SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 1

SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All

Eric Kursman
May 1, 2012
George Mason University
EDLE 690
Dr. Diana DAmico

SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 2

OVERVIEW
Over the past three years, Blue Ridge Middle School has upheld an excellent track record for
academic achievement; however, as reading scores for Special Education students improve over the
course of their three years in the building, scores start out initially low in sixth grade. Based on
testing data over the past three years, sixth grade Special Education students scored below state and
national standards on the SOL Reading test. By failing to meet academic expectations for all
students in the English department, specifically the sixth grade Special Education population, the
school failed to meet AYP and failed to fulfill its mission statement -- its promise to its students, their
families, and the surrounding community.
Although Blue Ridge is doing very well as a whole, this shortcoming casts a shadow on the
schools shining record for academic achievement. Based on key themes that emerged within vast
amounts of educational research on reading within Special Education populations, I believe we need
to focus on the root causes of these low scores: vocabulary skills and test data analyses. To
effectively remedy this root cause, I propose we create a year-long professional development
program for all core content-area teachers that strengthens explicit, cross-curricular vocabulary
instruction and provides methods and strategies for teachers to interpret and use reading test scores to
help drive individual instruction within their classroom. With this intervention, the experienced
faculty at Blue Ridge Middle School can remedy the root causes of sixth grade Special Education
Reading test scores: inadequate vocabulary skills and both test score disaggregation and employment.
In this proposal, we will examine rationales behind implementing such a program with Blue
Ridge Middle Schools unique faculty, results generated by the implementation, key players and
stakeholders involved in the implementation, plans for action and evaluation, and potential
limitations during the span of the implementation. Although low test scores within the target
SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 3

population blemish the schools sterling academic track record, the unique faculty at Blue Ridge is
poised to capitalize on this program as a family and renew its promises of equitable, excellent
academic achievement to the community.
RATIONALE
In review, this proposal is addressing the consistently low sixth grade Special Education
Reading SOL scores over the past three years that mar an otherwise sterling test record for Blue
Ridge Middle School. This Special Education population scored 78% passing in both of the past two
years.
Breaking down those numbers yields important information:
The sixth grade Special Education population swelled between the last two years, but the passing rate
remained the same; this suggests that this achievement gap continued to persist but now on an even
broader scale.
The highlighted population is not self-contained Special Education Language Arts students but
Special Education students enrolled in General Education Language Arts classes.
Most of the low scores for Special Education students accessing the General Education curriculum
were the result of low vocabulary skills. These skills are not being explicitly taught in the General
Education classroom. Without purposeful vocabulary instruction in the classroom, Bryant et al
demonstrated that low vocabulary skills will continue to persist and adversely affect reading
comprehension.
General Education teachers have little to no knowledge of how to break down Reading assessment
data to drive classroom instruction. As Dennis points out in his research: if testing data determines
strategies to fix the problem, how can future testing data affect instruction to remedy the issue when
teachers lack the knowledge to break down and utilize test results in the first place?
Without explicitly teaching vocabulary in a cross-curricular manner, students lose the needed
repetition and immersion of vocabulary skills. In their research, Bryant et al demonstrate the
collaborative power of cross-curricular vocabulary instruction: team-based, cross-curricular
vocabulary instruction is nearly twice as effective as isolated vocabulary practice in only one class.
SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 4

The low scores of sixth grade Special Education students are significant to Blue Ridge
Middle School for a number of reasons:
The low scores in question are the root cause for the school failing to meet AYP for three
years in a row.
These low scores indicate that the school is not fulfilling its mission statement: teachers
and staff members are not facilitating equitable achievement for all learners.
The community expects Blue Ridge to maintain academic excellence; lower test scores
can lead to lower school ratings which have the potential to affect prospective new
families in the community and even property values within the district.
Having broken down what these low scores mean for Blue Ridge and validating the
significance of this problem, the following will demonstrate how the proposed action will lead to
school improvement. By introducing teachers to strategies of how to interpret vocabulary-based
reading results, content-area general education teachers gain the insight into how to assess their
students vocabulary skills and where students need specific assistance. Denniss research
demonstrates how simply understanding meanings behind reading assessment data can help teachers
alter instruction to meet students at their level. Furthermore, by introducing teachers to strategies of
how to interpret vocabulary-based reading results, content-area general education teachers gain the
insight into how to assess their students vocabulary skills and where students need specific
assistance. The research team of Bryant et al demonstrated that when explicitly teaching vocabulary
in teams, students gain more advanced vocabulary skills due to cross-curricular repetition of
consistent strategies. Effectively, the proposed professional development has the potential to raise
the Reading SOL scores of sixth grade Special Education students and, in turn, restore Blue Ridges
reputation for outstanding academics.


SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 5

OUTCOMES
To determine the effectiveness of the proposed vocabulary intervention, we will see a number of indicators or success.
Students Teachers
Swansons research demonstrates that as Special Education students master stronger
vocabulary skills, their reading fluency will increase as well as their reading comprehension.
With our Special Education students, we will see increased vocabulary awareness, higher
fluency rates, and overall improved reading comprehension.
We will see faculty members disaggregate test data to drive
instruction, and we will see Professional Learning Communities
(PLCs) and cross-curricular teams plan and implement
vocabulary studies within individual classes.

In order to observe these successes, we will look for outcomes in the following areas:
Blue Ridge Middle School Sixth Grade Special Education Students
Name of assessment What we will look for When
Reading SOL Higher passing rates than each of the previous two years June 2013
LCPS Reading Benchmark exams Statistically significant improvement on vocabulary-based questions and overall
reading comprehension
October 2012
April 2013
Gates Reading Test Statistically significant improvement on vocabulary-based questions and overall
reading comprehension
September 2012
March 2013
Vocabulary-based assessments from
individual classrooms
Improved reading comprehension and vocabulary skills Throughout 2012-13
school year
Blue Ridge Middle School Core Content-Area Teachers
Formative assessment/task What we will look for By when
Reading test data disaggregation Teachers demonstrable evidence of how test data breakdown shaped vocabulary
instruction
Throughout 2012-13
school year
Vocabulary lessons adapted for individual
curriculum
PLC-generated vocabulary units of study October 2013
Teacher Feedback Surveys Confidence of how to break down and utilize test data Throughout 2012-13
school year
SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 6

INVOLVEMENT
The staff at Blue Ridge Middle School believes, it takes a village to educate a child. These are the following members and stakeholders involved:
Stakeholders Why are they stakeholders?
Content-area teachers Explicitly using vocabulary testing data to drive instruction
Team Leaders Facilitating bi-monthly formative assessments of team progress
Parents Supporting school-based vocabulary instruction by supporting reading at home
Communications What goal will they accomplish?
Faculty Professional Development Teach strategies for disaggregating test data and designing vocabulary lessons
Two to three briefings at separate faculty meetings Provide teacher and key player feedback; demonstrate new vocabulary lesson
Three teacher feedback surveys Assess teachers understanding and confidence of using new strategies
Email As needed for updates
Key Players
Who is helping? How are they helping? What are they doing? They will provide that help by
Eric Kursman Designing plan to raise scores Implementing SIP
Allyson White (English Department
Chair)
Supporting Eric Teaching workshop, communication with Brion Bell and Sandy Duke
Sandy Duke (Reading Specialist) Bridging Special Education instruction
and General Education instruction
Teaching workshop, providing materials, offering Reading experience
expertise during planning and implementation
Brion Bell
(Building Principal)
Supporting the SIP proposal Helping secure resources, conducting oversight
Matt Bolen
(Assistant Principal in charge of
Special Education)
Providing background data Data Warehouse numbers, Special Education filing and paperwork, Special
Education communication
Julie Pearson-Wease (Special
Education Department Chair)
Anchoring Special Education support Supporting Sandy with materials, assisting with Special Education
communication

SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 7

ACTION PLAN
Although Blue Ridge Middle School boasts high test scores across the board, sixth grade Special Education Reading scores
consistently fall below state and national averages. This is an enormous problem for AYP, meeting the schools mission statement, and
delivering equitable high-quality instruction for all students. Teachers at Blue Ridge Middle School need to learn how to interpret test score
data to drive instruction and explicitly teach vocabulary to strengthen reading comprehension from a cross-curricular approach.
Taking this action Will eliminate these causes Producing the following
outcomes:
Evidence:
Instructing teachers to interpret
reading test data
Teachers ignorance of what
reading data means
Identify different strengths and
weaknesses of individual students
Dennis 2008
Allowing vertical/horizontal teams
to create explicit vocabulary units
Lack of explicit vocabulary
instruction within content-
specific curriculum
Content- and grade-specific
vocabulary instruction units
Bryant et al 2000
Common approaches to explicitly
teach content-specific vocabulary
across the curriculum
Special Education students
accessing the general education
curriculum only receiving
vocabulary instruction in
Reading/Language Arts
Reinforcing vocabulary skills and
reading comprehension across the
curriculum
Bryant et al 2000
Continually using explicit
vocabulary instruction across the
curriculum all year long
Students unfamiliarity with
vocabulary and decoding skills
Higher reading comprehension SOLs, Gates, BMAs,
in-class assessments
SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 8


Tasks to be
completed
Goal of task Who By when Resources Needed Success Signals Expected Results
Schedule All-
Staff PD
Set date for All-Staff PD Eric Kursman
and Brion Bell
6/7/2012 Back-to-school retreat schedule Date set for all-staff
PD
Create PD and
sample lessons
for PD
Provide staff with PD and ready-
to-go vocabulary instruction
Eric Kursman
and Sandy Duke
7/20/2012 Various Reading texts (already on
hand), time for three meetings,
paper for copies
PD is clear, concise,
and simple; lessons
are easily adaptable
Complete PD plan
and sample lessons
Conduct PD
Workshop
1) Teach teachers how to break
down and utilize testing data to
drive classroom instruction
2) Allow vertical/horizontal
teams to draft explicit
vocabulary units
Eric Kursman,
Sandy Duke,
Allyson White,
Susan
Macwhorter
8/15/2012 Refreshments (light snacks and
drinks), laptop carts, working
wireless internet, hard copies of
sample lessons, Promethean Board,
three-hour unencumbered time
block, use of cafeteria, teacher
feedback surveys
On feedback surveys,
>80% confidence in
staff to use instruction
in class, as
department, and on
team-level
Conduct PD
Workshop
Create common,
explicit
vocabulary
instruction
Develop consistent approaches
to teach content-specific
vocabulary across the curriculum
Teams, Team
Leaders;
Departments,
Department Lead
Teachers
10/15/2012 Unencumbered time (1.5 hours
during PD, 1 hour during Sept and
Oct each for both team and grade-
level department meetings),
curriculum guides, laptops
Teachers vocabulary
instruction follows
curriculum guides and
pre-made vocabulary
strategies
Team and grade-level
departments create
common vocabulary
instruction
Implement
explicit
vocabulary
instruction
Students grow accustomed to
common explicit vocabulary
instruction across the entire
curriculum all year long
All staff 10/22/2012 Common, explicit vocabulary
instruction (see above task)
Improved reading
comprehension for all
students on in-class
formative assessments
Students receive
common, explicit
vocabulary
instruction in all core
classes
Communicate
with staff
Keep faculty abreast of
instructional concerns, trends in
progress; solicit feedback on
progress
Eric Kursman,
Brion Bell
5/29/2013 15 minutes at each of three faculty
meetings, 45 minutes at each of two
after-school PLC meetings, teacher
feedback surveys
Teachers report
successful progress on
in-class formative
assessments
Staff and key players
communicate
Administer Gates
Reading Test,
SOLs,
Benchmarks
1) Establish student levels at
beginning of the year
2) Collect data on growth of
student reading achievement
All staff 5/29/2013 Gates Reading Test, SOLs,
Benchmarks
Higher reading
comprehension scores
and vocabulary-based
results
Students assessed by
Gates Reading Test,
SOL, Benchmarks
Assess testing
data (see above)
for trends
Determine success of
implemented project
Eric Kursman,
Sandy Duke,
Matt Bolen
7/1/2013 Test results, Data Warehouse, time Higher reading scores
for 6
th
grade SpEd
students
Testing data assessed
for statistically-
significant trends
SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 9

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Considering that professional development is an enormous portion of this proposal, I need to
closely examine what I already know about successful workshops. First, I know that teachers harbor
negative initial reactions to mandated professional development. There is almost an instinctual reflex for
teachers to reject this instruction. It is important that I recognize this because I will need to find a method
to break this seemingly natural reaction. Although I currently do not know how to positively reframe
professional development, I look forward to gaining more insight during my class on Adult Motivation
and Conflict Resolution. Second, I know that professional development is best when it is easily adaptable
into any teachers classroom. By designing this workshop for the faculty at Blue Ridge Middle School, I
already have a leg up: I have intimate knowledge about our teachers personalities, teaching styles, and
pedagogies which will provide an initial guide as to what may work and what may not. This is important
because I need to create ready-to-go resources: lesson plans, handouts, units, and assessments. I will
create these materials through collaboration with the Reading Specialist.
It is also imperative to reflect on what I need to learn to create a meaningful professional
development experience. First, how do I engage adults? I already know how to engage young adult
learners, but adult learners present different challenges. How much structure do I provide without
seeming overbearing? How do I formatively assess comprehension amongst a room of teachers when
they know how to feign understanding better than their students? Second, how do I most effectively use
my limited instructional time? How do I weigh time spent lecturing without losing interest against time
spent in collaborative groups without losing focus? How do I balance reviewing old material without
seeming condescending against covering new material without seeming overwhelming?
I realize that many things I need to know are important questions that I face every day as a
teacher with young adults in my classroom. How does this dynamic change with adults? Does it change?

SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 10

EVALUATION
In order to gauge the effectiveness of the proposed program, we need to identify how we will
evaluate the success of the program:










CONSEQUENCE ANALYSIS
Now, no good plan is set forth without first considering all possible consequences. In terms of
benefits, we hope that this proposed program would improve sixth grade Special Education Reading SOL
scores, bolster reading comprehension for all grade levels in all subjects, strengthen vocabulary skills for
sixth grade Special Education students who access the General Education curriculum, and boost
collaborative, consistent team- and department-level curriculum development.
On the other hand, there are possible drawbacks. To begin, Blue Ridge Middle Schools already
overburdened staff may view this project as just another thing on [their] plate. Also, some teachers
Formative
Assessment Data collected When collected How analyzed
Teacher feedback
surveys
Confidence in using strategies with
students (especially SpEd), frequency
of using strategies with students, self-
efficacy ratings
8/15/2012
11/15/2012
2/15/2012
Disaggregate confidence ratings, frequency
of implementation, self-efficacy
LCPS Benchmark
Assessments
Overall reading scores, vocabulary-
based questions
11/15/2012
4/25/2013
Compare initial BMA to final BMA scores
of all students, especially 6
th
grade SpEd
students, for trends of improvement
In-class assessments Reading comprehension assignments
chosen by teacher discretion
12/12/2012
3/15/2013
In PLCs, share assessment data, seek
trends of all students, especially 6
th
grade
SpEd students, together as team
Summative
Assessment Data collected When collected How analyzed
Gates Reading Test Overall reading comprehension score,
vocabulary in context, vocabulary in
isolation
10/1/2012
5/1/2013
Teams and grade-level departments use
strategies from PD to break down data of
all students, especially 6
th
grade SpEd
students
6
th
grade Reading
SOL and History
SOL
Overall scores; overall reading
comprehension; vocabulary-based
questions
6/1/2013 Teams and grade-level departments use
strategies from PD to break down data of
all students, especially 6
th
grade SpEd
students

SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 11

may remark that direct vocabulary instruction will detract from class time otherwise spent preparing for
SOL exams. Furthermore, the teaching staff at Blue Ridge has a history of ignoring wonderful resources
created and passed on by the Reading Specialist: why would the staff suddenly change their ways and
make productive use of her resources? In addition, parents may not see the value or benefit of bolstering
vocabulary skills outside of English Language Arts. Finally, teachers may not be aware of the accuracy
of their self-efficacy or they may feel pressured to compromise the fidelity of their self-reports regarding
their execution of the vocabulary program within their classroom, their confidence in disaggregating test
data, and implementing vocabulary lessons within their day to day teaching.
There are, however, a number of methods to combat these drawbacks. First, we must convince
the staff that vocabulary is vital to their curriculum they must cover it one way or another! This
proposed project is not additive work these vocabulary lessons are merely a vehicle to deliver the
same instruction that is already tied to SOL standards. Second, time spent on this program is time spent
preparing for the SOL; strengthening vocabulary hones critical thinking processes, inference skills, and
expands students lexicons. Third, we need to show the staff that these strategies and lessons are already
prepackaged and ready to go. In the past, teachers have tried to individually adapt new strategies for their
classrooms on their own now, teachers have the support of their entire team and grade-level department
to help plan, adapt, and implement the new program. Fourth, we will create an immediately-accessible
rationale pamphlet (in both eduspeak and laymans terms) for parents who seek explanation about the
new program. Finally, all teacher feedback will be anonymous to reduce pressures about assessing poor
teaching. The only identification will be team names or department names. Furthermore, Principal Brion
Bell will not have access to these forms; teachers are being assessed by the colleagues, not by their boss.
Most importantly, we will stress that we view all teacher feedback forms as communication pieces and
nothing more. These surveys are an opportunity for teachers to reach out for any assistance (if needed)
and for stakeholders to monitor progress throughout the implementation; these surveys are not for
pointing fingers at teachers (we get that enough from society as it is).
SIP Proposal: English Enhancement for All 12

Works Cited
Bryant, D. (2000). Reading outcomes for students with and without reading disabilities in
general education middle-school content area classes. Learning Disability
Quarterly, 23(4), 238-252. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1511347.
Bryant, D. (2001). The effects of professional development for middle school general and special
education teachers on implementation of reading strategies in inclusive content area
classes. Learning Disablity Quarterly, 24(4), 251-264. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1511114.
Dennis, D. (2008). Are assessment data really driving middle school reading instruction? What
we can learn from one student's experience. Journal of Adolescent & Adult
Literacy, 51(7), 578-587. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40012383.
Swanson, E. (2008). Observing reading instruction for students with learning disabilities: A
synthesis. Learning Disability Quarterly, 31(3), 115-133. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/25474643.