Professional learning for secondary teachers of English learners in an urban school district: examining systems of support

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayley Weddle ◽  
Mariko Yoshisato ◽  
Megan Hopkins
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
Secondary Teachers ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
English Learners ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
Urban School ◽  
Urban School District ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Systems Of Support

PurposeAlthough schools across the United States are becoming increasingly linguistically and culturally diverse, many teachers remain underprepared to work with students classified as English learners (ELs), especially at the secondary level. Acknowledging the importance of developing systems of support for teachers of ELs, this paper examines the district- and school-level factors shaping secondary teachers' access to EL-focused professional learning in one large urban school district.Design/methodology/approachTo examine teachers' access to EL-focused professional learning, the authors draw on 49 in-depth interviews with district leaders and staff from nine secondary schools. Data analysis was guided by a structure, culture and agency theoretical framework.FindingsFindings revealed that decreased structural support, in terms of both fiscal and human resources, constrained teachers' access to EL-related professional learning. Further, the district culture was characterized by limited understanding of ELs' backgrounds and assets. While some school leaders exercised agency to bolster EL-focused professional learning for teachers, such supports were rare.Practical implicationsFindings help to contextualize secondary teachers' feelings of unpreparedness to serve ELs, illuminating several factors that district and school leaders should attend to in order to bolster the development of professional capital for teachers of ELs at the secondary level.Originality/valueWhile prior research outlines the importance of designing systems of support for EL-focused professional learning, this study highlights specific structural and cultural factors shaping such systems.

School leaders' preferences for teacher applicant characteristics in a large urban school district

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Kyle Ingle ◽  
Namok Choi ◽  
Marco A. Munoz
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Assistant Principals ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Urban School ◽  
Urban School District ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Urban District ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference

PurposeWe surveyed educational leaders in a large, urban school district in the southeastern United States, examining: (1) the factor structure of scores from a new measure of administrators' preferred teacher applicant characteristics, and (2) the relationships between administrator demographics and their preferences.Design/methodology/approachWe implemented a non-experimental, cross-sectional survey design using the Preferred Teacher Applicant Characteristics Survey (PTACS). We undertook descriptive and exploratory factor analyses in order to examine dimensions and underlying patterns among the 31 survey items. The retained factors served as the dependent variables in our multiple regression analyses.FindingsWe identified a four-factor structure: (1) personal, (2) professional, (3) student outcomes, and (4) demographics. Our analyses suggest that there was not meaningful variability in administrators' preferred characteristics of applicants across racial and gender variables, but revealed a significant difference between principals and assistant principals for applicant demographics.Research limitations/implicationsOur findings are limited in their generalizability to the respondents from a single urban district who completed our survey in spring 2018. Although we cannot establish causation, the significant difference between principals and assistant principals for demographics may result from principals feeling greater pressure from district targets to hire diverse staff than their assistant principal counterparts. It is important to note that preferences for teacher applicant characteristics are different from actual hiring decisions and the availability of preferred characteristics.Originality/valueOur study is the first large-scale use of the instrument in a large US urban school district, a context, which poses significant challenges to the education of youth as well as the hiring and retention of educators.

scholarly journals Transformative Leadership Approaches to Inclusion, Equity, and Social Justice

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn M. Shields ◽  
Kristina A. Hesbol
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
School District ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Urban School ◽  
Transformative Leadership ◽  
Education For All ◽  
Urban School District ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Mountain West

The purpose of this article is to examine the leadership beliefs and practices of three school leaders in a large urban school district in the Rocky Mountain West to determine whether any are consistent with transformative leadership. We sought to (a) describe the challenges faced by these school leaders in addressing the needs of changing populations, (b) understand the ways in which these educators conceptualize an equitable education for all, and (c) identify the inclusive practices that they implement to ensure a socially-just education for all. This study used a transformative, multiple case study to understand the beliefs and practices of three school leaders. Data were collected for this study at one elementary, one middle, and one high school in the same urban school district. We used transformative leadership theory as a conceptual framework to guide the data collection and analysis, focusing explicitly on inclusion, equity, excellence, and social justice. The findings demonstrate how leaders exercise equitable, socially just leadership to create welcoming, inclusive schools where all students, including those who are minoritized or economically disadvantaged, feel affirmed, respected, and academically challenged. An important major challenge that emerged was the need for alignment of district goals and practices with those of school leaders. We conclude with a call to school leaders to disrupt inequitable school cultures and work in transformative ways.

Associations between grades and physical activity and food choices

2015 ◽  
Vol 115 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasia Snelling ◽  
Sarah Irvine Belson ◽  
Jonathan Beard ◽  
Kathleen Young
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
School District ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Urban School ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Urban School District ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between television viewing time, physical activity level, food consumption patterns, and academic performance of adolescents in a large urban school district in the USA where health disparities are prevalent, particularly among minority residents. Design/methodology/approach – The 2010 Youth Risk Behavior Survey was used to analyze the relationship between academic grades and physical activity patterns and food consumption in a large urban school district serving over 77,000 students. Findings – Results indicated that students who self-reported grades of As and Bs had higher levels of physical activity and less screen time compared to students who reported grades of Ds and Fs. Further, as grades decreased the consumption of soda and fast food increased. Originality/value – Higher grades track significantly with improved physical activity and lower intake of soda and fast food. These findings provide additional support for the role of regular physical activity and its positive effect on academic performance.

The Additive Advantage and Bilingual Programs in a Large Urban School District

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 477-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra A. Alvear
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Urban School ◽  
Developmental Students ◽  
Urban School District ◽  
Bilingual Programs ◽  
Transitional Bilingual ◽  
English Reading ◽  
Grade 5

The current study analyzes the relationship between elementary school reading achievement and participation in the following language acquisition programs—transitional bilingual, developmental, two-way bilingual immersion, and English immersion. With a focus on the achievement of Spanish-dominant English learners, the study uses multilevel models to examine Spanish and English reading outcomes for evidence of an “additive advantage” associated with programs that pursue full proficiency in students’ home language and English. Set in a large urban school district in Texas, this research finds that participants in the most additive program, two-way, earned the highest Grade 5 English reading performance. In contrast, students in transitional and two-way programs demonstrated similar Spanish reading growth, and developmental students had significantly slower growth than transitional students.

Public School Voice Clinics, Part I

1984 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-57
Author(s):  
Sandra Q. Miller ◽  
Charles L. Madison
Keyword(s):  
Public School ◽  
School District ◽  
Voice Disorders ◽  
Urban School ◽  
Urban School District ◽  
Local School District ◽  
Local School ◽  
Perceived Need ◽  
The Voice ◽  
Voice Problem

The purpose of this article is to show how one urban school district dealt with a perceived need to improve its effectiveness in diagnosing and treating voice disorders. The local school district established semiannual voice clinics. Students aged 5-18 were referred, screened, and selected for the clinics if they appeared to have a chronic voice problem. The specific procedures used in setting up the voice clinics and the subsequent changes made over a 10-year period are presented.

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