Justin

Goodwin
EDS 601: Critical Issues
Dr. Tim Frey
July 13, 2012

Field Experience in Diversity

School Setting:
Grand Island Senior High is the only public high school in the GIPS district,
thus making it a relatively large institution. Consequently, Senior High is one of the
largest class A schools in the state of Nebraska. Due to the vast cultural diversity of
our city, GISHs student body is comprised of a multitude of ethnicitiesthe most
prominent being Hispanic and White. In addition, Senior High is classified as a Title I
due to our high level of students from low-income house holds. This, however, does
not discourage wealthier families from sending their children to GISH. This is due
in part to the wide variety of extra curricular activities available that are not offered
at Grand Islands competing district or private schools. These opportunities range
from traditional athletics to lesser-sponsored or available sports (e.g. bowling,
swimming, trap shooting), as well as a variety of organizations or social clubs
spanning a gamut of interests. Another appealing factor is the multitude of AP,
Honors, and dual credit courses for high ability students offered at GISH.
Additionally, Senior High has programs for students with varying degrees of
exceptionalities, namely the Ingra House, Hulas work program, and numerous
remedial and adaptive courses. In terms of gender separation, the split is pretty
much down the middle. The following diagrams display student diversity among
11th graders who were tested for the NeSA Writing Test in 2012; this class group is a
solid representation of the overall student population at Senior High:

Race
American Indian/Alaska
Indian
Asian
Black
White
Hispanic

Socioeconomic

LEP/ELL

Free &
Reduced

Eligible

Non Free &

Reduced

Not Eligible

Special Education

Gender

SPED

Male

Not SPED

Female

Articles:
Book Argues for Economically Diverse Schools (Jaclyn Zubrzycki, March 13,
2012): In this article, Jaclyn Zubrzycki addresses the contents of The Future of
School Integration: Socioeconomic Diversity as an Education Reform Strategy, a
compilation of new and recent research released by the Washington-based Century
Foundation. The intent of the research was to present evidence that socioeconomic
integration might be the solution to the ever-increasing achievement gaps between
rich and poor students. As neighborhoods nation-wide become more and more
racially and economically homogeneous, these experts have identified that over 80
school districts are already seeking implementation of this exact type of integration.
According to Richard D. Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation and
the editor of the new book, "there is a growing consensus ... that it is unfair to
condemn low-income kids to high-poverty schools just because parents can't afford
to live in a better neighborhood".

Based on the books research, schools without a high concentration of

poverty produced better student performancesespecially in receptive language,

expressive language, and mathematics. Among this research, Harvard doctoral
student, Marco Basile, presents a cost-benefit analysis of socioeconomic integration
in schools. His findings concluded that the $6,500 per students investment of such
an integration program was far less costly when stacked up against the $33,000
benefit to society (measured by increased income, less time on welfare, and fewer
crimes over the span of a students life). Dr. Kahlenberg agrees, "investing in ways

to promote economic integration is likely to yield more 'bang for the buck'
than continuing to pour extra money into high-poverty schools".
Consequently, some experts refute the findings of this research, claiming

there are not randomized studies on the matter to prove this methods
effectiveness.

In regard to the implications presented in this article, any teacher from

a poverty-rich (oxymoron?) school can tell you, when a student carries with
them the baggage that comes from financial struggles, academic success takes
a back-seat. What significance are homework, grades, or assessment scores
when a greater concern is food, shelter, safety, or all of the above? Perhaps,
not having a constant reminder of their economic status while attending a
poor school would help these children focus despite distractions at home.
Perhaps, learning and engaging with those from higher socioeconomic
backgrounds creates a real-life correlation between educational achievement
and financial stability for impoverished students. Whatever the psychology
behind this method of grouping, if it produces results and improves the future
for those who need education so desperately, why not try it? This is
something that already takes place at Grand Island Senior High as UNL
Academy students are now required to take Honors English coursework in
order to be eligible for the scholarship opportunity. After one year it is
apparent that higher expectations inspire greater effort and performance in
students from any neighborhoodthe result of that achievement is
confidence in their future.

Miami-Dade Educators' Advice to Districts: Embrace Diversity (Christina A.
Samuels, June 1, 2012): Mrs. Samuels addresses how this 347,000-student Florida
school district (fourth-largest in the nation), at 65 percent Hispanic (54 percent with

Spanish as their home language), has managed to buck the negative trends seen in
many other big-city districts with large populations of Hispanic students. Much of
the success experienced in this district is attributed to the fact that a heavy Hispanic
population has existed in this community for an extended period of time and the
education system in place has gained acceptance and community support.
However, credit for above average scores in reading and mathematics on a national
level and a significantly smaller achievement gap between Whites and Hispanics is
also given to the use of a different educational formula.
The average ELL classroom incorporates a form of immersion-like
instruction for students with little or no proficiency in English. Miami-Dade 1st-
grade teacher, Leidy Vargas, uses littleand eventually nospoken Spanish in her
lessons. Additionally, her classroom is a riot of text, with English labels on
everything, from the closet to the teacher's desk to the restroom. Unfortunately,
older students have a more difficult time trying a new language; thus, Jorge Euceda,
who teaches 7th and 8th grade ELL, enlists the help of both technology and the
students themselves in English instruction. His students need several different
methods to fix vocabulary words in their minds; that requires careful lesson
scaffolding, he says, in which he builds on previous knowledge. Regarding students
being taught regular subjects in their native language, Euceda disagrees. He, along
with the Miami-Dade district, feels that students should be immersed in regular
English as soon as possiblehe states, "It's tough on them, but if you've got to learn
the language, you've got to live in that language".
Miami-Dade still offers some basic course work delivered purely in Spanish,
but such programs are significantly more expensive, which is why the districts
executive director of bilingual education and world languages, Beatriz Pereira, feels

the English-immersion approach is more cost-efficient and produces better results.

Consequently, one controversial caveat in Miami-Dades instruction is the use of
sheltered instruction. Essentially, ELL students are grouped together in an attempt
to shelter them from competition with proficient English-speakers. According to
Claude Goldberg, a Stanford University education professor, this method tends to
water-down instruction, and students left in a sheltered setting for too long are
deprived of high-level, rigorous content. Miami-Dade tries to avoid this issue by
only offering sheltered instruction for a limited time and solely in the area of
language arts.

What Christina Samuels article shows is that the language barrier that many

schools with large Spanish-speaking populations must face is not one that is
impossible to overcome. By finding a strategy that would work and sticking with it,
over time, they were able to get everyone on-boardinvested students and
supportive parents equal a recipe for success. The English immersion for ELL
students is an additionally interesting concept. Because this nationally recognized
district viewed it as a cost-effective, results-producing alternative to bilingual or
native-language offerings, it is definitely something school districts with a similar
demographic (GIPS) might look in to. Undoubtedly, finding ways to save money
without jeopardizing student success, when funds are already spread thin across a
large district, is imperative. On the other hand, I can see the potential danger in
using a sheltered instruction format. It was discussed in class that in a varied-ability
classroom, often times it seems the upper level and lower level kids are neglected.
However, rather than regrouping students homogeneously by ability level and
ultimately limiting many students exposure to rigorous content, we must instead
adjust the expectations in the heterogeneous groups. By raising the bar and then

differentiating instruction to help the struggling and middle-of-the-road students

achieve the high standard, everyone benefits and no one is short-changed.

Study: Asian Students Uncounted, Underserved in N.Y.C. Schools (Jaclyn
Zubrzycki, February 22, 2012): Mrs. Zubrzycki presents the findings of a report
from the Pumphouse Projects, a New York-based consulting firm specializing in
education justice, human rights, and economic policy issues. Their study attempts to
[highlight] the gap between the perception of Asian-heritage students as almost
universally high-achieving and a more complicated reality that scholars say holds
true nationwide. The truth is in the data95% of the cities Asian population is not
attending the top-notch school, many are actually clustered in the cities most
crowded poverty laden schools. When questioned about the academic standing of
their Asian students, one Oakland high schools teachers and students unanimously
agreed, [theyre] doing very well. True their valedictorian was Asian, but in the
same building, the average Asian students GPA was 1.8, with many dropping-out.
Due to this blatant misinterpretation of reality, many Asian students, despite being
among the academically needy, are being over-looked. Ultimately, they are denied
the educational services they need because of this racial stereotype.
Coincidentally, we often make this exact mistake when viewing minority or
migrant students in our classrooms. For instance, at Grand Island Senior high there
are factions of Mexican, Guatemalan, and Cuban students, respectively; however,
because they all speak Spanish, many simply label them all as Mexican. This at
times can escalate the already existing tensions between these groups and often
ends badly. We must be careful not to make assumptionsespecially those based on

stereotypeswhen dealing ethnicities we are unfamiliar with. It is in deed true

what they say about those who assume.

Studies Spotlight Charters Designed for Integration (Jaclyn Zubrzycki, June 1,
2012): The focus of this article is on the world of charter schools and their attempts
to achieve a high level of diversity. According to Amy Stuart Wells, a professor of
sociology and education at Columbia University, Charters have always had the
potential to be incredibly diverse schools as theyre not bound to residential
patterns. However, research from the Civil Rights Project at the University of
California, Los Angeles, indicates that many charter schools are more racially
segregated than regular public schools, many of which have also become less
diverse in recent decades. The answer to this negative occurrence may be integrated
charter schools.

Based on the findings of two new reports one from the National Alliance of

Public Charter Schools, another from the Century Foundation and the Poverty &
Race Research Action Councilthere may, in fact, be an increasing public
interest/demand for these integrated settings. After evaluating several different
charter schoolssome integrated, some notthese reports suggest that having
more integrated charter schools may outweigh the successes of a few of the more
well-known charters, some of which are more racially isolated. Unfortunately,
these diversely populated, academically successful charter schools are ineligible for
federal charter start-up funds due to the use of a weighted lottery enrollment
system. Thus, in order to stay afloat these schools are forced to seek out and rely on
donations from wealthy parents.

In addition, many integrated charter schools seeking to promote diversity

find themselves subject to accusations and criticisms. Just as early charter schools
were viewed as white flight schools, the claim is made that many of the newer
integrated charter schools cream the most likely-to-succeed children from the
regular public schools in their neighborhoods. According to the book Gentrification
and Schools, by Palgrave Macmillan, some New York City parents are changing
neighborhoods because they feel that diversity-focused charter schools competed
with efforts to integrate regular public schools.

Reading this article brings to light the idea that diversity in schools equates

to success for students. Though the concept of students learning and working with
those who come from back grounds different than their own has merit, it is clear
how some might not agree that integrated charter schools are the answer. The
practice of creating lotteries to draw particular students away from the districts in
which they live would seem to be detrimental to the diversity of surrounding public
schools. Furthermore, a building full of integrated individuals from different sides of
the tracks doesnt necessarily guarantee success. What does school diversity matter
if the educators in the building are not teaching to ALL students? What good is a
diverse population if differences arent embraced and a true sense of community is
fostered? In large urban areas, where districts are subject to homogeneous
populations resulting from neighborhoods with a thin demographic, integrated
charter schools are a possible solution for more diversity. However, in the GIPS
district, with only one high school available, students from every corner of Grand
Island attend Senior High (unless, of course, they opt out or attend private school)
making lack of diversity a non-factor. The bottom line is, rich variety in any school

populationa positive component in any settingis only as beneficial as the

embracing climate and differentiated instruction used in correlation with it.

Field Experience:
Interview: Because Grand Island Senior High is a fairly diverse settingboth
ethnically and economicallymy interview was focused on obtaining perspectives
from school climates on opposite ends of the diversity spectrum (Figure 1). First, I
spoke with someone who teaches at a local parochial school, Grand Island Central
Catholic. Coincidentally, this individual also has previous experience teaching for the
GIPS alternative school, The Success Academy. Some of the obvious differences
between the atmosphere at GICC and GISH are the number of students, average,
class size, and lop-sided demographic (predominantly white, upper-middle class).
As was expressed by this teacher, the smaller class size presents an easier task of
classroom management, and, due to the fact that this is a private school requiring
tuition for attendance, parent-involvement is significantly improved. It was also
stated that the environment at GICC seems to be more family-oriented and that it
is easier for students to fit in. Undoubtedly, there is a direct correlation between
the presence of religious education and the friendlier atmosphere. That is not to
say that public schools arent pleasant in their own right, but there are a definite set
of moral and social expectations connected to a faith-based belief system and those
who are invested in that system adhere to those expectations with conviction.
Consider, the difference between how, in modern society, children act in school and
how they act in a house of worship. In many instances, the difference is noticeable,
possibly even significant. By overlapping these settings, the behavior probably
becomes more consistent. Some addressed similarities between the two school

settings were the need for differentiation when dealing with various ability levels or
students with exceptionalities, utilizing a variety of instructional methods in order
to appeal to multiple intelligences, and relating learning to real world application.
My second interview was with a teacher from Edison Elementary School in Council
Bluffs, Iowa. This setting presents a significantly more diverse atmosphere than
that of GICC. According to the demographic information presented by this particular
teacher, Edison has a similar ELL and SPED population to GISH, but is significantly
more poverty dominant. There also seems to be a larger number of extreme
behavior disorders and/or violence toward staff members among this student
population. This may be due in part to the maturity level of grade-schoolers and
their inability to, at times, control their impulses. True, these circumstances are
witnessed in high school as well, but teenagersfor the most parttake greater
consideration of consequences. A few more of the commonalities between the
Edison and GISH would be differentiation for ELL students struggling with the
language barrier and lack of parental involvement. Some of the adjustment this
teacher makes in her classroom to assist migrant students and strengthen
classroom management are the incorporation of more visuals in her instruction and
the development of hands-on learning opportunities in the form of tub centers.
She has also institutes a Parent Night event in an attempt to generate more support
at home. Although, the age difference between students in each setting is significant,
these activities would not necessarily work in a junior classroom; however, the
concepts are relevant, and with some tailoring, modified activities might be effective
with teenage English students.

The Edison interview, and discussions with this particular teacher about the

management of behavior disorders, brought to mind my own experiences working

as a supervisor at a residential treatment center during college. We were training

the usage of very similar de-escalation strategies and intervention tactics when
faced with extreme aggression from students/residents. Undoubtedly, these
experiences and skills have transferred over into my teaching. Despite the
difference in setting, the ability to maintain composure and calmly talking down a
situation before it has a chance to turn ugly is beneficial in many situations.
Fig 1

Questions

GICC

Edison

1.

Describe your school

setting in terms of
diversity of students,
i.e. class, culture,
gender, race,
socioeconomic status
or students with
exceptionalities.

Class size at GICC averages around 15 students. I do

have one class with 5 students. We have roughly
330 students grades 6-12. The ratio of male/female
students seems to be even. The majority of students
are Caucasian. The rest of the student population
consist of mainly Hispanics and Asians. The culture
of GICC is more family-oriented than other schools
around the area. With a smaller student population,
it seems easier for students to "fit in." At this school
come mainly from middle class to upper class
families. Since GICC is a private/ parochial school,
students must pay tuition.

Free and reduced 83%

Attendance 96.4%
Mobility 24.59%
SPED 14%
ESL 12

2.

How does your

school
manage/embrace
this demographic?

I believe this school does a good job of creating an

atmosphere where students feel comfortable and
are willing to learn. Students from any race and
socioeconomic background are welcome to enroll.
When tuition becomes an issue, GICC is willing to
help. Religion does play a big part in enrollment and
culture of GICC.

3.

What
challenges/issues do
you encounter in the
classroom as a result
of this diversity?

As a first year teacher at GICC, the biggest challenge

for me was trying to understand the atmosphere of
the school and the behaviors/tendencies of
students. Another challenge was finding multiple
teaching strategies to help with learning disabilities.
These students are normally on an IEP. I had to find
ways to explain certain daily lessons so these
students would understand without feeling they
were being embarrassed in front of peers.

4.

What instructional
adjustments do you
make to overcome
these challenges and
ensure student
success?

5.

What benefits do this

demographic present
for both teachers and
students?

I've made plenty of adjustments over the school

year. For example, I've found out that students
easily lose interest if I lecture the whole class
period. I allowed for more hands-on activities to
keep students engaged. I also used more visual
examples in order to help students understand
certain concepts and ideas. Using real-world
examples that relates to students has helped. When
students can relate to something in heir lives, they
are more willing to learn. All these adjustments have
gives students the opportunity to be successful in
the classroom.

The biggest benefit I've noticed is the small
classroom size. This leads to better classroom
management. There's a big difference in trying to
control 15 students compared to 30 students.
Students are more likely to ask questions and have
them answered during class. This helps with
communication among students and teacher.

Free and Reduce: We have a backpack program

where we send food home on the weekend in the
students backpack.

Mobility: District-wide curriculum map so that
students that move from school to school are not
being taught the same thing over and over.

SPED: We house the district-wide Behavior
Supports Program (BSP) at our school, which has 4
SPED Teachers and 8 paraprofessionals. Our school
has an additional 3 special education teachers and 3
paraprofessionals.

Esl: We have a full-time ESL teacher

Our district has also adopted the Dorn Model for
instruction, which is a workshop approach-I, can
elaborate more on this if you would like.

Parent involvement is an issue that we encounter.
We struggle to get parents to be involved in
classroom activities and working with their students
at home (reading and completing homework).
Currently we have 5 parents serving on our PTO.

Another challenge is classroom management and
engagement of learning, students come with various
behavior and academic needs as well as challenges
at home.

The district adopting the Dorn Model has been an
instructional adjustment and having the BSP
classrooms is as well. Other adjustments I have
made within my classroom are picture schedules,
learning tubs/centers, hands on activities, parent
involvement nights, being trained in guided reading
plus (GRP) which is a reading intervention, frequent
breaks, and making math more real life learning.

These demographic provide the staff with a lot of

training opportunities in academic areas and
behavior management. The students benefit from
having multiple positive role models within their
lives, they learn to be self-sufficient learners, and
specialized field trips.

Multicultural Function(s): Two of my oldest and closest friends are of a

different ethnicity then myself, and each otherone being Hispanic, the other
Laotian. Over the course of our long friendship (15+ years), I have observed
and been a part of several ethnic celebrations. Early on, these situations proved
to be somewhat awkward and a bit uncomfortable; however, over time my
comfort level increased and I began to recognize, respect, and appreciate the
cultural differences I was witnessing.
From Hispanic holiday gatherings, Quinceaeras, and birthday parties
complete with piatas to Laotian family get-togethers, death-defying Asian

fireworks displays, and tradition wedding ceremonies, Ive attended many

ethnic and multicultural functions. Ive learned that there is an extreme
difference between Mexican food and authentic Mexican food, that the
Catholic religion plays a major role in Hispanic culture, and that status
symbolize are a big deal. Ive learned that most Laotians practice Theravada
Buddhism, that white string bracelets at are given for good luck at major family
events, and that a thick blanket purchased from the local Asian market is a
traditional gift given for the birth of a child (my kids each have one). Both
cultures are very family-oriented and much time is spent together, both
immediate and extended; however, there are distinctly different approaches to
the concept of family.
Considering Grand Islands demographic, these friendships prove
beneficial as the largest portion of our student population is Hispanic, and
larger numbers of Laotian students will be moving up from the primary and

middle schools. Based on these experiences, the major consideration that can
be taken away would be that culture and family heritage vary greatly among
ethnicities, but have as much impact on members of one group as they do on
members of another. Rather than ignore the fact that these cultural influences
exist, we as educators have a responsibility to not only acknowledge them, but
also learn about them in order to better understand, and better serve, the kids
we teachespecially in a community as ethnically diverse as Grand Island.

Action Plans:

Steps:
Cultural Impact:

based on resent data,

Hispanic students
scored signiticantly
lower on the NeSA-
Writing Assessment
than students in
other demographic
categories at GISH.

Goal: research

aspects of
Hispanic culture
that may account
for the low
proticiency
percentage and
explore teaching
adjustments that
may help remedy
the issue.

1. Contact GISH
multicultural
coordinator.
2. Contact UNL
CNSSP
coordinator.
3. Strategize
different
instructional
methods with
other Junior
English Teachers.

Teaching:

Implementation of
new strategies
(Possibly more
visuals and/or
hands-on
activities based on
success in Edison
classroom or
Miami-Dade Dist.)
and measuring
progress to
monitor
effectivness.

Learning
Process:

Students will
engage in writing
workshop
activities
centered on
improving idea
development (as
was the lowest
averaged trait
score in the
Hispanic
demographic).

Steps:
Social Impact:

According to
research, 21st
Century students
learn differently
than those of
previous
generations
(Rodgers, et al,
2006) .

Goals:

Adjust
teaching
methods to
better suit
the modern
learning
style of
todays
students.

1. more peer-
to-peer.
2. incorperate
social media
(i.e twitter,
socrative, and
kikutext).
3. allow
students to
have a say in
assessment
building.

Teacher:

Implementat
ion of new
strategies
paired with
a contious
effort to be
"transparent
" (Eaton,
2011) and
meet the
needs of the
modern
learner.

Learing
Process:

Students will
engage in
cooperative
learning activities,
they will use
various
technologies to
complete
assignemnts, and
they will have an
active role in
assessment
planning.

Goals: Increase
Socioeconomic
Impact: Data from last
years PTC attendance
indicated that F&R
parents were the least
in attendance. Ne-SA
test also showed that,
on average, F&R
studnets were below
proticiency in writing.

patent contact to
encourage more
involvement, as well
as, stimulate goal
setting and positive
self-retlection with
students. Adjust
instruction to
improve
organization
organization
proticiency.

Steps:
1. Make quarterly
parent contacts via
Kikutext (or
whatever means
best suit the
parents)
2. Model & Coach
goal setting a self
retlection
3. Conduct peer-to-
peer writer's
workshops.

Teacher: Make

a concious effort
to engage
parents through
frequent contact,
model positive
goalsetting &
engage students
in cooperative
workshops
(Zubrzycki
article).

Learning
Process:

Students will
constructively
self-assess and
retlect, make
actionable goals
for improvement,
and work towrd
writing
proticiency