improvement plans and how they could guide school climate, the utilization of data,
parental involvement, professional development, instructional strategies, and collaboration. By
improving upon all of these areas, the desired outcomes are an improvement in overall school
climate and the reading performance of African American students. The reading achievement
gap between African American students and their peers has been a problem that has existed in
the United States for a long period of time. While many research articles and studies address this
issue it seems that often times this problem may be acknowledged but not directly addressed. We
know there is a problem, we acknowledge the problem, but strategies to fix this problem are not
implemented or understood. Implications are that by improving the six elements that were
102
discussed throughout the DiP, we will hopefully improve things for all student involved not just
African American students. It is possible that many parents currently understand the importance
of parental involvement. What they may not know is that it should be involvement in specific
academic activities. While volunteering for working at the concession stands for a basketball
game is a nice gesture, it will probably not improve academic achievement. I would also like for
this Dissertation in Practice to guide some training throughout the county. Parental involvement
is an area that can be addressed in a relatively short amount of time. I would like to have the
county provide training to faculty members that addresses school climate and how to improve it,
the utilization of data, professional development that consists of active participation,
instructional strategies that contain culturally relevant lessons, and better ways to collaborate to
increase academic achievement. Culturally relevant lessons may be the only area that pertains
directly to African American students. I believe that improvement in all of the other areas would
improve the experiences of all students. These are the plans for the implications of the entire
county. Implications for Suburban Middle School are specifically to close the achievement gap
in reading between African American students that currently exists within their own school. This
can be done by examining current practices and how they relate to the African American student
population. Guiding questions would be 1). How do we improve school climate in hopes of
increasing the reading achievement of African American students? 2). How can we utilize our
existing data to increase the reading achievement of African American students? 3). How do we
reduce the number of African American students that are demonstrating early warning signs?
4).How do we increase parental involvement to increase the reading achievement of African
103
American students? 5).What specific instructional strategies will increase the reading
achievement of African American students? 6). How do we collaborate in a more effective
manner to increase the reading performance of African American students?
Recommendations for Further Research

Recommendations for further research include conducting more studies concerning
perceptions and attitudes of teachers towards African American students. One problem with this
is that it may be difficult to get participants to respond in an honest manner. In addition to
perceptions it would be interesting to see the current levels of existing knowledge concerning
what strategies can be used to increase the reading performance of African American students. It
is very difficult to address gaps in knowledge if there is no baseline information. An additional
area for further research might be to determine if there is a correlation between improving
overall school climate and the reading achievement of African American students. Studying the
effects of collaboration efforts on various kinds of professional learning communities might also
be helpful. As educators, we need to experiment with different strategies and communicate what
appears to be effective and what is not. In the previous SIP for Suburban Middle School and the
proposed new one there have been early warning signs that have been listed to identify students
that are at risk of failure. Those identifiers were 1). Students that miss more than 10% or more of
instructional time. 2). Students that fail an English Language Arts course. 3). Students that fail
two or more courses in any subject. 4). Students that receive two or more referrals. 5). Students
that receive one or more behavior referrals that lead to a suspension. 6). Students that have failed
a mathematics course. Future research concerning these identifiers and how successful they are
at predicting the future academic success of African American students would also be a relevant
104
topic. Additional research could also examine the rates of suspension or expulsion of African
American students compared to their peers. The end result is inevitably missed instructional time
which would inhibit the performance of any student.
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APPENDIX: IRB PAPERWORK
106
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CLOSING THE READING ACHIEVEMENT GAP BETWEEN AFRICAN AMERICAN

STUDENTS AND THEIR PEERS AT A SUBURBAN MIDDLE SCHOOL: THE IMPACT OF

A dissertation in practice submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements

Major Advisor: Carolyn Walker Hopp

focused on improving reading performance of African American students at Suburban Middle

that also had an influence on student achievement levels.

address the reading performance of African American students.

LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... viii

LIST OF ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................. x

Problem of Practice ..................................................................................................................... 1

Organizational Context ............................................................................................................... 3

History and conceptualization (Local and National) .................................................................. 4

School Perception of the Problem............................................................................................. 16

A Nationwide Problem ............................................................................................................. 20

Factors that Impact the Problem ............................................................................................... 21

Cultural Settings and Cultural Models ...................................................................................... 26

The Model ................................................................................................................................. 27

Culturally Relevant Lessons ..................................................................................................... 28

Strong Leadership ..................................................................................................................... 29

Middle School Reform .............................................................................................................. 31

Commonalities of successful middle schools ........................................................................... 31

School Climate: School Mission ............................................................................................... 34

Academic Climate ..................................................................................................................... 37

Non-School factors ................................................................................................................... 38

Perceptions and Experience ...................................................................................................... 39

Application of Critical Components ......................................................................................... 40

School Climate .......................................................................................................................... 41

Utilization of Data to Improve Schools .................................................................................... 43

Parental Involvement ................................................................................................................ 46

Professional Development ........................................................................................................ 49

Professional Development Goals .............................................................................................. 49

New Culture .............................................................................................................................. 53

Adequate Time .......................................................................................................................... 54

Mediated Learning .................................................................................................................... 56

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy .................................................................................................. 58

Supportive Conditions .............................................................................................................. 63

Capacity Building ..................................................................................................................... 63

Effective Leadership ................................................................................................................. 64

The Design ................................................................................................................................ 66

Proposed New School Improvement Plan ................................................................................ 69

Goals of the Plan ....................................................................................................................... 77

Target Audience ........................................................................................................................ 77

Anticipated Changes ................................................................................................................. 79

Knowledge and Skills Acquired ............................................................................................... 80

Steps, Measurement Tools, Procedures, and Activities ............................................................ 83

Model Modification .................................................................................................................. 85

Anticipated Impact .................................................................................................................... 86

Supporting Research ................................................................................................................. 87

Recommendations for Further Research ................................................................................. 104

APPENDIX: IRB PAPERWORK .............................................................................................. 106

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 108

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in Reading (2011). ). The differences in achievement in

Table 6: Examples of School Data and Areas of Applicability .................................................... 44

Reading Proficiencies of African American Students at SMS. .................................................... 67

Level 4 on FAA (Florida Alternative Assessment) ...................................................................... 69

Table 10: Specific Parental Involvement Targets ......................................................................... 73

AYP- Adequate Yearly Progress

DiP- Dissertation in Practice

ESE- Exceptional Student Education.

FAA-Florida Alternate Assessment