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Narrowing the English learner achievement gap through teacher professional learning and cultural proficiency: an evaluation study

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Narrowing the English learner achievement gap through teacher professional learning and cultural proficiency: an evaluation study

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Content Running Head: TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER
ACHIEVEMENT 1

Narrowing the English Learner Achievement Gap through Teacher Professional Learning and
Cultural Proficiency: An Evaluation Study

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

December 2019

Copyright 2019 Ryan L. Haven

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 2

Dedication
I dedicate my dissertation to my mom, who is a former teacher and educational leader in
her own right. She has always inspired and supported me in my academic, educational,
professional, and leadership pursuits.
I also dedicate this dissertation to the millions of English learners in the United States
who so often go underserved by our academic system. They deserve better. My hope is to be
part of the solution in providing our English learners meaningful access to participate in a
twenty-first century education so they can attain high levels of English proficiency, mastery of
grade level standards, and opportunities to develop proficiency in multiple languages.

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 3

Acknowledgements
First, I want to thank God who helped me get through this challenging process of writing
a dissertation. Second, I want to acknowledge and thank my wife, Tihut, for supporting me
during the many times I found myself stressed out and overwhelmed. Her encouragement helped
me be a better husband and father, and for that her name deserves to be on the diploma as well.
Third, I want to thank my two daughters, Ava and Lila, for bearing with me during this time-
consuming process. Finally, I would like to thank my closest friends from my Church for their
spiritual encouragement. This is a victory for all of us.
To my parents who have always held an unflinching commitment towards education,
thank-you for being a consistent source of positive encouragement. To the Oak Grove School
District and my district superintendent, Mr. Jose Manzo, thank-you for being so supportive of
my doctoral studies. To my amazing teaching staff at Edenvale Elementary, thank-you for
supporting me as principal as I have endeavored to finish this major project.
I want to thank my cohort colleagues for their friendship throughout the process; I could
not have made it through the program without them. I am very grateful for the assistance of Mrs.
Marthaa Torres, who helped me conduct all of my interviews as well as Dr. Eric Canny for his
helpful edits and feedback. Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Stowe for being an amazing
dissertation chair as well as the other members of my dissertation committee, Dr. David Cash
and Dr. Eugenia Mora-Flores, for their support.

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 4

Table of Contents
Dedication ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 3
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 4
List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. 8
Table of Figures ............................................................................................................................ 10
Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... 11
Introduction to Problem of Practice .............................................................................................. 12
Organizational Context and Mission ............................................................................................ 13
Importance of Addressing the Problem ........................................................................................ 13
Purpose of the Project and Questions ........................................................................................... 14
Organizational Performance Status ............................................................................................... 15
Organizational Performance Goal ................................................................................................. 15
Stakeholder Group of Focus and Stakeholder Goal ...................................................................... 16
Review of the Literature ............................................................................................................... 16
Legal and Historical Background .............................................................................................. 16
Social Justice Theory ................................................................................................................ 18
Culturally Relevant Teaching and High Leverage Practices .................................................... 19
Professional Learning Systems ................................................................................................. 20
Change in Type of the Teacher Professional Learning Needed: Belief Change ....................... 20
Teacher Cultural Proficiency .................................................................................................... 21
Problems around Teacher Attribution and Bias ........................................................................ 22
Lack of Teachers Trained in Cultural Proficiency .................................................................... 23
Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences .............................................................. 24
Knowledge Influences ............................................................................................................... 24
Knowledge around high-leverage culturally responsive instructional practices for English
learners. .................................................................................................................................. 25
Teacher cultural awareness and self-awareness of bias. ........................................................ 26
Motivation Influences ............................................................................................................... 27
Teacher self-efficacy around teaching ELs ........................................................................... 27
Teacher attributions around EL academic success. ............................................................... 28
Organizational Influences ......................................................................................................... 29
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 5

Cultural model: Trust............................................................................................................. 30
Cultural model: Collective efficacy ....................................................................................... 30
Cultural setting: School resources. ........................................................................................ 31
Cultural setting: Aligned professional learning systems. ...................................................... 33
Interactive Conceptual Framework ............................................................................................... 35
Data Collection and Instrumentation ............................................................................................ 37
Qualitative Data Collection and Instrumentation ......................................................................... 38
Interviews .................................................................................................................................. 38
Documents and Artifacts ........................................................................................................... 39
Quantitative Data Collection and Instrumentation ....................................................................... 40
Surveys ...................................................................................................................................... 40
Survey Instrument.................................................................................................................. 40
Survey Procedures. ................................................................................................................ 41
Survey Sampling Criteria and Rationale for the Quantitative Part of the Study....................... 41
Explanation for Choices ............................................................................................................ 42
Findings and Results ..................................................................................................................... 44
Summary of Findings ................................................................................................................ 44
Knowledge Influence Findings and Results .............................................................................. 47
While the quality of professional development (PD) is high, teachers often come away from
PDs without immediate action steps for classroom instruction. ............................................ 47
While teachers realize that cultural competency requires a mindset shift around equity, some
are not ready to confront their own racial and cultural bias. ................................................. 48
Motivation Influence Findings .................................................................................................. 51
Milken Honey teachers attribute increased confidence in instructing ELs and improvement
in EL achievement to the professional learning they have received ..................................... 51
Organizational Influence Findings and Results ........................................................................ 55
Instructional coaching was uneven and created gaps in staff trust. ....................................... 55
While improving, gaps in trust remain within the parent school relationship due to lack of
teacher understanding of families’ language and culture. ..................................................... 56
Although teachers see the school as a “learning lab,” gaps in collective efficacy around ELD
instruction still exist............................................................................................................... 59
There is a shortage of resources such as cultural and bilingual supports as well as release
time to visit bilingual classrooms. ......................................................................................... 60
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences ....................................................... 63
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 6

Knowledge Influence Recommendations.................................................................................. 64
Introduction. .......................................................................................................................... 64
Knowledge Around High Leverage Practices for English learners ....................................... 65
Need for more in-depth metacognitive knowledge based on teacher awareness of cultural
bias. ........................................................................................................................................ 67
Motivation Influence Recommendations .................................................................................. 68
Introduction. .......................................................................................................................... 68
Participate in coaching through instructional rounds to increase teacher self-efficacy. ....... 70
Participate in professional learning communities and instructional rounds to positively affect
teacher attribution. ................................................................................................................. 71
Organizational Influence Recommendations ............................................................................ 72
Introduction. .......................................................................................................................... 72
Develop trust through constructive feedback. ....................................................................... 75
Develop collective efficacy by helping teachers analyze student data through professional
learning communities. ........................................................................................................... 75
Enhance resources and professional capacity by providing more bilingual and culturally and
linguistically responsive materials......................................................................................... 77
Align professional learning systems ...................................................................................... 78
Appendix A: Participating Stakeholders and Sampling Criteria for Interviews ........................... 83
Survey Sampling Criteria and Rationale for the Qualitative Part of the Study. ........................... 83
Appendix B: Interview Protocol ................................................................................................... 84
Appendix C: Survey Protocol ....................................................................................................... 87
Appendix D: Professional Learning Survey ................................................................................. 93
Appendix E: Credibility and Trustworthiness .............................................................................. 99
Appendix F: Validity and Reliability .......................................................................................... 100
Appendix G: Ethics ..................................................................................................................... 102
Appendix H: Description of School Transformation Report administered by Partners in School
Innovation: .................................................................................................................................. 104
Implementation and Evaluation Framework ........................................................................... 105
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations .................................................................... 105
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators ................................................................................. 106
Level 3: Behavior .................................................................................................................... 107
Level 2: Learning .................................................................................................................... 112
Level 1: Reaction .................................................................................................................... 119
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 7

Evaluation Tools ..................................................................................................................... 120
Data Analysis and Reporting .................................................................................................. 121
Summary ................................................................................................................................. 122
Appendix J: Evaluation Instrument for Immediate Feedback for Level 1 & 2 .......................... 124
Appendix K: Evaluation Instrument for Delayed Feedback for Levels 1, 2, 3, & 4 ................. 126
Appendix L: Study Limitations .................................................................................................. 127
References ................................................................................................................................... 129

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 8

List of Tables
Table 1: Summary of Knowledge, Motivation and Organization Influences ............................... 33
Table 2: Survey Sampling (recruitment) Strategy and Timeline .................................................. 39
Table 3: Survey Sampling Strategy and Rationale for Quantitative Part of Study ....................... 42
Table 4: Summary of General Themes which Arose from the Findings ...................................... 44
Table 5: Basic Demographics of Interview Participants in Survey and Interview ....................... 45
Table 6: Survey Questions Related to Hurdles to Overcome in Shift towards Teacher Cultural
Proficiency ............................................................................................................................. 48
Table 7: Survey Questions related to Growth in Teacher Efficacy and Student Achievement .... 51
Table 8: Survey Questions related to Teacher Attribution of Growth to Professional Learning
Systems .................................................................................................................................. 54
Table 9: Survey Questions Related to Lack of Trust and the Need for Improved Teacher-Parent
Engagement ........................................................................................................................... 57
Table 10: Survey Questions related to a Lack of Organizational Resources ................................ 61
Table 11: Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Needs Validated, Not Validated ........... 62
Table 12: Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations ........................................ 64
Table 13: Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations ........................................ 69
Table 14: Summary of Organizational Influences and Recommendations .................................. 73
Table 15: Summary of Findings and Recommendations .............................................................. 79
Table 16: Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes ..................... 106
Table 17: Level 3--Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation .............. 108
Table 18: Required Drivers to Support Milken Honey Teachers' Critical Behaviors ................ 110
Table 19: High-level Strategies, Collaboration Skills, Identity Work, and Family Engagement113
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 9

Table 20: Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program ..................................... 117
Table 21: High Level Strategies, Collaboration Skills, Identity . ............................................... 120

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 10

Table of Figures
Figure 1: Conceptual framework for Milken Honey elementary school ...................................... 36

Figure 2: % of Milken Honey students meeting or exceeding standards on CAASPP 2015-2019.
............................................................................................................................................... 52
Figure 3: Grid completed for teaching staff, coaches, and principal at Milken Honey Elementary
............................................................................................................................................. 122

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 11

Abstract
The English Learner Achievement Gap is a serious, persistent problem in American K-12
schools. Teacher cultural proficiency, made up of teacher beliefs and behaviors, is a key lever in
narrowing the English learner Achievement gap (ELAG) but is in short supply. Professional
learning can develop teacher proficiency, and therefore this study evaluated how teacher
professional learning at an elementary school with a high number of ELs affected teacher
cultural proficiency and the ELAG. A mixed methods study which included surveys of all 21
Milken Honey Teachers and interviews of seven teachers within this group was employed in
order to evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s professional learning structures in developing
cultural proficiency among its teachers. The findings and results clearly indicated that 75% of
teachers reported improved self-efficacy and changed attributions around EL academic
achievement. Milken Honey teachers also attributed increased confidence in instructing ELs and
improvement in EL student achievement to the professional learning around cultural proficiency
they have received. The results confirmed that Milken Honey teachers recognized the need to
attend not only to strategies, but also to deeper equity issues including identity, values, and
beliefs. Organizationally, a new culture is emerging where teachers are growing in collective
efficacy around the teaching and learning of ELs. However, knowledge influences failed to
provide immediate action steps for classroom instruction and a hesitance among many teachers
to confront their own racial bias. The study includes several recommendations including
professional development which provides teachers with more in-depth metacognitive knowledge
about their cultural identity and biases, a more comprehensive family engagement plan with the
voice of teachers and parents, as well as enhanced bilingual resources and instructional coaching.

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 12

Introduction to Problem of Practice
English learners (ELs) represent the fastest-growing student population group in the
United States (NCES, 2018). For example, the number of ELs in the U.S. is projected to rise
from 10% of the nation’s public school enrollment to 25% by 2025, and to 40% by 2050 (NCES,
2006). In 2013, the U.S. graduation rate for English learners was 61.1%, the lowest of all
subgroups, 20% below the national graduation rate of 81.6%, and 25% below white peers (Halle
et al, 2012). While language minority students have made significant academic gains relative to
white peers of similar socioeconomic background, the English Learner achievement gap
(ELAG) between 4
th
grade EL and non-EL students is about 40 percentage points in both English
language arts (ELA) and math (NCES, 2015).
While there are many reasons for the English learner achievement gap, a lack of teacher
cultural proficiency, meaning their expertise in working with culturally diverse students, is one
main reason for the EL achievement gap (Aguado, Ballesteros, & Malik, 2003). This need for
more culturally proficient teachers to respond to the diverse needs of all children is driven by the
changing composition of classrooms in the United States (Parsad, Lewis, & Farris, 2001; Gay
2002). However, teachers come into the profession lacking the necessary cultural proficiency to
meet the needs of their English learners (Quintero & Hansen, 2017). ELs are commonly taught
by non-credentialed and/or underprepared teachers (Callahan, 2013; Gandara, 2015; Olsen,
2010), and a 2016 Report from the Department of Education noted that over half of school
districts in the US have a shortage of educators certified to work with English learners. Thus,
while teacher professional learning for post-service teachers can markedly improve teacher
cultural proficiency and accelerate student learning, with few exceptions, schools have failed to
provide that necessary component (Mette et al, 2016).
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 13

Organizational Context and Mission
Milken Honey Elementary is an elementary school in Northern California comprised of
450 students, 85% of whom are Latinx, and 75% of whom are ELs. Milken Honey has 19
classes, 13 of which are sheltered English immersion (SEI) classes, and 6 of which are one way
bilingual immersion classes (one in each grade: TK-4). With over 85% of its students receiving
free or reduced lunches, Milken Honey is classified as a Title 1 school, and consequently
receives federal money to serve the needs of its high percentage of socio-economically
disadvantaged students. Milken Honey Elementary is representative of the hundreds of schools
in California with a significant number of ELs and a large English learner achievement gap
(ELAG). This achievement gap runs counter to Milken Honey Elementary’s mission “to close
the achievement gap by developing high-achieving students, effective communicators, and
skilled problem solvers” (Milken Honey School website, 2019). It also falls short of the goals
prescribed in Milken Honey School District’s Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) “to
help all students be proficient in all subject areas and to accelerate the proficiency for English
learners” (MHSD, 2019).
Importance of Addressing the Problem
The English learner achievement gap (ELAG) has significant consequences for ELs and
their ability to integrate into the American economy as well as for the United States as a whole.
Studies have repeatedly shown that elementary and secondary schools are failing to support ELs
in achieving their goals of acquiring English and obtaining postsecondary education (Olsen,
1997; Suárez-Orozco & Todorova, 2008; Menken, 2008). Many English learners who never
become proficient in English internalize a sense of failure and no longer see themselves as
belonging in school (Olsen, 2007). Consequently, English learners are not only at greater risk
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 14

for reading and math difficulties in elementary and middle school, ELs are twice as likely as their
native English-speaking peers to drop out of high school (Callahan, 2013), and if they do go to
college, they are highly unlikely to be prepared (Martinez-Wenzl, 2014). In 2017 the U.S.
graduation rate for English learners was 66.4%, the lowest of all subgroups, 18 percentage points
below the national graduation rate of 84.6%, and 22 percentage points below white peers (NCES,
2017).
The ELAG is presenting challenges for educators, business leaders, politicians, and
policymakers all over the country (Goldenberg, 2013). ELs are more liable to be incarcerated,
develop drug problems, and suffer health problems than their non-English learner peers (Halle,
2012). Unless this problem is resolved, the growing population of ELs in the U.S. will be poorly
equipped to thrive in a 21st century economy (Halle, 2012).
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The reality that this significant ELAG exists underscores the question as to what is being
done to narrow the gap and why those efforts have been largely unsuccessful in any meaningful
way. This study evaluated the teacher professional learning to better prepare teachers to
effectively instruct ELs as measured both by student achievement as well as changes in teacher
reports of self-efficacy and changes in attribution. In other words, this study tested the theory
that teacher professional learning around cultural proficiency transfers to classroom instruction
and improves EL achievement.
The research questions for the study were:
1) To what extent is Milken Honey elementary achieving its goal that by May 2019, 75% of
teachers who engaged in professional learning around cultural proficiency would report
improved self-efficacy and changed attributions?
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 15

2) What are the key knowledge and motivation factors as well as professional learning structures
to improve teacher self-efficacy and change teacher attributions around EL student achievement?
Organizational Performance Status
The performance problem is the low performance outcomes for ELs in the common core
state exam, the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). This is
a problem because 2017 CAASPP school testing results revealed that only 12% of 3
rd
- 6
th
grade
ELs met or exceeded the common core standards in math and only 13% of ELs tested met or
exceeded the common core standards in ELA. This compares to 13% of ELs who met or
exceeded ELA standards and 14% who met or exceeded math standards statewide, 19% (ELA)
and 24% (Math) countywide, and 25% (ELA) and 24% (Math) district-wide.
Organizational Performance Goal
By May 2020, the elementary school’s 3rd-6th grade ELs will raise their CAASPP
English language arts and Math scores by 12% points. That is, their ELA scores will increase
from 13% proficient in 2017 to 25% proficient in 2020, and Math scores will increase from 12
percentage points, from 15% in 2017 to 27% in 2020. This improvement goal aligns with the
organizational mission to close the achievement gap by developing high-achieving students,
effective communicators, and skilled problem solvers. The organizational performance falls in
line with the District’s LCAP Goal #2 to “accelerate the student proficiency for ELs, low
socioeconomic, foster youth, and students of color” (District Website, 2018). To achieve this
goal, the school will require a strong rise in academic performance from ELs, as measured by
CAASPP scores.

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 16

Stakeholder Group of Focus and Stakeholder Goal
Although a complete analysis would include all stakeholder groups, for practical
purposes, classroom teachers were selected as the stakeholder group of focus for the study. All
K-12 teachers are responsible for educating ELs (Harper & de Jong, 2009), and classroom
teachers represent the key stakeholder in the educational system in terms of their direct impact
on accelerating academic achievement of students of color (Ogbu & Simmons, 1998).
According to research by Haycock (1998), no single factor has greater influence on student
achievement than the quality of the teacher in the classroom. Furthermore, focusing on teachers
as the key stakeholder, professional learning for teachers, and the effect of professional learning
on teacher mindset and practice is important vis-a-vis the problem of the ELAG. The
stakeholder goal was that by May 2019, 75% of Milken Honey teachers who received
professional learning around cultural competency would report improved self-efficacy and
changed attributions regarding EL academic success and failure.
Review of the Literature
This section will address the factors, variables, and causes that influence the problem of
practice as defined by the literature in the area of professional learning around cultural
proficiency for effectively teaching English learners. While professional learning around
cultural proficiency has been shown to close the ELAG (Elmore, 2002; Mette et al, 2016), there
is a significant lack of culturally relevant materials and training for teachers. Consequently,
there is a shortage of culturally proficient teachers (Goldenberg, 2013).
Legal and Historical Background
Continued educational disparities between ELs and their non-EL peers have prompted
renewed concern that sufficient and equitable resources are not reaching students at risk of
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 17

academic failure (Sugarman, 2016). Federal court rulings, federal education laws, and civil
rights legislation, have highlighted the barriers to educational access that ELs face. The federal
legal mandate in the U.S. to provide equitable outcomes in education for English learners stems
from the landmark 1974 case Lau v. Nichols, in which the U.S. Supreme Court found that
Chinese-American ELs in California did not receive equal access to education (Sparks, 2016). In
essence, this was discrimination due to their language and national origin, a violation of the 1964
Civil Rights Act.
The various reauthorizations of the original Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 over the last 50 years have included policy revisions to improve educational equity across
student populations. Particularly since the 2001 reauthorization of ESEA in the form of the No
Child Left Behind Act (Sugarman, 2016). NCLB drew attention to the needs of numerous
student subgroups, including ELs, whose underperformance and lack of access to high-quality
education has been corroborated by decades of educational research. In 2015, the Education
Department's office for civil rights issued a letter requiring that districts use instructional
practices and programs that are supported by scientific evidence and effective in helping students
speak, listen, read, and write English and meet challenging state content standards (NCES,
2015).
Moreover, these policy shifts are desperately needed to prepare ELs to meet the demands
of the college and career ready standards that states have adopted (Sugarman, 2016). These
policy shifts have put into motion corrective actions needed to re-train educators and to reframe
their engagement with English Learners and their families after decades of subtractive schooling
(Sugarman, 2016). That includes requiring districts and schools to ensure that they are
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 18

effectively communicating with families who have limited English proficiency by, for example
providing translation and interpretation of essential information.
Social Justice Theory
Paulo Freire (1972) demonstrated the need to use education to positively transform the
world by dealing critically with societal inequities and liberating oppressed student
groups. Grounded in ideals asserted by Dewey (1933) and revitalized by his Freire’s own
research about the need to build a democratic, participatory society through education, social
justice theory addresses structural inequities in society, argues for a strong focus on democracy,
and promotes respect of students’ cultural knowledge and prior life experiences (Freire, 1970).
Social justice education intends to improve the educational opportunities and address the current
realities of all students (Ayers et al. 2009; Malott & Porfilio, 2011). Social justice education
shifts the focus from informing students about issues regarding cultural diversity (i.e.,
multicultural education) to actively making social change central to the vision of teaching and
learning (Laughlin & Nganga, 2009).
In social justice theory, all K-12 teachers, not just English language specialists, are
responsible for educating ELLs and serve as agents of social change (Harper & de Jong, 2009;
Valdés, 2001). The teacher’s role is viewed as one who prepares students to become future
leaders by equipping them with the necessary knowledge, behavior, and skills needed to
transform society into a place where social justice can exist (Ayers et al., 2009). Many teachers
recognize the importance of helping ELs understand and confront unequal power relations in
order to improve their lives and society as they learn English and academic content (Aronson &
Laughter, 2016). Furthermore, systemic social justice occurs best when it occurs at all levels: at
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 19

the credentialing program level, in the classroom, during staff development, and at the district
level (Lin, Lake & Rice, 2008).
Culturally Relevant Teaching and High Leverage Practices
Culturally responsive teacher practice and culturally relevant pedagogy not only helps
English learners reach grade level standards, it also uses the classroom as a vehicle for social
change to drive them towards social justice (Gay 1975; Ladson-Billings, 1995). Towards this
end, teachers need opportunities to learn how they can educate these students of color through
the way they treat and interact with those students (Ogbu & Simmons, 1998). Several distinct
core components for how to teach for social justice include the use of constructivist techniques to
build bridges that link students’ cultural references to academic skills and concepts (Aronson &
Laughter, 2016). Second, culturally relevant teachers motivate the students in their classrooms
to reflect critically around their own lives and societies (Nganga, 2015). Third, culturally
relevant teachers will develop students’ cultural proficiency where students not only learn about
and develop pride in their own and others’ cultures (Gay, 2002). Fourth, culturally relevant
teachers reveal and break down oppressive systems through a critique of social inequalities and
unfair power structures (Aronson & Laughter, 2016).
While culturally relevant teaching and specific culturally relevant teaching strategies
have been shown to be important and even essential to closing the achievement gap, culturally
responsive teaching practices will not be the main focus of this study. Rather, they will represent
only one of the two knowledge influences under consideration that influence teacher cultural
proficiency. As will be explained in subsequent sections, and detailed in Table 1 on pages 33-
34, there are a number of factors outside of classroom teaching practices that are also essential
for a teacher to possess the cultural proficiency to narrow the English learner Achievement gap.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 20

Professional Learning Systems
The EL achievement gap is directly related to problems in professional learning which
have failed to adequately prepare teachers to help English learners meet or exceed common core
standards (Marulis, 2000; Killoran et al., 2004). In fact, a recent report on teaching practices
around the world (Burns & Darling-Hammond, 2014) identifies teacher professional learning as
one of the practices that can advance the quality of teaching in diverse contexts, more
specifically for culturally and linguistically diverse students.
When teachers receive high-quality professional development, have regular opportunities
to collaborate, and are supported by a skilled instructional coach, the quality and effectiveness of
their instruction improves (Darling Hammond & Richardson, 2009; Knight, 2008). School
leaders must strengthen aligned professional learning systems at the following multiple levels:
the district, site-leadership, staff professional development, instructional coaching, and
classroom instruction level (DuFour, 2004; Lin, Lake & Rice, 2008). For the purposes of this
dissertation, professional learning will be defined as capacity-building through traditional and
non-traditional methods such as professional development, instructional coaching, and
professional learning communities using processes such as self-reflective results-oriented cycles
of inquiry (Elmore, 2005; Partners, 2019).
Change in Type of the Teacher Professional Learning Needed: Belief Change
Research demonstrates that the type of professional learning needed to reduce the ELAG
must change, by going beyond just changing teachers’ new pedagogy and methods to changing
also teachers’ beliefs and attitudes, including beliefs about language minority students, their
strengths, and attributes as well as perceptions of cultural diversity and their students within the
classroom walls (August, 2009; Van den Bergh et al, 2010). Darling-Hammond and Rothman
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 21

(2015) also contend that teachers must be willing to change their beliefs and values by altering
their everyday policies, practices, and procedures. This is further supported by research
conducted by Fullan (2015) who found that for intended change outcome is to be achieved
among teachers, there must be changes across three dimensions: teaching materials, instructional
approaches, and teacher beliefs. In their review of the National Literacy Panel Report, August et
al. (2009) made it clear that efforts to change beliefs must go beyond teaching teachers’ new
pedagogy and methods. Furthermore, Cummins (2001) demonstrated that to accelerate learning
for ELs, schools must not only integrate students’ language and culture into curriculum and
instruction, teachers would need to change their view of the languages and cultures of ELs. Lin
(2015) found that teachers must examine their own beliefs and values around gender, home
language, disability, race, class, and even notions around “whiteness” in order to develop a
“cultural critical consciousness”. Ultimately, this is an adaptive change that requires a change in
beliefs and values.
Teacher Cultural Proficiency
Equitable teaching and learning requires that teachers understand the cultural, linguistic,
and socioeconomic needs of diverse students and integrate multicultural themes into their
instruction (Alanis & Rodrigues, 2008; Genessee et al, 2006). This combination of teaching
strategies, materials, and belief changes is summed up in the notion of cultural
proficiency. Culturally proficient teachers utilize multi-ethnic curricular materials, integrate
students’ cultural values into the classroom, celebrate and encourage the use of the home
language varieties, invite students to think critically and engage in learning activities that
promote social justice, and perhaps most importantly, believe that all children can learn (Alanis
& Rodrigues, 2008; Ladson-Billings, 2004; Lindholm-Leary & Borsato, 2006). To become
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 22

culturally proficient, teachers need to build classroom climates that are conducive to learning for
ethnically diverse students, and this begins by demonstrating culturally sensitive caring and
building culturally responsive learning communities (Gay, 2002; Rivera-McCutchen, 2014). In
addition, they need to promote a clear understanding of children and their families through the
use of materials and instructional strategies that are culturally relevant (Nganga, 2015).
For this dissertation, cultural proficiency will be defined as the behaviors and beliefs of
an individual that enable the person to engage effectively with people and groups who are
different from themselves (Lindsey, 2015). Cultural proficiency is an inside-out approach that
influences how people relate to their colleagues, clients and community, and a lens for
examining one’s work and one’s relationships (Lindsey, 2015). The essential elements include
the ability to identify cultural groups present in the system, develop an appreciation for the
differences among and between groups, respond appropriately and effectively to the issues that
arise in a diverse environment, adopt new policies and practices that support diversity, and
implement the changes into the systems of the organization (Nuri-Robbins et al, 2011).
Problems around Teacher Attribution and Bias
Friend (1973) showed that not only do teacher attribute lower academic performance to
student social class and race, but that that attribution affected future expectations of student
performance, as well as teacher motivation in teacher-student situations. Additionally, the
English learner achievement gap is often blamed on poverty and the parents, factors outside of
the control of schools (Danielson, 2002; Wallerstein & Bernstein, 1999). When race-based
achievement gaps become evident, stakeholders such as teachers are more likely to externalize
the problem and attribute it to student characteristics or circumstances that lessen their own
responsibility or institutional fault (Harris & Bensimon, 2007). Due to this type of attributions,
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 23

Banks (1997) and Derman-Sparks (1992) established the importance for teachers to confront
their own racial prejudice and bias and learn about their own children’s culture. Killoran et al.
(2004) argued how critical it is for teacher educators to develop a self-awareness of culture, bias,
and discriminatory practices as well as to examine the effects of their beliefs, attitudes, and
expectations on teacher candidates.
However, Dyson (2015) found that teachers lack awareness of their own cultural identity
and cultural bias. Because prejudice is often unconscious or unexamined, Dray and Wisneski
(2011) found that teachers need to first self-reflect to unpack attributions that are potentially
linked to racism, power, or privilege so they can work more effectively and fairly with diversity
in the classroom. Nieto and Bode (2012) devised a study which had teachers observe and
analyze the effective teaching interactions of culturally-responsive teachers and then reflect on
their own views, abilities, and understandings of learning. In doing so, they showed how the
process of multicultural and social justice education was an important process for schools to
implement for the socio-emotional development of their students.
Lack of Teachers Trained in Cultural Proficiency
While ELs are found in classrooms all across the United States, overall, as many as half a
million do not receive any special instruction to learn English. A 2015 report from the
Department of Education noted that over half of the US has a shortage of educators certified to
work with English language learners (NCES, 2015). ELs are often concentrated in low-
performing schools with untrained or poorly trained teachers, and the shortage of teachers who
can work with this population is a big problem in a growing number of states (Aguado,
Ballesteros, & Malik, 2003; Reeves, 2006).
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 24

In addition, while high-leverage instructional practices have been shown to improve
academic achievement, most teachers report that they have had little or no training to work with
culturally diverse children and lack pedagogical strategies to enable them to obtain good results
(Aguado, Ballesteros, & Malik, 2003; Goldenberg, 2013; Lindholm-Leary & Genesee, 2010). In
addition, there is a widespread lack of knowledge for teachers around dual language pedagogy
(La Garza, 2015). Teachers lack research-based knowledge about the major premises around
multicultural pedagogy as well as how to convert the knowledge into culturally responsive
teaching (Gay, 2002). Consequently, they feel inadequate to provide culturally relevant
instruction or anti-bias curriculum (Freire, 1970; Au & Blake, 2003; Ukpokodu, 2004). For
example, Parsad, Lewis & Farris, (2001) found that 80% percent of teachers reported feeling ill-
prepared to teach in diverse settings.
Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences
Prior theory and research demonstrates how teacher knowledge and motivation influences
directly affect a school organization effectiveness in reaching its goals such as closing the
ELAG. Clark and Estes (2008) present a framework that delineates organizational and
stakeholder performance goals and identifies the gap between the actual performance level and
the performance goal. Once the performance gap is identified, this framework looks at the
different knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences that may affect performance
gaps (Clark & Estes, 2008). These elements of Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis will be
addressed below in terms of the teacher’s knowledge, motivation, and organizational needs to
meet the organizational goal that by May 2020, the Milken Honey’s 3rd-6th grade ELs will raise
their CAASPP ELA and Math scores by 12%.
Knowledge Influences
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 25

Knowledge influences can be categorized into four types: factual knowledge, conceptual
knowledge, procedural knowledge, and metacognitive knowledge (Krathwohl, 2002; Rueda,
2011). These are utilized to assess whether or not stakeholders know how to achieve a
performance goal. Clark and Estes (2008) argues that an organization’s investment in resources
to improve the skills and knowledge of its employees is crucial to its success. Clark and Estes
(2008) also assert that bolstering the knowledge and skills of an organization will improve its
employees’ ability to solve problems related to their performance. When employees utilize new
skills or knowledge to solve performance problems, not only will their performance be enhanced,
but the gap between their current performance levels and performance goals will be
closed. Additionally, Clark and Estes (2008) postulate that when employee performance gaps
are closed, the organization improves its capacity to achieve its organizational goals.
Knowledge around high-leverage culturally responsive instructional practices for
English learners. Teachers need pedagogical strategies and culturally responsive training to
instruct ELs effectively. These would fall under the category of procedural and conceptual
knowledge. For decades, researchers have identified the importance of teacher knowledge
around culturally responsive strategies as not only an issue of social justice (Darling-Hammond,
1997), but also as a crucial component to enhance student learning and success (Lee et al,
2007). According to Gay (2000), culturally responsive teaching ensures that learners’
backgrounds inform teaching and learning resources in order to limit cultural mismatch between
school and home environments. The Institute of Education Sciences provided evidence that the
following teaching practices are effective in teaching academic content to ELs: teaching sets of
academic vocabulary words intensively, integrating instruction in spoken and written English
into content-area teaching; providing structured opportunities for students to develop writing
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 26

skills; and providing small-group interventions for students struggling with specific problems in
literacy or language development (NCES, 2014).
Also, in order to support student mastery of the common core standards, teachers must
learn to plan rigorous units, develop a repertoire of researched-based pedagogical practices,
purposefully use assessments and data, engage in results-oriented planning, and strategically
intervene when students may be behind (Calderón, Slavin & Sánchez, 2011; Davis, 2012). The
research recommends that educators use cooperative learning and high-quality exchanges
between teachers and pupils (Calderón, Hertz-Lazarowitz, & Slavin, 1998; Doherty et al., 2003).
Therefore, without pedagogical strategies around culturally responsive teaching, teachers will
lack the aforementioned cultural competence to raise the academic achievement of ELs or close
the ELAG (Calderón, Slavin & Sánchez, 2011; Davis, 2012).
Teacher cultural awareness and self-awareness of bias. While more and more
teachers are receiving better procedural and conceptual training, they lack metacognitive training
that can affect their beliefs and attitudes and implicit bias (Banks, 1997; Derman-Sparks, 1992).
Teachers must develop self-awareness of culture, bias, and discriminatory practices and learn
about their students’ cultures as well (Hammond, 2014; Killoran, 2004; Nganga, 2015). In
addition, they should confront their own racial prejudice and bias as well as to examine the
effects of their beliefs, attitudes, and expectations on students (Freire 1972; Gay 1975; Singleton
2013). This falls under the category of metacognitive knowledge because teachers are prompted
to reflect upon and become aware of what they know, what they do not know, and the process
they will take to acquire this information (Mayer, 2011; Rueda, 2011). More specifically, Lin et
al (2005) classifies this type of knowledge acquisition as adaptive metacognition which involves
change to oneself and to one's environment, in response to a wide range of classroom social and
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 27

instructional variables. Teachers’ lack awareness of their own cultural identity and bias
negatively affects the connection with their EL students (Dyson, 2015; Killoran, 2004).
Motivation Influences
Motivation is the second element required for Milken Honey teachers to achieve their
stakeholder goal. Motivation influences include the active choice to start a task as well as the act
of persevering to accomplish the task, and the mental effort to stay engaged with the task (Clark
& Estes, 2008; Rueda, 2011). Employees are motivated to perform at high levels to achieve
personal and organizational goals by actively engaging, persevering through the task, and
exerting the required mental effort to be successful (Grossman & Salas, 2011). Clark and Estes
(2008) explain that by assessing and resolving motivational problems, organizations can close
gaps between the current performance levels and performance goals.
While there are numerous motivational theories and constructs, this study will focus on
self-efficacy theory and attribution theory. In terms of self-efficacy theory, teachers must be
confident that they can differentiate instruction for English language learners so that they reach
grade level standards. With regard to attribution theory, teachers should attribute student
academic achievement or lack thereof to their own efforts at instruction rather than students’ lack
of ability (Cozart et al., 2003; Sobel & Taylor, 2005; Derman-Sparks & Olson Edwards, 2010;
Hammond, 2014).
Teacher self-efficacy around teaching ELs. Self-efficacy is an individual’s belief in
their ability to complete a task successfully (Bandura, 1986). Self-efficacy also influences how
long individuals persevere in the face of obstacles and how well they demonstrate resilience to
adversity (Bandura, 1986). One’s sense of personal efficacy has a significant effect on whether a
person will be motivated to engage with and persist with a task or project (Pajares, 2006).
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 28

Research indicates that self-efficacy motivates employees to believe that their capabilities will
contribute to successfully achieving goals (Clark & Estes, 2008, Rueda, 2011). Furthermore,
Pajares (2006) and Rueda (2011) postulate that the higher the level of self-efficacy in doing a
task, the more motivated to do the task. Research has shown that individuals who believe they
can perform needed actions exert effort and are productive; those with little self-efficacy are
unproductive and fail to take the initiative and contribute to the organization (Bandura, 1993).
Teacher self-efficacy refers to the belief of teachers in their capabilities to have an
influence on students’ accomplishments in learning. Teacher self-efficacy has a direct effect on
student achievement (Bandura, 2006). Genc (2016) highlighted how teacher self-efficacy
regarding instructing English language learning is important in education. There is a strong
effect of teacher self-efficacy on EL instruction and student achievement (Zakeri, 2016). At
Milken Honey Elementary, teachers should be confident that they can differentiate instruction
for English language learners so that they reach grade level standards.
Teacher attributions around EL academic success. Attribution theory has proved its
value in explaining behavior in educational settings and has provided insight into the behavior of
teachers towards their low performing students (Cooper & Burger 1980; Weiner 1985; Georgiou
et al, 2002). Attribution theory is a three-factor theory that addresses locus, controllability, and
stability. Ideally, individuals should have an unstable, internal locus of control. When a teacher
attributes their EL students’ academic success or failure to factors outside their locus of control,
it has a negative impact on affect the student’s choice, persistence, and level of effort in the
classroom (Weiner, 1985). Teachers more often attribute poor academic achievement of ELs to
race rather than attributing it to their own instruction (Bertrand & Marsh, 2015).

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 29

Organizational Influences
Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001) present two helpful units of analysis to address the
problem of practice at Milken Honey Elementary: cultural settings and cultural models. Cultural
models refer to shared mental schema or normative understandings of how the world works, or
ought to work; they define for individuals the way things are and should be (Gallimore &
Goldenberg, 2001). Cultural models encode what is valued and ideal, as well as what settings
should be enacted and avoided, who should participate, the rules of interaction, and the purpose
of the interactions (Shore, 1996). In the case of Milken Honey Elementary, the cultural model is
defined as a generalized or high-level description of the way things need to be done at a given
organization (i.e. “The Milken Honey Way”) in order to achieve the mission of cutting the
ELAG at Milken Honey Elementary. Towards this end, a cultural model must be developed
around two core values: trust and collective self-efficacy. The influence of these two core values
will be discussed further in the following sections.
Cultural settings are those occasions where people come together to carry out joint
activity that accomplishes something they value (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Cultural
settings can include the details, steps, and processes to develop and establish the desired cultural
models (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). The most pertinent cultural settings that will be
examined here are aligned processes and resources. As these resources and aligned systems
develop, they set the stage for the stakeholders to grow more effectively in their knowledge and
motivation. When the teachers grow in their knowledge and motivation, that growth in turn
improves their collective efficacy. This will positively influence the stakeholder goal that by
May 2019, 75% of teachers who received professional learning around cultural competence will
report improved self-efficacy and changed perceptions of attributions of EL achievement.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 30

Cultural model: Trust. In addition, with respect to cultural models, trust is an essential
aspect of organizational culture for organizational effectiveness. Specific exchanges between
individuals build or undermine trust (Lewicki & Bunker, 1996), and are influenced by and the
contexts in which they occur (Ross & LaCroix, 1996; Whitener et al, 1998). Employees’
perceptions of the trustworthiness of their managers’ behavior and of the fairness of their
organizational practices also affect employee behavior (Lewicki & Bunker, 1995). As initiators
of trust, managers must develop and maintain trust in work relationships to promote effective
organizational change (Whitener et al,1998).
In the educational field, trust is needed between teachers and school leadership as they
receive professional learning around cultural proficiency. Effective leaders work to develop a
high degree of faculty cohesion, collaboration, collegiality, and trust (Herman et al., 2016). For
example, such trust is pivotal for teachers to engage in the type of conversations that can produce
fundamental change on the belief-system level (Marzano, Waters, & McNulty, 2005). Clearly,
relational trust between the site leader and the teacher is an essential organizational influence.
Another essential component for ELs to experience safe, affirming environments is trust
between teachers and families. Historically, few teachers have received professional
development (or pre-service training) in working with families and communities (Drake, 2000;
Valdes, 1996). However, effective family engagement is linked with high academic
achievement (Jeynes, 2012; Lee & Bowen, 2006; Linn, 2003; McWayne, Fantuzzo, &
McDermott, 2004). Therefore, schools should make every effort to encourage the meaningful
involvement and effectively partnership of families (Lindholm-Leary, 2015).
Cultural model: Collective efficacy. Bandura (1982) demonstrated that efficacy can
also occur at the group level and suggested developing task specific measures. Bandura named
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 31

this pattern in human behavior "collective efficacy," which he defined as "a group's shared
belief in its conjoint capability to organize and execute the courses of action required to
produce given levels of attainment" (Bandura, 1997). Teachers who believe that their
colleagues are able to behave in ways that promote student achievement indicate high
collective efficacy (Goddard & Goddard, 2001). Models for collective efficacy in schools have
been tested and refined, with researchers finding that as successes and support strengthen
teachers' confidence in their teams, student achievement increases as well (Goddard, Hoy, &
Woolfolk, 2004; Adams & Forsyth, 2006).
Rachel Eells's (2011) meta-analysis of studies related to collective efficacy and
achievement in education demonstrated that the beliefs teachers hold about the ability of the
school as a whole are "strongly and positively associated with student achievement across
subject areas and in multiple locations". When a staff’s collective belief in achieving their
tasks is high, each teacher’s individual efficacy is also higher. On the basis of Eells's research,
John Hattie positioned collective efficacy at the top of the list of factors that influence student
achievement (Hattie, 2016). According to his Visible Learning research, based on a synthesis
of more than 1,500 meta-analyses, collective teacher efficacy is three times more powerful and
predictive of student achievement than socioeconomic status. It is more than double the effect
of prior achievement and more than triple the effect of home environment and parental
involvement. At Milken Honey Elementary, as Table 1 illustrates, there needs to be a sense of
collective self-efficacy among TK-6 teachers in order to effectively instruct and raise the
academic achievement of English learners.
Cultural setting: School resources. Effective change efforts ensure that everyone has
the resources (equipment, personnel, time, etc.) needed to do their job (Clark & Estes,
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 32

2008). Schools need to provide culturally and linguistically responsive teaching materials as
well as English language development (ELD) curriculum to ensure that ELs learn at high levels
(Gay, 2002). Furthermore, Lindholm-Leary (2010) demonstrated that bilingual programs can cut
the achievement gap, and so school resources should include bilingual materials for students.
Also, Rummler and Brache (1995) provided an excellent overview of how to map an
organization like Milken Honey Elementary in order to ensure that it possesses sufficient
organizational resources to facilitate the stakeholder goal. Available resources should be
allocated based on organizational priorities (Clark & Estes, 2008). More specifically, equitable
treatment requires a clear understanding of the needs of culturally, linguistically, and
socioeconomically diverse students and includes the integration of multicultural themes into
instruction (Alanis & Rodrigues, 2008; Genesee et al, 2006).
Another important goal of dual language programs is socio-cultural proficiency and
identity development (Feinauer & Howard, 2014). Since this area of sociocultural development
is critical within language development in dual language programs (Hakuta & Olsen, 2018),
curriculum needs to reflect and value students’ languages and cultures (Sleeter, 2016). Thus,
books of many genres, including culturally authentic literature, and a variety of other materials
(e.g. audiovisual, art, in both languages) are required to meet the goals of bilingualism,
biliteracy, and multiculturalism. Having curriculum and materials in both languages is an
absolute necessity so that students have the opportunity to develop a full range of proficiency,
both linguistic and cultural, in both languages (Hakuta & Olsen, 2018). In addition, such
materials provide an opportunity for enhanced sociocultural development. That is, students have
the chance to see themselves in literary characters and are afforded an opportunity and space to
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 33

do the necessary exploration of self in relation to the other, which supports the development of
sociocultural and interculturally flexible identities (Phinney, 1993).
Cultural setting: Aligned professional learning systems. To become effective
organizations, schools like Milken Honey School should have aligned professional learning
systems that support teachers’ professional learning to ensure sustained student-achievement
results (DuFour, 2004). Research on teacher professional learning has demonstrated that when
teachers receive high-quality professional development, have regular opportunities to
collaborate, and are supported by a skilled instructional coach, the quality and effectiveness of
their instruction improves (Darling Hammond & Richardson, 2009; Dufour, 2004; Knight,
2008). The centerpiece of those aligned systems and processes are the professional learning
scope and sequence including strands such as equity strands, structures, such as professional
learning communities, coaching, and teacher collaboration, as well as processes, such as results-
oriented cycles of inquiry, self-reflection/meaning-making of data (Calderon & Slavin, 2011;
Hammond, 2014; Hollie, 2011). Table 1 below shows the organizational mission, global goal,
stakeholder goals, as well as assumed knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences and
assessments.
Table 1
Summary of Knowledge, Motivation, and Organization Influences to Teacher Cultural
Proficiency
Dissertation Model: X_Evaluation Improvement __Innovation __Promising Practice
Organizational Mission
At Milken Honey, our mission is to close the achievement gap by developing high-achieving students,
effective communicators, and skilled problem solvers.
Organizational Global Goal
By May 2020, the Milken Honey’s 3rd-6th grade ELs will raise their CAASPP ELA and Math scores by
12%.
Stakeholder (Intermediate) Goal
By May 2019, 75% of teachers who received professional learning around cultural proficiency will
report improved self-efficacy and changed perceptions of attributions of EL achievement.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 34

Assumed Knowledge Influence Knowledge Assessment
1. Teachers need knowledge around high
leverage instructional practices for English
learners including culturally responsive
pedagogy (procedural and conceptual
knowledge).
TK-6 teachers answer survey questions to
determine their level of knowledge around second
language acquisition.
2. Teachers need self-awareness of their own
cultural identity and cultural bias.

TK-6 teachers answer survey questions to analyze
the degree of cultural self-awareness and bias they
have.
Assumed Motivation Influences Motivational Influence Assessment
3. Self-Efficacy - Teachers must be confident
that they can differentiate instruction for
English language learners so that they reach
grade level standards.
TK-6 Teachers take pre- and post- survey around
their own self-efficacy using Bandura (2005)
Reading Scale around Teacher Self-Efficacy to
Promote Reading as well as the Gibson and Dembo
(1984) Teacher Efficacy Scale towards English
Learners.
4. Attributions – Teachers should feel that
low reading proficiency is due to their own
lack of effort or lack of knowledge or lack
of cultural proficiency rather than their
students’ lack of ability
Written survey item
One example would be, “Student achievement is
strongly influenced by the amount of effort I put
into the lesson (Strongly disagree – strongly
agree)”. Interview item: “What are some of the
causes for EL success or failure in your class?”
Assumed Organizational Influences Organizational Influence Assessments
Cultural Model Influence 1:
5. The organization needs a culture of trust
between TK-6 teachers and principal and
between one another as they receive
professional development around teaching
English learners.
6. The organization needs a culture of trust
between TK-6 teachers, principal, and
parents in order to engage in equity-based
discussions around culture and race.
A. Survey and/or interview questions about
whether teachers trust principal and if there is
relational trust amongst staff members as they
grapple with difficult topics around equity,
culture, and race.
B. Survey and/or interview questions to
determine if there is relational trust between
parents and teachers as they engage and build
positive relationships.
Cultural Model Influence 2:
7. The organization needs a sense of collective
efficacy among TK-6 teachers around
instructing English learners.
Collective efficacy survey to determine if there is
a sense of collective self-efficacy among TK-6
teachers in teaching English learners.
Cultural Setting Influence 1
8. The organization needs aligned professional
learning systems including professional
development, instructional coaching, and
Rummler and Brache (1995) provide an excellent
overview of how to map an organization to
ensure that they have accountable organizational
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 35

teacher collaboration. resources and tested processes to produce the
deliverables
Cultural Setting Influence 2
9. The organization needs to provide sufficient
resources including bilingual curriculum
and materials as well as culturally and
linguistically responsive materials.
An inventory of multicultural and bilingual
resources and curriculum per classroom would
reveal any shortages in these resources.

Interactive Conceptual Framework
A conceptual framework can serve as a roadmap to better understand the relationship
between the knowledge, motivation and organizational factors of the organization’s goals
(Maxwell, 2013). The conceptual framework is a system of concepts, assumptions, beliefs,
expectations, and theories that support and inform the research. The conceptual framework
includes terms, concepts, models, thoughts, and ideas (Mirriam & Tisdell, 2016) and
incorporates the influences of knowledge, motivation, and the organization through gap analysis
of the stakeholder goal attainment. So far, the knowledge, motivation, and organizational
context/culture potential influencers have been presented independently. However, the
conceptual framework model shows how these concepts are interdependent and the ways that
they influence one another (Maxwell, 2013). Figure 1 below represents a conceptual framework
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 36

for Milken Honey Elementary which provides both a graphic and narrative explanation of these
relationships.

Figure 1
Conceptual Framework for Milken Honey Elementary School
The conceptual framework above in Figure 1 shows how the different organizational (O),
knowledge (K) and motivational (M) influences interact in order to help an organization reach its
desired performance goal. The conceptual framework here illustrates that interaction here by a
key operating a gearbox. Teacher cultural proficiency is represented by a gearbox. This is
fitting as gearbox is a mechanical method of transferring energy from one device to another, and
cultural proficiency is the primary method under consideration to facilitate learning for teachers.
The organizational inputs include cultural models (comprised of trust and collective efficacy)
and cultural settings (comprised of aligned professional learning systems and resources). These
influences are represented by a key because just like a key is vital to starting any piece of
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 37

machinery, teacher cultural proficiency depends upon the activation of the necessary professional
learning structures, resources, along with trust and collective efficacy among staff.
As the initiator, the organizational influence of professional learning will provide
teachers the procedural and conceptual knowledge to possess the necessary culturally responsive
pedagogy. Second, it will provide teachers the metacognitive knowledge to possess the
necessary awareness of their own cultural bias. In terms of motivation, effective professional
learning will provide teachers the attribution and self-efficacy needed to accelerate English
learner achievement. Together, these changes are likely to produce an organizational culture of
trust and collective self-efficacy and ultimately narrow the achievement gap through a 12%
increase in Milken Honey students meeting or exceeding common core standards on the
CAASPP (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress). It is important to notice
how the teacher knowledge and motivation operate reflexively with the organizational inputs of
trust and collective efficacy, with one influencing the other and vice-versa.
Data Collection and Instrumentation
The following section details the qualitative and quantitative data collection and
instrumentation of the mixed-methods study. The research questions for the study were:
1) To what extent did Milken Honey elementary achieve its goal that by May 2019, 75% of
teachers who engaged in professional learning around cultural proficiency report improved self-
efficacy and changed attributions?
2) What were the key knowledge and motivation factors as well as professional learning
structures to improve teacher self-efficacy and change teacher attributions around EL student
achievement?

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 38

Qualitative Data Collection and Instrumentation
The researcher was the main research instrument for data collection in this qualitative
study. The study used interviews as the primary source of data collection. Interviews provided
the researcher with information as well as the opportunity to discover the participant’s unique
perspective (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The interviews addressed research questions on
knowledge, motivation, and organization influences around improving achievement for English
learners
Interviews
Interviews are authentic and useful methods for understanding participant’s viewpoint
(Maxwell, 2013), and as such were used and follow the protocol created for this study. The
participants interviewed were seven teachers from Milken Honey Elementary, one from each
grade level (K-6). They were also all members of the school’s, instructional leadership team
(ILT). The interview guide provided the interviewer with a consistent set of questions to ask
each interviewee (Patton, 2002). The interviews for this study were designed to be semi-
structured and open-ended. The research questions on motivation and organization culture and
context are better suited for open-ended interview questions. As defined by Patton (2002), open-
ended questions provided the respondents the opportunity to respond however they wanted to
and express themselves how they felt most comfortable. Furthermore, using semi-structured
interviews increased the likelihood of getting comparable data (Bogdan & Biklen, 2007).
The study used one-time, in-person, conversational-style interviews. This interview
protocol better allowed the interviewer opportunities to explore, probe, and respond as the
situation dictated (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The interviews were conducted in a non-occupied
Milken Honey classroom and lasted approximately forty-five minutes. The protocol designed
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 39

for the interviews included questions that supported the knowledge, motivation, and
organizational research questions which were aligned with the conceptual framework for this
project.
Documents and Artifacts
The researcher obtained a number of documents to better triangulate the qualitative
data. First, the researcher collected the last three years of school transformation reports (STRs)
from Partners in School Innovation (PSI), a consulting firm that has been working with Milken
Honey Elementary. A more detailed explanation of this is located in Appendix H. Second, the
researcher utilized the school’s theory of action (TOA) and professional learning plan (PLP) as
supporting materials. The TOA and PLP connected to the researcher’s conceptual framework
because they revealed information about the teachers’ level of cultural proficiency. Third,
student achievement data were utilized, including CAASPP/SBAC scores so that correlations
could be made between improvements in EL academic achievement and perceived growth in
teacher self-efficacy. The sampling strategy and timeline for the qualitative part of the study are
detailed in Table 2.
Table 2
Survey Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Timeline
Sampling Strategy Number in Stakeholder
population
Start and End Date for Data
Collection
Interviews: Non-probability, purposeful
sampling.
21 April 15-May 15
2019
Documents: Census Strategy N/A April 15-June 15
2019

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 40

Quantitative Data Collection and Instrumentation
The research project also utilized a quantitative aspect to the mixed methods approach for
data gathering and analysis. Creswell (2014) defined quantitative research as an approach for
testing theories by examining relationships among different variables. Survey designs find
numeric trends based on the population studied. Therefore, the important components of
quantitative research are described as data in the form of numbers, and statistical techniques can
be used to analyze the data (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Therefore, a survey was the preferred
method for this study as a quantitative tool because it would allow the researcher to determine a
baseline of what all the teachers believed was the reality at the school. Since not all teachers
were be interviewed, the quantitative results were used to bolster and clarify the qualitative
survey results.
Surveys
Survey Instrument. The survey included 60 questions. It surveyed the teachers around
the availability of organizational resources at the school available for both teachers as well as
English learners. An example of this question is “How many bilingual books do you have in
your classroom?” Answers included (0-10, 1-10, 11-20, 20-40, 41-100, 100+). Second, the
survey asked them to give numeric 1-4 ratings (1-Strongly Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-Agree, and 4-
Strongly Agree) to the amount of professional learning they have had as well as their perceived
level of self-efficacy around teaching English learners. An example here is “How much has the
training you have received in the last 3-5 years here at Milken Honey helped your instruction
with English learners? (1-None, 5-A great deal).” Third, the survey questions asked the teachers
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 41

to rate how much their student achievement has improved, and how much they attribute that
improvement to the knowledge and motivation gained through professional learning.
Survey Procedures. The researcher had a third party, Qualtrics, administer the
surveys. This approach is appropriate given that the lead researcher wanted to avoid any undue
pressure on the respondents while they are taking the survey. The surveys were administered
prior to the interviews as they may provide some framing for the interview and the interview
questions. The survey was used to create a baseline of comparison for both K, M, and O
influences. That is, the survey was meant to be helpful in answering questions about the
respondents knowledge around EL pedagogy, their self-efficacy and attributions around teaching
ELs, and their sense of organizational systems, structures, and resources to support ELs.
Survey Sampling Criteria and Rationale for the Quantitative Part of the Study
Criterion 1. The first criterion is that the teachers be Milken Honey classroom teachers. This
would exclude instructional coaches. This is consistent with the first and second research
questions in particular because only by surveys with close-ended questions (quantitative
instrument data) data will be collected surveys from all classroom teachers would elucidate
levels of perceived self-efficacy, patterns around attributions. As indicated in the conceptual
framework, Milken Honey Elementary plays an important role in influencing teachers’ self-
efficacy and attributions of the teachers around English learner instruction.
The sampling strategy for the qualitative part of the study relied upon the census method,
which uses data based on the entire population, rather than a sample (Johnson & Christensen,
2014). This method was chosen because the population was relatively small and collecting data
from all teachers would be relatively straightforward, as all teachers work at the same school
site. As an evaluation study, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of school efforts to
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 42

narrow the ELAG via teacher cultural proficiency. Therefore, it was beneficial to gather data
from as many of the affected stakeholders as possible. Table 3 below describes the sampling
strategy and rationale for the qualitative part of the study. If administered at a staff meeting, this
approach would likely result in a high response rate, which will enable the researcher to
generalize and make recommendations based on the third research question (Fink, 2013).
Table 3
Survey Sampling Strategy and Rationale for Quantitative Part of Study
Sampling
Strategy
Number in
Stakeholder
population
Number of Participants from
stakeholder population
Start and End Date
for Data Collection
Surveys: Census
Strategy
21 Teachers 21 Teachers March 15-April 5
2019

Explanation for Choices
Survey data collection in the form of a census was chosen for the first quantitative part of
the study, as it will enable the researcher to gather as much data as possible from as many
stakeholders as possible, within a relatively small population (Johnson & Christensen,
2014). Once, information about self-efficacy was compiled, interviews and observations were
used to gain a deeper understanding of stakeholders (Johnson & Christensen, 2014). If this study
showed that there were a gap in teacher support, then a qualitative study based on interviews
and/or observations would help the researcher gain more insights into teachers’ specific
perceptions.
For the qualitative part of the study, the researcher utilized interviews through non-
probability, purposive sampling in order to select teachers with a variety of perspectives
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The focus was be on maximum variation, so that interviewees
represent the spectrum of teachers in terms of years of experience, teaching context, and
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 43

demographics such as age, gender, and race (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). This enabled the
researcher to gain an understanding of the teachers’ experience, their breadth of knowledge,
skills, and motivation, and potential commonalities.
In terms of this part, the researcher approached a diverse pool of teachers who had taught
at Milken Honey for three or more years. That was most easily accomplished by interviewing
the seven teachers on the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT). The researcher needed to
establish the purpose of the student and how it connects to the mission and goals of the school
(Clark & Estes, 2008). Given that the researcher would as the primary data-collection
instrument, and in order to ensure that data is collected objectively and avoids creating resistance
to future initiatives, it was imperative to develop trust and exhibit a non-threatening and non-
judgmental disposition (Creswell, 2014).
Following that, it will be important that the teachers were willing to be interviewed and to
be observed, and so an informational meeting will be held with a group of those interested
followed by individual orientation meetings that help teachers understand the scope and
sequence of this part of the study. Perhaps, teachers could help guide the development of some
of these questions. The more the staff is involved in the design of the study from its inception
and have ownership of the process, the more likely they will be to cooperate in the KMO
analysis (Clark & Estes, 2008).

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 44

Findings and Results
These findings and results will be discussed through a synthesis of quantitative and
qualitative data from the survey, interviews, and supporting documents and will directly connect
with the two research questions and the KMO conceptual framework. In response to the first
research question, the findings and results clearly indicated that 75% of teachers reported
improved self-efficacy and changed attributions around EL academic achievement. Milken
Honey teachers attributed increased confidence in instructing ELs and improvement in student
EL achievement to the professional learning around cultural proficiency they have received.
Organizationally, a new culture is emerging where the teachers are taking growing in collective
ownership and efficacy around the teaching and learning of ELs. The findings and results did
indicate that that key knowledge and organizational influences were missing. Knowledge
influences failed to provide immediate action steps for classroom instruction and a hesitance
among many teachers to confront their own racial bias. Teachers also cited gaps among
knowledge organizational factors which posed threats to developing collective efficacy and trust.
For example, teachers revealed the need for more consistency in instructional coaching was
uneven, strengthening of the parent teacher relationship, and a bolstering of cultural and
bilingual resources. The survey, interviews, and supporting documents reveal seven overarching
themes which are summarized in Table 4 below.
Summary of Findings
Table 4
Summary of General Themes which Arose from the Findings
Type of Finding Themes
Knowledge Influence Findings 1. While the quality of professional development (PD) is
high, teachers often come away from PDs without
immediate action steps for classroom instruction.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 45

2. While teachers realize that cultural proficiency requires a
mindset shift around equity, some are not ready to confront
their own racial and cultural bias.
Motivation Influence Findings 1. Milken Honey teachers attribute increased confidence in
instructing ELs and improvement in student EL achievement
to the professional learning they have received.
Organizational Influence Findings 1. Although teachers see the school as a “learning lab,” gaps
in collective efficacy around ELD instruction still exist.
2. Instructional coaching was uneven and created gaps in
staff trust.
3. While improving, gaps in trust remain within the parent
school relationship due to lack of teacher understanding of
families’ language and culture.
4. There is a shortage of resources such as cultural and
bilingual supports as well as release time to visit bilingual
classrooms.

These surveys and interviews were conducted between March 15
th
to April 15
th
, 2019
with a group of Milken Honey teachers. Below, Table 5 shows the demographics of teachers
from Milken Honey Elementary who were surveyed and interviewed for the research. It also
compares those numbers with the total teacher population at Milken Honey Elementary.
Table 5
Basic Demographics of Interview Participants in Survey and Interview
Interviews Total # at Milken Honey
# of Teachers interviewed 7
(Teacher members of the School
Instructional Leadership Team
(ILT),
One Kinder, One 1
st
, One 2
nd
, One
3
rd
, One 4
th
, One 5
th
, One 6
th
)
21
Pseudonyms of teachers Ms. Tammy, Ms. Uma, Ms. Vanna,
Ms. Winona, Ms. Ximena, Ms.
Yolanda, Ms. Zara
N/A
# of years teaching (total)
1-3 Years Teaching: 1 3
4-6 Years Teaching: 4 6
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 46

7-10 Years Teaching: 1 3
11-15 Years Teaching: 0 2
16+ Years Teaching: 1 5
# of years teaching at
Milken Honey

1-3 Years Teaching 2 4
4-6 Years teaching 5 12
7+ Years Teaching: 1 0 2
# of bilingual teachers 1 6
# of teachers of color 2 7

The basic demographic information about the teachers interviewed is important for a
couple reasons. First of all, having teachers from the instructional leadership team meant that
each teacher interviewed had at least a moderate understanding of the professional learning
structures at Milken Honey Elementary including instructional coaching, professional learning
communities, and professional development and would be in a good position to speak about the
impressions of teachers at their grade levels. Second, although none of the teachers had been
teaching for a very long period of time, all seven teachers had taught at Edenvale for at least 3
years, so they could speak to changes in cultural proficiency as well as self-efficacy. Third,
having one teacher from each grade level, two of the seven teachers being women of color, and
one of the seven being a bilingual teacher provided a diversity of perspectives. Fourth, while
only one bilingual teacher was interviewed, the six bilingual classes comprise 32% of the student
population at Milken Honey. Therefore, the findings, results section will provide specific
recommendations for bilingual teachers, SEI classes, and for the school as a whole.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 47

Overall, the survey, interview and documents found through this evaluation study that the
school had met its stakeholder goal that by May of 2019, 75% of teachers would report improved
self-efficacy and changed attributions in teaching English learners. However, it also revealed
specific gaps in all pertinent knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences, which will be
discussed below.
Knowledge Influence Findings and Results
With regard to knowledge influences, two main themes emerged: First, while the quality
of professional development (PD) is high, teachers often come away from PDs without
immediate action steps for classroom instruction. Second, while teachers realize that cultural
competency requires a mindset shift around equity, some are not ready to confront their own
racial and cultural bias.
While the quality of professional development (PD) is high, teachers often come
away from PDs without immediate action steps for classroom instruction. From the
interviews, 57% of teachers left professional development that touched upon equity issues
feeling frustrated that there was not enough practical, actionable tools to put into practice the
next day with their students. Ms. Zara added that PD “could be better based on teacher needs”
and that it is “missing immediate action steps. Ms. Winona stated that there is a “lack of
understanding of what designated ELD looks like”. These interview findings confirm those by
Aguado, Ballestoros and Malik (2003) who discovered that teachers lack pedagogical strategies
to obtain good results in working with English learners and by Ukpokodu (2004) who found that
teachers feel inadequate to provide culturally relevant instruction. Ms. Winona summed up
teacher sentiment about professional development by explaining “there is too much PD on bias
and not enough on immediate takeaways so think there is too little, and some are torn because
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 48

while they know they need a mindset shift and that is the most important thing, they still want
something they can take and use immediately”. Of note, 67% of the non-white teachers stated
that they left professional development sessions about equity without immediate action steps for
classroom instruction. However, 0% of the non-white teachers mentioned this concern. This
indicates that white teachers did not believe that the professional development sessions about
equity were imparting them with useful knowledge that they could apply in their daily classroom
instruction. The findings reveal definite gaps in conceptual knowledge which impact the
teacher’s ability to accelerate learning outcomes for English learners.
While teachers realize that cultural competency requires a mindset shift around
equity, some are not ready to confront their own racial and cultural bias. While most
teachers self-reported high levels of metacognitive knowledge around their own cultural and
racial bias, as indicated in Table 6, certain gaps were revealed in the survey. Out of the 20
teachers surveyed, 25% disagreed that teachers of the school reflect on race-based patterns of
achievement, 21% disagreed that they felt comfortable talking about their cultural privilege, 29%
disagreed or strongly disagreed that they proactively seek to interact with people whose
backgrounds are different from mine, and 35% disagreed or strongly disagreed that they help
their colleagues to understand that what appear to be clashes in personalities may in fact be
conflict in culture. Clearly, the quantitative findings show gaps in metacognitive knowledge
around cultural and racial bias.
Table 6
Survey Questions related to Hurdles to Overcome in Shift towards Teacher Cultural Proficiency
Question # of
teacher
response
s
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree Strongly
Agree
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 49

Q40 - Teachers at this school ensure that
instructional topics and materials reflect the
cultural identity of their students.
20 0 20% 50% 30%
Q42 - Teachers at this school reflect on
race-based patterns of achievement.
20 0 25% 50% 25%
Q45 - I am comfortable talking about my
cultural privilege.
19 0 21% 58% 21%
Q53 - I proactively seek to interact with
people whose backgrounds are different
from mine.
21 5% 24% 62% 9%
Q54 - I help my colleagues to understand
that what appear to be clashes in
personalities may in fact be conflict in
culture.
20 5% 30% 60% 5%

The qualitative findings also show that teachers have embraced the idea that cultural
proficiency requires not only practical pedagogical skills strategies, but, as Ms. Winona states, “a
balance of hands on and practical with mindset change”. In the Partners in School Innovation
(2019) document, it was reported that “the school is already open to and has had some
conversations around issues of race, culture, class, and power”. Ms. Yolanda expressed this
sentiment as well when she shared:
The staff needs more work around biases and white fragility. It's not just going
to mean having to do ‘this strategy and that strategy’ because they are being told
to me. It’s like understanding that there are things in society at work in my
classroom. And it's up to me to reflect upon that to bring that into my classroom.
Ms. Ximena articulated the mindset shift that she had to make when going from action-oriented,
strategy-based PDs to more PDs about equity:
We’ve focused a lot on equity in the last few years…because most of our teachers
don’t come from the same background as most of our kids and so we want to make
sure we’re…understanding the biases that we all have and we all come in and
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 50

whether we’re aware of them or not and…making sure that we’re teaching in a way
that reaches all of our kids whether we have the same background or not.
Related to the research question about which key knowledge factors improve teacher self-
efficacy and change teacher attributions around EL classroom instruction, Ms. Zara stated, “I
would say that the most important rule for English learners is that we can learn the strategies on
top of it, but if we don’t have that frame of mind going into those strategies, we won’t get the
why. And it’s a lot of extra work”. This shows that culturally relevant strategies may be
important, but Milken Honey teachers realized that something more involving belief systems was
needed. Ms. Tammy added, “It is really more of a mindset shift as in ‘Are you giving all of our
kids what they need based on their backgrounds and to support them best?’” Hence, teachers do
recognize the need to attend not only to strategies, practices, and processes, but also to deeper
equity issues including identity, values, and beliefs.
However, some teachers reflected that they were not ready yet for such equity work. Ms.
Tara said, “This does depend on the teacher…Some feel uncomfortable”. Ms. Winona agreed
that teacher bias is a barrier to narrowing the achievement gap when she stated, “There is not a
ton of reflecting on identity as much as reflective bias,” and “there is still a deficit model, like
nothing I do will make a difference”. These responses connect with previous research which
found that teachers’ lack of metacognitive knowledge affects their beliefs, attitudes and implicit
bias (Banks, 1997; Derman-Sparks, 1992). Ms. Yolanda shared:
About professional development around cultural bias, you’ve had a couple of years
where we get to like a certain professional development day and some people go
there and have a discussion or are super vulnerable and like half the staff isn’t
ready for it yet which is hard. And it’s hard to do more of it just to get everyone
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 51

comfortable talking about it.
Since this type of equity work is clearly important, these responses show how teachers believe
that professional development at Milken Honey needs to be redesigned in order to more
effectively lower teacher affect around talking about cultural and racial bias. Put in another way,
teachers manifest symptoms of resistance or immunity to adaptive change.
Motivation Influence Findings
Second, with regard to motivational influences, one main theme emerged: Milken Honey
teachers attribute increased confidence in instructing ELs and improvement in student EL
achievement to the professional learning they have received.
Milken Honey teachers attribute increased confidence in instructing ELs and
improvement in EL achievement to the professional learning they have received. First, as
shown in Table 7, 100% of teachers surveyed indicated that the academic achievement of
English learners at the school improved over the last three years. Ross and Bruce (2007) noted
that when teachers with high efficacy face struggling students in danger of failure, they exert
greater effort, rather than surrendering by deeming that the causes for failure are beyond their
control. Evidence of growth in EL academic achievement is also confirmed in Graph 1, which
shows a rise in ELA and Math achievement by Milken Honey students over the past three years.
Table 7
Survey Questions related to Growth in Teacher Efficacy and Student Achievement
Question N= Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree Strongly
Agree
Q16 - The percentage points of yearly academic
growth (i.e. on CAASPP or I-Ready) that my EL
students make has overall increased over the past 3
years.
20 0 0 90% 10%
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 52

Q15 - Over the past three years, my capacity to
raise EL student academic achievement has
significantly increased.
20 0 0 80% 20%

Figure 2
% of Milken Honey Students Meeting or Exceeding Standards on CAASPP 2015-2019.

Furthermore, 100% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed that their capacity to raise EL
student achievement had significantly increased in the past three years. Clearly, not only has
academic achievement grown, but teacher self-efficacy around instructing ELs at Milken Honey
has steadily grown in the last three years. This is important because it demonstrates that school
efforts are having an impact on the English learner achievement gap. Milken Honey teachers’
progressive growth in their belief in self, motivation to persist, and ability to modify practice are
markers of teachers with high self-efficacy and will likely positively impact student achievement
(Ross & Bruce, 2007).
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 53

The qualitative data also found that teachers grew in their self-efficacy around instructing
English learners. Ms. Yolanda stated, “I’d give it a 7 out of 10; I was probably way less than
that before; I’ve learned a lot of new strategies from my coaches and from all the PDs,” and Ms.
Ximena also stated, “I’d give it a 7 out of 10, but when I got here I would have called it a 3. Our
PD impacted my confidence level to be able to help them”. Ms. Ximena cited, “I think they have
helped a lot with the confidence level that I spoke to you about, you know, instead of just having
strategies like a sentence frame. Not just the sentence frames or visuals. So my confidence has
definitely grown over the last four years to a seven”. Teachers clearly perceived that their
capacity to instruct English learners has grown in the past three years.
Teachers attributed the improvement in EL academic outcomes and self-efficacy to the
professional learning they have received. Findings displayed in Table 8 demonstrate these
results clearly. First, Q6 shows that 100% of all teachers either disagreed or strongly disagreed
that teachers are not powerful influencers on EL student achievement. That demonstrates that
Milken Honey teachers see themselves as vital difference-makers in accelerating EL student
outcomes, and the results of Q7 back this up as 80% of teachers believe that it is because of their
extra effort that an EL meets standards. Second, in Q8, 85% of teachers either agreed or strongly
agreed that improvement in EL achievement is due to the professional learning they received.
This is significant because culturally proficient teachers exhibit strong self-reflection skills and
make linkages between student achievement and how culturally responsive their instruction is
(Dray & Wisneski, 2011). On the other hand, there were some exceptions to this general trend.
15%-20% of teachers surveyed indicated that they attribute improvement in EL achievement to
something other than teacher effort or teacher professional learning. Other discrepancies in
teacher attribution will surface in the qualitative analysis below.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 54

Table 8
Survey Questions Related to Teacher Attribution of Student Academic Growth
Question N= Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree Strongly
Agree
Q6 - When all factors are considered, teachers
are not very powerful influences on EL student
achievement.
20 60% 40% 0 0
Q7 - When an EL meets or exceeds grade level
standards, it is usually because I exert a little
extra effort.
20 0 20% 75% 5%
Q8 - I attribute improvement in EL achievement
to the professional learning I have received.
20 0 15% 75% 10%

The interviews bolstered the theme around how professional learning helped their
teaching skills as well. Ms. Ximena shared:
The professional development has affected my capacity; it is not just the
strategies like a sentence frame; cultural bias is everything I can’t see. It has
impacted my confidence level to know that it is not that they just don’t care or
aren’t trying. I need to slow myself down when coming to a judgement. Instead
of saying, ‘What is wrong with this kid?’ ask ‘What happened to this kid?’
This teacher clearly recognizes her own self-efficacy in identifying the root academic needs of
her students.
Some teachers still attributed low English learner academic of achievement to other
factors than the teaching and learning in the classroom. Ms. Ximena revealed that there is still
“Teacher bias around ELs; still a deficit model; like nothing I do will make a difference”.
Teachers make commentary on how others in the district view the students at Milken Honey.
Ms. Ximena said, “Some perceived barriers to learning is when others jump to conclusions that
the kids just don’t care”. Ms. Winona stated, “home life is a big deal. It can upset their learning.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 55

If they are homeless, they won’t be sleeping. So that is hard because it is out of my control”.
The teachers are not necessarily saying that the gap in achievement is inevitable. Their
responses begin to reveal their sense that the educational system is not set up for them to
effectively meet the needs of the English learners walking through their doors.
Organizational Influence Findings and Results
Four main themes emerged around organizational influences. First, instructional
coaching was uneven and created gaps in staff trust. Second, there is a shortage of resources
such as cultural and bilingual supports as well as release time to visit bilingual classrooms.
Third, although teachers see the school as a “learning lab,” gaps in collective efficacy around
ELD instruction still exist. Fourth, while improving, gaps in trust remain within the parent
school relationship due to lack of teacher understanding of families’ language and culture.
Instructional coaching was uneven and created gaps in staff trust. Interview data
revealed that 71% of teachers experienced distrust because of inconsistent instructional coaching
support. Ms. Tammy shared her feelings of frustration when she shared, “the people delivering
the training need to be a little more well thought out”. In comparing the literacy coach with the
English learner coach, Ms. Vanna said “the literacy coach is very responsive,” and Ms. Zara
added “the literacy coach is super hands on and always trying to make it practical. She provides
a good explanation, she will model it, so we can see it in practice. Still, the Partners in School
Innovation (2019) STR document supported these statements as it asserted the need to “articulate
the distinct roles each coach plays to provide equitable coaching to teachers based on student
needs”.
Specifically, four of the seven teachers in the interviews shared that the other
instructional coach who works specifically on behalf of the ELs at the school, known as the
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 56

English Learner Teaching Partner (ELTP), provides insufficient hands-on support. For example,
Ms. Tammy cited “the ELTP is not very visible. She has a load of expertise, but the teachers are
frustrated because just the lit coach shows up” Ms. Zara added, “I don’t necessarily get the
schedule from the ELTP, and I just don’t know where she is or staying sometimes and that is
because she might be in a classroom but like its bilingual”. Ms. Ximena added, “the ELTP has
more district related activities and we see her less in classrooms and she does more district-
related activities”. This indicates a lack of alignment and coherence in professional learning
structures which would likely have a deleterious effect on narrowing the achievement gap. Ms.
Winona stated that there is a “lack of understanding of what designated ELD looks like and a
“feeling of frustration from a lack of class modeling and coaching on designated ELD”.
Overall, the teachers indicated the need for more consistency in the instructional coaching so
they would be better equipped to meet the needs of the English learners at Milken Honey.
While improving, gaps in trust remain within the parent school relationship due to
lack of teacher understanding of families’ language and culture. To effectively teach ELs,
teachers need to develop strong, trusting relationships with parents. Without trust between the
principal and teachers and between the principal and families, it is unlikely deep fundamental
change on the belief-system level will take place (Marzano, Waters, & McNulty, 2005). This is
the type of change essential to narrow the English learner achievement gap. Furthermore, as
illustrated below in Table 9, the teacher responses indicate that there is a trust gap between the
school and parents and between the principal and teachers. Since many studies base the level of
trust at a school on the trust reported between teachers and the principal as well as parents and
the principal. As Table 9 below below shows, 30% of the teachers disagree that teachers develop
partnerships with families that ensure student academic success. Furthermore, 20% of the
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 57

teachers indicated on Q33 and Q34 that there was a lack of inclusivity and respect between the
principal, instructional leadership team, and the rest of the school community Based upon these
results, the principal and instructional team should prioritize family engagement order to develop
a strong, positive, trusting connection between the school and parents.
Table 9
Survey Questions Related to Lack of Trust and the Need for Improved Teacher-Parent
Engagement
Question N= Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree Strongly
Agree
Q22 - The teachers at this school develop
partnerships with families that are focused on
ensuring student success.
20 0 30% 60% 10%
Q24 - The principal makes sure that the school
community is well-informed about school plans.
19 0 26% 58% 16%
Q33 - The principal and instructional leadership
team establish policies that ensure an inclusive
environment for the whole school community.
20 0 20% 60% 20%
Q34 - The principal and instructional leadership
team create an environment in which all members
of the school community demonstrate respect for
one another.
20 0 20% 50% 30%
Q35 - The principal and instructional leadership
team model an ongoing commitment to
developing cultural proficiency.
20 0 20% 55% 25%

Teacher’s lack of cultural awareness around English learner communities and their lack
of Spanish language in particular represent significant barriers to this school-parent trust. In
terms of attributions, teachers still see the ELAG as significantly linked to factors such as
Spanish language, family educational experience, and socioeconomic factors. Also, the teachers
at Milken Honey believe lacked cultural awareness around the families as well as self-awareness
of cultural and racial bias. Ms. Zara explained that:
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 58

I can’t always say what I need to say. It is definitely harder if I don't speak
the language and I think especially during parent teacher conferences, then
it’s like the scheduling gets more difficult because I need to have an interpreter.
There is a need for more interpreters and bilingual staff.
Ms. Yolanda added that “language is the big barrier,” and Ms. Uma concurred that parent and
family engagement has “been a huge challenge, even with the Vietnamese families”. Ms.
Ximena said parent and family engagement is “relatively low--families work multiple jobs and
may feel unwelcomed”. From the interviews, a paradox emerges that on the one hand, Milken
Honey teachers express that family engagement is vital to improving EL achievement. On the
other hand, teachers feel helpless to connect with and engage families because of socio-economic
and language barriers.
The LCAP survey document also suggested “Spanish for teachers or something to
support English only language teachers to build deeper connections to bilingual families” as well
as more education for parents for pathway to college”. These sentiments about gaps in family
engagement were also echoed by the Partners in School Innovation (2019) STR document. It
reported that:
While many families attend SEAL gallery walks, families still lack voice in
contributing to the school’s academic vision….Meet with families to contribute
to a vision for culture and climate, and clearer pathways on how to participate in
school-wide decisions….Consider ways for staff to learn more about families such
as creating space for them to share relevant personal stories. Include more
translation services to deepen family communication.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 59

Both the qualitative and quantitative data reveal that within Milken Honey School community
culture, gaps in trust exist between TK-6 teachers, principal, and parents. Part of the
professional development and coaching should be geared to address these barriers and ensure
that families and teachers experience a more trusting relationship.
Although teachers see the school as a “learning lab,” gaps in collective efficacy
around ELD instruction still exist. Seventy-one percent of Milken Honey teachers brought
up the term “learning lab” to describe the professional learning culture, where learning happens
in non-traditional ways, and where educators walk away from professional learning eager to put
new learning into practice. The culture of our school is that teachers “learn something and then
immediately try it out” (Ms. Winona), and “many of us learn something and immediately dabble
and try it out” (Ms. Tammy). Ms. Winona elaborated, “Extra learning is supported celebrated,
both advanced degrees as well as support to pay for outside conferences and professional
development”. Also, in the official Partners (2019) document, it was reported that “Edenvale
teachers possess a strong learning orientation and feel supported to take risks and try out new
strategies”. Ms. Vanna reiterated teachers’ willingness of teachers to support ELs when she
contended that the culture of Milken Honey is like “a learning lab and that they’re very willing to
say, ‘Ok, this is not working; we need to try something else’.” This widespread cultural norm of
teachers’ immediately applying new learning from professional development speaks to Milken
Honey teachers’ collective efficacy. It also bolsters the conclusion that professional learning
systems are doing their job in developing not only a sense of collective efficacy but is leading to
greater positive interdependence among teachers.
Still, while many teachers responded that the PD is “great,” teachers mentioned a lack of
collective efficacy when it came to meeting the academic needs of newcomer ELs. In
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 60

describing the challenges around teaching newcomers to the U.S. who have limited English, Ms.
Tammy and Ms. Zara each individually responded that teachers “feel inadequate”. Also, Ms.
Zara voiced her desire for more training in helping newcomers when she stated, “I would love to
have a primary teacher like teach me how to teach reading”. Ms. Winona summed up some gaps
in collective efficacy when she stated, “our teachers lacking Spanish is a big focus, so we are
closing the achievement gap and trying all aspects of reaching out to families and, but teachers
don’t have the tools to deal with the language barrier and the and the trauma and the poverty our
families are dealing with”. A number of interviewers corroborated this sentiment of Milken
Honey teachers having less than optimal collective efficacy around meeting the needs of ELs,
particularly ELs arriving with little or no English.
There is a shortage of resources such as cultural and bilingual supports as well as
release time to visit bilingual classrooms. Teachers cited the need for additional resources
including realia, library books, as well as the release time to observe other bilingual
classrooms. It is important to contextualize these results because only 30% of classes at Milken
Honey are bilingual classes. Therefore, in a sheltered English immersion (SEI) classroom, one
would not necessarily expect a teacher to have bilingual books. According to the survey, over
half the Milken Honey teachers cited that there is a lack of culturally responsive resources.
Specifically, in Question 1, 33% of teachers said they had 0-10 bilingual books in their class and
62% said that they had 20 or fewer bilingual books in their class. The results from Question 1 is
limited because they reflect responses from both the 6 bilingual classes and the 13 SEI classes.
However, when combined with the results from question 3, which shows that the consensus
among teachers that there an insufficient number of Spanish books in their classes. As indicated
in Table 10 below, the responses to survey questions 2 and4 show that teachers need more
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 61

cultural and Spanish resources. Examples of such resources include books and curriculum in
Spanish, books with multicultural themes relevant to the students’ lives, technology applications
in Spanish and which teach Spanish, realia related to the thematic units being studied, and
translation services.
Table 10
Survey Questions Related to a Lack of Organizational Resources
Question N= Strongly
Agree
Disagree Agree Strongly
Agree
Q2 I have sufficient culturally responsive
teaching resources for English learners.
21 0 52% 24% 24%
Q3 I have access to a sufficient number of
Spanish books.
21 0 52% 43% 5%
Q4 In terms of having access to a sufficient
number of multicultural books.
21 0 57% 33% 10%

Without the provision of sufficient resources, schools cannot ensure that English learners achieve
at high levels (Gay, 2002). Based on the survey findings, more than half of teachers disagreed
that they had enough culturally responsive teaching resources, Spanish books, or multicultural
books.
Teachers voiced their concern about the lack of access to technology as well as
multicultural resources and technology. 28% of the teachers interviewed expressed the need for
more Rosetta Stone software in order to teach English to newcomers to the United States
including the students and parents. To meet the need for more culturally relevant SEAL thematic
units, Ms. Zara posited that “James and the Giant Peach and British novels don’t connect to
students’ experiences SEAL curriculum”. Ms. Tammy added that while the SEAL units are
taught some extent to diverse individuals; they are not culturally responsive in terms of St
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 62

Patrick's Day or Columbus Day. They come with Eurocentric lenses of history and it is harmful
to perpetuate that”. The teachers also provided examples of specific cultural resources needed.
Ms. Winona articulated the need for “more realia, hand held things like clothing, dolls, where
they can see themselves in the classroom. Dolls, different color papers, crayons for skin color,
and hands-on things”. Without such resources, teachers would be ill-equipped to meet the
academic needs of their students in classrooms with such a high percentage of ELs
Teachers also discussed a shortage of bilingual resources. The LCAP survey document
called for improved basic services including “a bilingual curriculum”, more “high-interest low-
level book sets). We need it!” With respect to bilingual resources, Ms. Yolanda stated, that
there is a “need for additional training or knowledge and the opportunity to observe other
bilingual classes”. Finally, the responses from interviewees were echoed by the Partners in
School Innovation (2019) STR document which reported the need for more translation services.
The consensus from the interviews was that the crucial bilingual and multicultural materials to
narrow the ELAG were improving, but there were still not enough. Table 11 below details the
different knowledge, motivation, and organizational needs, which were validated and not
validated.
Table 11
Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Needs Validated, Not Validated
Methods of Validation
K, M, O Assumed Need Validated Not
Validated
New
Need
K Teachers need knowledge around high leverage
instructional practices for English learners including
cultural responsive pedagogy (procedural and conceptual
knowledge)
X

K Teachers need awareness of their own cultural identity
and cultural bias.
X

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 63

M Self-Efficacy -- Teachers lack self-efficacy around
helping English learners meet and exceed grade level
standards.
X

M Attributions -- Teachers lack belief that their efforts
affect English learner academic success as much as other
factors such as the EL’s background.
X

O Cultural Model Influence 2:
The organization lacks a sense of collective efficacy
among TK-6 teachers around culturally and linguistically
responsive teaching and learning.
X

O Cultural Model Influence 1:
A. The organization lacks a culture of trust between TK-
6 teachers and leadership and between one another as
they receive professional development around instructing
English learners.

B. The organization lacks a culture of trust between TK-
6 teachers, principal, and parents in order to engage in
equity-based discussions around culture and race.
X

X

O Cultural Setting Influence 1
The organization lacks sufficient resources including
consistent instructional coaching as well as bilingual and
culturally/ linguistically responsive materials.
X

O Cultural Setting Influence 2
The organization lacks aligned systems and processes
including professional development, instructional
coaching, and teacher collaboration.
X

The table shows that all of the assumed knowledge, motivational, and organizational needs were
validated through the qualitative and quantitative findings.
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences
In response to the four themes identified in the findings section,as well as the degree to
which gaps were identified among all of the KMO influences, this section will identify
recommendations, discuss how the recommendations will be implemented as a program,
describe the program, and then describe how the implementation of the program will be
evaluated using the Kirkpatrick New World (2016) model of evaluation.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 64

Knowledge Influence Recommendations
Introduction. The knowledge influences in Table A represent the complete list of
assumed knowledge influences and how those influences were validated based on informal
interviews and supported by the literature review. Clark and Estes (2008) assert that bolstering
the knowledge and skills of an organization will improve its employees ability to solve problems
related to their performance. Foundational research from Clark and Estes (2008) suggested that
declarative knowledge about something is often necessary to know before applying it in the
classroom instruction, as is the case with pedagogical strategies to teach English learners
(ELs). Metacognitive knowledge is described as one’s awareness of one’s own cognition
including what one knows, does not know, and the process one must take will take to acquire this
information (Mayer, 2011; Krathwohl, 2002; Rueda, 2011). As such, as indicated in Table 12,
these influences were validated and have a high priority for achieving the stakeholders’ goal.
Table 12 also shows the recommendations for these highly probable influences based on
theoretical principles.
Table 12
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
Knowledge
Influence
Validated
as a Gap?
Yes, High
Probability
or No
(V, HP, N)
Priority
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
Teachers need
knowledge around
high leverage
instructional practices
for English learners
including culturally
responsive pedagogy
(procedural and
conceptual
knowledge). (D)
HP N Clark and Estes (2008),
training is the most
effective way to provide
employees with “how-
to”knowledge. Learning
is highly dependent on
“goal-directed practice”
and “targeted feedback”
(Ambrose et al, 2010).
Provide training through
with targeted feedback
from instructional coaches
to develop and practice
culturally responsive
pedagogical strategies.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 65

Teachers lack
awareness of their
own cultural identity
and cultural bias. (M)
Y Y The use of
metacognitive
strategies facilitates
learning (Baker, 2006).

Provide training through
professional development,
such as through the
transformation
Network, which relies
upon metacognitive
strategies in order for
teachers to self-monitor
their own cultural bias.

Knowledge Around High Leverage Practices for English learners. The results and
findings of the study indicate that the teachers at Milken Honey Elementary need more in-depth
declarative knowledge about high-leverage instructional practices for English learners. This was
not cited as a priority because overall, findings showed that teachers are confident with their
knowledge of teaching strategies. Still, a gap exists and so recommendations will be provided.
A recommendation rooted in information processing theory has been selected to close this gap in
declarative knowledge. Per Clark and Estes (2008), training is the most effective way to provide
employees with “how-to” knowledge, and Ambrose et al. (2010) argued that learning is highly
dependent on “goal-directed practice” and “targeted feedback”. That would suggest providing
learning that includes targeted feedback would be helpful to ensure that teachers are able to more
effectively learn these high leverage practices. The recommendation then is to provide teachers
instructional coaching with targeted feedback to develop and practice culturally responsive
pedagogical strategies. The instructional coaches could set up times to provide the teachers with
consistent, targeted feedback based on the level of implementation of culturally responsive
teaching strategies that the coaches witness during their walk-throughs.
Instructional coaching that provides targeted feedback has been shown to raise the
academic achievement of ELs or close the ELAG (Calderón, Slavin & Sánchez, 2011; Davis,
2012). In order for teachers to accelerate learning for students, there must be an effective
transfer of knowledge and skills that he or she has learned in professional development (Joyce &
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 66

Showers, 2002). Important concepts around English learner instruction, such as how to
effectively teaching sets of academic vocabulary words intensively, are difficult for teachers to
learn. For training to be effective it requires explicit instructions, peer-modeling, instructional
coaching, and ongoing practice (Mayer, 2011).
In terms of providing high-leverage teaching model for ELs, Milken Honey will continue
to provide all TK-6 teachers the PreK-3rd comprehensive 2 year professional development
model, Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL). The SEAL model, a response to the
persistent ELAG, focuses on meeting the demands of the Common Core standards and ELD
Standards while addressing the needs of English learners, their parents, and their teachers. It
draws heavily on the research base for effective practices for improving educational outcomes
for English Learners (August & Shanahan, 2009; NASEM, 2017), and on effective practices for
preventing long-term English Learners (Olsen, 2010). The SEAL program incorporates grade-
level, unit development days, on-site coaching, and money (approximately $2000/class) to
support the implementation of SEAL strategies.
The SEAL model is grounded in the following components: Alignment of preschool and
the K-3 systems around a shared vision of language development as the foundation for academic
success. The SEAL model is comprised of a number of core components: simultaneous
academic language and literacy (including bilingual options); language-rich environments and
instruction with an emphasis on expressive and complex oral language development and
enriched vocabulary; text-rich curriculum and environments that engage children with books and
the printed word, and lead to the appreciation and love of reading and writing; language
development through engaging academic thematic units based upon science and social studies
standards and hands-on, inquiry-based learning; an affirming learning environment that brings
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 67

together teachers and parents to support strong language and literacy development at home and at
school (Martinez et al., 2019). An evaluation of the pilot concluded that SEAL students at all
grade levels demonstrated significant growth on all measures of language, literacy, and
mathematics as well as cognitive and social development (Lindholm-Leary, 2015).
Need for more in-depth metacognitive knowledge based on teacher awareness of
cultural bias. As previously mentioned, a lack of metacognitive knowledge prevents teachers
from connecting with ELs and helping them meet or exceed common core standards. The results
and findings of the study seem to indicate that the teachers at Milken Honey Elementary need
more awareness of their own cultural identity and cultural bias. A recommendation rooted in
social cognitive theory has been selected to close this gap in metacognitive knowledge. Baker
(2006) discussed how metacognitive strategies facilitate learning and provide teachers
opportunities to engage in guided self-monitoring and self-assessment. That would suggest the
need to provide teachers metacognitive learning opportunities so that they can self-monitor their
own cultural bias.
The recommendation is to provide training through professional development such as the
Transformation Network (described in a later section) which relies upon metacognitive strategies
in order for teachers to self-monitor their own cultural bias. One example of this would be for
teachers to participate in a personal experience panel, or PEP panel, where teachers are allowed
to metacognitively reflect on their own personal experiences around race and how that have
affected their cultural or racial bias. Such professional development should help teachers make
personal connections to their own racial history or cultural history or racial story (Dray &
Wisneski, 2011).
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 68

Over the past two decades, scholarship in teachers’ cultural awareness highlighted the
need for intentional trainings and assessments about teachers’ beliefs regarding their perceptions
of cultural diversity and their students within the classroom walls (Castro 2010; Obgu
1992). Within such trainings, teachers need opportunities to metacognitively reflect to unpack
attributions that are potentially linked to racism, power, or privilege so that they can work more
effectively and fairly with diversity in the classroom and develop a deeper understanding of
students’ behavior (Dray & Wisneski, 2011). Such professional development should help
teachers make personal connections to their own racial history, cultural history or racial
story. Chartock (2010) found that it is best for all educators to willingly examine their positions
as well as take risks by being receptive to multiple perspectives and conversations about
inequality and race issues. Additionally, Hammond (2014) suggested other self-reflective
training strategies for teachers such as roleplaying or having guest speakers will help develop
what they call a “critical consciousness”. This literature clearly supports the recommendations to
support providing teachers training that provide them this type of metacognitive
knowledge. More detailed recommendations around how to develop teacher adaptive knowledge
are described in the integrated implementation and evaluation plan in Appendix I on page 105.
Motivation Influence Recommendations
Introduction. This study sought to validate two motivational influences on teachers that
contribute to the English learner achievement gap. Both influences are derived from theories
which are a subset of social cognitive theory. Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory provides
a framework that examines an individual’s self-system, which carries with it the ability to
influence cognitive process and actions. The choices that individuals make are influenced by the
strength of their beliefs (Goddard, Hoy, & Hoy 2004). Bandura (1986) explains that an
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 69

individual’s ability to exercise a measure of control over their thoughts, feelings, motivation, and
actions is influenced by the strength of their efficacy beliefs.
The first motivational influence is derived from self-efficacy theory. It was assumed that
the primary stakeholder group had a gap in self-efficacy around teaching English learners. The
second motivational influence comes from attribution theory, which establishes the premise that
teachers may attribute student academic failure more to factors outside of their locus of control
than that of their own instruction. Table 13 explains in detail the specific stakeholder motivation
influences, motivation theory principles, and recommended training interventions to reduce gaps
in stakeholder motivation.
Table 13:
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Motivation
Influence

Validated as
a Gap
Yes, High
Probability,
No
(V, HP, N)
Priority
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
Self-Efficacy --
Teachers lack self-
efficacy around
helping English
learners meet and
exceed grade level
standards.
HP N Provide goal-directed
practice coupled with
frequent, accurate,
credible,
targeted and private
feedback on progress
in learning and
performance
(Pajares, 2006).
Provide positive
feedback from
instructional coaches
through coaching cycles.
Attributions --
Teachers lack belief
that their efforts affect
English learner
academic success as
much as other factors
such as the EL’s
background.
HP N Provide feedback that
stresses the process of
learning,
including the
importance of effort,
strategies, and
potential
self-control of
learning. (Anderman &
Anderman, 2009).
Provide opportunities for
teachers to exercise
control over English
learner success and offer
them feedback about the
importance of their effort
on English learner
success through
instructional rounds with
fellow teachers.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 70

The study findings validate gaps in these two motivation influences. Of these influences,
the highest priority based on the data collected is that teachers must possess high self-efficacy
around teaching English learners in order for them to effectively accelerate their learning. The
table above bases context-specific recommendations for Milken Honey based upon principles
whose research is cited.
Participate in coaching through instructional rounds to increase teacher self-
efficacy. Based on the data collected, the results from the research clearly validated the
motivation gap. Specifically, Milken Honey teachers lack self-efficacy around helping English
learners meet and exceed grade level standards. In order to close this type of motivation gap
around self-efficacy, teachers should be provided multiple opportunities for goal-directed
practice; include instructional support early on with a gradual removal of supports; and frequent,
accurate, credible, targeted, and private feedback on progress of learning and performance
(Pajares, 2006). A practical way to do that is if instructional coaches set up coaching cycles with
teachers to help the teachers set goals, model instruction in the teachers’ classrooms, observe the
teachers, and then provide consistent, positive feedback around English learners’ learning
progress. Such coaching cycles can foster conditions in which deep reflection and learning can
take place in order to build teacher knowledge and capacity and influence teacher beliefs and
values (Aguilar, 2013).
In addition, research on teacher professional learning has demonstrated that when
teachers have regular opportunities to collaborate and are supported by a skilled instructional
coach, the quality and effectiveness of their instruction improves (Darling Hammond &
Richardson, 2009; Dufour, 2004). In another study where 9 schools completed surveys of their
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 71

self-efficacy beliefs and level of implementation of a new teaching strategy for beginning
readers, results indicated that the professional development format that supported mastery
experiences through follow-up coaching had the strongest effect on self-efficacy beliefs for
reading instruction as well as for implementation of the new strategy. Clearly, instructional
coaching could significantly improve instructional practices related to language and literacy
development (Neuman & Cunningham, 2009; Poglinco & Bach, 2004), influencing teachers’
self-efficacy and, in turn, their motivation.
Participate in professional learning communities and instructional rounds to
positively affect teacher attribution. The quantitative and qualitative data seemed to show that
professional development has significantly improved teacher attribution at Milken Honey
Elementary. Nevertheless, some of the data still revealed that some teachers clearly lack the
belief that their efforts affect English learner academic success as much as other factors such as
the EL’s background. This confirms the gap postulated by Bertrand and Marsh (2015), who
found that teachers are less likely to attribute the achievement gap for English language learners
to their own instruction. The theory and principle is to provide feedback that stresses the process
of learning, including the importance of effort, strategies, and potential self-control of learning
(Anderman & Anderman, 2009). In terms of implications to the stakeholders, teachers need to
exercise control over English learner success and receive positive feedback about the importance
of their instructional efforts on English learner success. Elmore (2010) showed how schools
must be redesigned as organizations where employees are expected to subject their practice to
the scrutiny of peers or the discipline of evaluations based on student achievement. That might
include opportunities to observe a credible, similar model engaging in behavior that has
functional value such as shadowing a more experienced, skilled teachers. A specific
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 72

recommendation is to provide teacher opportunities through instructional rounds using a variety
of rubrics provide teachers with clear feedback on the impact of their instruction on student
learning (Elmore, 2002). Such feedback reinforces the importance of teacher effort, strategies,
and control over their students’ learning (Elmore, 2002).
The literature suggests that instructional rounds will provide the necessary motivation
intervention to affect adaptive attributions. Milken Honey teachers need to first self-reflect in
order to uncover previously examined prejudice in order to get rid of bias related to power,
white-privilege or racism, and then be more effective in supporting, advocating, and educating
diverse children (Lin, Lake, & Rice 2008). Group dynamics through instructional rounds and
professional learning communities will provide the teachers the opportunity to self-reflect in
order to able to unpack attributions that are potentially linked to racism, power, or privilege so
that they can work more effectively and fairly with diversity in the classroom (Dray & Wisneski,
2011). More detailed recommendations around how to positively affect teacher efficacy and
attribution are described in the integrated implementation and evaluation plan in Appendix I on
page 105.
Organizational Influence Recommendations
Introduction. This study sought to validate gaps in two types of organizational
influences that have been shown to contribute to the English learner achievement gap: cultural
models and cultural settings (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Cultural models define for
individuals the way things are and should be, encode what is valued and ideal, and describe
which settings should be enacted or avoided (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Cultural models
also show who should participate, the rules of interaction, and the purpose of the interactions
(Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001; Shore, 1996). It was assumed that within the cultural model at
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 73

Milken Honey Elementary, a gap existed for the values of trust and collective self-efficacy.
Cultural settings can include the details, steps, and processes to develop and establish the desired
cultural models (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Also, a gap within the cultural settings at
Milken Honey around aligned systems and processes as well as resources was assumed. The
results of the study appear to validate these gaps in organizational influences. Table 14 explains
in detail the specific stakeholder organizational influences, organizational theory principles, and
recommendations to reduce organizational gaps.
Table 14:
Summary of Organizational Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Organization
Influence

Validat
ed as a
Gap
Yes,
High
Probabi
lity, No
(V, HP,
N)
Priorit
y
Yes,
No
(Y, N)
Principle and
Citation

Context-Specific
Recommendation
Cultural Model Influence 1:
The organization lacks a
culture of trust between TK-6
teachers and leadership and
between one another as they
receive professional
development around
instructing English
learners.

The organization lacks a
culture of trust between TK-6
teachers, principal, and
parents in order to bridge
barriers in culture and
language.
HP

Y
N

Y
Effective leaders
work to develop
a high degree of
faculty cohesion,
collaboration,
collegiality, and
trust (Herman et
al., 2016).

Instructional
coaches can
significantly
improve
instructional
practices related
to language and
literacy
development
(Neuman &
Cunningham,
2009; Poglinco &
Bach, 2004).
To build staff cohesion and
trust and to celebrate
academic successes, principal
and instructional coaches
clearly provide feedback
about what practices are
working and what needs to be
improved. They should
actively listen to the needs,
ideas, and concerns of the
teachers by creating multiple
channels of communication.

A family engagement plan
should be developed and
implemented with the voice
of teachers and parents.
Cultural Model Influence 2: HP Y Professional
learning
To build teacher collective
efficacy around teaching ELs,
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 74

The organization lacks a sense
of collective efficacy among
TK-6 teachers around
effectively increasing
academic achievement of
English learners.
communities can
leverage the data-
use capacity of
teachers in order
to ensure the
high quality
implementation
of the teacher
inquiry process
and the
improvement of
their collective
efficacy (Marsh,
2015).
school leaders should
develop professional learning
structures and systems that
facilitate transformative
collaborative inquiry.

Principal should develop
capacity of PLCs and PLC
facilitators to develop an
action plan and run their own
inquiry-based PLCs.
Cultural Setting Influence 1
The organization lacks
sufficient resources including
consistent instructional
coaching as well as bilingual
and culturally/ linguistically
responsive materials.
Y Y Effective change
efforts ensure
that everyone has
the resources (i.e.
personnel.)
needed to do
their job, and that
if there are
resource
shortages, then
resources aligned
with
organizational
priorities should
be supplied
(Clark & Estes,
2008)
More multicultural and
bilingual resources for all
classes including high quality
fiction and non-fiction texts
of all levels in English and
Spanish. Provide more
bilingual release time for
PLCs.

More bilingual resources
including bilingual
technology, curriculum, and
assessment tools, should be
provided to bilingual
teachers.

More multicultural resources
should be provided to
teachers who teach sheltered
English immersion (SEI)
classes.
Cultural Setting Influence 2
The organization lacks
aligned professional
learning systems including
professional development,
instructional coaching, and
teacher collaboration.
Y Y Failures in
organizational
change initiatives
result from a
failure to ensure
that the structure
of the
organization and
key processes are
in alignment with
organizational
goals (Rummler
& Brache,
1995).
Align structures and
processes, including
professional learning
activities, around a theory of
action or a cultural
proficiency plan.

Ensure that instructional
strategies, curriculum,
assessments, and
interventions are thematically
integrated and coherently
aligned with standards.

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 75

Develop trust through constructive feedback. The study has validated a gap in Milken
Honey’s school culture of trust between TK-6 teachers and leadership and between one another.
It also validated a gap in the culture of trust between TK-6 teachers, principal, and parents in
order to engage in equity-based discussions around culture and race. Effective leaders work to
develop a high degree of faculty cohesion, collaboration, collegiality, and trust (Herman et al,
2016). It is important to build supportive and caring personal relationships in the community of
learners (Pintrich, 2003). Lencioni (2004) reinforced the importance of establishing trust among
those with whom you work by actively listening to the needs, ideas, and concerns of employees
by creating multiple channels of communication. To build staff cohesion and trust and to
celebrate academic successes, principal and instructional coaches must clearly provide feedback
about what practices are working and what needs to be improved. In a qualitative study of six
first year urban teachers, Gardiner (2011) found that instructional coaching led to trusting
relationships which enhanced the teacher’s ability to respond to student needs as well as to
identify and work towards long term instructional goals.
Second, a family engagement plan should be developed and implemented with the voice
of teachers and parents. Halgunseth et al (2013) suggested that in order to effectively engage
families of ELs, schools must: (1) address EL/DLL families’ bilingual and bicultural needs; (2)
develop warm and mutually respectful relationships; (3) engage in regular two-way
communication; and (4) approach EL/DLL families from a strength-based perspective. SEAL’s
work in creating meaningful family-school partnerships attends to all four areas. As noted
previously, the needs of ELs are at the core of the model.
Develop collective efficacy by helping teachers analyze student data through
professional learning communities. The organization lacks a sense of collective efficacy
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 76

among TK-6 teachers around instructing English learners. Collective efficacy is a highly
influential factor to improve student achievement (Hattie, 2010). Teachers who believe that their
colleagues are able to behave in ways that promote student achievement indicate high collective
efficacy (Goddard & Goddard, 2001). Professional learning communities can leverage the data-
use capacity of teachers in order to ensure the high quality implementation of the teacher inquiry
process and the improvement of their collective efficacy (Marsh, 2015).
In a year-long comparative case study of six low-performing middle schools in four
districts that supported teacher data use via literacy coaches, data coaches, or PLCs, Marsh
(2015) found that coaches and PLCs played important roles in mediating teachers' responses to
data, leading to improvements in their instructional delivery. One of their specific suggestions
was to provide teacher uninterrupted time to collectively reflect on data. Both of their findings
suggested that PLCs and instructional coach develop a comprehensive plan to facilitate positive,
deeper level changes in teacher pedagogy.
Leaders can also influence collective efficacy by providing evidence of impact. When
instructional improvement efforts result in higher student achievement validated through sources
of student learning data, teachers’ collective efficacy is improved. Evidence of collective impact
reinforces proactive collective behaviors, feelings, thoughts, and motivations, referred to as
“reciprocal causality” (Bandura, 1993). School leaders can play a key role in creating non-
threatening, evidence-based instructional environment. They do this first by meeting with
teachers in data chats and using questions shifting teachers’ thinking so that they make links
between their instruction and impact on student learning outcomes. Second, school leaders set
expectations for formal, frequent, and productive teacher collaboration and by creating high
levels of trust for this collaboration to take place (Dufour & Eaker, 2004). The emphasis should
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 77

be on identifying student learning needs and detecting problems that need to be addressed in
classrooms, using a variety of evidence to determine if approaches made a difference, and
making adjustments as necessary (Dufour & Eaker, 2004).
Enhance professional capacity by providing tailored bilingual and culturally
responsive materials. Research findings have confirmed that Milken Honey Elementary lacks
sufficient resources for culturally and linguistically responsive teaching and learning
(CLRT). Effective change efforts ensure that everyone has the resources (equipment, personnel,
time, etc.) needed to do their job, and if there are shortages, then additional resources aligned
with organizational priorities should be provisioned (Clark & Estes, 2008). Such resources will
not be effective in building teacher cultural proficiency if they are not tailored to the specific
context for which they are designed. For example, the principal should provide bilingual
materials and Spanish books to the TK-4 bilingual classes, and multicultural books, curriculum,
and supporting materials for all classes. These Spanish books should be used during the Spanish
reading block of the day, which depends upon the grade level. Other essential materials needed
include anti-bias curriculum for teachers and books that speak to other main culture at Milken
Honey, the Vietnamese, of which 10% of the school is comprised (Derman-Sparks, 2009).
Rummler and Brache (1995) provide an excellent overview of how to map an
organization to ensure that they have accountable organizational resources and tested processes
to produce the deliverables. With respect to personnel, instructional coaches will be allocated
based on teacher need and the coaches’ expertise. The English learner teaching partner (ELTP)
coach is bilingual and will set up coaching cycles with the six bilingual classes. She will also
make sure that those classes are provisioned with appropriate Spanish language curriculum,
books, and support materials. The literacy coach, who is at the site more of the time, will
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 78

provide coaching cycles to the other 13 teachers based on diagnostic and formative student
academic data.
The school would also need to allocate additional financial resources to fund the
materials and processes needed to bolster teacher cultural proficiency. A substantial part of the
school’s budget should be allocated to purchase these culturally relevant materials. In addition,
funds should be set aside during staff meetings for PLCs, substitute release days for instructional
coaching sessions, and substitutes for teachers’ instructional rounds. These funds would allow
release time for bilingual teachers to visit other bilingual classrooms and for SEI teachers to visit
other SEI classrooms. Also, the school would need an increase in time so as to raise the level,
frequency, consistency, and quality of these PLCs.
Align professional learning systems around a theory of action and cultural
proficiency plan. Research findings have confirmed that Milken Honey Elementary lacks
aligned systems and processes based on a professional development scope and sequence.
Failures in organizational change initiatives result from a failure to ensure that the structure of
the organization and key processes are in alignment with organizational goals (Rummler &
Brache, 1995). Rummler and Brache (1995) suggest that schools align structures and processes,
including professional learning activities, around a unified curricula as well as ensure that
instructional strategies, curriculum, assessments, and interventions are thematically integrated
and coherently aligned with standards. Whether the curriculum is adopted or teacher created, it
is important that it is consistent within the grade and across grade levels. In terms of a practical
recommendation, Lindsey et al (2019) assert that principals, instructional coaches, and teachers
develop and implement a “culturally proficient inquiry action plan” which is aligned to the
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 79

school’s mission and vision and offer an assortment of tools to facilitate that process. Below,
Table 15 outlines a summary of all recommendations based on the findings.
Table 15:
Summary of Findings and Recommendations
Type of Finding Findings Recommendations
Knowledge Influence
Findings
1. While the quality of professional
development (PD) is high, teachers
often come away from PDs without
immediate action steps for classroom
instruction.

Help teachers develop more
knowledge around high-
leverage practices for English
learners.
2. While teachers realize that cultural
competency requires a mindset shift
around equity, some are not ready to
confront their own racial and cultural
bias.
Help teachers develop more in-
depth metacognitive knowledge
based on teacher awareness
cultural bias.
Motivation Influence
Findings
1. Milken Honey teachers attribute
increased confidence in instructing ELs
and improvement in student EL
achievement to the professional learning
they have received.
Participate in professional
learning communities and
instructional rounds to
positively affect teacher
attribution.

Participate in coaching through
instructional rounds to increase
teacher self-efficacy
Organizational Influence
Findings
1. Although teachers see the school as a
“learning lab,” gaps in collective
efficacy around ELD instruction still
exist.

Align structures and processes,
including professional learning
activities, around a theory of
action and a cultural
proficiency plan.

Develop collective efficacy by
helping teachers analyze
student data through
professional learning
communities. Develop
collective efficacy by helping
teachers analyze student data
through professional learning
communities.
2. Instructional coaching was uneven
and created gaps in staff trust.
Develop trust through
constructive feedback
3. While improving, gaps in trust remain
within the parent school relationship due
A family engagement plan
should be developed and
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 80

to lack of teacher understanding of
families’ language and culture.
implemented with the voice of
teachers and parents.
4. There is a shortage of resources such
as cultural and bilingual supports as
well as release time for bilingual
teachers to visit other bilingual
classrooms and for SEI teachers to visit
other SEI classrooms.
Enhance resources and
professional capacity by
providing more Spanish
bilingual materials for bilingual
classes, and culturally and
linguistically responsive
materials for all classrooms.

In developing this cultural proficiency plan, schools and teachers will face several
challenges, as indicated both in the research and through corroborating results and findings from
this study. Several teachers clearly stated their reluctance to working with EL families.
Therefore, one challenge will be to overcome this resistance to working collaboratively with
families and incorporating their voice in a school-wide cultural proficiency plan. Second, while
teachers on the one hand indicate improved self-efficacy and changed attributions, on the other
hand their answers indicate resistance to looking at their own racial bias. The challenge for
school leaders and teachers, therefore, will be to go beyond understanding and facilitating
needed technical changes (i.e. professional learning, pedagogy and curriculum) at the school.
They must also understand the nature of adaptive change (values and beliefs) required for each
individual teacher and for the teachers as a whole (Fullan, 2001; Lin & Schwartz, 2005).
Although this sort of adaptive change is difficult, part of the professional learning for the
principal and the instructional leadership team should be around this type of adaptive change
because it is required to meet the needs of EL students in Milken Honey’s context. Specifically,
Milken Honey leaders must organize and facilitate activities which first discover hidden
commitments that have gotten in the way of teachers’ stated commitment to meet the needs of all
students. Robin DiAngelo (2018) describes one such common commitment that would prevent
white teachers from realizing and confronting their own bias. In her book, White Fragility,
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 81

DiAngelo (2018) describes the typical commitment of white progressives to fiercely defend
themselves when confronted by others for behaving in a racist way. Only by realizing that
commitment exists, can white teachers begin to make the adaptive change necessary to undue
previously unacknowledged bias.
Conclusion
This evaluation study analyzed through a mixed methods approach whether teacher
professional learning at an elementary school in Northern California developed cultural
proficiency and had an effect on the English learner achievement gap. Teachers were chosen as
the key stakeholder because of their direct impact on student achievement, and professional
learning intended to not only influence teacher behaviors but their beliefs and values as well.
The results and findings demonstrated that the school’s aligned systems including teacher
collaboration, instructional coaching, and professional development had developed teacher
knowledge, self-efficacy and trust and had altered teacher attribution towards English learner
achievement. However, the evidence from the interviews, surveys, and other corroborating
school documents show that Milken Honey teachers possess insufficient tacit knowledge around
their own cultural identity and that of the ELs who they teach. Furthermore, Milken Honey
teachers lack sufficient motivation to engage in the type of courageous conversations and other
activities that would facilitate meaningful, adaptive change in their individual beliefs and the
organizational culture.
Therefore, the recommendations center around a comprehensive, aligned school-wide
cultural proficiency plan. This plan will positively affect teacher attribution and collective
efficacy through participation in professional learning communities, instructional coaching, and
instructional rounds; development of teacher trust through constructive feedback by instructional
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 82

coaches; and enhance teacher professional capacity by providing more bilingual and culturally
and linguistically responsive materials. Such a plan will integrate the cultural and linguistic
assets of the EL community including parents. Ultimately, the success of the plan will depend
on the degree to which it identifies and responds to what is blocking teacher knowledge and
motivation towards real cultural change. That requires a deeper understanding of what is causing
teachers to resist change and ways to uproot that resistance.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 83

Appendix A: Participating Stakeholders and Sampling Criteria for Interviews
Survey Sampling Criteria and Rationale for the Qualitative Part of the Study.
Criterion 1
The first criteria is that these seven teachers among the same individuals that are in the
initial quantitative sample, should all be members of the instructional leadership team. First of
all, it is not feasible to interview all 20 teachers, nor are all 20 teachers are likely to desire such
an interview and/or observation. With five to seven teachers chosen carefully, it is reasonable to
assume that the researcher will be able to draw strong conclusions about how teacher pro-
fessional development affects teacher efficacy related to English learner teaching and learning.
Second, the rationale for choosing teachers who are not 1
st
year teachers is that a) 1
st
year
teachers to Milken Honey are likely to be processing a lot of information around district culture
and school culture b) new teachers may be less able to process professional learning around
mindset change while they are trying to learn new curriculum and instructional practices.
Criterion 2
The second criterion for the qualitative part of the study is that these seven teachers
represent a diversity among upper and lower grades, bilingual and regular-ed teachers (Milken
Honey has a bilingual strand), and a mixture of Caucasian and Latino(a) teachers. In the second
phase, seven teachers will be given extensive interviews and will be observed in their classroom
to further elucidate the effect of professional development around their self-efficacy and
attributions around teaching English Learners. The rationale for choosing seven teachers in this
way is that there needs to be a good cross section of viewpoints so as not to create an
imbalanced, biased view because of an overly weighted sample of, say, primary teachers or
Caucasian teachers.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 84

Appendix B: Interview Protocol
Script Prior To Interview:

I’d like to thank you once again for being willing to participate in the interview aspect of my
study. As I have mentioned to you before, my study seeks to understand teacher professional
learning here at this school and how it has prepared you and the teaching staff with the cultural
proficiency to most effectively teach English learners.

Our interview today will last approximately 45 minutes during which I will be asking you about
your experiences at this school. For this study, I will use a pseudonym for the school, the data
will be kept confidential, and you can decide not to answer any question that you do not wish to
answer. You can also decide to withdraw from the study.

There are no right or wrong answers, or desirable or undesirable answers. I would like you to
feel comfortable saying what you really think and how you really feel. If it’s okay with you, I
will be tape recording our conversation since it is hard for me to write down everything while
simultaneously carrying an attentive conversation with you. Everything you say will remain
confidential, meaning that your identity and its connection with any answers related to it will
remain anonymous.

Before we begin the interview, do you have any questions? [Discuss questions] If any questions
(or other questions) arise at any point in this study, you can feel free to ask them at any time. I
would be more than happy to answer your questions.

Transition: First, I am just going to ask you a few questions about the culture and climate at
your school.

1. (K) Tell me about the English learners and their academic achievement at your school.

2. (O) Tell me about the relationships between teachers and the English learners at Milken
Honey Elementary?
a. How would you describe parent and family engagement at Edenvale school?
b. How would you describe the relationships between the teachers and the parents of
English learners?

Next, I am going to ask you about your perceptions about English learners and how they learn
best.

3. (M) Tell me about what you think determines how much an English learner grows
academically from one year to another.
a. (M) How would you compare the influence that teachers have on the achievement of
Milken Honey’s English learners compared to that of their families and why?

4. (K) Which instructional strategies do you feel are the most effective in helping you to meet
the needs of English learners and why?
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 85

a. Talk about a time you used an instructional strategy in your classroom to help an
English learner accelerate their learning
b. Follow-up: What made it particularly effective?

Thank-you. Now, I am going to turn my attention to understand your understanding of some
different concepts. Please understand that there is no right or wrong answer to these. I just
want to see what some different terms and concepts mean for you.

5. (K) Can you define what professional learning means to you and describe the different
types of professional learning?

6. (K) Can you describe what cultural competency or cultural proficiency means to you?
a. Follow-up: If you had to explain cultural competency to someone, how would you
explain it?
I am interested in how you feel about meeting the needs of English learners at your
school.

7. (M) To what degree do you believe the professional learning your school and district has
provided you has prepared you to meet the needs of the English learners in your class?
a. (M) Follow up question: Are there any other kinds of learning experiences that have
helped you feel more competent in serving English learners and what were they?
b. (K) Please describe your professional learning around culturally and linguistically
responsive practices?

8. (K) Which strategies do you feel are the most effective in helping you to meet the needs of
English learners and why?
a. Talk about a time you used an instructional strategy in your classroom to help an
English learner accelerate their learning?
b. (K) How would you approach designing a class that makes culturally relevant
materials available to students?

9. (M) How would you rate your confidence in helping English learners make significant
academic gains and why do you think it is this level?
a. Why do you say that?
b. Follow up: What additional training or knowledge would you like to acquire?
Thank-you. I am also curious about how you perceive your school prepares teachers to
meet the needs of English learners.

10. (O) How would you describe your school’s resources for culturally and linguistically
responsive teaching and learning?
a. (O) Follow-up question: What resources do you think have been more successful in
helping ELs
b. (O) Follow-up question: In your opinion, what additional resources could benefit
ELs?

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 86

11. (O) How do key learnings from professional development get put into practice in the
classroom?

12. (O) Please describe the professional development you have received at Milken Honey
Elementary related to supporting English learners?
a. (O) How would you describe the quality of professional development at Milken
Honey Elementary?
b. (O) Follow-up: Can you please give some examples of culturally relevant pedagogy
training you have received?

13. (O) In terms of other types of professional learning, describe professional coaching at
Milken Honey and to what degree it helps you to better instruct English learners?

14. (O) In terms of other types of professional learning, describe teacher collaboration at Milken
Honey and to what degree it helps you to better instruct English learners?

15. (M) How does professional learning at Milken Honey Elementary provide opportunities for
you to self-reflect on your own cultural identity and cultural bias?
a. (M) How do you perceive that it has affected your capacity to support English
learners?
b. (O) Follow-up What are some perceived barriers to support ELs?
c. (O) Follow-up (If the answer is negative): How would be the first steps for
professional learning to better help you self-reflect on your cultural identity and bias?
d. (O) Follow-up: In your experience, to what degree has professional learning at
Milken Honey Elementary affected your own cultural competency?
Closing: Thank-you so much for answering all of these questions. I really appreciate your time.
Before we wrap things up and talk about next steps, is there anything about the topic of
professional learning or cultural proficiency, or teaching ELs that you didn’t get asked but would
like to comment on? Also, are there any last comments you have regarding this study?
Once the research is finished, you will be sent information on the findings. Thank you for your
participation.

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 87

Appendix C: Survey Protocol
Research
Question/Data
Type
KMO
Constr
uct
Survey Item (question and response) Scale of
Measure
ment
Potential
Analyses
Visual
Repre
sentati
on
1. What are key
knowledge and
motivation
factors as well as
professional
learning
structures to
improve teacher
self-efficacy and
change teacher
attributions
around EL
classroom
instruction?
O-CS How many bilingual books do you have
in your classroom?”
(I don’t have any bilingual books, 1-10,
11-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, More than
50)
I have sufficient culturally responsive
curriculum and other culturally relevant
teaching resources for my English
learners:
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)
Nominal,
Interval
Percentage,
Mean,
Median,
Mode

Table
2 What are key
knowledge and
motivation
factors as well as
professional
learning
structures to
improve teacher
self-efficacy and
change teacher
attributions
around EL
classroom
instruction?

M-A When an ELL meets or exceeds grade
level standards, it is usually because I
exert a little extra effort.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Even a teacher with good teaching
abilities may not reach many EL students.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Teachers are not very powerful influences
on ELL student achievement when all
factors are considered.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

How much do you attribute improvement
in EL achievement to the professional
learning you have received?
123456 (1-A great deal 6-Very Little)
Interval,
Ratio
Percentage,
Range,
Mean,
Standard
Deviation,
Table
3 To what extent is
Milken Honey
elementary
achieving its goal
that by May 2019,
75% of teachers
who engaged in
professional
learning around
cultural
M-SE I have enough training to deal with most
learning problems.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree).

My teacher training program and/or
experience has given me the necessary
skills to be an effective teacher with EL
students. 123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-
Strongly Agree)
Ordinal,
Interval,
Ratio
Percentage,
Range,
Mean,
Standard
Deviation,
Table
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 88

competency will
report improved
self-efficacy and
changed
attributions?

When an EL is having difficulty with an
assignment, I am usually able to adjust it
to his/her level.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

If an EL did not achieve standard in a
given lesson, I would know how to plan
an intervention to help them move
towards standard in a subsequent lesson.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

If one of my EL students can’t do an
assignment, I am able to accurately assess
whether the assignment was at the correct
level of difficulty.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)
4 To what extent is
Milken Honey
elementary
achieving its goal
that by May 2019,
75% of teachers
who engaged in
professional
learning around
cultural
competency will
report improved
self-efficacy and
changed
attributions?
K-F Overall, the academic achievement for
students I teach has improved in the past
three years. 123456 (1-Strongly Disagree
6-Strongly Agree)
Ordinal,
Interval,
Ratio
Percentage,
Range,
Mean,
Standard
Deviation,
Table
5 What are the
recommendations
for Milken Honey
Elementary to
reduce gaps in
stakeholder’s
knowledge and
motivation to
improve
classroom
instruction and
EL academic
achievement?

K Teachers seek to understand the role of
race, culture, class, and power in their
work?
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Teachers reflect on race based patterns of
achievement.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Teachers take student’s cultural
background into account while planning
instruction.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Ordinal,
Interval,
Ratio
Percentage,
Range,
Mean,
Standard
Deviation,
Table
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 89

Teachers reflect on their beliefs and
expectations for students and families.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Teachers ensure that instructional topics
and materials reflect the identities,
cultures and interests of their students.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Teachers create a learning space that is
inviting and supportive of diverse
learners.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Teachers intentionally cultivate
relationships with and among their
students, creating a classroom community
that encourages a sense of belonging,
caring and mutual respect.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)
6. What are the
recommendations
for Milken Honey
Elementary to
reduce gaps in
stakeholder’s
knowledge and
motivation to
improve
classroom
instruction and
EL academic
achievement?

K Teachers make content instruction
accessible to English learners using a
repertoire of strategies.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Teachers provide regular and purposeful
opportunities for students to practice oral
language.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Teachers use a variety of strategies to
make new content and learning objectives
meaningful for students.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Teachers develop and implement a
systematic and comprehensive plan for
supporting English language development
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Ordinal,
Interval,
Ratio
Percentage,
Range,
Mean,
Standard
Deviation,
Table
7. What are the
recommendations
for Milken Honey
Elementary to
reduce gaps in
O-CM School leaders communicate in a
transparent and timely manner.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Ordinal,
Interval,
Ratio
Percentage,
Range,
Mean,
Standard
Deviation,
Table
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 90

stakeholder’s
knowledge and
motivation to
improve
classroom
instruction and
EL academic
achievement?

School leaders make sure that the school
community is well-informed about school
priorities, plans, and decisions. 123456
(1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly Agree)

School leaders communicate expectations
in alignment with the school's vision,
including expectations for implementation
of curriculum, instruction, assessment,
and intervention. 123456 (1-Strongly
Disagree 6-Strongly Agree)

School leaders communicate expectations
around policies and practices that ensure a
safe and inclusive school community.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

School leaders are accessible to the school
community, and maintain open and
effective lines of communication.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

School leaders encourage expression of
diverse opinions.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

School leaders model an ongoing
commitment to developing cultural
proficiency.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

School leaders create an environment in
which all members of the school
community demonstrate respect, integrity
and belief in one another.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree).
8. What are the
recommendations
for Milken Honey
Elementary to
reduce gaps in
stakeholder’s
knowledge and
motivation to
improve
classroom
instruction and
EL academic
achievement?
O-CM School leaders establish systems and
policies that ensure a safe, welcoming and
inclusive environment for staff, students
and families.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Leadership team supports implementation
of the theory of action and professional
learning plan.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Ordinal,
Interval,
Ratio
Percentage,
Range,
Mean,
Standard
Deviation,
Table
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 91

School leaders establish an instructional
leadership team that reflects a diversity of
perspectives.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

School leaders share collective
responsibility for working toward the
school's vision, mission and core values.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

School leaders develop partnerships
between staff and family that are focused
on ensuring student success.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)
9. What are the
recommendations
for Milken Honey
Elementary to
reduce gaps in
stakeholder’s
knowledge and
motivation to
improve
classroom
instruction and
EL academic
achievement?

O-CM Teachers understand how professional
development sessions are aligned with the
school's vision, core values and annual
priorities.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Teachers align curriculum across the
grade levels, within their department
and/or within their language program.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Teachers align curriculum with colleagues
teaching the same grade level or course.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Teachers understand how professional
development sessions are aligned with the
school's vision, core values and annual
priorities.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)
Ordinal,
Interval,
Ratio
Percentage,
Range,
Mean,
Standard
Deviation,
Table
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 92

10 What are the
recommendations
for Milken Honey
Elementary to
reduce gaps in
stakeholder’s
knowledge and
motivation to
improve
classroom
instruction and
EL academic
achievement?

O-CM School leaders establish clearly defined,
measurable, accelerated, and equitable
goals for student learning.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

School leaders develop a plan for
supporting teachers to improve structures,
and resources to support student
improvement.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

School leaders establish school-wide
expectations for curriculum, instruction,
assessment, and intervention.
123456 (1-Strongly Disagree 6-Strongly
Agree)

Ordinal,
Interval,
Ratio
Percentage,
Range,
Mean,
Standard
Deviation,
Table
K-F=Knowledge-Factual, M-GO=Goal Orientation, O-CM=Cultural Models, O-CS=Cultural
Setting.

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 93

Appendix D: Professional Learning Survey

Q1 How many bilingual books do you have in your classroom?
o I don’t have any bilingual books (1) o 1-10 (2) o 11-20 (3) o 21-30 (4) o 31-40 (5)
o 41-50 (6) o More than 50 (7)
Q2 I have sufficient culturally responsive teaching resources for my English learners:
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q3 I have access to a sufficient number of Spanish books.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q4 I have access to a sufficient number of multicultural books.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q5 Even a teacher with good teaching abilities may not reach many EL students.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q6 When all factors are considered, teachers are not very powerful influences on EL
student achievement.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q7 When an EL meets or exceeds grade level standards, it is usually because I exert a little
extra effort.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q8 I attribute improvement in EL achievement to the professional learning I have received.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q9 How would I rate the quality of professional learning that I have received at this school.
o Very poor (1) o Poor (2) o Fair (3) o Good (4) o Excellent (5)
Q10 My teacher training program and/or experience has given me the necessary skills to be
an effective teacher with EL students.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q11 I have enough training to deal with most student learning difficulties.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 94

o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q12 If one of my ELs cannot do an assignment, I am able to accurately assess whether the
assignment was at the correct level of difficulty.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q13 If an EL did not achieve standard in a given lesson, I would know how to plan an
intervention to help them move towards standard in a subsequent lesson.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q14 When an EL is having difficulty with an assignment, I am usually able to adjust it to
his/her level.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q15 Over the past three years, my capacity to raise EL student academic achievement has
significantly increased.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q16 The percentage points of yearly academic growth (i.e. on CAASPP or I-Ready) that
my EL students make has overall increased over the past three years.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q17 Teachers at this school make content instruction accessible to English learners using a
repertoire of strategies.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q18 Teachers at this school create a learning space that is supportive for diverse learners.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q19 Teachers at this school regularly provide purposeful opportunities for students to
practice oral language.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q20 Teachers at this school use a variety of strategies to make new content meaningful for
students.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q21 Teachers at this school develop and implement a systematic and comprehensive plan
for supporting English language development.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 95

Q22 The teachers at this school develop partnerships with families that are focused on
ensuring student success.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q23 Over the past three years, teachers at this school have become more capable of raising
EL student achievement.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q24 The principal makes sure that the school community is well-informed about school
plans.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q25 The principal shares collective responsibility with the rest of the school community for
working toward the school's vision, mission and goals.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q26 The principal establishes an instructional leadership team that reflects a diversity of
perspectives.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q27 The instructional leadership team establishes SMARTE goals (clearly defined,
measurable, accelerated, and equitable goals) for student learning.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q28 The instructional leadership team develops a plan for supporting teachers improve
student achievement.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q29 The instructional leadership team establishes school-wide expectations for curriculum
and instruction.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q30 The principal communicates in a transparent manner.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q31 The principal is accessible to the school community and maintains open lines of
communication.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q32 The principal encourages expression of diverse opinions.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 96

o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q33 The principal and instructional leadership team establish policies that ensure an
inclusive environment for the whole school community.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q34 The principal and instructional leadership team create an environment in which all
members of the school community demonstrate respect for one another.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q35 The principal and instructional leadership team model an ongoing commitment to
developing cultural proficiency.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q36 The principal communicates expectations in alignment with the school's vision,
including expectations for implementation of curriculum and instruction.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q37 Teachers at this school understand how professional development sessions are aligned
with the school's vision, mission, and goals.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q38 Teachers at this school align curriculum across the grade levels, within their
department and/or within their language program.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q39 Teachers at this school align curriculum with colleagues teaching the same grade level
or course.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q40 Teachers at this school ensure that instructional topics and materials reflect the
cultural identity of their students.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q41 Teachers at this school reflect on their expectations for students.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q42 Teachers at this school reflect on race-based patterns of achievement.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 97

Q43 Teachers at this school take student’s cultural background into account while
planning instruction.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q44 Teachers at this school seek to understand the role of race in their work.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q45 I am comfortable talking about my cultural privilege.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q46 I take time to reflect on my own cultural identity.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q47 I know the effect that my culture/ethnicity may have on the people at my work setting.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q48 I seek to learn about the cultures of my students' families.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q49 I welcome a diverse group of teachers and staff into the work setting.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q50 I recognize that diversity is more than gender, ethnicity, and gender orientation.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q51 I share my appreciation of diversity with my coworkers.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q52 I teach the cultural expectations of my school to those who are new or who may be
unfamiliar with the organization's culture.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q53 I proactively seek to interact with people whose backgrounds are different from mine.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q54 I help my colleagues to understand that what appear to be clashes in personalities may
in fact be conflicts in culture.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 98

Q55 I accept that the more diverse our group of teachers becomes, the more we will change
and grow.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q56 I recognize that I may need to share the resources or power that comes from the
unearned privileges I currently enjoy.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q57 I speak up if I notice that a policy or practice unintentionally discriminates against or
causes an unnecessary hardship for a particular group in this organization's community.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q58 I take advantage of teachable moments to share cultural knowledge or to learn from
my colleagues.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q59 I advocate for the marginalized and voiceless at my school.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)
Q60 I check myself to see if an assumption I am making about a person is based on facts or
upon stereotypes about a group.
o Strongly Disagree (1) o Disagree (2) o Agree (3) o Strongly Agree (4)

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Appendix E: Credibility and Trustworthiness
The principles used in the research design supported the validity and the establishment of
a trusting relationship with the participants during this qualitative study. Using triangulation of
two or three methods of data collection to confirm findings supports the credibility of the study
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Using document reviews provided another perspective about the
principal’s procedural and conceptual knowledge in relation to the data gathered through the
interviews. Having the data from the document reviews along with rich descriptions from the
interviews contributed to having credible findings. It was established at the beginning with the
teachers that the interviewer, who was not thee lead researcher, would not use anyone’s name
and would also conceal the location to put participants at ease. Trustworthiness emerges from
the researcher as the instrument of research. In this study, ethical behavior and building trust
with participants was important for honest and in-depth responses.
The analysis of the data by the researcher as the primary instrument of data collection
included the researcher’s biases (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The study contains an
acknowledgement of the researcher’s biases and notation of any perceptions of participants who
may not have provided actual perspectives in the interviews. The researcher maintained a
running word document of running thoughts as acknowledgment of potential biases. Credibility
can be ensured by soliciting feedback from interviewed participants on preliminary or emerging
findings (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The researcher checked with participants if they wanted a
review of findings reflecting what occurred. Credibility and trustworthiness play important roles
in ensuring that the reader trusts this study and its findings.

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Appendix F: Validity and Reliability
Validity in the research design informs the reader of different ways to interpret data
(Maxwell, 2013). The purposeful convenient sampling method to be in the study assisted in
gathering information-rich findings (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The findings in the research
drove the validity and the researcher reporting these accordingly. The study allowed the
researcher to learn more about the barriers and influences central to the research questions. The
research was designed to uncover any gaps, which would guide the principal, coaches, and
instructional leadership team to make changes in the professional learning strategy at Milken
Honey Elementary. Validity and reliability for the study were maintained through the
triangulation of the data as well as an audit trail that will explain the study and the findings from
the data (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The design of the protocol, the data collection, and the data
analysis were explicit to the research questions and conceptual framework regardless of the
researcher’s role. The researcher explained to the respondents that there would be no
compensation offered or given in exchange for their participation in the study. That was meant
to avoid the potential for the participants to feel pressured to answer in certain ways. The
researcher followed up at the conclusion with a small thank-you gift for each of the seven
teachers who were interviewed.
The threats to validity include the inability to generalize a population based on one study
(Johnson & Christensen, 2014). The sampling method used was specified as pertinent to the
group of focus and for the organization. Another threat to validity was the potential of
participants not representing their actual views during the interviews (Maxwell, 2013).
In terms of the validity of the research instrument assesses whether it measures the
constructs that it is intended to measure (Creswell, 2014, Salkind, 2017). As such, the researcher
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 101

intendedto maintain the validity first by ensuring that all facets of the study reflect the purpose of
the project and the research questions. The researcher ensured that the population surveyed
consists of only Milken Honey teachers. Second, the researcher used a modified self-efficacy
Bandura Survey that has been well-vetted as a valid assessment tool. Lastly, the researcher
monitored and mitigated threats to validity that could present themselves in the quantitative
aspect of the study. These include threats of internal validity (ie. testing, instrumentation), threats
of external validity (i.e. narrow characteristics of participants), and threats of statistical
conclusion validity (i.e. inaccurate inferences of data or violation of statistical assumptions)
(Creswell, 2014).
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Appendix G: Ethics
The researcher maintained a high level of trust, especially given that he happened to be
the site leader of the teachers at the school whose teachers are being studied. This started with
the researcher following through with all of the university’s institutional review board (IRB)
process, which are committees charged by the federal government with protecting the rights and
welfare of human subjects involved in research. Furthermore, the researcher was involved in
topics around cultural responsiveness, which are inherently sensitive. The researcher made sure
that during the study, whether it is just the part that includes a survey or the part that involves
interviews, that the anonymity of the teachers is maintained, and that confidentiality of their data
and participation would be strictly observed. The researcher gave teachers adequate information
concerning the study, provide adequate opportunity for teachers to consider all options, respond
to teachers’ questions, ensure that teachers have comprehended this information, and obtain the
teachers voluntary agreement. The researcher had the teachers sign two waivers, one to do the
interview, and a separate one to gain permission to record, and storing and securing the data.
It is also important to note that it could create an ethical problem if the lead researcher,
being the principal, was the one conducting the interviews. Since teachers would be in a
subordinate role, the researcher would need to minimize the potential for them to feel coerced or
pressured to participate. That would almost certainly create pressure on the teachers to say what
they think the principal wants to hear. This would particularly be true in the case of questions
around self-efficacy in teaching English learners. Since teachers would be unlikely to admit a
lack of self-efficacy in instructing English learners to their own principal, an educator from
outside the district served as interviewer. The researcher should separate himself from all aspects
of the interview process and explain to teachers explicitly that he would not be privy to any to
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 103

any of the personalized details of the study, and would only receive data was it is
anonymized.
Merriam and Tisdell (2015) state that researchers should consider potential ethical
dilemmas that could compromise the trustworthiness of their qualitative research. The lead
researcher should also make sure that the findings are revealed in a timely way but also in a way
that preserves anonymity. One of the likely ethical dilemmas likely to emerge with regard to the
collection of data and in the dissemination of the findings includes the relationship of the
research to the participants. Also, as the principal for Milken Honey Elementary for the past six
years, the researcher would also need to be aware of his own biases. For example, the researcher
might be influenced to ask leading follow up questions in order to obtain desirable, positive
comments from teachers about their self-efficacy or receive praise for the quality of professional
learning Patton (2015) also recommends being able to make referrals to resources for assistance
in dealing with problems that may surface during an interview. This is important in an interview
that the researcher considering in that it may touch on issues of racial bias and may bring up
difficult topics as well as painful or vulnerable feelings for the participants.

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Appendix H: Description of School Transformation Report administered by Partners in
School Innovation:
The School Transformation Report provided yearly by Partners in School Innovation was
utilized in this study in order help triangulate the qualitative data provided by the teacher
interviews. This report was administered independently of the study, but since it covered the
same issues of professional learning and cultural proficiency, it could effectively corroborate or
clarify the findings and results of the study. During the last month of the year, a team from
Partners in School Innovation conducted a series of interviews, observations, and focus groups in
order to learn more about how school leaders and teachers are working to improve teaching and
learning at Edenvale Elementary in the Oak Grove School District. The team subsequently
reviewed and synthesized the data using their School Transformation Rubric, to place a series of
essential practices into a stage of implementation. This rubric specified research-based best
practices found in high performing schools in the area of leadership, professional learning, and
instruction. The findings were intended to support the school in the process of continuous
improvement by highlighting areas of strength and opportunity. Findings were organized to
provide school leaders and teachers with an understanding of the essential practices for
transformation, the level of implementation of those essential practices, and an overview and the
evidence gathered by the team.

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Appendix I: Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
The model that informed this implementation and evaluation plan is the New World
Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016), based on the original Kirkpatrick Four
Level Model of Evaluation (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2006). This model suggests that
evaluation plans start with the goals of the organization and work backwards, and that, by doing
so, the “leading indicators” that bridge recommended solutions to the organization’s goals are
both easier to identify and more closely aligned with organizational goals. Further, this “reverse
order” of the New World Kirkpatrick Model allows for a sequence of three other actions: a) first,
the development of solution outcomes that focus on assessing work behaviors, b) next, the
identification of indicators that learning occurred during implementation, and c) finally, the
emergence of indicators that organizational members are satisfied with implementation
strategies. Designing the implementation and evaluation plan in this manner allows connections
between the immediate solutions and the larger goal and promotes “buy in” to ensure success
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations
The organizational goal is that by May 2020, the Milken Honey’s 3rd-6th grade ELs will
raise their CAASPP ELA and Math scores by 12%. The stakeholder goal is that by May 2019,
75% of teachers who received professional learning around cultural competence will report
improved self-efficacy and changed perceptions of attributions of EL achievement. The reason
for this stakeholder goal was in response to the abundance of research that shows that when
teachers of English learners receive high level professional learning, their cultural proficiency
increases, and when their cultural proficiency increases, so does the academic achievement of
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 106

English learners in their classrooms. The expectations for the desired outcomes include both
external and internal outcomes. These results serve as leading indicators showing the degree to
which targeted outcomes occur as a result of teacher professional learning. They include internal
outcomes such as teacher reports of self-efficacy and changed attributions through surveys and
interviews, and focus groups. They also include external outcomes such as improvements in
English learner student achievement on California state common core assessment (CAASPP).
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
Modern trainers often use the Kirkpatrick model backward, by first stating the results that
they want to see, and then developing the training that is most likely to deliver them
(Kirkpatrick, 2016). This helps to prioritize the goals of the training and make it more effective.
Starting with Level 4 allows one to analyze the final results of your training, including outcomes.
Table 16 shows the proposed Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators in the form of outcomes,
metrics, and methods for both external and internal outcomes for Milken Honey elementary. If
the internal outcomes are met as expected as a result of the professional learning for teachers,
then the external outcomes should also be realized.
Table 16
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes.
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External outcomes
Teachers will demonstrate student
growth in English language arts and
math.
Percentage of English learners
meeting or exceeding grade level
standards.
CAASPP, which is
given once a year
during April and
May.
Parents will report improvement in
teacher cultural competence.
Number of parents reporting
improved cultural competence of
teachers
Healthy Kids Survey
given once a year
during December
Internal Outcomes
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Teachers will demonstrate more in-
depth knowledge around high leverage
practices and culturally relevant
practices to teach English learners.
% of teachers who report improved
knowledge around high leverage
practices and culturally relevant
practices to teach English learners.
Surveys, interviews,
focus groups.
Teachers will demonstrate greater
self-knowledge around their own
cultural and racial bias.
% of teachers participating in
personal experience panels.
% of teachers reporting greater self-
awareness of cultural and racial bias.
Evaluations from
Principal
Evaluations from
Consulting
Organization
Surveys, Interviews
Teachers report improved self-efficacy
in instructing English learners.
% of teachers reporting improved
self-efficacy in instructing English
learners
Surveys, Interviews,
Focus Groups
Teachers report changes in their
attributions.
% of teachers reporting changes in
their attributions as to what improves
English learner academic
achievement.
Surveys, Interviews,
Focus Groups

Regarding main external outcomes, teachers will be able to show student growth in both
English language arts and math. Also, parents will report improvement in teacher cultural
proficiency. To address main internal outcomes, teachers will be able to demonstrate greater
self-knowledge around their own cultural and racial bias, report changes in their attributions, and
report improved self-efficacy in instructing English learners. Finally, teachers will demonstrate
more in-depth conceptual knowledge around importance of linguistic and multicultural identities.
Level 3: Behavior
According to the Kirkpatrick New World Model, Level 3 helps one understand how well
people apply their training (Kirkpatrick, 2016). To really see behavior, however, it requires
developing supportive processes that encourage, reinforce and reward positive changes in
behavior. The New World Kirkpatrick Model calls these processes "required drivers”.
Effectively measuring behavior is a longer-term process that should take place over weeks or
months following the initial training.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 108

Critical behaviors. The stakeholders of focus are the teachers of Milken Honey
Elementary. The first critical behavior is that teachers of Milken Honey Elementary must
regularly participate in coaches meetings with instructional coaches to improve their
practice. The second critical behavior is that the teachers must create, follow, monitor, and
update a PLC plan that is focused on culturally relevant teaching to improve academic
achievement for English learners. The specific metrics, methods, and timing for each of these
outcome behaviors appears in Table 17.
Table 17
Level 3--Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical Behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing
1. Teachers participate in
coaching cycles to improve
their practice.
100% of teachers will
participate in coaching
cycle meetings at least
once a month.
Instructional coaches
will catalog and
chronicle goals and
progress towards
goals on coaching
cycle logs.
Monthly
2. Teachers will create, follow,
monitor, and update a PLC plan
that is focused on culturally
relevant teaching to improve
academic achievement for
English learners.
100% of teachers will
follow PLC
plans. Quality of
teaching and assessment
plan
The principal and
instructional coaches
will assess the
quality of the PLC
using a rubric
developed by the
New Teacher
Center.
Every other
week.
3. Teachers will either
participate or help lead
professional development in
equity-based trainings where
they reflect on cultural bias as
well as PDs in SEAL and
Readers and Writers
Workshop.
100% of teachers will
participate in such
trainings.
50% of teachers will help
in planning or leading
such equity based
trainings.
The principal will
track participation
and assess the quality
of the trainings using
feedback from other
teachers.
Monthly
4. Teachers will actively
participate in and contribute to
collaborative, professional
learning communities at the
school, such as the Instructional
Leadership Team, (ILT), and
4a. All teachers will
share student growth
scores on school-specific
assessments including i-
Ready, RWS & WWS
assessments.
4a. The principal will
discuss student
progress at data
chats.

4a.
Triannually, at
data chat
meetings.

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during grade level collaboration
meetings (GLCs).
4b. Teachers
collaboratively
set goals with principal
and instructional coaches
teachers and strive to
align those goals with
school-wide goals.
4b. Principal will set
a district approved
goal-setting form.
4b. During the
1st month of
the year.
5. Teachers will participate in
more parent outreach activities
in order to develop a stronger
home-school connection.
100% of teachers will
participate in at least 3
home visits during each
of the 2 conference
periods.
The principal will
track participation of
teachers in home
visits by teachers.
Two times a
year: Mid-
September, and
mid-January

The third critical behavior is that teachers must lead professional development in equity-
based trainings where they reflect on cultural bias as well as PDs in SEAL and Readers and
Writers Workshop. The fourth critical behavior is that teachers will actively participate in and
contribute to collaborative, professional learning communities at my school, such as the
Instructional Leadership Team (ILT), and during grade level collaboration meetings (GLCs).
Required drivers. The Milken Honey School teachers require the support of their
principal and instructional coaches as well as once another in their professional learning
communities to reinforce what they learn during the professional learning and to encourage them
to apply what they learned in order to have the cultural proficiency to best academic needs of
English learners and accelerate their achievement. Table 18 shows the recommended drivers to
support the critical behaviors of Milken Honey teachers. The principal and instructional coaches
play instrumental roles in supporting Milken Honey teachers’ critical behaviors. However,
fellow teachers support one by providing feedback during structures such as professional
learning communities and instructional rounds.
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Table 18
Required Drivers to Support Milken Honey Teachers' Critical Behaviors

Method(s) Timing Critical
Behaviors
Supported
1, 2, 3 Etc.
Reinforcing

Coach how to do cultural analyses of textbooks and other
materials.
After training 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Provide teachers the opportunity to observe and analyze
the effective teaching interactions of culturally-responsive
teachers and then reflect on their own views, abilities, and
understandings of learning.
Monthly, during
instructional rounds
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Provide teachers the opportunity to participate in a
personal experience panel, or PEP panel, where teachers
are allowed to metacognitively reflect on their own
personal experiences around race and how that has affected
their cultural or racial bias.
Two times a year; once
in the fall, once in the
Spring.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Principal and Instructional coaches develop and provide an
anti-bias curriculum for teachers.
Once a year; at the
beginning of the year.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Instructional coaches and fellow teachers will share best
practice examples with fellow teachers.
Monthly 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Principal provides teachers with substitutes so they may
participate in instructional rounds in order to observe other
teachers’ modeling culturally relevant, high-leverage
pedagogy.
Quarterly 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Principal provides instructional coaches the opportunity to
facilitate grade-level release days where the teachers
engage in meaningful results-oriented cycles of inquiry
around student assessments.
Monthly 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Encouraging

Teachers and instructional coaches will provide feedback
to teachers as they do walkthroughs in the classrooms.
Weekly 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Conduct weekly coaches meeting that include direct
updates related to teacher coaching cycles.
Weekly 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 111

Support the alignment of instructional goals with culturally
responsive & relevant teacher pedagogy, common core
standards, and new ELA/ELD framework.
Quarterly

1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Reminding teachers about prior trainings and information
they had received about the importance of students’
developing their own cultural identities.
Periodically; every
other month.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Principal will listen to the needs, ideas, and concerns of the
teachers by creating multiple channels for them to have my
undivided attention. These include Tuesday morning
coffees, personal chats, monthly surveys, glows and grows
after each meeting, etc.
Weekly, or as needed. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Rewarding

Principal will highlight teachers who are achieving success
in accelerating the learning of English learners at staff
meetings and in weekly principal’s memo.
Monthly 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Principal will highlight teachers who volunteer to share
about their family home visits.
Two times a year 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Principal will celebrate successes by clearly
communicating successes in English learner academic
achievement at staff meetings and in weekly principal’s
memo.
Periodically, every
other month.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Monitoring

1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Principal will monitor standards-based curriculum maps. Quarterly 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Principal and instructional coaches will monitor teachers
analysis of data during professional learning
communities.
Monthly 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Principal conducts classroom walk-throughs and
instructional rounds using a variety of rubrics to provide
teachers feedback around the rigor, cultural relevance, and
engagement of their instruction and student learning.
Monthly 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Principal will conduct one-on-one data chats with teachers
where they collaboratively discuss how to use small group
instruction and other specialized interventions to help
students who are performing below grade level.
Three times a year, once
in September, once in
January, and once in
April.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5

The table above includes a variety of different drivers to support teachers’ ongoing professional
learning through a variety of drivers including reinforcement, encouragement, rewards, and
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 112

monitoring. Ultimately, the goal of these drivers is to develop teacher cultural proficiency and
narrow the English learner achievement gap.
Organizational support. Milken Honey elementary will support the teachers’ critical
behaviors first by having the principal monitor standards-based curriculum maps. Second, the
principal and coaches will monitor teachers’ analysis of data during professional learning
communities. Third, the principal should conduct classroom walk-throughs and instructional
rounds using a variety of rubrics to provide teachers feedback around the rigor, cultural
relevance, and engagement of their instruction and student learning. Fourth, the principal will
conduct one-on-one data chats with teachers where they collaboratively discuss how to use small
group instruction and other specialized interventions to help students who are performing below
grade level.
Level 2: Learning
According to Kirkpatrick New World Evaluation Model (2016), Level 2 focuses on
measuring what your participants have and have not learned. Level 2 also measures what
participants think they will be able to do differently as a result, how confident they are that they
can do it, and how motivated they are to make changes. This demonstrates how training has
developed their skills, attitudes and knowledge, as well as their confidence and commitment.
Following completion of the recommended solutions, most notably the professional learning
portion of the school’s theory of action, the Milken Honey teachers will learn to participate in a
variety of collaborative structures and implement a number of strategies and processes. These
components are detailed in Table 19 below.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 113

Table 19
High-level Strategies, Collaboration Skills, Identity Work, and Family Engagement
High Level Strategies Collaboration Skills: Identity work Family
Engagement
1. Fully implement
integrated ELD (SEAL),
designated ELD, guided
reading, foundational
skills work, Readers
Workshop (RWS), and
Writers Workshop
(WWS);

2. Help to lead
professional development
in equity-based trainings
where they reflect on
cultural bias as well as
PDs in SEAL and Readers
and Writers Workshop;

3. Know how to create a
curriculum map;
Collectively define
SMART and equitable
goals designed to
accelerate student learning
(attending to academic
skills, social-emotional
needs, etc.);

4. Collectively develop
units that specify the
standards and skills they
will teach in each unit in
order to reach student
achievement goals.
1. Collaborate in
professional learning
communities through
results oriented cycles
of inquiry;

2. Engage in reflective
analysis of school-
wide and grade level-
specific assessments
around student
academic data.

3. Connect that
analysis with
standards based
planning and common
instructional practices
for the classrooms;

4. Create, follow,
monitor, and update a
PLC plan focused on
culturally relevant
teaching to improve
academic achievement
for English learners;

5. Learn concepts of
how to coach (other
teachers) including
coaching stances,
coaching with grace,
constructivist
listening.

1. Develop knowledge from
an anti-bias training with a
deeper understanding of
multiculturalism;

2. Develop self-awareness
of culture, bias, and
discriminatory practices as
well as to examine the
effects of their beliefs,
attitudes, and expectations
on student achievement.

3. Willingly examine their
positions on race as well as
take risks by being
receptive to multiple
perspectives and
conversations about
inequality and race issues;

4. Learn about concepts and
vocabulary around equity
issues such as dominant
white culture, white
privilege, white dominant
culture, white supremacy
culture, white privilege,
white fragility, implicit
bias, micro-aggressions;

5. Build self-awareness of
their own identity by
reflecting on our
intersections of identity and
sharing our stories with
colleagues.
1. Learn
strategies to build
close
partnerships and
relationships with
families of
English learners;

2. Lead goal-
setting with
students and
parents.

Program. The lack of metacognitive knowledge prevents teachers from connecting with
ELs and helping them meet or exceed common core standards. This literature supports the
recommendations to support providing teachers training that provide them this type of
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 114

metacognitive knowledge. The learning goals listed in the previous selection will be achieved
with a professional learning program derived from a combination of two programs: Partners in
School Innovation (PSI)’s two-year long Transformation Network (TN) training for teacher-
leaders (Partners in School Innovation, 2019) and Just Communities (2019) Families for
Inclusion Diversity and Access (FIDA) Program. The proposal will be to provide this program
to a group of all 21 Milken Honey teachers, instructional coaches, administrator, as well as a
group of 10-20 parents through regular monthly trainings. It may be that a formal association or
contract will be needed with either or both of these 3
rd
party organizations. Otherwise, an
authentic, novel program can be developed that integrates non-proprietary best practices from
each of these programs.
In the transformation network training program for teacher-leaders, teachers will receive
intensive, job-embedded professional development on specific leadership skills (coaching,
facilitation, change management, etc.) that are needed for system-wide impact. In total, they will
receive eight full days of training each year for two years. This program will be a part of a
school-wide revamping of systems for curriculum (including clear learning targets), instructional
practices, assessments, cycles of inquiry (data chats), and grade level collaboration. The goal of
the program will be to understand the role of race, culture, class and power in their work.
Examples of this include the following: reflecting on race based patterns of achievement, taking
student’s cultural background into account while planning instruction, reflecting on their beliefs
and expectations for students and families) and to learn how systems of oppression and
marginalization have impacted staff life experiences and that of our students.
Within the program, teachers will learn how to engage in courageous conversations about
race and identify ways they resist owning their own racial bias by reflecting on books such as
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 115

Glenn Singleton’s Courageous Conversations about Race and Robin DiAngelo’s White
Fragility: Why it's so Hard for White People to Talk about Racism (Singleton, 2014; DiAngelo,
2018). Correcting teacher misconceptions that can lead to bias will be practiced in the program,
but is not meant to be a “one-time thing” but rather requires ongoing work by each individual
teacher over the course of their careers (Singleton, 2015). Milken Honey teachers should start
the process of correcting these misperceptions and developing their own ‘racial story’ in this
program and continue that process throughout the entirety of their teaching careers (Singleton,
2015).
Second, the principal will bring together a diverse group of parents and guardians, along
with a few teachers, to collectively address issues of academic effectiveness and equity in their
schools. As youth and young adults begin to develop their own social identities and receive
messages of exclusion, the school will implement a parent engagement program (either in
partnership or modeled after the Just Communities Parent Engagement Program) to provide
opportunities for teachers and parents to confront issues that divide their homes, schools, and
communities (Just Communities, 2019). This program will help Milken Honey to increase their
understanding of how race, socioeconomic class, and individual and institutional bias affects
teaching and learning. It will also help teachers to build closer family-school by providing more
opportunities for teachers and parents to collaborate on setting and implementing goals.
Teachers will be instructed on additional ways to create family-school partnerships, such
as conducting home visits, holding student-led conferences, participating in family literacy night
and math game night and inviting parents into the classroom to share their stories as they align
with curriculum. Families are regularly present at gallery walks and in school classrooms,
playing active roles in supporting classroom learning and in promoting the further development
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 116

of children’s home languages and biliteracy skills. Families will be given a variety of options
and opportunities for how to contribute to the class (e.g. presenting about class topics, creating
materials at home), and to assist with other activities. The district/school will ensure that the
home languages of families are supported so that they can fully participate in school activities.
languages of families are supported so that they can fully participate in school activities.
Through a variety of outreach methods, including parent technology nights, and the work of a
community liaison, this program will enlist the participation of families of all cultural and
linguistic backgrounds served by the schools to participate in district school decision-making
bodies, and hold leadership positions. Also, families will be invited to workshops to advance
their parenting, leadership, and advocacy skills to support their children’s education.
Components of learning. Demonstrating declarative knowledge is often necessary as a
precursor to applying the knowledge to solve problems. Thus, it is important to evaluate
learning for both declarative and procedural knowledge being taught. It is also important the
teachers value the training as a prerequisite to using their newly learned knowledge and skills in
the classroom. However, they must also be confident that they can succeed in applying their
knowledge and skills and be committed to using them on the job. As such, Table 20 below lists
the evaluation methods and timing for these components of learning. These include having
teachers explore deliverables include school’s theory of action and professional learning plans
that accurately represent the transformation team’s work and the teachers individual role on that
team. In addition to attending all TN sessions, teachers will also personally help update the
Transformation Network implementation tracker, regularly meet with their principal, and attend
coaches meetings to improve their practice.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 117

Table 20
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge: “I know it”

Knowledge checks through discussions, “think-pair share”
and other individual/group activities.
After videos
Using a variety of rubrics (including ICLE rigor relevance,
engagement rubric, RWS/WWS rubrics, SEAL depth of
implementation chart, and Partners STR rubric) to provide
teachers feedback.
After a given instructional round or
walkthrough
Do process checks. Throughout the workshop
Procedural Skills: “I can do it right now”

Demonstration in groups of using the guiding principles and
job aid strategies to successfully perform the skills.
During the workshop
Responses and feedback from teachers during the training,
especially during small group sessions. Do Role Play: to see
if you can do coaching/peer coaching
During the workshop
SEAL walkthroughs using depth of implementation tool. Three times a year
Develop an elevator pitch that communicates the heart of our
Theories of Action and draft/revise a plan of action for
aligned Professional Learning Systems.
Once a year
Principal will provide two formal observations to teachers. Throughout the year as well as one
summary evaluation towards the end of
the year
Professional learning plan As principal conducts classroom
walkthroughs and facilitate teacher
grade level collaborative analysis of
student work
Feedback on teacher practice through monthly walkthroughs
with coaches; instructional rounds.
As principal monitors and reflects on
the instructional program.
Attitude: “I believe this is worthwhile”

Discussions of the value of what they are being asked to do in the
classroom.
During the workshops
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 118

Pre- and post-test assessment item
Use Evidence Collection Tool
Use Implementation Tracker Tool
STR Focus Groups/Interviews
After the initial training
Data Chats Three times a year
ROCI/PLCs Every six to seven weeks
Confidence: “I think I can do it on the job”

Survey items assessing confidence levels after seeing videos
or live modeling of strategies.
Use Evidence Collection Tool.
Use Implementation Tracker Tool.
Following each video in the e-learning
module and during in-person training
sessions
Discussion after practice and feedback. During the workshops
Implementation Tracker Cycle Review Items: Reflective
activities completed after each assessment cycle - intended to
help you to review progress and make key adjustments.
Monthly
Commitment: “I will do it on the job”

Discussions after practice and feedback. During the workshops
Create an individual action plan as well as goals for
professional learning community.
During the workshops
Change Agent Growth Tracker - reflect on individual change
agent growth over the course of the year (CAR);
Update stages of development.
Three times a year
Participate in a personal experience panel. During the workshops

Table 20 describes how the components of learning for the program will be
evaluated. Declarative knowledge, or participants’ sense of knowing the material, will be
evaluated through regular process checks throughout the workshop as well as after instructional
videos through discussions, “think-pair share” and other individual/group activities. Procedural
knowledge, measuring participants’ belief that they can do the activity right now, will be
evaluated through SEAL walkthroughs using the depth of implementation tool.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 119

Attitude, measuring participants’ belief that the training is worthwhile, will be evaluated
on a monthly basis through the implementation tracker cycle review items. The reflective
activities completed after each assessment cycle would help the teacher, principal, instructional
coaches, and leadership team review progress and make key adjustments. Participant
confidence, or ability that they can apply the knowledge on the job, will be evaluated during the
workshop through discussion after practice and feedback. Finally, commitment, meaning the
determined belief of participants to implement the program on the job, will be evaluated through
the “Change Agent Growth Tracker”. The individual change agent can reflect on growth over
the course of the year.
Level 1: Reaction
According to Kirkpatrick (2016), after professional development scope and sequence
takes place, it is important to get immediate feedback about the quality of the program and
instructor. Level 1: Reaction measures how valuable participants felt the training was by
determining how engaged they were, how actively they contributed, and how they reacted to the
training. It enables a presenter to make improvements to future programs, by identifying
important topics that might have been missing.
Table 21 below lists the methods or tools used to evaluate all three components of Level
1 Reaction: engagement, relevance, and customer satisfaction. In terms of engagement, the
presenters as well as the principal would gauge participant engagement during and immediately
after the transformation network by way of conducting observation during principal and
instructional coach, administering a professional development course evaluation, asking
meaningful questions, and completing practice scenarios. It would also be important to measure
participant reaction to how relevant the transformation network was to them through by checking
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 120

in using questions during online module and workshops, administering an anonymous training
course evaluation survey. Finally, the principal and presenters would gauge participant customer
satisfaction by giving brief pulse-checks with participants via survey (online) and discussion
(ongoing), and by administering an anonymous training course evaluation/survey. The
components to measure reactions to the professional learning program are detailed in Table 21
below.
Table 21
Components to Measure Reactions to the Professional Learning Program
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement

Observation during principal and instructional coach. During the workshops
Professional development course evaluation. Immediately after workshop and two
weeks later
Ask meaningful questions. During the workshops
Completion of practice scenarios. During the workshop
Relevance

Check in using questions during online module and
workshops.
After every video/module and after
workshop activities
Anonymous training course evaluation survey. Immediately after workshop and two
weeks later
Customer Satisfaction

Brief pulse-check with participants via survey (online)
and discussion (ongoing).
After every workshop
Use STR to gauge how learner
reactions.
Anonymous training course evaluation survey. Immediately after workshop and two
weeks later.

Evaluation Tools
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 121

Immediately following the program implementation. The presenters of the training
program will provide an example of one of these instruments in Appendix J, which is an
evaluation instrument for immediate feedback for level 1 & 2. The presenters would use this
evaluative survey to discern if the participants felt engaged with the specific session in the
Transformation Network Training Program, the degree to which they took responsibility for
being involved in the training program, the degree to which the training program held their
interest and was applicable to their work as a teacher. Also, the presenters would survey whether
or not they would recommend this training program. Not only will participants be given a
chance to rate their responses using a five point Likert scale, they would also have the
opportunity to make notes.
Appendix K exemplifies what that delayed instrument will look like. The delayed
evaluation will survey both the teachers who attended the training as well as the supervisors for
those teachers. A key is whether or not the teachers got what he or she was supposed to get out
of the training. In terms of timing, it should take place about three weeks after the training
session. The reason for this is because that will give teachers enough time to implement the
learnings of the transformation network session and it will come before the next one. The
presenters would administer this survey to the teachers as well as the instructional coaches. The
present would specifically examine whether the teachers have used the information within their
classroom instruction. Alot of focus is on Level 3 to see if there are mechanisms around
reinforcement that can be remedied, but the survey will cover Levels 1 through 4 of the
Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) evaluation method.
Data Analysis and Reporting
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 122

Data collected from the immediate and delayed evaluation surveys by the presenters will
be analyzed by the principal along with a thought partner. After the implementation program is
evaluated using the immediate and delayed instruments, it will be important to report back the
findings to the teaching staff at Milken Honey Elementary. That way, they can see that their
feedback is being considered thoughtfully in order to improve future trainings. Responses will
be reported during a teacher staff meeting using a powerpoint presentation. The figure below
summarizes the elements four levels of training for Milken Honey teachers based on the New
World Kirkpatrick Model (2016).
Figure 3:
Grid Completed for teaching staff, coaches, and principal at Milken Honey Elementary.

Summary
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 123

The previous section discussed strategies for addressing the knowledge, motivation and
organizational influences that have been validated as gaps in teacher professional learning
around cultural proficiency. The interventions designed follow the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick
(2016) model of designing interventions first with the organizational change outcomes in mind,
then identifying critical behaviors needed by staff to create those organizational changes. From
these goals, the researcher identified learning objectives and supports needed to ensure
knowledge transfer as well as individual reaction to training interventions, with particular focus
on gauging training participant confidence in and commitment to applying lessons learned to the
workplace context.
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 124

Appendix J: Evaluation Instrument for Immediate Feedback for Level 1 & 2

Context: This survey is completed at the end of a one day Transformation Network Training.

Transformation Network Training Program
Participant Evaluation

Date and Location: _______________________________________________________

Instructions:
 For questions 1-5, please use the following rating scale:
0=strongly disagree 10 = strongly agree
 Please circle the appropriate rating to indicate the degree to which you agree with each
statement.
 Please provide comments to explain your ratings.
 If your session had two facilitators, please fill in the key below and score each
individually in question 3.
Facilitator A: _______________________ Facilitator B: ______________________

Rating
Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1. I took responsibility for being involved
in this training program.
Comments:

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2. This training program held my interest.

Comments:

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 3. The information in this training program
is applicable to my work as a teacher.
Comments:

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4. I would recommend this training program
to others.
Comments:

For questions 6-8, please use the following rating scale:
1 2 3 4 5
None or very Very high
low level level

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 125

 Please circle the appropriate rating before the training and now (after the training)
 Please provide comments to explain your ratings.

Before the program After the Program
1 2 3 4 5 5. I see how personal experiences around 1 2 3 4 5
race affects one’s own cultural or racial bias.
Comments:

Before the program 6. I feel more motivated to implement the After the Program
1 2 3 4 5 four principles of Glenn Singleton’s 1 2 3 4 5
courageous conversations about race:
stay engaged, speak your truth, experience
discomfort, and expect and accept non-
closure.
Comments:

Before the program After the Program
1 2 3 4 5 7. I would be willing to participate in 1 2 3 4 5
a personal experience panel (PEP).
Comments:

Before the program After the Program
1 2 3 4 5 8. I see how culture, bias, and 1 2 3 4 5
discriminatory practices directly
affect my beliefs, attitudes, and
expectations of students.

Comments:

9. How can this program be improved?

10. Please share any additional comments you may have.

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 126

Appendix K: Evaluation Instrument for Delayed Feedback for Levels 1, 2, 3, & 4
Context: This tool will be used three weeks after each Transformation Network Training.

1. How are you currently using what you learned from the last transformation network
training?

2. What positive outcomes are you seeing as a result of what you are doing?

3. Do you see improvement in academic achievement of English learners as determined
by formative assessments in both Math and English Language Arts?

4. To what can you attribute that success?

5. How has the training affected your confidence in helping your English learners meet or
exceed grade level standards?

6. If you are not using the knowledge and skills you learned during the training, what are
the reasons?

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 127

Appendix L: Study Limitations
This section will discuss limitations and delimitations of the study as it was undertaken
and recommendations for future study. Second, achievement gaps between ELs and other
students can be misleading. Measuring EL achievement is complicated by a number of factors.
One issue is the fact that English proficiency is intimately related with academic performance in
English (Abedi, 2002; Abedi & Gandara, 2006; Solano-Flores & Trumbull, 2003). In other
words, a test in English is a test of English, and since ELs by definition have limited English
proficiency, a test in English will provide a limited window into their true academic ability. A
second complicating factor concerns the instability of the EL category (Abedi, 2002). ELs who
meet English proficiency standards are no longer classified as EL. By not taking the
performance of former ELs into account, this can distort the progress of ELs in a given school or
district. In terms of reclassification of ELs, reclassification criteria vary across states, districts
within a state, and even within districts. Although EL achievement may be complicated to
measure, there remains ample evidence of poor outcomes for ELs, and this evidence suggests
that ELs in general have been and continue to be grossly underserved.
Third, Lindholm-Leary (2010) conducted research on English language learners strongly
suggesting that bilingual programs can cut the achievement gap. However, there is a lack of such
quality bilingual programs (Goldenberg et al., 2013; Lindholm-Leary & Genesee, 2010). As the
development of bilingual programs requires a systemic approach across a school district, that
topic was not chosen as a focus for this dissertation. Fourth, as August (2009) so appropriately
point out, the question of how to change attitudes and beliefs is large and looming and in need of
future research. Fifth, this study did not look at teachers’ perceptions of culturally responsive
TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 128

teaching. Notwithstanding the importance of using a culturally responsive curriculum, doing so
with a school staff is usually unpopular because it tends to disrupt existing positions of power
and privilege. To that end, Harkins, Ray, and Davis (2010), noted that addressing diversity is
often viewed as challenging and discussing the more volatile issues of power and privilege is like
walking into a minefield. It requires reflection, exposure to materials that are culturally
responsive, and by helping learners to develop better self-awareness especially in the context of
social change.

TEACHER CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND ENGLISH LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT 129

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Creator Haven, Ryan Lewis (author)

Core Title Narrowing the English learner achievement gap through teacher professional learning and cultural proficiency: an evaluation study

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Publication Date 12/12/2019

Defense Date 10/14/2019

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag achievement gap,adaptive change,changed attributions,collective efficacy,cultural identity,cultural proficiency,English learner,equity,instructional coaching,instructional leadership,mindset,OAI-PMH Harvest,professional development,Professional Learning Community,professional learning structures,racial bias,school culture,Social Justice,teacher professional learning,Trust

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Stowe, Kathy (committee chair), Cash, David (committee member), Mora-Flores, Eugenia (committee member)

Creator Email haven@usc.edu,ryanhaven@gmail.com

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