Howard County Public School System

Cultural Proficiency Voices from the Field

Level Two: Application Awareness-to-Action Symposium 2017

Division of Human Resources and Development ______

Table of Contents

Page

Cultural Proficiency Overview 3

Presenter Contact Information 4

Assessment

Carolyn Colón ...... 5 Equitable Grading Practices Co-Teaching

Susan Bell ...... 9 From Barriers to Bridges: Strengthening the Para/Teacher co-teaching partnership Patricia Lamberti ...... 13 From Barriers to Bridges: Strengthening the Para/Teacher co-teaching partnership Curriculum & Instruction

Joshua Garner ...... 17 Understanding Constructions of Identity in US History Laurin Grubb ...... 21 Lift Every Voice: Increasing Curriculum Diversity to Improve Student Engagement Cynthia Gruhn ...... 25 Who are the Americans in American Literature? Hugo Jackson 29 Increasing Access to Rigor for Historically Underserved Students Family and Community Involvement and Engagement

Davita Alston ...... 33 Stakeholder Support and Student Growth Julia Bakhru ...... 37 Establishing a Food Pantry in Oakland Mills High School to Address the Needs of Our Students Elizabeth Shiah ...... 41 Student-Led Conferences with a Focus on HCPSS Technology Tools Leadership

Christina Krabitz ...... 45 Staying in the “With Box:” Increasing the Agency of Students and Staff Members in Continuous School Improvement

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 1 ______

Page

Positive Behavior Supports (PBS)

Cynthia Hubbard ...... 49 Increase Awareness of Student Voice for Non-verbal Students with Interfering Behaviors School Environment (Climate & Culture)

Charnee Bowens ...... 53 Parent Advisory Committee Beth Ceglia ...... 57 Increasing Engagement through Student Voice Aimee Chanhatasilpa ...... 61 Student Self-Reflection Through an International Club Mark Dunbar ...... 65 Using Video to Support Student Voice and Engagement Jonathan Dupski ...... 69 Using Student Voice to Enhance Relationships within Atholton High School Catina Evans ...... 73 Increasing Engagement through Student Voice Sonya Everett ...... 77 Student Self Reflection through Internationalism – Developing an International/Diversity Club Teresa Goodrich ...... 81 Teaching Teachers to Talk Norda Hodgson-Clopein ...... 85 Teaching Teachers to Talk Kristin Malone ...... 89 Teaching Teachers to Talk Melissa Morrison ...... 93 Meaningful Student Service Learning at the Middle School Level Wendy Pitts ...... 97 Moving from a Two Schools-One Building Model to a One School-Two Programs Model Molly Schaefer ...... 101 Increasing Engagement through Student Voice Jamie Stavinski ...... 105 Fostering The Use of Restorative Practices at Oakland Mills High School

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 2 ______

Cultural Proficiency Overview

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to cultural proficiency, which is defined as: • a mindset; a way of being, • an “inside-out” approach to change, • the use of specific tools for effectively describing, responding to, and planning for issues that emerge in diverse environments, • polices and practices at the organizational level – and values, beliefs, and behaviors at the individual level – that enable effective cross-cultural interactions between and among staff, students, families, and community.

Human Resources and Development

To support the HCPSS commitment to cultural proficiency, the system offers three levels of structured professional learning in the form of in-service seminars and continuing professional development (CPD) courses: • Level I: Awareness – Developing an acute understanding of one’s own individual and organizational culture and its influence on others, and engendering the will to change in service of others. • Level II: Application – Intentionally and effectively using the four tools of cultural proficiency to guide personal, professional, and program improvement and organizational development. Additionally, Level 2 processes are integrated within other systemic programs such as Leadership Fellows. • Level III: Facilitation – Building leadership capacity to facilitate cultural proficiency in others and self.

Documentation of Improved Practice and Policy

Cultural proficiency serves as an educational leadership lens for participants in these HCPSS professional development offerings as they work to lead in ways that: • ensure every student has access to the benefits of a democratic system, and • seek out and leverage the diversity within the community to improve educational outcomes for all.

HCPSS staff members aspire for effective practice in cross-cultural situations that affect their students, the communities they serve, and fellow staff members.

Each Level II participant has documented a focused improvement effort (i.e., Level II Project) within which they have used the tools of cultural proficiency as a template for change. The abstracts and artifacts contained in this book represent the project component of Level II.

Like chips in a mosaic, these projects collectively form an emerging image of the equitable student outcomes and cultural competence indicative of a world-class school system.

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 3 ______

Contact Information

Name Position Location Email

Davita Alston Teacher Lime Kiln Middle School [email protected]

Julia Bakhru Teacher Oakland Mills High School [email protected]

Susan Bell Teacher Cedar Lane [email protected]

Charnee Bowens Teacher Murray Hill Middle School [email protected]

Elizabeth Ceglia Teacher Murray Hill Middle School [email protected]

Aimee Chanhatasilpa Media Specialist Glenelg High School [email protected]

Carolyn Colon Teacher Homewood Center [email protected]

Mark Dunbar Teacher Murray Hill Middle School [email protected]

Jonathan Dupski Teacher Atholton High School [email protected]

Catina Evans Teacher Murray Hill Middle School [email protected]

Sonya Everett Teacher Glenelg High School [email protected]

Joshua Garner Teacher Glenelg High School [email protected]

Teresa Goodrich Teacher River Hill High School [email protected]

Laurin Grubb Teacher Oakland Mills High School [email protected]

Cynthia Gruhn Teacher Glenelg High School [email protected]

Norda Hodgson-Clopein Teacher River Hill High School [email protected]

Cynthia Hubbard Teacher Cedar Lane [email protected]

Hugo Jackson Teacher Lime Kiln Middle School [email protected]

Christina Krabitz Assistant Principal Homewood Center [email protected]

Patricia Lamberti Paraeducator Cedar Lane [email protected]

Kristin Malone Teacher River Hill High School [email protected]

Melissa Morrison Support Teacher Homewood Center [email protected]

Wendy Pitts Mental Health Teacher Homewood Center [email protected]

Molly Schaefer Teacher Murray Hill Middle School [email protected]

Elizabeth Shiah Teacher Oakland Mills High School [email protected]

Jamie Stavinski Teacher Oakland Mills High School [email protected]

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 4 ______

Carolyn C. Colón English Teacher Homewood Center Equitable Grading Practices

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 5 ______

Carolyn C. Colón, English Teacher, Homewood School

Project Title: Equitable Grading Practices

Banner Question: What are our current grading practices, and how can we increase equity in grading and reporting?

Planning: Focus Area: Assessment Vision 2018: Every student achieves academic excellence in an inspiring, engaging and supportive environment. 1.6 Meaningful measures of student outcomes are in place. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Assessing Cultural Knowledge Existing State: Cultural Pre-Competence Desired State: Cultural Competence

Summary of Actions Taken: Ensuring grades are generated in a consistent, purposeful and accurate manner builds equity and ensures all students are being evaluated fairly. For this project, a literature review was conducted to investigate equitable grading practices in five key areas: Homework, Effort Grades, No- Zero Policies, Formative Assessments, and Late Work Policies. In addition, research was conducted using a mixed-methods design to probe teacher perceptions concerning grading practices in the Gateway program. A survey tool that utilized both quantitative and qualitative prompts yielded a response rate of 88%. Additionally, informal interviews were conducted to further probe teacher perceptions and clarify understanding.

Results and Next Steps: Findings from the study indicate divergent grading practices among teachers in our program. In addition, some of the current practices unintentionally and unfairly penalize students, while other practices unintentionally inflate grades. Additionally, there is agreement among teachers that the current weighting scale does not serve our purposes as intended. Recommendations are shared which, if instituted with fidelity, have the potential to positively impact our grading practices.

Feedback Desired: How can I establish the need to change some current practices in a way that ensures maximum buy-in? How can we support teachers in establishing and maintaining fair and equitable grading practices? How can we provide teachers with opportunities to voice concerns and provide feedback?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 6 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 7 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 8 ______

Susan Bell Special Education ITL Early Childhood From Barriers to Bridges: Strengthening the Para/Teacher co-teaching partnership

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 9 ______

Susan Bell, Special Education ITL, Cedar Lane School- Early Childhood

Project Title: From Barriers to Bridges: Strengthening the Para/Teacher co-teaching partnership

Banner Question: How can cultural proficiency improve the effectiveness of the special education teacher/para co- teaching partnership?

Planning: Focus area: Co-Teaching Vision 2018: 2.1.5 – Provide professional learning to foster effective communication, respect, and collaboration in a diverse environment. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Managing the Dynamics Of Difference Existing state: Cultural Blindness Desired state: Cultural Proficiency

Summary of Actions Taken: At Cedar Lane School a positive relationship between a classroom teacher and the paras that work in the classroom provides consistency in instruction, a shared classroom structure and enables all players to have an important position in the educational program for each student. I have always believed that each staff member has an important role to play in classroom instruction and through cultural proficiency a shared dynamic can be developed. It is this belief that guided my work. This year, Cedar Lane School instituted a new method of providing support personnel in the special education classroom. There is one teacher and one para assigned to the classroom. They are considered “classroom staff”. Additionally, there are a variety of “floating” paras that help provide support when needed most. Unfortunately, this has created some contention among staff, and has resulted in significant conflicts in the classrooms. Issues like equity, poor communication, lack of cultural respect and no accountability have arisen. Further information was needed to identify what specific barriers prevent the classroom staff from cultural proficiency. A survey was developed and passed out to 16 staff who work closely together in the special education classroom at CLS. The purpose of the survey was to identify specific areas where cultural proficiency is not visible or used. Results and Next Steps: A sampling of para educators and teachers who work together in the classroom were surveyed. Each were given 10 questions relating to managing the dynamics of difference in the classroom setting. Value areas like co-planning, communication, norms, rules, accountability and coordination were imbedded in the questions. According to the results, most staff recognized and could identify potential conflict situations, had clear roles and responsibilities in terms of student care (toileting and personal care) and were aware of each others strengths and skills and how they applied to the classroom. However, the results also showed that there were many barriers the staff had created for themselves. These barriers were: not establishing clear ground rules and norms for the classroom to function, little or no co-planning for instruction which affects accountability, not having good conflict resolution strategies resulting in dysfunction and not having shared visions for the students in the classroom. Feedback desired: Is there a specific structure in starting a classroom that can eliminate these barriers from occurring? Do we need more information? What is our next step? Any information about developing good co- planning, setting norms and rules in the co-taught classroom and positive conflict resolution strategies would be helpful.

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 10 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 11 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 12 ______

Patricia Lamberti Paraeducator Cedar Lane School From Barriers to Bridge: Strengthening the Para /Teacher co -teaching partnership

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 13 ______

Patricia Lamberti, Paraeducator, Cedar Lane School

Project Title: From Barriers to Bridge: Strengthening the Para /Teacher co -teaching partnership.

Banner Question: How can cultural proficiency improve the effectiveness of the special education teacher /para co -teaching partnership?

Planning Focus Area: Co-Teaching Vision 2018 2.1.5- Provide professional learning to faster effective communication, respect, and collaboration in a diverse environment. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Managing the Dynamics of Difference Existing State: Cultural Blindness Desired State: Cultural Proficiency

Summary of Actions Taken: This year, Cedar Lane, we have teacher with just one support staff (instead of 2 or more paras) in individual rooms all day. The remaining paraeducators float throughout rooms to assist at different times each day. This has resulted in an increase in staff to staff conflict, lack of mutual respect, misunderstandings, and feelings of discontent throughout the school. We developed A checklist, that 16 teachers and paraeducators voluntarily completed. The results confirmed that our Cedar Lane staff is in a state of Cultural blindness, with some skills leaning toward cultural pre-competence. Further information has been gathered through another survey to identify shared values at Cedar Lane and further identify specific Barriers impacting our cultural proficient state. Results and Next Steps: Paraeducators and teachers who work together in the classroom were surveyed. The results were most staff recognized and could identify potential conflict situations, had clear roles and responsibilities in terms of student care, and were aware of each other’s strengths and skills and how they applied to the classroom. However, the results also showed that there were many barriers the staff had created for themselves. These barriers were: not establishing clear ground rules and norms for the classroom to function, little or no co-planning for instruction which affects accountability, not having good conflict resolution strategies resulting in dysfunction within classrooms.

Feedback desired: What steps can we take to strengthen relations between paraeducators and teachers? What should our next step be? How can we improve communication?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 14 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 15 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 16 ______

Joshua Garner High School Social Studies Teacher Glenelg High School Understanding Constructions of Identity in US History

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 17 ______

Joshua Garner, High School Social Studies, Glenelg High School

Project Title: Understanding Constructions of Identity in US History

Banner Question: Can students become more aware of diverse experiences of US and World citizens through experiencing move diverse perspectives in high school history curriculum?

Planning: Focus Area: Curriculum and Instruction Vision 2018: Goal 1- Students; Outcome 1.4- Students are engaged in the learning process; 1.1 Instructional program is rigorous, globally-relevant, and aligned with international or national standards; 1.1.3 Promote depth of knowledge; 1.1.4 Creativity, innovation, problem solving, critical thinking; 1.1.6 Robust international learning opportunities Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Valuing Diversity, Adapting to Diversity Existing State: Cultural Precompetence Desired State: Cultural Proficiency

Summary of Actions Taken: In response to differences I have noticed in ways students at Glenelg High School understand the world versus students in poorer, urban school districts where I have taught, I have been working over the past 3 years to adapt the US history curriculum to help students understand the development of social issues that relate to identity in US history. I have adapted the US history curriculum from Howard County to focus on 4 key issues for the year as repeating themes. For this project, the key question is: How has the US dealt with issues of identity and differences from the end of the civil war to present? Students are asked to grapple with this throughout the year, completing similar tasks with each unit to reinforce continuities and changes. In the final unit of the year, students are engaged in a deep dive into issues of race and gender from the 1950’s to the present (Civil Rights Movement, Feminism, LGBT Rights, War on Crime/Drugs, Mass Incarceration, Inequality, Political Parties) beginning with an assessment of their own racial & gender biases through the Implicit Associate Test (run by Harvard University). They are then asked to explore and reflect on the way in which identity in America affects the social, political and economic structures, and impacts their own standing as students. Data is collected through qualitative reflections as well as class discussions of texts, films and podcasts. Results & Next Steps: Based on student reflections collected over the past 2 years in class (this year’s data will not be in till after this presentation) 80-85%% of students showed changed views on the role that identity, particularly race, plays in shaping the experience of life for American citizens. Most students moved from ignorance to an awareness stage, while others expressed motivation to become more socially active on certain issues (inequality, racial bias in criminal justice system). Feedback Desired: How can I get other teachers in my building on board with making such a fundamental shift in their teaching about race and identity in US history? How can I help educate other teachers so they are knowledgeable and confident in discussing these issues in class with their students?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 18 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 19 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 20 ______

Laurin Grubb English Teacher Oakland Mills High School Lift Every Voice: Increasing Curriculum Diversity to Improve Student Engagement

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 21 ______

Laurin Grubb, English Teacher, Oakland Mills High School

Project Title: Lift Every Voice: Increasing Curriculum Diversity to Improve Student Engagement

Banner Question: In what ways can I work to increase student access to diverse and inclusive texts in English classes to encourage student engagement?

Planning: Focus Area: Curriculum and Instruction Vision 2018: Goal 1- Students; Outcome 1.4- Students are engaged in the learning process; Strategy 1.4.3 “Provide personalized education experiences.” Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Institutionalizing Cultural Knowledge Existing State: Cultural Incapacity (Cultural Blindness/ Pre-Competence on individual basis) Desired State: Cultural Competence

Summary of Actions Taken: In my experience as an English teacher, I have been surprised by the lack of diversity sometimes represented in the texts studied in English classrooms. Though African American Literature is an elective that Howard County Public Schools has offered in the course catalogue, it has not been run in several years. In order to bring this elective back into active rotation, and encourage student access to more diverse texts, I heavily advertised it, not only through printed flyers, but also through word of mouth. In doing so, I hoped to create some “buzz” about the possibilities for the course and the opportunities students would have not only to study fascinating material, but also to engage in the material in a flexible and student directed way. At the same time, I began to revise the previous HCPSS African American Literature elective curriculum, with input and direction from both my school-based leadership, and from the Coordinator of Secondary Language Arts, Nancy Czarnecki. As I focused on creating a student centered approach in the development of curriculum for African American Literature, I discovered that there were also ways in which I could revise my current teaching practices in order to incorporate more student voice and more freedom of choice, allowing for more student ownership and engagement. With the direction of Ms. Czarnecki, I modified a unit in my English 12 class in order to allow students, in groups of 4 or 5, to select a text to read, analyze and present to their classmates which was outside of the traditional Western Canon of Literature.

Results and Next Steps: The enrollment for the African American Literature elective was promising, and it appears as though it will be offered next year for students at Oakland Mills High School. Ms. Czarnecki, and I plan to meet in late May/ early June to further revise the curriculum and plan the content for the elective. In my current classroom, my English 12 students have very enthusiastically selected their texts, and shown a high level of engagement with these texts, which represent not only a variety of cultural backgrounds, but also a multitude of perspectives. In my opinion, this result is impressive considering how close these students are to the end of the year, a time which is not traditionally known for high student involvement.

Feedback Desired: How can we further expand opportunities for learners to develop their voice within the school environment? How can we encourage more schools to adopt practices that help diversify text selection for all learners, or increase student choice in the English classroom?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 22 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 23 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 24 ______

Cynthia Gruhn English Department Teacher Glenelg High School Who are the Americans in American Literature?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 25 ______

Cynthia Gruhn, Teacher, Glenelg High School, English Department

Project Title: Who are the Americans in American Literature?

Banner Question: How can I, as a classroom teacher, present American literature to students in a way that (1) is culturally sensitive and (2) promotes student growth in cultural proficiency.

Planning: Focus Area: Curriculum and Instruction Vision 2018: Goal 1; Outcome 1.1 The instructional program is rigorous, globally relevant and aligned with international and/or nationally recognized college and career readiness standards. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Valuing Diversity Existing State: Eleventh-grade students in Howard County English classes study American Literature. Currently that study is a mostly chronological study of mainstream patterns: Colonialism, Romanticism, et cetera. This organizational structure largely ignores minority voices and writers. Desired State: Anchor texts and other curricular choices that reflect the rich, diverse heritage of American literature, and that affirm the value of cultural diversity.

Summary of Actions Taken: The implementation of this project called for modest curricular and instructional changes in the teaching of American literature: reorganizing of approved anchor texts, deliberate crafting of discussion questions and instructional activities to more clearly affirm the values of cultural proficiency, and providing students with opportunities to reflect on their own thinking and growth in cultural proficiency. The most significant of these changes was the development of a four-week mini-unit, “Otherness Stories,” a study designed to examine the tension in literature between characters with whom we identify and those who we perceive as being very different from us.

Results and Next Steps: Students reported greater empathy for real people who have experiences similar to those of the characters they read about. Students grew in terms of their acceptance for cultural differences of their classmates. Students pursued study, beyond this mini unit, of a more diverse America.

Feedback Desired: To what degree can the results of this project be generalized beyond the experience in one classroom? -What options are already available, or can easily be made available, to Howard County teachers to share concerns and solutions surrounding diversity and literature? -How can English teachers help Howard County create more culturally sensitive curricular and instructional choices?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 26 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 27 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 28 ______

Hugo Jackson Special Education Teacher Lime Kiln Middle School Increasing Access to Rigor for Historically Underserved Students

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 29 ______

Hugo Jackson, Special Education Teacher, Lime Kiln Middle School

Project Title: Increasing Access to Rigor for Historically Underserved Students

Banner Question: How can I increase access to rigorous courses and activities for students traditionally underserved in the GT program at LKMS?

Planning: Focus Area: Curriculum and Instruction Vision 2018: Outcome 1.2 - Students have equitable access to a rigorous instructional program. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Valuing Diversity Existing State: Cultural Competence Desired State: Cultural Proficiency

Summary of Actions Taken: We have identified the percentages of the students by race that are involved in GT classes and GT experiences in each grade. A questionnaire was shared with a group of African- American and Hispanic students that was geared towards their interest in GT classes and or experiences to investigate if they would be up for the challenge. I have also developed a questionnaire to receive input from staff.

Results and Next Steps: The next steps include selecting a group of 15-20 African-American and Hispanic students in the school to participate in a questionnaire. In addition, I would like to meet with the teachers during a team meeting to discuss our goal and ask them to complete a questionnaire developed for faculty during the first two weeks of May. At the end of the first quarter in the 2017-18 school year we would like to revisit our percentages and see if our discussions with the students and staff has resulted in an increase of African-American and Latino students in the GT program at the school, specifically in the 7th and 8th grade. Our goal is for our GT classes and activities is to have as many African-American and Hispanic students involved in GT classes and activities as what you see when you walk into a regular education classroom in the school.

Feedback Desired: How can we lessen, if not prevent the barriers to underrepresented students? How can we get our underrepresented students to be receptive to taking classes with more rigor? Input from my fellow teachers on how we can get more rigor from students and increase the African-American and Hispanic population in our GT program.

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 30 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 31 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 32 ______

Davita Alston Spanish Teacher & Related Arts Team Leader Lime Kiln Middle School Stakeholder Support and Student Growth

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 33 ______

Davita Alston, Spanish teacher & Related Arts Team Leader, Lime Kiln Middle School

Project Title: Stakeholder Support and Student Growth

Banner Question: How can parent voice be amplified in LKMS to support growth of their children?

Planning: Focus Area: Family and Community Involvement Vision 2018: Goal 3: Families; Outcome 3.1 … collaborates with family and community partners to engender a culture of trust, transparency, and mutual respect. Strategy 3.1.2 – Develop mechanisms for interactive communications with stakeholders. Strategy 3.1.6 – Develop intentional strategies to connect directly with families who need additional supports. Strategy 3.1.7 – Develop a robust and convenient family education program on key topics around student achievement, advocacy, and student and family supports. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Valuing Diversity Existing State: Cultural Blindness: Responds to legal mandates for parent and community involvement, without regard for actual needs or issues of diverse cultural groups, believing such compliance to adequately meet all needs. Desired State: Cultural Proficiency: Esteems community diversity, and seeks to harness the strength of diverse stakeholder input and participation to create an interdependent system focused on meeting the needs of all cultural groups.

Summary of Actions Taken: Efforts to help LKMS parents feel engaged and connected began with meeting with the principal to determine areas of focus for a series of Parent Academies. Through a survey presented to parents during parent conferences, at PTA meetings, and sent via email and the school newsletter, data was collected asking parents in what areas related to student growth and achievement did they wanted to gain more knowledge. A second survey was developed and presented in the same manner second semester. However, the focus of this survey was to find out how well parents felt connected and engaged at LKMS. Results and Next Steps: In the first survey sent to parents, there were 13 responses. The top areas of academic concern were: Transitioning to high school, Current Trends in homework, Accessing HCPSS technology, Increasing your child’s self-esteem, and College and Career Ready Math Curriculum. Through LKMS Parent Academies, we offered sessions in College and Career Ready Math with our MIST, Accessing HCPSS Technology, and Screenagers Community Film on teens, parents, and social media. The second survey had five responses with most responses expressing a need for more connectedness and improved communication within the LKMS community. Feedback Desired: 1. What are some ways to increase parents’ response to our surveys? 2. Other than surveys, what are some ways to gather information from parents?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 34 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 35 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 36 ______

Julia Bakhru GT Resource Teacher Oakland Mills High School Establishing a Food Pantry in Oakland Mills High School to Address the Needs of Our Students

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 37 ______

Julia Bakhru, GT Resource Teacher, Oakland Mills High School

Project Title: Establishing a Food Pantry in Oakland Mills High School to Address the Needs of Our Students

Banner Question: How can removing socioeconomic barriers through the establishment of a school-based food bank improve family and student engagement?

Planning: Focus Area: Family and Community Involvement and Engagement Vision 2018: Goal 3- Families; Outcomes 3.2- HCPSS is strengthened through partnerships; Strategy 3.2.3- Partner with government, community organizations, and businesses to support the well-being of students, families, and staff members. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Adapting to Diversity Existing State: Cultural Pre-competence Desire State: Cultural Competence

Summary of Actions Taken: Currently, Oakland Mills High School has the highest FARMs rate of any Howard County high school. As such, the food insecurity of the community could benefit greatly from a local food pantry. My goal was to identify a potential space for the food pantry, establish a relationship between our school and the Community Action Council, and create a working food pantry by the following school year. In order to accomplish this, I researched other food pantries in the county, including one at an elementary school and the Howard County Food Bank. I met with stakeholders in my building to determine the most appropriate space for the project, and to address any safety or health issues.

Results and Next Steps: A positive outcome of these actions was the creation of a food pantry at Oakland Mills High, with the goal of starting distribution on July 1, 2017. We have a designated space with shelving, an industrial refrigerator, and donations from community members to assist with costs. Our next steps include finalizing paperwork between our school and the Community Action Council and advertising to the community.

Feedback Desired: How can Howard County do a better job of more effectively supporting the whole student? Are there any additional community partnerships that could assist in supporting our project? How can our school be a model for addressing student need as a means of improving community engagement?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 38 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 39 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 40 ______

Elizabeth Shiah ESOL Teacher Oakland Mills High School Student-Led Conferences with a Focus on HCPSS Technology Tools

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 41 ______

Elizabeth Shiah, ESOL Teacher, Oakland Mills High School Project Title: Student-Led Conferences with a Focus on HCPSS Technology Tools Banner Question: Will ESOL family and community involvement increase when conferences are customized to their cultural differences, specifically towards the format and setting of conferences? Planning: Focus Area: Family & Community Involvement & Engagement Vision 2018: Goal 3 – Families; Outcome 3.1 HCPSS collaborates with family and community partners to engender a culture of trust, transparency, and mutual respect. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Adapting to Diversity Existing State: Cultural Precompetence Desired State: Cultural Competence

Summary of Actions Taken: The ESOL population at Oakland Mills High School has a low attendance for Back to School Night and other times of community involvement. In addition, ESOL families have a low usage of HCPSS Technology Tools, such as Naviance and Canvas. The plan is to design student-led conferences which incorporate Naviance and Canvas. The conferences will be in English and/or the home language of the family present, and happen during various times of the day to meet the needs of the ESOL community. Students will play an important role of involvement and amplify their student voice by leading the school conferences for their home community. I visited Running Brook Elementary School in November 2016 to observe and learn about Student- Led Conferences. In addition, I collaborated with OMHS staff in order to discuss the needs of our ESOL community. This included Maribel Alonso (Hispanic Achievement Liaison), Lori Miller (ESOL Guidance Counselor) and ESOL Staff. I have begun to collect and develop resources for the Student-Led Conferences that will take place in the future.

Results and Next Steps: I will partner with several students to plan how to adapt quarterly conferences in order to better serve their families. These students will receive Community Service Hours for their work towards this project. Most ESOL students who begin at the high school level need to earn 75 hours of community service within 3-5 years. One of my classes (10-20 students) will perform Student-Led Conferences, either in Spring 2017 or Fall 2017. The plan is to have Student-Led Conferences quarterly in order to engage all student families.

Feedback Desired: Any recommendations regarding the logistics of this project, especially the idea of possibly holding conferences during the school day instead of in the evening.

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 42 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 43 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 44 ______

Christina Krabitz Assistant Principal Homewood Center Staying in the “With Box:” Increasing the Agency of Students and Staff Members in Continuous School Improvement

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 45 ______

Christina Krabitz, Assistant Principal, Homewood Center

Project Title: Staying in the “With Box:” Increasing the Agency of Students and Staff Members in Continuous School Improvement

Banner Question: How can I do more with my students and staff specifically in the area of continuous school improvement to ensure I have their voice, ownership, and leadership in decision making?

Planning: Focus Area: Leadership Vision 2018: 1.7.1 Actively involve students in building positive school environments 2.1 Staff members experience a culture of trust, transparency, and collaboration Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Managing the Dynamics of Difference Existing State: Cultural Blindness/Cultural Pre-Competence Desired State: Cultural Competence

Summary of Actions Taken: I am currently the Assistant Principal of the Gateway High School Program with approximately 90 students and 40 staff members. For years I have tried to encourage and value collaboration, but this year I focused on doing this more often while also including additional ownership and leadership experiences. For the first time this year, I held several student voice activities to gain insight on changes to make to the school community. From one of these activities, a student suggested that I create a student advisory committee to further their voice, ownership, and leadership. Results and Next Steps: As a result of purposefully focusing on increasing the voice and agency of my students and staff on minimally a monthly basis, I have gained new ideas and insight from each party. We have already made several changes to our program and have many more being planned for next year. Next steps for me include creating a student cell phone advisory committee by the end of May, studying the results of my staff work groups in early June, and helping move all new ideas forward over the summer so they can be implemented next school year. Feedback Desired: What other ideas have you used or seen that could help me gather more consistent and meaningful student voice? How else could I increase student leadership and ownership of school improvement? How can I further ensure that I have the voice of all staff, especially those who don’t always feel heard or valued? 3.

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 46 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 47 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 48 ______

Cynthia Hubbard School-based Behavior Specialist Cedar Lane School Increase Awareness of Student Voice for Non-verbal Students with Interfering Behaviors

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 49 ______

Cynthia Hubbard, School-based Behavior Specialist, Cedar Lane School

Project Title: Increase Awareness of Student Voice for Non-verbal Students with Interfering Behaviors

Banner Question: How can staff awareness of student voice influence their ability to provide early support to decrease student aggression?

Planning: Focus Area: Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) Vision 2018: 1.7.6- Strengthen professional learning in safeguarding students’ social and emotional safety and well-being. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Managing Dynamics of Difference Existing State: Culturally Destructive – Cultural Incapacity Desired State: Cultural Competence

Summary of Actions Taken: As a school-based behavior specialist, my job involves working with students and staff to develop and implement behavior plans. A survey was conducted to assess staff concerns related to managing student behaviors. As a result, our administration has provided video learning modules, which I have used to instruct applied behavior analysis. Instruction was differentiated and meetings were offered on two different days of the week. We have also implemented team trainings combining material from the video modules and Safety Care. The RtI framework and the PBS three-tiered model of student support have been introduced. With input from the team, I have created a behavior fidelity checklist, which integrates all practices.

Results and Next Steps:

Cedar Lane is reducing the number of restraints and the use of physical management. Numbers could be further reduced if antecedent interventions, based on student nonverbal behaviors were in place.

Feedback Desired:

How can I connect the information communicated in training sessions to the classroom in an effort to cultivate collaboration and an early awareness of student voice in the process of creating a safe and nurturing school environment?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 50 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 51 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 52 ______

Charnee Bowens Special Educator Murray Hill Middle School Parent Advisory Committee

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 53 ______

Charnee Bowens, Special Educator, Murray Hill Middle School Project Title: Parent Advisory Committee Banner Question: Through cultural proficiency, what steps can be taken to increase collaboration between the parents and staff at Murray Hill School? Planning: Focus Area: School Environment Vision 2018: 3.1.5- Develop intentional strategies to involve parents in decisions regarding their child’s HCPSS experience. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Valuing Diversity Existing State: Cultural Pre-Competence Desired State: Cultural Competence

Summary of Actions Taken: In response to recent publicized events pertaining to race and ethnicity throughout Howard County and the country, the staff and administration at Murray Hill Middle School formed a Parent Advisory Committee to capture the voice of the parent/guardian throughout our educational community. The first meeting was held on January 12, 2017 and parents were asked to express their opinions on how to best address the academic, social and psychological well being of the students. The meeting yielded a plethora of comments and suggestions geared toward improving the MHMS community. As a result of the feedback, a survey was created to help prioritize what recommendations the committee should focus on in the upcoming months. The next meeting was held on Thursday, February 16, 2017 and the committee discussed survey results and identified next steps necessary to continue the work of improving the school community.

Results and Next Steps: The survey was accessible to parents through Canvas and Google Docs. The top three areas identified as needing attention included expanding academic experiences outside of the classroom, addressing the misuse of social media and establishing and encouraging norms for timely and detailed communication and follow-up from teachers. As a result of the survey, the committee was asked to provide examples, opinions and ideas on how the three aforementioned areas could be addressed. Next steps will be to share the parental responses with the staff members at Murray Hill to gain additional feedback on how efficiently and effectively address the identified areas.

Feedback Desired: What strategies, beyond what is already established, can be implemented to adequately address the areas identified by the survey?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 54 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 55 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 56 ______

Beth Ceglia Social Studies Teacher Murray Hill Middle School Increasing Engagement through Student Voice

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 57 ______

Beth Ceglia, Social Studies Teacher, Murray Hill Middle School

Project Title: Increasing Engagement through Student Voice

Banner Question: Through cultural proficiency, how can we take steps to increase staff and student engagement in the Murray Hill community?

Planning: Focus Area: School Environment Vision 2018: 1.7.1 Actively involve students in building positive school environments. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Valuing Diversity Existing State: Cultural Pre-Competence Desired State: Cultural Competence

Summary of Actions Taken: This year’s student Gallup results revealed a decrease in student engagement from 3.98 to 3.85. The results also revealed that 46% of students at MHMS are engaged, 30% of students are not engaged and 22% of students are actively disengaged. In an effort to have more students engaged, our team focused on providing more opportunities for students to share about their lives outside the classroom with the hope that our school would begin to appreciate various cultural identities found at Murray Hill. Through the use of FlipGrid, an app which allows teachers to pose questions and students to respond via video clips, students have been able to share more about their lives. These clips will be available for students, staff, parents and community to learn more about our students.

Results and Next Steps: As a result, students have an outlet to share more about their lives and to highlight their talents. They also have opportunities to learn about and connect to classmates. MHMS staff and community will also be able to gain further insight into student lives. Thinking about next steps, I need to explore the frequency of questions posed, the most effective way to gain participation and best practices for disseminating what students share.

Feedback Desired: How can I increase participation among students? How can I involve the community in supporting our goal of valuing diversity?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 58 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 59 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 60 ______

Aimee Chanhatasilpa Library Media Specialist Glenelg High School Student Self-Reflection Through an International Club

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 61 ______

Aimee Chanhatasilpa, Library Media Specialist, Glenelg High School Project Title: Student Self-Reflection Through an International Club

Banner Question: Will students become more accepting of other cultures when they learn about and experience other societies?

Planning: Focus Area: School Environment Vision 2018: Goal 1: Students, Outcome 1.7, Strategy 1.7.1 – Actively involve students in building positive school environments. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Valuing Diversity Existing State: Cultural Pre-Competence Desired State: Cultural Competence

Summary of Actions Taken: Planning of club To address concerns of intolerance, discrimination, and prejudice of all kinds at Glenelg High School, I am proposing a student International Club. The goal of the club will be to have the student members identify and explore their own culture through identifying and exploring world cultures. Through international guest speakers, cultural performances, cooking demonstrations, film showings, field trips and more students will be exposed to facets of world cultures. To connect the students’ cultural experiences back to Glenelg, students will complete reflections and service projects aimed at expanding, sharing, and enriching the interconnections of world cultures at Glenelg. To reach these goals, the International Club will sponsor related school community service projects that any community member could complete with the club or volunteer to facilitate an event. Results and Next Steps: Secure club approval, advertise and attract students, arrange for club events. Feedback Desired: What should be focused on when growing this program: reaching more students, financial support, commitment within the school and Glenelg community?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 62 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 63 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 64 ______

Mark Dunbar GT Resource Teacher Murray Hill Middle School Using Video to Support Student Voice and Engagement

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 65 ______

Mark Dunbar, GT Resource Teacher, Murray Hill Middle School

Project Title: Using Video to Support Student Voice and Engagement

Banner Question: Through cultural proficiency, how can we take steps to increase staff and student engagement in the Murray Hill community?

Planning: Focus Area: School Environment Vision 2018: 1.7.1 Actively involve students in building positive school environments. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Valuing Diversity Existing State: Cultural Pre-Competence Desired State: Cultural Competence

Summary of Actions Taken: This year’s student Gallup results revealed a decrease in student engagement from 3.98 to 3.85. The results also revealed that 46% of students at MHMS are engaged, 30% of students are not engaged and 22% of students are actively disengaged. In an effort to engage more students, our team focused on providing more opportunities for students to share about their lives outside the classroom with the hope that our school would begin to appreciate various cultural identities found at Murray Hill. This project is focused on the use of student-generated and student-published interviews to establish connections among students. The interview subjects are selected by students in a GT Digital Media seminar, and the questions are written by the seminar participants. The videos are then published on the morning announcements to help students to connect with one another, specifically around questions that expose both commonality and diversity.

Results and Next Steps: As a result, students have an outlet to share more about their lives and to learn about the personal lives of their classmates. They have opportunities to think about themselves as integral parts of the school community. Moving forward, I need to explore the selection process for interview subjects, increase participation in generating interview questions, and explore options for long-term publication of the videos.

Feedback Desired: What are some options for publication of videos? How can I best balance the competing values of students being special vs. students being relatable in questions and in the resulting videos?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 66 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 67 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 68 ______

Jonathan Dupski Mathematics Teacher Atholton High School Using Student Voice to Enhance Relationships within Atholton High School

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 69 ______

Jonathan Dupski, Mathematics Teacher, Atholton High School Project Title: Using Student Voice to Enhance Relationships within Atholton High School. Banner Question: How can student voice be used to improve student-student and student-staff relationships to enhance the school environment? Planning: Focus Area: School Environment Vision 2018: Strategy 1.4.1 – Actively involve students in decision-making about their learning experiences, including courses of study and enrichment opportunities. Strategy 1.7.1 – Actively involve students in building positive school environments. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Adapting to Diversity Existing State: Cultural Blindness Desired State: Cultural Proficiency

Summary of Actions Taken: This project evolved over the course of the 2016/2017 school year. At first, my goal was to focus on HCPSS Policy 8050, Teaching of Controversial Issues. However, due to a social media event that rocked the Atholton High School culture, I decided to embrace the present need for improving student-student and student-teacher relationships. This involved co-creating a student voice group, consisting of twenty-two 9th - 12th graders with diverse cultural backgrounds. The students were selected through recommendations by teachers and by student leaders who helped facilitate student meetings in response to the social media incident. I then asked for 4 teachers and 1 administrator to participate in the group facilitated by Phil Cohen, a participant in Cultural Proficiency 3. Thus far, we have held three meetings where we fostered trust and unity, discussed stereotypes that lead to unhealthy school environments, analyzed Gallup Student Engagement data, and discussed root causes of present issues. Results/Significance (Next Steps): Building trust and unity within a group of students and staff is always a significant accomplishment. Having the staff learn and hear from students has given us perspective about Atholton’s present culture. Currently, our group is using “Raider Time” to create an action plan with the aim of improving student relationships to build a more inclusive school environment. The prominent ideas deal with a greater opportunity for students to voice their opinions in an open format, meet other students, and discuss current events with teachers. I plan to continue to lead with this group of students throughout next year to implement the proposed plan along with several of the staff participants. Feedback Desired: How can our student group spread our initiative of inclusion to the entire student body? As a group, how can we motivate all staff members to not only listen to but lead with our students when making decisions, taking action, and assessing change?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 70 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 71 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 72 ______

Catina Evans English Language Arts Teacher Murray Hill Middle School Increasing Engagement through Student Voice

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 73 ______

Catina Evans, English Language Arts Teacher, Murray Hill Middle School

Project Title: Increasing Engagement through Student Voice

Banner Question: Through cultural proficiency, how can we take steps to bridge the gap among various student groups at Murray Hill community?

Planning: Focus Area: School Environment Vision 2018: Strategy 1.5.3 – Provide targeted supports and acceleration programs to close specific achievement gaps within and among content areas and schools. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Institutionalize Cultural Proficiency Existing State: Cultural Pre-Competence Desired State: Cultural Proficiency

Summary of Actions Taken: In order to impact Reading and Math performance, staff implemented UBD (Understanding by Design) planning practices, collaborated consistently to design and score common summative assessments. Also, the Literacy Team and grade-level content partners analyzed MAP test results in order to identify areas of need for future instruction and professional development. Baseline to Target for Student Groups: ● 44.4% of our current 7th grade students met the HCPSS Performance Benchmark for Reading RIT scores. Our target for this school year is to increase this to 50%. ● 42.7% of our current 8th grade students met the HCPSS Performance Benchmark for Reading RIT scores. Our target for this school year is to increase this to 48%. ● 41% of our current 7th grade students met the HCPSS Performance Benchmark for Math RIT scores. Our target for this school year is to maintain this % for the limited number of students who take Math MAP this spring. ● 10.5% of our current 8th grade students, who took Math MAP last spring, met the HCPSS Performance Benchmark for Math RIT scores. Our target for this school year is to increase this to 17%. Results and Next Steps: Analysis of MAP scores following Winter MAP administration resulted in possible to instructional practices and a review of students placed into interventions. During the Bridges After School program, students were placed in an academic intervention (Math or Reading) that supports their regular school day classes in order to help them become even more engaged and successful at a variety of skills in that specific content area. Students in the Bridges program were able to analyze their MAP scores and set a meaningful goal based solely upon their scores. By setting a goal, students were motivated to take ownership in “showing what they know” and staff was able to utilize MAP resources to better inform parents during conferences. Thinking about next steps, I need to explore other options for hiring more content area staff members in the after school program. Feedback Desired: How can I increase participation from content area teachers? How can I involve the community, more specifically, the parents of the Bridges participants, in supporting our goal of valuing diversity? ______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 74 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 75 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 76 ______

Sonya Everett Art Teacher Glenelg High School Student Self Reflection through Internationalism – Developing an International/Diversity Club

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 77 ______

Sonya Everett, Art Teacher, Glenelg High School Project Title: Student Self Reflection through Internationalism – Developing an International/Diversity Club Banner Question: Do students become more accepting of others differences when they learn about and experience other cultures? Planning: Focus Area: School Environment (Climate and Culture) Vision 2018: Outcome 1.7 Schools support the social and emotional safety and well-being of all students. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Valuing Diversity Existing State: Cultural Pre-competence Desired State: Cultural Competence

Summary of Actions Taken: In the wake of issues happening throughout the world, I would like to start a student International/Diversity Club (IDC). The IDC would be a place for students to celebrate their international heritage, learn about cultures in a secure environment and discuss global issues. With the expansion of global interaction, it is important that students become aware of cultural proficiency and accepting of people’s differences. Each student will begin by realizing they are part of a “culture”. They will be asked to look at their own families with an anthropology-based focus on: ethnicity, religion, sexuality, rituals, neighborhood community and school community. To connect students to individualized, meaningful experiences there will be events aimed at expanding, sharing and enriching the interconnections of world cultures. These projects can include; guest speakers, dance and music performances, culturally significant movies, visiting artists, art projects, and meet-ups at cultural institutions. The club will take advantage of Glenelg’s location being close to DC and surrounded by collages. For continued ownership into the club it will have a student leadership core of officers who assume some of the planning. This empowers students to become liaisons between the school, the club and the public for special events and guests.

Results/ Significance (Next Steps): Get approval for the club, advertise and attract students for meetings, arrange for guest speakers, research cultural and service experiences, and write a grant to cover the cost of field trips.

Feedback Desired: What should be the list of priorities when starting this program (attracting and impacting students, financial support, and commitment within the school and Glenelg community).

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 78 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 79 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 80 ______

Teresa Goodrich World Language ITL River Hill High School Teaching Teachers to Talk

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 81 ______

Teresa Goodrich, World Language ITL, River Hill High School Project Title: Teaching Teachers to Talk Banner Question: How can River Hill improve teachers’ confidence in starting the racism conversation with students in the classroom? Planning: Focus Area: School Environment Vision 2018: 1.7.5 – Ensure students have access to culturally proficient professional staff members who support them and help them solve problems. 2.1.5 – Provide professional learning to foster effective communication, respect, and collaboration in a diverse environment. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Institutionalize Cultural Knowledge Existing State: Cultural Blindness Desired State: Cultural Proficiency Summary of Actions Taken: In light of recent racially charged events that have taken place at River Hill High School, a staff-led committee has been formed to address the continuing issue of racism in the school environment. The committee consists of ten staff members and one administrator. The first step taken to address the issue of racism at River Hill High School was to create a three-part professional development for the teachers. The goal of the cultural proficiency professional development is to give the teachers at RHHS the tools necessary for starting the hard discussion of racism with their students in the classroom. Through the three-part PD, teachers explore three essential questions and aspects of racism: (1) Does Racism Exist?; (2) Institutional Racism; and (3) Is that Racist? During the first session of the PD, Norda and Kristin asked the teachers to identify and discuss the similarities and differences between racism and prejudice. Then, teachers were asked to assess their comfort level when talking about racism with students. After each PD, teachers were asked to fill out a Google feedback form in order to collect data to improve the next PD and supply teachers with the tools needed to be successful. These tools are to help teachers with the second step of having starting the conversation about racism in the classroom. Results and Next Steps: River Hill High School will continue providing professional development opportunities to give teachers access cultural proficiency training so that they can provide a safe and supportive environment for our students. Feedback Desired: How can we increase staff engagement and awareness for the ever-evolving need of cultural understanding and proficiency?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 82 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 83 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 84 ______

Norda A. Hodgson-Clopein Spanish Teacher River Hill High School Teaching Teachers to Talk

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 85 ______

Norda A. Hodgson-Clopein, Spanish Teacher, River Hill High School Project Title: Teaching Teachers to Talk Banner Question: How can River Hill improve teachers’ confidence in starting the racism conversation with students in the classroom? Planning: Focus Area: School Environment Vision 2018: 1.7.5 – Ensure students have access to culturally proficient professional staff members who support them and help them solve problems. 2.1.5 – Provide professional learning to foster effective communication, respect, and collaboration in a diverse environment. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Institutionalize Cultural Knowledge Existing State: Cultural Blindness Desired State: Cultural Proficiency Summary of Actions Taken: In light of recent racially charged events that have taken place at River Hill High School, a staff-led committee has been formed to address the continuing issue of racism in the school environment. The committee consists of ten staff members and one administrator. The first step taken to address the issue of racism at River Hill High School was to create a three-part professional development for the teachers. The goal of the cultural proficiency professional development is to give the teachers at RHHS the tools necessary for starting the hard discussion of racism with their students in the classroom. Through the three-part PD, teachers explore three essential questions and aspects of racism: (1) Does Racism Exist?; (2) Institutional Racism; and (3) Is that Racist? During the first session of the PD, Norda and Kristin asked the teachers to identify and discuss the similarities and differences between racism and prejudice. Then, teachers were asked to assess their comfort level when talking about racism with students. After each PD, teachers were asked to fill out a Google feedback form in order to collect data to improve the next PD and supply teachers with the tools needed to be successful. These tools are to help teachers with the second step of having starting the conversation about racism in the classroom. Results and Next Steps: River Hill High School will continue providing professional development opportunities to give teachers access cultural proficiency training so that they can provide a safe and supportive environment for our students. Feedback Desired: How can we increase staff engagement and awareness for the ever-evolving need of cultural understanding and proficiency?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 86 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 87 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 88 ______

Kristin Malone German Teacher River Hill High School Teaching Teachers to Talk

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 89 ______

Kristin Malone, German Teacher, River Hill High School Project Title: Teaching Teachers to Talk Banner Question: How can River Hill improve teachers’ confidence in starting the racism conversation with students in the classroom? Planning: Focus Area: School Environment Vision 2018: 1.7.5 – Ensure students have access to culturally proficient professional staff members who support them and help them solve problems. 2.1.5 – Provide professional learning to foster effective communication, respect, and collaboration in a diverse environment. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Institutionalize Cultural Knowledge Existing State: Cultural Blindness Desired State: Cultural Proficiency Summary of Actions Taken: In light of recent racially charged events that have taken place at River Hill High School, a staff-led committee has been formed to address the continuing issue of racism in the school environment. The committee consists of ten staff members and one administrator. The first step taken to address the issue of racism at River Hill High School was to create a three-part professional development for the teachers. The goal of the cultural proficiency professional development is to give the teachers at RHHS the tools necessary for starting the hard discussion of racism with their students in the classroom. Through the three-part PD, teachers explore three essential questions and aspects of racism: (1) Does Racism Exist?; (2) Institutional Racism; and (3) Is that Racist? During the first session of the PD, Norda and Kristin asked the teachers to identify and discuss the similarities and differences between racism and prejudice. Then, teachers were asked to assess their comfort level when talking about racism with students. After each PD, teachers were asked to fill out a Google feedback form in order to collect data to improve the next PD and supply teachers with the tools needed to be successful. These tools are to help teachers with the second step of having starting the conversation about racism in the classroom. Results and Next Steps: River Hill High School will continue providing professional development opportunities to give teachers access cultural proficiency training so that they can provide a safe and supportive environment for our students. Feedback Desired: How can we increase staff engagement and awareness for the ever-evolving need of cultural understanding and proficiency?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 90 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 91 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 92 ______

Melissa Morrison Special Educator Homewood Center Meaningful Student Service Learning at the Middle School Level

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 93 ______

Melissa Morrison, Special Educator, Homewood Center Project Title: Meaningful Student Service Learning at the Middle School Level Banner Question: Using the lens of cultural proficiency, how can students from different programs work together to achieve a common goal (Student Service Learning)? Planning: Focus Area: School Environment Vision 2018: Outcome 1.7: Schools support the social and emotional safety and well-being of all students, Strategy 1.7.2 – Model and reinforce civility and appropriate positive behavior; Outcome 1.8: Schools support student well-being and the development of balanced lifestyles, Strategy 1.8.1 – Provide opportunities for students to discover and build upon their strengths and interests. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Valuing Diversity Existing State: Incapacity Desired State: PreCompetence Summary of Actions Taken: Rationale: Unlike most comprehensive schools, our school does not have a Student Service Learning initiative and due to the transitional nature of our students and attendance factors, many of our students leave middle school without accumulated Student Service Learning hours. Mr. Deyton (Guidance Counselor) and I are committed to providing a student service learning experience that allows our students to “experience” their service and allows for the transient nature of our population to participate throughout the school year. With the lens of Cultural Proficiency, we are also challenging the assumptions that students from each program make about each other. Actions: Mr. Deyton and I have established a relationship with the Guidance Counselor of Swansfield Elementary School. Through this relationship we have identified various ways that our students can participate in Swansfield activities, ensuring that we acknowledge the diverse interests of our students (ie. reading with students, PE assistants, staff assistants, organizing games at recess). This year, we have had the opportunity to take a small group for Read Across America day and are planning to participate in Field Day. Results and Next Steps: Our vision is multi-faceted. First, we want to structure the program so that it runs weekly throughout the year to allow all students to participate regardless of their enrollment date in Homewood. Secondly, we want play to students’ interests and strengths to ensure success for our students; thus the diverse roles of participation and the small group approach. Thirdly, we want to thoughtfully allow students from both Homewood programs to participate in a positive, mutually interesting activity in an effort to allow them to see each other as individuals rather than viewing each other based on their assumptions based on program. Feedback Desired: What other steps/considerations might we be missing in coordinating a program between schools?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 94 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 95 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 96 ______

Wendy B. Pitts Mental Health Therapist Homewood Center Moving from a Two Schools-One Building Model to a One School-Two Programs Model

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 97 ______

Wendy B. Pitts, Mental Health Therapist, Homewood Center

Project Title: Moving from a Two Schools-One Building Model to a One School-Two Programs Model

Banner Question: How can we use the lens of cultural proficiency to foster understanding across two programs in one school?

Planning: Focus Area: School Environment (climate and culture) Vision 2018: Student Outcome 1.7.7 – Strengthen staff collaboration to support students’ social and emotional safety and well-being. Essential Elements of Cultural Proficiency: Valuing Diversity Existing State: Cultural Incapacity Desired State: Cultural Precompetence

Summary of Actions Taken: Homewood Center has two programs, Gateway and Bridges, for two populations of students. Historically, the two programs have acted as two separate schools, and there has been little chance for interaction, causing a lot of misunderstanding between both staff and students in the programs. My project has been co-facilitating a Mindfulness group with staff and students from both programs. Students chosen participated last year or were referred by teachers who thought they would benefit from learning mindfulness. We used the Mindful Schools: Mindfulness Curriculum for Adolescents. My hope is that the connections developing in the group continue when it ends and that when students not involved in the group see the relationships between students of the two programs, it will cause them to recognize that there is the potential for camaraderie rather than discord with members of the other program.

Results and Next Steps: Within the group, we have all gotten to know each other better The staff from both programs work well together and the students have come to value each other and enjoy sharing their experiences. A lot of the activities that we do are verbal or cognitive and some of the students, need more movement to stay engaged. We will continue the group next year and want to see how we can incorporate more physicality into the curriculum and decide whether we want two groups, one more movement based and one more cerebral or if we want to combine both to meet the needs of both kinds of students.

Feedback Desired: How can we continue to meet the best interests of the students while valuing diversity?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 98 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 99 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 100 ______

Molly C. Schaefer Mathematics Teacher Murray Hill Middle School Increasing Engagement through Student Voice

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 101 ______

Molly C. Schaefer, Mathematics Teacher, Murray Hill Middle School

Project Title: Increasing Engagement through Student Voice

Banner Question: Through cultural proficiency, how can we take steps to increase staff and student engagement in the Murray Hill community?

Planning: Focus Area: School Environment Vision 2018: 1.7.1 Actively involve students in building positive school environments. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Valuing Diversity Existing State: Cultural Pre-Competence Desired State: Cultural Competence

Summary of Actions Taken: Data from the Gallup survey show student engagement has decreased from 3.98 to 3.85 over the past year and that 46% of Murray Hill students are engaged, 30% are not engaged, and 22% are actively disengaged. To increase student engagement, we decided to learn more about our students as well as provide an opportunity for students to learn about each other. We posted a few questions on the FlipGrid website and asked students to record themselves answering. We focused on questions that were unrelated to academics because we wanted students to feel like school is not just a place to learn and do work, but a community where individuality and other interests are appreciated and fostered. By watching the videos, students (and staff) can see what they have in common with other students as well as see and appreciate the cultural differences among our students.

Results and Next Steps: We recorded several students’ responses to questions which gave us an appreciation for what our students value. Seeing the responses from my own students gave me insight as to what they like about themselves and how they spend their free time – things that I did not know about them beforehand. Our next step would be to disseminate the website and password to the Murray Hill community so that parents, students, and staff can see the responses as well as post their own. We will also continue to post questions and elicit responses.

Feedback Desired: How can I increase participation among students on the FlipGrid site? How can I involve the Murray Hill community in valuing the diversity among our students?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 102 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 103 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 104 ______

Jamie Stavinski Spanish Teacher Oakland Mills High School Fostering The Use of Restorative Practices at Oakland Mills High School

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 105 ______

Jamie Stavinski, Spanish teacher, Oakland Mills High School

Project Title: Fostering The Use of Restorative Practices at Oakland Mills High School.

Banner Question: How can I promote and foster the use of restorative practices and community building circles among students and staff at OMHS?

Planning: Focus Area: School Environment Vision 2018: Outcome 1.7 - Schools support the social and emotional safety and well-being of all students. • Strategy 1.7.1 – Actively involve students in building positive school environments. • Strategy 1.7.7 – Strengthen staff collaboration to support students’ social and emotional safety and well-being. Essential Element of Cultural Proficiency: Managing the Dynamics Existing State: Cultural Blindness Desired State: Cultural Proficiency

Summary of Actions Taken: My work with implementing restorative practices at Oakland Mills began with participation in a restorative training during the 2015-2016 school year. From there, I took on a leadership role within the group and also took on a personal interest in restorative practices. As a leader in my school, I co-planned and executed Circle Training within departments and co-led 2 staff trainings on the use of the 5 questions within the realm of conflict resolution. I have also led several classroom circles for other teachers and myself as well as facilitated restorative dialogues for staff and students. In addition, I co- led a staff wide professional development session that demonstrated the powerful effect that circles can have on the classroom environment. Results and Next Steps: As a result of these efforts, we have been able to change that way that teachers think about restorative practices and they are more willing to use them in their classrooms. Also, administration is using us more as a way to resolve conflict among staff and students. My next steps are to implement a 9th grade retreat that focuses on this topic as well as empower more students to be circle leaders. Feedback Desired: 1. What other approaches could I take to motivate staff to use circles in their classrooms? 2. How could I empower students to be circle leaders? 3. How could restorative practices be used more as a preventative tool in school discipline rather than a reactive tool?

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 106 ______

______Division of Human Resources and Development, Howard County Public School System 107