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Practices supporting newcomer students
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Content
Practices Supporting Newcomer Students
by
Leslye Ivette Salinas
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
August 2021
Copyright 2021 Leslye Ivette Salinas
ii
Dedication
Primeramente, quiero dedicar esta disertación a mi mama, Jenny y a mi bisabuela, la
Sarita que son mis ángeles guardianes. Todo esto no sería posible sin el gran esfuerzo y apoyo y
amor incondicional de mi tata y mi abuelo. También quisiera agradecer al resto de mi familia y
amistades por su apoyo estos años en mi carrera. Yo empecé esta jornada el día que Sarita cerró
sus ojos. Ella y mi mama me han dado toda la fuerza que he necesitado para poder cumplir esta
meta y ser un ejemplo en nuestra familia y también para las generaciones que siguen.
I dedicate this work to all the newcomer students that come against all the odds for a
better future for themselves and their families. This work honors the staff, teachers and
administrators doing this work daily. Lastly, dedicate this work to all those who have come from
their home countries and achieved more than they could ever imagine – you are setting the path
for those coming after you.
iii
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I would like to thank my committee chair Dr. Kimberly Hirabayashi.
Thank you for all the support guidance and feedback to allow me to explore my passion in a
meaningful way. Thank you for all those gentle reminders and kind pushes through this process.
I would also like to think Dr. Raquel Sanchez for serving on my committee and for being a great
instructor through my time at USC. I would also like to thank Dr. Eugenia Mora-Flores for
serving on my committee for your meaningful feedback and for your support through this
process. I acknowledge my family and friends specially all those who in the day today supported
me to make this a reality. Thank you for your understanding, for your support for the meals, for
the coffee, and for the company while I achieved this milestone. To the village that has supported
me to be the person I am today and that has lifted the passion for the work, THANK YOU.
iv
Table of Contents
Dedication………........................................................................................................................... ii
Acknowledgements........................................................................................................................iii
List of Tables................................................................................................................................ vii
List of Figures.............................................................................................................................. viii
Abstract......................................................................................................................................... ix
Chapter One: Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1
Introduction to the Problem of Practice ............................................................................. 1
Organizational Context and Mission ................................................................................. 2
Organizational Goal ........................................................................................................... 2
Importance of the Study ..................................................................................................... 3
Description of Stakeholder Groups .................... ............................................................... 3
Stakeholder Group for the Study ....................................................................................... 4
Stakeholder Performance Goals ......................................................................................... 4
Purpose of the Project and Questions ................................................................................ 5
Methodological Framework ……....................................................................................... 5
Definitions .......................................................................................................................... 6
Organization of the Project ................................................................................................ 6
Chapter Two: Literature Review ................................................................................................... 8
Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 8
The Background of Newcomer Students ........................................................................... 8
Background of Newcomer Students ...................................................................... 8
Migration and Immigration .................................................................................. 10
Kinship and Reunification Dynamics .................................................................. 11
Programs to Support Newcomer Students ....................................................................... 12
Basic Needs Supports .......................................................................................... 12
Social and Emotional Supports ............................................................................ 13
Cultural Acclimation Supports ............................................................................ 13
Academic Supports .............................................................................................. 14
English Acquisition Supports .............................................................................. 15
Clark and Estes’ Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences Framework…16
Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences …………. 17
Knowledge Influences …..................................................................................... 17
Motivational Influences …................................................................................... 23
Organizational Influences …................................................................................ 26
Conceptual Framework: The Interaction of Stakeholders’ Knowledge and Motivation
and the Organizational Context ....................................................................................... 31
Summary …………………............................................................................................. 35
v
Chapter Three: Methods ............................................................................................................. 36
Participating Stakeholders .............................................................................................. 36
Qualitative Data Collection ............................................................................................ 36
Documents and Artifacts .................................................................................... 37
Interviews ........................................................................................................... 37
Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale ........................................................ 38
Data Analysis …………………………………….......................................................... 39
Credibility and Trustworthiness ...................................................................................... 40
Ethics ............................................................................................................................... 41
Chapter Four: Findings ................................................................................................................ 43
Participating Stakeholders ............................................................................................... 43
Knowledge Findings ........................................................................................................ 45
Motivation Findings ......................................................................................................... 59
Organizational Findings ................................................................................................... 68
Summary ………………………………………….......................................................... 82
Chapter Four: Findings ................................................................................................................ 42
Participating Stakeholders ............................................................................................... 42
Knowledge Findings ........................................................................................................ 44
Motivation Findings ......................................................................................................... 58
Organizational Findings ................................................................................................... 67
Summary ………………………………………….......................................................... 84
Chapter Five: Solutions and Recommendations .......................................................................... 85
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences .......................................... 85
Knowledge Recommendations ............................................................................ 86
Motivation Recommendations ............................................................................. 89
Organization Recommendations .......................................................................... 93
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan .............................................................. 97
Implementation and Evaluation Framework ........................................................ 97
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations ................................................. 97
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators .............................................................. 98
Level 3: Behavior ................................................................................................. 99
Level 2: Learning ............................................................................................... 102
Level 1: Reaction ............................................................................................... 104
Evaluation Tools ................................................................................................ 105
Data Analysis Reporting .................................................................................... 106
Limitations and Delimitations ....................................................................................... 106
Recommendations for Future Research ......................................................................... 107
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 108
References ............................................................................................................................... 109
Appendices .............................................................................................................................. 115
Appendix A: Interview Protocol .................................................................................. 115
vi
Appendix B: Document Analysis Protocol .................................................................. 117
Appendix C: Evaluation Preceding Each Training/Professional Development
Session........................................................................................................................... 118
Appendix D: Pre-Training and 12 Week Post Training ………………………………120
vii
List of Tables
Table 1. Organizational Mission, Global Goal, and Stakeholder Performance Goals ...................4
Table 2. Knowledge Influences, Types, and Assessment for Analysis ........................................22
Table 3. Motivational Influences and Assessment for Analysis ...................................................26
Table 4. Organizational Influences and Assessment for Analysis ................................................30
Table 5. Participant Information ................ ..................................................................................44
Table 6. Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations...........................................86
Table 7. Summary of Motivational Influences and Recommendations.........................................90
Table 8: Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations........................................94
Table 9. Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes ..........................98
Table 10. Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation...............................99
Table 11. Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors ..........................................................100
Table 12. Evaluation of the Components of Leaning for the Program........................................103
Table 13. Components to Measure Reactions to the Program ....................................................104
viii
List of Figures
Figure 1. Interaction Between the Organization, Stakeholder Groups, and the Organizational
Goal ............................................................................................................................ 33
ix
Abstract
This qualitative study examined 6
th
-12
th
grade public schools with newcomer programs in
the Bay Area, focusing on the experiences of administrators’ and teachers’ ability to implement
strategies to support newcomer students. The research questions explored administrators’ and
teachers’ knowledge and motivational needs as well as the organizational influences (Clark &
Estes, 2008) in their ability to implement strategies to support newcomer students. Assumed
knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences were examined through a qualitative
design. Assumed influences were explored via interview and document analysis data. Findings
demonstrated that administrators and teachers have varied research-based practices to rely on to
support newcomer students and have the self-awareness and reflection to know how to support
newcomer students. Additionally, in exploring motivation, administrators and teachers
experienced different levels of self-efficacy in their ability to be able to implement strategies to
support newcomer students, especially challenged through COVID-19. The findings of
organizational influences highlight the collaboration currently in place to support the placement
of newcomer students within the district. Finally, the administrators and teachers share the types
of resources needed to meet the needs of newcomer students based on their individual needs.
Using the New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) a comprehensive
implementation and evaluation plan was developed intended to increase the stakeholders’
knowledge and motivation and help reduce the organizational influence gaps.
1
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Introduction of the Problem of Practice
Newcomer students are foreign born students who arrived in the United States within the
last ten years (Bajaj et al., 2017). Gaytán et al. (2007) highlight that, in the 2000 census, there
were 2.84 million children under 18 years of age, who were born outside of United States’
borders. Within the 2.84 million children recorded in the 2000 census, there is a great diversity
of origin, story, and family structures that affect the way school-aged children show up and
succeed in the classrooms (Gaytán et al., 2007). Students’ migration journeys highlight complex
needs during their migration and upon arrival, these complex needs can be physiological,
psychological, social, emotional, and academic, and manifest differently (Olsen, 2019). Schools
without proactive practices have to ensure that the different complex needs of newcomer
students are not misunderstood or misinterpreted for misbehavior and disengagement (Olsen,
2019). The obstacles that newcomer students face upon arrival in United States schools
demonstrate that this is a problem because students are received with discrimination, unprepared
teachers, and deficit-based discourse and policies (Rodriguez, 2019). This problem is important
to address because without the focus of adequate resources for newcomer students, the higher the
risk for adversities they might face including academic achievement and language development
(Barba et al., 2019). Without addressing the socioemotional needs of newcomer students, the
resources and academic interventions would not be as effective because other needs are not
addressed. Depending on the lived experiences of the students, there are different types of
newcomers that encompass their experiences and create containers to support their specific
needs. This dissertation addresses the problem of the supports in public schools for newcomer
students.
2
Organizational Context and Mission
Dons Unified School District (DUSD) serves over 35,000 students within their district
schools and over 50,000 students in combination with the authorized charter schools in their
district. In 2018-2019, 7% of the district population were newcomer students. The district
values of supporting the whole child not solely their academic needs are evident through the
establishment of their programming for special populations throughout district schools. The
district has over 30 different special program offices to support the needs of the different
populations it serves. The district has a robust special education program, counseling enriched
settings, ethnic achievement offices, and other supports designed to address the holistic needs of
the students of their district past their academic needs.
DUSD has developed school programs that support newcomer students through the
newcomer student program under the district language office. The newcomer student program
provides: (a) Extended English Language Development Program, (b) extended opportunities for
learning and academic development, designed for newcomers and integrated with the rest of the
student body, and (c) targeted services for newcomers integrated into the site COST process to
address non-academic needs that may impede learning. These services may include mental
health, health and wellness services, family engagement, mentorship, legal assistance, and other
services.
Organizational Goal
DUSD prides itself in providing quality education to students who recently migrated to
the United States from other countries. One of the biggest challenges of educating newcomer
students is that they are often experiencing obstacles from their migration such as physiological,
emotional, and health concerns, and adjusting to a new culture and cultural norms (Umansky et
3
al., 2020). As part of the school program, it is imperative to support the whole child during this
transition. Therefore, the organizational goal focus for this study is by June 2021, all
administrators and teachers will be prepared to support newcomer students.
Importance of the Study
Immigration is a prevalent issue impacting society today. Currently, one in five students
in the United States are immigrant students, and by 2040, one in three students will be
immigrants (Suárez-Orozco et al., 2010). California has a large concentration of immigrant
population reflecting the United States growth trend (Barba et al., 2019). It is important to
evaluate newcomer student programs within the district because these programs are key to the
success and shaping of the future newcomer students envision for themselves (Fierke, 2020).
Evaluations of newcomer student programs would address the teachers and school staff need of
support in disturbing the racism and xenophobia newcomer students experience in school
(Rodriguez et al., 2020). The evaluation of newcomer student programs can support in shifting
programs and teacher development to an asset-based model to develop teachers and staff to
provide effective tools to support newcomer students (Barba et al., 2019). Without reflection
and evaluation of existing programs, limitations for future growth in the newcomer programs
will persist as the target population continues to grow and change (Umansky et al. 2020).
Description of Stakeholder Groups
The different stakeholder groups of this project fall into one of four categories. The first
group is the teachers who work directly with students in the classrooms and provide a
perspective of the students' needs in the classroom. The second group is the administrators in the
school who support the overall mission of the school and provide a perspective of how resource
allocation and students' needs align. The third group is the families or kinship of the students
4
and provide a view of outside supports needed to address the students' needs. The fourth group
are the students served by the school who provide a first-hand perspective to meet their needs.
Stakeholder Group for the Study
While all stakeholder groups must collaborate to achieve the organizational goal of
having supports for newcomer students, DUSD administrators and teachers will serve as the
main stakeholder group in the study. They were able to provide the most holistic view of the
needs of students in newcomer programs. The administrators and teachers covered the
academic, social-emotional, psychological, and physiological needs manifested in the classroom.
The administrators and teachers were the chosen stakeholder group for the study because they
have the most insight on the implementation of the programs at each site.
Stakeholder Performance Goals
Table 1
Organizational Mission, Organizational Performance Goal, and Stakeholder Performance Goals
Organizational Mission
The mission of DUSD is to provide a high academic environment and address the holistic
needs of students.
Organizational Performance Goal
By 2021, all school districts will implement support for newcomer students with meeting their
holistic needs.
Stakeholder Performance Goal
By June 2021, all administrators and teachers will be able to implement strategies to support
newcomer students.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this project is to describe how DUSD is supporting the teachers and
administrators in being prepared to support newcomer students in their 6
th
to 12
th
grade schools.
The analysis will focus on knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences related to
5
achieving this organizational goal. While a complete descriptive project would focus on all the
stakeholders, for practical purposes, the stakeholders in this analysis are the administrators and
teachers.
As such, the following questions will guide this study:
1. What are the stakeholder knowledge and motivation related to meeting the needs of
newcomer students?
2. What is the interaction between organizational culture and context and stakeholder
knowledge and motivation?
Methodological Framework
The methodological approach will be qualitative. The methods of data collection will be
through interviews and document analysis. McEwan and McEwan (2003) emphasize the
importance of qualitative research in evaluation studies to use the stories of practitioners and
their own experiences to answer the research questions and gather an insight into what is
happening within a system.
Clark and Estes (2008) provide a framework that looks at organizational change through
a gap analysis of the organization, stakeholder goals, and the actual performance. The modified
gap analysis framework allows for the researcher to use the knowledge, motivation, and
organizational (KMO) influences to identify the organizational gap(s) and evaluate the progress
towards the stakeholder goal. The knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences related
to the stakeholder goal support the gap analysis framework used in this study. The Clark and
Estes (2008) gap analysis model provides a framework, as outlined thoroughly in Chapter 2,
within the context of knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that administrators
and teachers need to ensure they meet to provide for the needs of their newcomer students.
6
Definitions
This section covers terminology frequently used throughout the study and in future
findings.
English Language Learners (ELL): Students who are unable to communicate fluently
or learn effectively in English, who often come from non-English-speaking homes and
backgrounds, and who typically require specialized or modified instruction in both the English
language and in their academic courses. (Escalante, 2016).
Newcomer students: “The term "eligible immigrant student" is defined as an individual
student who (a) is aged three through twenty-one; (b) was not born in any state (each of the 50
states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico); and (c) has not been
attending any one or more schools in the United States for more than three full school years. (20
U.S.C. § 7011[5].)” (Elementary and Secondary School Act, 1965)
Students with interrupted formal education (SIFE): “Students in grades four through
12 who have experienced disruptions in their education in their native countries and/or the
United States, and/or are unfamiliar with the culture of schooling (Calderón, 2008)” (Escalante,
2016, p. 3).
Organization of the Project
This study is organized into five chapters that each relate to the problem of practice.
Chapter One provides an overview of the problem of practice and identified stakeholder groups.
Chapter Two reviews relevant literature on the topic and the gap analysis model. Chapter Three
outlines the research methodology that will be used for this study, as well as an explanation of
the methods design and protocols used. Chapter Four details the study’s findings, including an
7
analysis of the data and implications. Chapter Five summarizes the conclusions, final thoughts,
and further recommendations for future studies.
8
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
Chapter Two combines the literature on educational program needs, tools, and resources
necessary for administrators and teachers to support newcomer students. The first segment
focuses on the background of newcomers and their needs. The second segment addresses the
different support systems that are effective in supporting newcomer students. The chapter
concludes with an examination of the Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis through the lens of
learning and motivation literature utilizing the gap analysis dimensions of knowledge,
motivation, and organization.
The Background of Newcomer Students
Newcomer student background is more than just a student’s ethnic background. All
newcomer students arrive with their own set of needs, often shaped by their migration journey
that impacts their future opportunities (Umansky et al., 2020). Students’ migration stories and
family dynamics play a role in their identities and sense of belonging upon arrival (Gaytan et al.,
2007). Understanding student backgrounds helps administrators and teachers know what
students’ needs are and what type of resources can support the array of needs (Barba et al.,
2019).
Background of Newcomer Students
Newcomer students is a label used to define a group of students, often with the
assumption that their backgrounds and demographics are all alike (Bajaj et al., 2017).
Newcomer students in California who have not attended school in the United States for more
than three years fall under the Title III – Part A: Immigrant Student Program that is funded by
the California Department of Education (Ndirangu, 2018). Valdés (1996) highlights the
9
continuous struggle for immigrant students and the lack of consideration and accommodations
students coming from immigrant homes experienced in terms of schooling. Under the overall
umbrella of newcomer students, there are different classifications of the type of newcomers that
reside in the U.S.. These typologies are asylees, refugees, foreign born, unaccompanied youth,
student with interrupted education, immigrant children and youth, and English learners
(Escalante, 2016). There are rich differences in the languages and ethnicities and experiences of
newcomer students (Bajaj et al., 2017). As part of the Longitudinal Immigrant Student
Adaptation Study (LISA), Gaytan et al. (2007) found that 56% of students believe the hardest
part of immigrating to the United States is learning English, and that is a measurement of
acculturation. Although many newcomer students face similar experiences, their backgrounds,
ethnic and linguistic, will affect their migration and reunification experiences to varying degrees.
The different types of newcomers brings a different set of needs forward along with
different strengths and ways that support newcomer students. Migration and immigration
journeys are impacted by the typology of the students (Escalante, 2016). Kinship and
reunification do not apply to all newcomers and sometimes may not happen for students when
they arrive in the U.S (Gaytan et al., 2007). Based on the student trajectory and experience will
inform the resources, the basic needs might differ based on the conditions students arrive to in
the U.S. The socio emotional needs of students might be impacted by the trauma of their
migration, kinship situation and/or reunification and additional support and services might be
needed (Rodriguez et al., 2020).. Cultural acclimation will look different of each type of
newcomer and their own experience when arrived. Academic resources for students will be
different based on their academic history and the timeline since they have been in school or a
formal academic setting. Some students migrate with no impact on their academic history, and
10
some students migrate and have significantly interrupted formal education (Rodriguez, 2019).
English acquisition supports will vary based on students’ own language development and their
ability to accelerate their language development and acquisition (Alamillo et al., 2011). The
aspects of supports for newcomer will be impacted by the student’s history and experience.
Migration and Migration
Students' migration stories vary based on departure, ways of entry, and other external
factors that impact migration experiences and change their identities as students in United States
classrooms. When thinking of ways to best serve newcomer students, their migration stories are
an integral part of their narrative, and that is important for educators to understand and value
(Fierke, 2020). Trends of migration show many individuals are escaping domestic violence,
seeking to achieve the American Dream, and reuniting with family (Gaytan et al., 2007). During
the migration journey, many students have to pass through more than one country to arrive in the
Unites States, as well as many cities and states to arrive at their final destination (Suarez-Orozco
et al., 2010b). The Department of Education Newcomer Toolkit highlights the various modes of
migration students experience by airplanes, buses, on foot, boats, and that are part of the
narrative and can impact the student’s arrival and transition in the United States (Escalante,
2016). Newcomer students are arriving in United States classrooms daily as migration journeys
are not aligned with school calendars, which create educational gaps for students (Rodriguez,
2019). Oikonomidoy (2014) highlights that the migration journey has an impact on the student's
identity in the classroom based on their previous educational experience and setting. The
migration experiences of newcomer students have a significant impact on familiar relationships
and dynamics that contribute to their overall student identity (Oikonomidoy, 2014).
Kinship and Reunification Dynamics
11
Two key challenges newcomer some students face are the separation and reunification of
familiar relationships and the varying shifts in kinship that affect their overall transition to the
United States. During migration, 57% of minors experience separation from their parents for a
certain amount of time, and during reunification, feelings of loss, displacement, and hurt often
surface (Gaytan et al., 2007). When students arrive, there is a variety of different family
dynamics at play. Some students arrive with one parent, unaccompanied, or to live with other
relatives, and these relationships play a role in the identity of newcomer students and their
engagement in school (Gaytan et al., 2007). As part of the different familiar dynamics, there are
intergenerational conflicts, experiences of poverty, and in adolescents, the differences in familial
dynamics (Barba et al., 2019).
Additionally, refugee youth have a subset of different needs that do not develop with
immediate family, and the school community becomes their kinship and extended family (Roxas,
2011). Experiencing family separation through the migration journey has a significant impact on
children, especially on adolescent’s students who are with coping the change of environments
and the biological and physical changes they are experiencing during this time (Muller et al.,
2019). Kinship separation and reunification provide practitioners with a deeper understanding of
the relationships students have had in their lives and how those relationships impact connections
to the classroom and school setting. Administrators and teachers can provide the appropriate
support for newcomer children in their schools through an understanding that students are coping
with their own relationships and establishing new relationships, which can be challenging
(Muller et al., 2019).
12
Programs to Support Newcomer Students
Schools are safe hubs for newcomer students as they are their first institutional
experiences and interactions with the culture and language, so appropriate supports are necessary
to support their academic journeys (Suárez-Orozco et al., 2010a). As schools are an integral
place for student acclimation and language development, key supports and programs need to be
in place to support student success (Rodriguez, 2019). Additional supports for newcomer
students through their transition range from basic needs, socio emotional support, cultural
acclimation, and academic support. Every school site will have services that look slightly
different, and administrators and teachers of newcomer students need to be familiar with the
supports available at their sites.
Basic Needs Supports
Newcomer students may experience a lack of basic needs upon arrival, and schools need
to provide appropriate information and resources for students to be able to focus on their
academic performance. Upon arrival in the United States, the living conditions of students and
their families may vary, and many are struggling to establish their basic needs, encountering
issues like poverty, housing insecurity, and other stressors and traumatic experiences that can
take time to overcome and address (Lang, 2019). Hos (2014) states that educators need the
ability to show love and care for students while holding them to high standards. Providing
students and families with resources, rather than inquiring if they would like the resources,
supports students' needs being met while building trust and secure relationships with students
and families (Hos, 2014). Embedding basic needs resources such as legal assistance,
community-based organizations, and mental health resources and supports in all student
13
welcome packets, school communication, and other school-based locations to help all students
will help newcomer students and families feel welcomed and supported (Rodriguez, 2019).
Social and Emotional Supports
Newcomer students come to school in need of support that they might be unable to
articulate or name, such as socio-emotional tools, supports, and practices that will allow them to
be their best in the classroom. Building trust in a classroom is essential for students to feel
comfortable, be confident, and grow academically (Pagan-Rivera, 2014). As a part of building
trust, administrators and teachers create a classroom culture where students are working towards
results that are attainable to gain small wins and confidence with students and families (Pagan-
Rivera, 2014). Creating trust within the classroom community supports students in feeling
welcomed and inclusive, while positive peer-to-peer relationships increase the sense of
belonging and success with transitioning into the United States (Bajaj & Suresh, 2018).
Integrating socio-emotional tools, supports, and practices for students are important as their
mental health can suffer through migration (Rodriguez et al., 2020).
Cultural Acclimation Supports
Providing newcomer students with support and knowledge around the school culture,
expectations, and rules are embedded support for cultural acclimation. A significant part of
teaching students the appropriate cultural norms is also about educating the families about how
to support and work with the school and understanding the difference between their country of
origin and the United States (Suarez-Orozco et al., 2010b). Often, families are labeled as
disinterested or lack of care, when there are barriers in language, and understanding that allows
for them to be involved, in the same standards (Váldes, 1996). Váldes (1996) shares the
discredit that families receive for the work being done at home, that is not easily seen by the
14
teacher or school staff. Collaboration between the school and home is important as family
members are also likely living through their first experience with the Unites States education
system (Olsen, 2019). Due to the variety of students' backgrounds, students need to receive
explicit, concise, and concrete cultural norms for the school and classroom setting to ensure they
are part of the group (Suarez-Orozco et al., 2010b). Newcomer students often navigate between
what they have left behind and what they have come to (Rodriguez, 2019). Additionally, Valdes
(1996) lifts the difference in experience when non-U.S. born students experience cultural
acknowledgement or validation, versus cultural deprivation based on U.S. norms and standards.
Since cultural acclimation is a part of any newcomer student, educators need to be prepared to
support the acculturation of students through their transition (Barba et al., 2019).
Academic Supports
Some newcomer students are behind in their grade level competencies due to migration
trends, disrupted education patterns, and other external factors, and require structured
intervention to support their learning. To provide academic support for newcomer students,
teachers must create a safe learning environment illustrated through interventions, with focused
efforts on supporting student learning and growth (Oikonomidoy, 2014). Many educators
approach newcomer students with a deficit mindset based on their assumptions of what they are
lacking due to their limited language comprehension and a lack of preparation to support them
(Calderón, 2020; Rodriguez, 2019). Administrators and teachers have a professional
responsibility to disrupt the notion that newcomers cannot learn or be unteachable to create safe
learning communities (Hos, 2014). One way of disrupting the deficit mindset is to have cultural
and linguistic compatible interventions for the newcomer students (Barba et al., 2019). Cultural
and linguistic compatible interventions are interventions done in the classroom that value the
15
native language of the students and bridges the students’ experiences and the curriculum (Barba
et al., 2019). Adolescent newcomer students arriving at middle and high schools need to develop
the language skills to understand the core content, have the ability to understand, and produce
written communication and overall academic language (Calderón, 2020). A class with
embedded supports, differentiated learning, and community building is a prime educational
setting for newcomer students (Barba et al., 2019). Barba et al. (2019) provides a framework to
develop asset-based interventions for newcomer students. The framework relies on the linguistic
and cultural assets students bring to the classroom and creating interventions relevant to them
(Barba et al., 2019). For asset-based interventions to be successful, the classroom needs to be a
safe space for students where they feel safe and are in a community (Lang, 2019). A significant
part of addressing the academic needs of newcomer students is ensuring students are building
their English language acquisition (Calderón, 2020).
English Acquisition Supports
Most newcomer students need some level of support in English language acquisition to
reach English proficiency. Administrators and teachers need to have the training necessary to
support language acquisition and understand the difference between the interventions
recommended for EL students and Long Term EL students, and how to implement them
(Alamillo et al., 2011). When examining the training teachers receive when assigned to urban
setting classrooms that support newcomer students, Alamillo et al. (2011) found that the
preparation provided fell short. Lack of teacher support received to address the various levels of
English Learners in a classroom, and absence of structures undermining the type of
differentiation and work that needs to happen in a classroom with a concentrated number of
English Learners contributes to the unsupported classroom setting and lack of advancement of
16
newcomer students in acquiring the language (Aminy & Karathanos, 2011). The reality of how
long it takes students to acquire English language proficiency needs to be considered when
creating professional development for teachers to know it is part of the process (Barba et al.,
2019). Students can take up to seven years to develop cognitive academic language acquisition;
without teachers understanding the length of time, students are often referred to Special
Education for suspected learning disabilities (Barba et. al, 2019). English language proficiency
varies for newcomer students. This language acquisition needs different tiers of support based
on the overall needs of the students, and administrators and teachers need appropriate supports
and tools to make that happen.
Clark and Estes’ Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences Framework
Through the Clark and Estes (2008) framework, the knowledge, motivation, and
organizational (KMO) influences are examined to identify the organizational gap(s) and how to
fill those gaps. Knowledge influences are one of the driving components of how the
organizational goal and stakeholder goal will be accomplished. Individuals need to know how to
accomplish their target through factual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge types.
Motivational influences are another driving components that fuels the supports for achieving the
organizational goal and stakeholder goal. Examples of motivational influences are value, self-
efficacy, goal attainment, and alignment. Other motivational influences can help further
understand the gap analysis based on the problem of practice. Clark and Estes (2008) identify
organizational influences that help shape the organization, such as the culture and settings. The
organizational influences are the conditions within the goal that need to be attained, and some
conditions make the achievement easier than others.
17
The gap analysis model provides a framework in the following sections within the
context of knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that school administrators and
teachers need to prepare for and support newcomer students. The first section addresses the
knowledge influences. The second section is an explanation of the assumed motivational
influences. Finally, there is an explanation of the organizational influences.
Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences
The following review of scholarly research focuses on the knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences required of an administrator or teacher at a school to achieve the
stakeholder performance goal. The performance goal for this specified stakeholder group of
administrators and teachers is that by June 2021, all administrators and teachers will be able to
implement strategies to support newcomer students.
Rueda (2011) highlights the need for common goals that are direct, efficient, and
measurable to produce change and improvement within organizations. Clark and Estes (2008)
maintain that three factors contribute to organizational gaps in any organization. The three
influences are the possible lack of knowledge, motivation issues, and organizational barriers that
impair performance (Clark & Estes, 2008). Clear goals and performance benchmarks help
evaluate the gap analysis of an organization (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Knowledge Influences
Krathwohl (2002) defined knowledge and skills into four knowledge types: (a) factual,
(b) conceptual, (c) procedural, and (d) metacognitive. All knowledge influences fall into one of
these categories under the gap analysis framework. Factual knowledge is the necessary level of
information one needs on the subject of study, the matter-of-fact information, and the lingo or
vocabulary related to the topic (Krathwohl, 2002). Conceptual knowledge is more complex and
18
described as the correlation between subjects of study, external influences, interrelations, theory
related to the topic, and structures (Krathwohl, 2002). Procedural knowledge is the knowledge
of the process on how to do something, skills involved with a particular step, or methods to
accomplish a specific goal (Krathwohl, 2002). Metacognitive knowledge is self-reflective type
of knowledge that provides individuals with the tools to self-regulate their learning strategies and
environment, be self-aware of their strengths and areas of growth, evaluate a situation, and
device a plan of respond (Krathwohl, 2002). Each knowledge type is important and contributes
to the overall understanding of knowledge gaps within organizations.
Administrator and teacher knowledge of who is a newcomer, how their own lived
experiences influence how they show up in the classroom and school setting, and how to connect
students with the resources they need to be successful in their new life is essential to evaluate the
needs of newcomer students so programs can be created and implemented for them. English
Learners and newcomer students are often grouped together based on the same needs. However,
it is crucial to know the difference between these groups of students, and how they each have
their own set of needs and funding attached to them. Additionally, an evaluation of the needs of
newcomers and the implications of those needs as they relate to programming is required.
Research-recommended practices for supporting newcomer students. Newcomer
students need specific, tailored opportunities to develop English language supports and access
appropriate and rigorous academic instruction to fully acclimate to American culture (Lang,
2019). Rodriguez (2019) recommends that teachers serving newcomer students are paired with a
coach or teacher mentor who has the skills and cultural competency to support newcomer
students. Additionally, it is ideal to hire teachers with more experience teaching English
language development to increase the academic gains of newcomer students (Rodriguez, 2019).
19
Relational engagement of newcomer students is based on the connectedness students feel toward
their teacher and is influenced by the teacher’s preparation and investment in their students
(Suarez-Orozco et al., 2010a). Prepared teachers are one component of the successful practices
to support newcomer students. There are also curriculum, pedagogical approaches, and
assessment components to consider as well.
Curriculum is a key component of the academic success and language acquisition of
newcomer students (Bajaj & Suresh, 2018). The difficulty with academic curriculum for
newcomer students is the competing priorities to support students with grade appropriate relevant
curriculum and providing students the appropriate language development curriculum to advance
language acquisition (Lynch, 2018). Researchers highlight the use of responsive curricula that
aligns current events, students’ diverse backgrounds, and opportunities for active participation in
advocacy and engagement (Bajaj & Suresh, 2018; Suarez-Orozco et al., 2010b). Responsive
curricula can be delivered in various ways through books, lectures, and writing assignments.
One effective way to deliver responsive curricula for newcomer students is through project-based
learning because it covers the content and builds the collaboration skills newcomer students need
(Calderon, 2020). What teachers teach is an important part of the success of newcomer students,
but the pedagogical approach teachers use is impactful and important to highlight.
The pedagogical approach of teachers will drive the curricula forward or interfere in its
effective delivery. Newcomer teachers may need to leverage the diversity of their students to
support learning in the classroom (Lynch, 2018). Mendelhall and Bartlett (2018) highlight the
socio-politically relevant pedagogy for teachers. The pedagogy is intended to develop critical
consciousness in youth by providing students with a toolkit to be reflective, analyze their own
positionality within society, and examine the difference between their societal expectations and
20
future outcomes and opportunities (Mendelhall & Bartlett, 2018). The shift in pedagogy to
support newcomer students can drive the responsive curricula frameworks for academic
achievement and English language development (Bajaj & Suresh, 2018). Curricula and
pedagogy are important to the newcomer student learning experience as they show the
effectiveness of learning through assessments.
Using traditional assessments for newcomer students would not yield the same results
because the curricula and pedagogical approaches are different from other classrooms
approaches (Mendelhall & Bartlett, 2018). Assessments are traditionally an output of what
students have learned through a lesson or unit, but the same intentions can be placed on projects,
portfolios, and other project-based approach. The portfolio approach can add variety of
components to evaluate different competencies (Mendelhall & Bartlett, 2018). Newcomer
student progress needs to be evaluated in a way that supports the growth of student.
How to support newcomer students. There are numerous ways to support newcomer
students and the research continues to grow. The following practices have shown significant
effectiveness and include frameworks that will support administrators and teachers in preparing
other administrators and teachers to support newcomer students.
Community cultural wealth is a framework that challenges the traditional understanding
of power and capital by lifting the wealth of the communities of color (Lynch, 2018). This
framework is divided into six components: (a) aspirational wealth, (b) linguistic wealth, (c)
familial wealth, (d) social wealth, (e) navigational wealth, and (f) resistant wealth (Lynch, 2018).
Each wealth addresses the different areas of a newcomer student needs.
Aspirational wealth is strong within newcomer student population as many of them
remain hopeful of their migration to the United States being for a better future regardless of the
21
different challenges faced through the migration journey (Umansky et al., 2020). Trauma
informed approaches in the classroom can support aspirational wealth by creating classroom
practices that are rooted in the psychological findings on how trauma affects the brain and the
ability to learn (Bajaj & Suresh, 2018). Continuously expanding the social emotional supports
within school settings to develop the toolkits students create will support newcomers in their
acclimation to the United States (Bajaj & Suresh, 2018).
Linguistic wealth is also apparent within the newcomer student population by the
diversity of languages and dialects (Gaytan et al., 2007). To support linguistic wealth and the
array of differences by newcomer students, it is important to understand and prioritize the
instructional sequence for integrating language, literacy, and content into the classroom
(Calderon, 2020). Barba et al. (2019) examines the effectiveness of an asset-based consultation
model to support newcomer students through the elevation of their culture and language to shape
their curriculum. Both Barba et al. (2019) and Calderon (2020) highlight effective ways to use
the linguistic wealth of newcomer students to build academic supports and structures to help
them succeed.
Familial and social wealth presents the importance of the family school community
collaboration that supports the academic achievement of students by connecting the current
reality of student’s lives with community resources and programs (Suarez-Orozco et al. 2010b).
A student’s migration shifts family dynamics, and often times, students develop a kinship upon
their arrival based on survival and need to receive supports needed through this transition
(Muller et al., 2019). Finally, navigational, and resistant wealth are necessary for newcomer
students to develop. Navigational wealth is the ability to move through institutions that are
challenging based on the person’s identity (Lynch, 2018). “Resistant wealth is knowledge and
22
skills developed to resist the status quo” (Lynch, 2018, p. 120). While both are important for
newcomer students to learn and master, it is assumed that through developing a critical
consciousness in students, this will come inherently (Mendelhall & Bartlett, 2018).
Self-awareness and reflection. Administrators and teachers working with newcomer
students need to be aware of their own stories and how those stories impact how they support
their students. Educators can have good intentions to help some of the most vulnerable groups in
their schools and classrooms, but at times, their support can be misaligned to the reality of the
students they want to support (Gaytan et al., 2007). Additionally, it is important to ensure that
supports are being provided for students in a way that is not condescending or assuming they
have limited intelligence (Rodriguez, 2019). Administrators need to be able to know how their
own identities (race, class, immigration status, gender, socio-economic status, etc.) and cross-
section of identities will impact their relationships with newcomer students and how they will
break down those barriers to be able to support students in an impactful way.
Table 2 indicates the organizational performance goal and the stakeholder goal as it
aligns to the knowledge influences. The table identifies the knowledge type and assessment tools
that will explore the knowledge influences identified from the previous sections.
Table 2
Knowledge Influences, Types, and Assessments for Analysis
Organizational Mission
The mission of DUSD is to provide a high academic environment and address the holistic needs of
students.
Organizational Performance Goal
By 2021, all school districts will implement supports for newcomer students with meeting their
holistic needs.
Stakeholder Performance Goal
By June 2021, all administrators and teachers will be able to implement strategies to support
newcomer students.
Knowledge Influence Knowledge Type Knowledge Influence Assessment
23
Teachers and administrators need to
know research-recommended
practices for supporting newcomer
students.
Conceptual Interview Questions:
What strategies do you think are
helpful for supporting newcomer
students? What are the professional
development opportunities teachers
have to support newcomer needs, if
any? What does a typical first day
look like for your students when
they beginning after the first day of
the school year? What types of
supports and interventions do
newcomer students receive at your
school? What is your process, if any,
for determining support and
interventions appropriate for
students? How are effective supports
and interventions measured?
Professional Development Agendas
Administrators need to have self-
awareness and reflection.
Metacognitive Interview Questions:
Describe a time you experienced
feeling like you were not meeting
the needs of students?
How did you know you were not
meeting their needs?
Motivation Influences
This section will review the motivation-related influences necessary to meet the goal that
by June 2021, all administrators and teachers will be able to implement strategies to support
newcomer students. At a basic level, motivation is an individual's belief that they can and want
to do something (Clark & Estes, 2008). Without the understanding of motivation-related
influences on individuals, it is difficult to evaluate if the motivation-related influences are
creating the problem and how to reframe those influences, or lack thereof, to be part of the
solution (Clark & Estes, 2008). There is an array of theories that address motivation. This
section will examine self-efficacy theory and expectancy value theory. Self-efficacy is a social
cognitive theory and is the confidence one has to achieve a specific task (Denler, Wolters, &
24
Benzon, 2006). Value theory is an expectancy-value motivational theory, and its intrinsic value,
attainment, and utility value of tasks (Eccles, 2006). The following motivation-related influence
sections explore self-efficacy and value in relation to the stakeholder goal.
Self-efficacy theory. As a social cognitive theory, self-efficacy is the self-confidence
that one can achieve what they set their mind to (Denler et al., 2006). Self-efficacy is the
internal belief one can accomplish specific tasks, and someone with high self-efficacy believes
that they will absolutely accomplish those specific tasks (Denler et al., 2006). A person with
lower self-efficacy lacks confidence in their personal ability to complete the task(s) and is less
likely to do so (Denler et al., 2006). Self-efficacy is important in creating organizational change
as the confidence of the leader is needed to motivate the group to achieve their desired outcome.
Self-efficacy is a motivation-related influence that has a direct impact on how effective
individuals achieve set tasks or goals. Self-efficacy influences how administrators and teachers
are agents of change. Self-efficacy is key to the stakeholder group because the administrators
and teachers need to have the confidence necessary to bring change to the school that will
support the goal. Without inner confidence and self-efficacy, it will be difficult for the
administrator to convey to the staff of the changes presented. Administrators and teachers will
need to create a plan to achieve their goals, and the plan has to be concrete and clear with
attainable goals (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Additionally, administrators and teachers need to have the self-efficacy and collective
efficacy to support the development of other administrators and teachers to support newcomer
students (Rodriguez et al., 2020). The efficacy of administrators and teachers help drive the
teams around them. Collective efficacy is built through momentum and with the motivation to
achieve the common goal (Denler et al., 2006). Bajaj and Suresh (2018) note the collective
25
concentration needed to understand how trauma impacts the brains of children and their ability to
learn. The collective efficacy of the team is to find viable solutions to support students
experiencing high trauma and stress during their transition to the United States (Bajaj & Suresh,
2018).
Value. The expectancy value theory is the belief that an individual’s motivation derives
from their hopes, expected outcomes, and what they value (Eccles, 2006). Intrinsic value is the
internal motivation to complete the task because of the personal satisfaction, joy, or passion for
completing said task (Eccles, 2006). Attainment and utility values are the external motivators to
complete tasks because of the rewards, compensation, or overall personal usefulness to
completing the task (Eccles, 2006). Based on what value drives an individual’s determines the
urgency used to complete the task (Eccles, 2006). Intrinsic value drives individuals who work in
an environment in which they are passionate about the work. An individual who works at a
company or in a certain position to build their resume will be driven by the utility value.
Expectancy value theory also includes the perceived cost of what it will take to accomplish
certain tasks (Eccles, 2006). The cost can be the energy, time, and anticipated feelings it takes to
complete the task. Individuals might avoid a task due to the mental energy it costs because the
value of accomplishing the task is not worth it (Eccles, 2006).
Utility value is key to the identified stakeholder group because the type of value the
administrators and teachers have impacts the overall effectiveness of the organization. The
administrator's value of the newcomer student, the impact of their desire of successfully prepare
all administrators and teachers to best support newcomer students, and the shift and alignment in
resource allocation will influence others. The administrator’s value for the work will be the
26
driver for others to value the work and will drive them to do the work. Administrators need to
reflect on their motivational drivers and how they will influence those around them.
Table 3 displays the organizational performance goal and the stakeholder goal aligned to
the motivational influences imperative to achieving the organizational and stakeholder goals.
The table identifies the motivational type and their assessment measures for the motivational
influences discussed.
Table 3
Motivational Influences and Assessment for Analysis
Organizational Mission
The mission of DUSD is to provide a high academic environment and address the holistic needs
of students.
Organizational Performance Goal
By 2021, all school districts will implement supports for newcomer students with meeting their
holistic needs.
Stakeholder Performance Goal
By June 2021, all administrators and teachers will be able to implement strategies to support
newcomer students.
Assumed Motivation Influences Motivational Influence Assessment
Administrators and teachers should feel confident
in their ability to support newcomer students.
Interviews: As a leader, how do you define
and measure the success of meeting
newcomer students’ needs?
Administrators and teachers need to see the value
of supporting newcomer students.
Interviews: Walk me through a time a
teacher was struggling due to the lack of
understanding of the needs of the students.
Organizational Influences
The culture of an organization is the beliefs, core values, purpose, and overall
functionality, as learned by the organization's members through their involvement with the
organization (Clark & Estes, 2008). According to Clark and Estes (2008), organizational
influences organically impact the organization’s ability to achieve set goals that are not
dependent on an individual’s knowledge and motivation. In organizational settings, there are
27
two components of the organization's culture. One is the cultural models, and the other is the
cultural settings (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001).
Cultural models and settings. An organization's values, mission, and goals are
influenced by the environment in which it operates. The cultural settings and models of the
organization impacts the way an organization operates and functions internally (Gallimore &
Goldenberg, 2001). The cultural models are the traditions, ideals, and expected behaviors within
an organization (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Cultural models are the invisible drivers of an
organization as they are instilled in the way organizations operate (Gallimore & Goldenberg,
2001). Cultural settings encompass the people within the organization, their internal
relationships, work division, and processes within the overall social context of the workspace
(Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). An organization’s culture is determined by the cultural
settings within the cultural model (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001).
The organization needs to have a shared vision of how it will support newcomer
student transitions. Organizations thrive when they have a shared vision to accomplish their
organizational goal (Clark & Estes, 2008). It is important for educational organizations to have a
shared vision to support the acclimation of newcomer students. The lack of a common language
and approach can create a gap for students in their experience and supports based on who they
can receive support from, if anyone (Suárez-Orozco et al., 2010b). Newcomer students are
starting new lives and can face challenges along the way, so the structure established during the
early days of their arrival can aide their successful assimilation into the United States school
system and the overall learning environment (Oikonomidoy, 2014). A shared plan on student
supports will allow for all students to have a similar experience, with no students falling under
the radar, only to be lost within the system during their journey.
28
The organization needs to dedicate appropriate resources to support the needs of
newcomer students. Organizations, school districts, and school sites need to create a
triangulation approach to support newcomers. Martin and Suarez-Orozco (2018) categorize the
approaches as individual needs focused practices, inclusive school culture practices, and
partnerships with outside organizations. Each category encompasses the different resources
needed to support newcomers.
Essential practices that create a framework and approach to address the individual needs
of newcomer students are designed to collect data from students and families to support the
student’s transition into the classroom and overall school setting. Intake interviews with
assigned support staff such as case managers, counselors, and deans, provide the school with
meaningful information that will support the teachers and the school personnel as they connect
the student and family with appropriate resources (Martin & Suarez-Orozco, 2018). The intake
process supports the student from the start of their journey with the school, allowing for
relationships to be established and to help secure success for the student and family. In addition
to the training support personnel need to conduct intake interviews, teachers need training in
adequate language acquisition skills and how to support language development across
curriculums and content areas (Martin & Suarez-Orozco, 2018). Hos et. al. (2019) highlights the
importance of teachers having the skills to teach content, as well as teaching skills that are
transferable across subjects to support language development. Finally, Jaffe-Walter and Lee
(2018) examine the importance of schools establishing cultural sustaining pedagogy that
supports students’ acclimation to a new place, while still highlighting and embodying their
transnational identity and experience within the classroom and school space.
29
School culture is an important component of students’ school experience. Research
highlights the importance of a culturally inclusive environment for newcomer students to thrive
(Hos et. al., 2019; Jaffe-Walter & Lee, 2018; Martin & Suarez-Orozco, 2018). Dual language
immersion, bilingual immersion, and bilingual content instruction are different models to support
language development and instruction for newcomer students to be successful academically
(Martin & Suarez-Orozco, 2018). These bilingual models also call for the need to have
inclusivity within the school hallways and classroom walls through represented work and
language inclusivity (Martin & Suarez-Orozco, 2018). Other researchers detail the negative
impacts for school culture when newcomer students are tracked and segregated into their own
classes and the creation of a divisive environment (Hos et al., 2019; Jaffe-Walter & Lee, 2018).
Creating an inclusive school culture for newcomer students begins with students at the
center. Peer-to-peer mentorship programs can support the acclimation of newcomer students to
the school setting, giving students a peer to practice their language skills with and providing
newcomer students with their own culture guide for school-based expectations and behaviors
(Hos et. al, 2019; Martin & Suarez-Orozco, 2018). Finally, the school culture will guide and be
infused in classroom practices; therefore, it is important to create a school culture that accepts
migration as normal and supports the socioemotional needs of students for newcomer students to
thrive given the state of transition they live in (Martin & Suarez-Orozco, 2018).
A framework to support individualized newcomer student needs and an inclusive school
culture are two important elements that schools, and district needs to have in place to support
newcomer students. However, the task to support newcomer students is more than can be done
by teachers, administrators, and school personnel alone. Schools and districts need established
partnerships with outside organizations and community-based organizations that will help
30
address the multitude of needs newcomer students and their families face as they arrive to a new
place (Martin & Suarez-Orozco, 2018). Community-based partnerships allow schools to provide
more essential services like health school site-based clinics, human services, and mental health
resources (Martin & Suarez-Orozco, 2018). These partnerships can ease the number of outside
agencies and resources that newcomer families and students have to learn to how to navigate
(Martin & Suarez-Orozco, 2018). Additionally, school sites and districts should establish
financial partnerships to support additional services that are often not covered through the
general budget, such as before-school and after-school academic interventions (Martin & Suarez-
Orozco, 2018). School districts and school sites need to leverage their position as schools with a
set membership to establish partnerships with community-based organizations to increase their
reach, while increasing their supports of newcomer students.
Table 4
Organizational Influences and Assessment for Analysis
Organizational Mission
The mission of DUSD is to provide a high academic environment and address the holistic needs of
students.
Organizational Performance Goal
By 2021, all school districts will implement supports for newcomer students with meeting their holistic
needs.
Stakeholder Performance Goal
By June 2021, all administrators and teachers will be prepared to support newcomer students.
Assumed Organizational Influences Organizational Influence Assessment
The district needs to have a shared vision on how it will
support newcomer student transition.
What is the district’s approach to supporting
newcomer students? How do/don’t they
convey value for supporting newcomer
students?
The organization needs to dedicate resources to support
the needs of newcomer students in and outside of the
classroom.
What resources do you have to support
newcomer students?
What resources do you think would be
helpful?
31
Conceptual Framework: The Interaction of Stakeholders’ Knowledge and Motivation and
the Organizational Context
A conceptual framework is the lens through which, in a study, the researcher brings
multiple factors and facets together to understand their relationship (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
A conceptual framework provides a way to understand the terms, models, underlying concepts,
and overall structure of the study (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The conceptual framework gives
credibility to the study as it uses previous research and theories to inform the need and utility of
the specific study and overall contributions to the field (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). In addition to
giving the study a lens to be understood through, a conceptual framework comes with
assumptions and beliefs attached by the researcher (Maxwell, 2013). Having a clear
understanding of the assumptions and beliefs that the researcher provides the reader is important
context for the findings (Maxwell, 2013). The conceptual framework combines the knowledge,
motivation, organizational (KMO) influences with the stakeholder goal, its interactions, and
relationships. The relationships and interactions between the KMO influence and stakeholder
goal influence the type of data collection for the study and addresses any identified gaps
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Given this importance, the conceptual framework presented here
builds from the previous body of knowledge on newcomer students, administrators, teachers, and
school models that influence the stakeholder goal, as well as the organizational mission that
supports it. The combination of the research and worldviews converge below, supporting the
ongoing development of the study.
Two worldviews emerge in the framework of the study. The first world view is
transformative, which focuses on the push for correcting social injustices (Creswell & Creswell,
2018). The other worldview is pragmatic, which focuses on a solution-orientation and often
32
inspires creativity to find solutions (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). The transformative worldview
grounds the why of the study and who it benefits (i.e., newcomer students). Newcomer students
are a population who are often in deficit-based discourse and policies that continue to
marginalize them (Rodriguez 2019). The study aims to provide administrators and teachers an
opportunity to reflect on how to align their resources with the needs of newcomer students. The
pragmatic worldview offers the ability to use multifaced perspectives and views to best inform
the solutions and recommendations the study is aiming to solve (Creswell & Creswell, 2018).
The emergence of both worldviews provides a foundation for the design of the study and its
importance to the body of research that already exists.
The different assumed influences are previously presented in isolation, having an
influence on the administrators' and teachers' abilities and capacities to support the knowledge,
understanding, and access newcomer students have to their post-high school options. However,
these influences do not operate individually; instead, they intertwine concurrently to meet the
stakeholder goal and overall organizational global goal (Clark & Estes, 2008). The next section
will explain how the administrators' and teachers' knowledge and motivation mutually influences
each other, and how the administrators and teachers will align resources with the needs of
newcomer students. The impact the organizational mission has on the organizational context
and, in turn, on the mutual influencing relationship between the knowledge and motivation of the
administrators and teachers, will all have an impact on the stakeholder goal. Figure 1 shows the
proposed conceptual framework.
33
Figure 1.
Interaction Between the Organization, Stakeholder Groups, and the Organizational Goal
34
Figure 1 shows the relationship between the knowledge, motivational, and organizational
influences that impact the administrators’ and teachers’ capacity to evaluate the support available
to newcomer students. The outer green oval represents the organization and the cultural settings
and models within it. The cultural model provides a shared model and vision for all educators in
the building to have the same values in serving their community of students, which is key to
provide academic support and advancement for newcomer students (Aldana & Martinez, 2018).
The cultural setting in the organization is the shared collaboration structure to share resources
and tangible ways to support students and develop programming to meet the stakeholder goal
(Feinberg, 2000). Collectively, the organization's context has an impact on how students feel,
act, and perform in the classroom based on their identities. Without appropriate supports and
services, students have a harder time assimilating and feeling like they are part of the
organizational community (Suárez-Orozco et al., 2010a). The organization's mission drives the
interactions of the different influences that support the administrator's work and goals. The
cultural model and setting influence have a two-way impact on the administrators’ and teachers’
knowledge and motivational influences which collectively impact the stakeholder goal. Roxas
(2011) and Oikonomidoy (2014) illustrate the relationship that individual educator’s practices,
knowledge, and desire to make an impact on a vulnerable population can influence change
within the broader organization. Umansky et al. (2020) highlights the importance of
administrators addressing the needs of newcomer students by observing and providing teachers
with the necessary tools to serve newcomer students to build organizational capacity and create
effective progress. The interacting relationship between the motivation and knowledge
influences has an impact on the model of services and program students have access to
(Feinberg, 2000). When the different components within the organization interact in the way as
35
described above, the stakeholder goal is met through the collaboration of all parties, as pictured
by the yellow oval on Figure 1. Thus, the conceptual framework creates a tentative theory that if
knowledge and motivation within the administrators and teachers create the conditions of the
cultural setting and model, the ability that all administrators and teachers will be prepared to
support newcomer students.
Summary
The purpose of the project is to describe the effectiveness of DUSD's newcomer support
programs. The review of the literature provides historical context, legislative context, and
cultural context for newcomer students. Furthermore, the research reviewed highlights different
models, programs, and settings that influence how to serve newcomer students effectively. The
literature reviewed in this chapter highlights the administrators' and teachers' knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences that drive them to provides appropriate supports and
resources for their students. This chapter explains the interactions and relationship between the
stakeholder's influences and goals to provide a lens to understand the importance and impact of
the study. Chapter Three will explain the methods of the study and its significance to the project.
36
CHAPTER THREE: METHODS
Chapter Three addresses the methodology used in the study, as well as the rationale and
procedures for the study. This methodology helped answer the following research questions:
1. What are the stakeholder knowledge and motivation related to meeting the needs of
newcomer students?
2. What is the interaction between organizational culture and context and stakeholder
knowledge and motivation?
The chapter concludes by addressing the role of the researcher, as well as the credibility,
trustworthiness, and ethics of the study.
Participating Stakeholders
The participating stakeholders are a team of administrators and teachers who support the
overall newcomer student program across the city. The administrators and teachers work across
five 6
th
– 12
th
-grade school sites with a newcomer program. The stakeholders provide insight
into the program implementation and concrete examples based on the set up of their school
context and setting. The selected sites span the city; some sites are located in immediate
neighborhoods and some are harder to access without personal transportation. For example, a
teacher at a school site near a bus stop might see student needs differently than a teacher at a site
with no public transportation nearby. The administrators and teachers are the closest stakeholder
group to help describe the progress the school site programs are making in supporting
administrators and teachers preparation and support of newcomer students.
Qualitative Data Collection
For this study, there were two qualitative data collection methods to collect the most
relevant information to answer the research questions. Both administrator and teacher interviews
37
and document analysis were used. The document analysis allowed the researcher to look at the
cultural context and best practices used within the district through their publications, website,
and handbooks. The interviews provided information to analyze the knowledge and motivation
administrators and teachers have on how to best serve newcomer students. The following
sections provided an explanation for the recruitment and sampling for each method.
Documents and Artifacts
Several documents were analyzed for this study. District board public minutes and the
LCAP of each school site, both publicly available from their website, were examined. Other
publicly available documents such as the district supplied newcomer student toolkit, family
handbooks, and CDE Data Quest reports were analyzed. The data collection period for all
documents and artifacts was from late July 2020 to September 2020 in an effort to capture any
end-of-year data. Documents were carefully selected based on availability and the ability to
review and gather content for a thematic analysis (Bowen, 2009). The documents helped answer
any questions about organization culture and context.
Interviews
Interview protocol. Semi-structured interviews were used for this study due to the time
constraints of the study. Due to the nature of the research questions, a structured interview
would have limited how much the participants shares or may have limited how much probing the
researcher was able to do without going off-topic. The majority of the interview questions were
knowledge, experience, and emotion type questions. The interview questions were purposefully
crafted to allow for additional probing questions and for the participants to have the space to
share as much as they wished during the interview.
38
Interview procedures. Administrators at five sites agreed to participate and ask teachers
to volunteer to participate as part of the study. The interviews occurred after IRB completion;
the researcher conducted interviews via Zoom from late July 2020 until mid-September 2020.
Given the timing of IRB approval, and the current conditions and educational landscape,
participants participation took longer than originally expected. Document and artifact collection
continued through the interview period and concluded on September 30, 2020, allowing for the
collection of any closeout/end-of-year reports that may capture areas of interest for the study.
There were 2 administrator and 6 teacher interviews across all five school sites, with
administrators being counselors and social workers. Each participant only participated in one
interview. The time of each interview ranged from 40-50 minutes. Participants were formally
invited to participate, and when the invitation was accepted, they received follow-up
correspondence with a scheduled time in the location of their choice. Throughout the interview,
notes were taken, and with the permission of the participant, the interview were recorded.
Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Interview recruitment strategy and rationale. The non-random, convenient sampling
strategy was the best strategy to use given the limited population identified for this study and the
dynamic and uniqueness of the administrators and teachers. A variety of administrators and
teachers were be invited to participate in the interview. The composition of the sample was
strategically identified to support the research questions (Johnson & Christensen, 2015). The
non-random sample ensured that there was representation of teachers and administrators given
the limited number of members in the stakeholder group. When IRB was approved in late July,
teachers were preparing to begin the school year in a distance learning model and had competing
priorities that resulted in low interest of participating. As a result, administrators, social workers,
39
and counselors that worked with newcomer students were recruited to participate. The goal was
to have a sample that was representative of staff that supported newcomer students and could
speak to that experience.
Explanation for Choices
The choice to only include interviews and document analysis came after thoughtful
consideration from an earlier plan to conduct a mixed-methods study. The population was not
big enough for a survey. Even with a collection rate of 100%, this method did not seem to be
effective or allow for a valid measurement tool for this particular study (Fink, 2013). Surveying
the teacher population was also considered but discarded due to a conflict of interest and possible
ethical concerns. School observations to study the efficacy and delivery of the mission and
vision of administrators and teachers on their mission and vision delivery was also considered.
However, after further thought, it did not seem appropriate as it is difficult to account for
external and unassociated factors that would hinder the observation, and unable to complete due
to COVID-19. Ultimately, due to the nature of the study and the stakeholder group's dynamic,
the researcher concluded that interviews were the best source of data collection. Interviews can
be a window into an organization through a person's lived experiences and opinions and may
help further the study since the data comes directly from stakeholders’ knowledge and
experiences (Creswell & Creswell, 2018).
Data Analysis
Interviews and documents were collected during late July 2020 to September 2020 and
analysis was done following the collection. The researcher completed analytical memos for each
interview conducted. The analytical memos provided the researcher an opportunity to capture
initial reactions and conclusions concerning how participant responses correlate to the
40
conceptual framework and research questions. After the interviews were completed,
transcriptions were cleaned up and coded for themes corresponding to the conceptual framework
and research questions. The researcher wrote additional memos in between each round of
analysis. There were three rounds of analysis on the interviews. Open coding, analytical/axial
coding, and thematic coding were the steps taken to establish findings and patterns related to the
research questions and conceptual framework. The researcher analyzed the documents
consistent with the concepts in the conceptual framework and research questions.
Credibility and Trustworthiness
Credibility and trustworthiness are critical to the success of any qualitative study and can
be challenging to maintain throughout the study when various complexities are at play. Through
this qualitative study, the researcher increased and sustained trustworthiness for the data through
triangulation of the documents collected, as recommended by Bowen (2009). Although there are
various ways to increase credibility and trustworthiness for the data collected, as supported by
Merriam and Tisdell (2016), not all tools and steps are applicable or best for the study. The
choice of the following strategies was based on the limited time impact they would have had on
the study and the availability to follow through with the strategies. Through multiple interviews
with each stakeholder group, data analysis was able to be completed through consistent accounts
of events and practices; thus, creating internal trustworthiness. Credibility for the data and
findings was established through the recordings and access to the raw data and original notes
from interviews. Zoom was used as the recording device, and recordings are stored locally. The
participants had an opportunity to review the transcript from their interview to ensure accuracy.
The goal of the researcher was to avoid compromising the data in any way, and to present a
credible and trusted study.
41
Ethics
As an outsider researcher who be entered different school settings to gain knowledge and
information from their administrators and teachers, it was the researcher's responsibility to
conduct themselves following the school’s culture, rules, and protocols. In this research project,
there was no be an ethical concern regarding the researcher serving dual roles within the
organizations. Rubin and Rubin (2012) provide tips to ensure that the researcher is respectful,
values the time of the study participants, and ensures that the participation within the study has
boundaries. Researchers are responsible for following regulations in the physical environment
and ensuring that there is no intentional harm or distress put on the study participants (Rubin &
Rubin, 2012). Given that the setting of the study was publicly funded schools, informed consent
was comprehensive and consistent with similar district policies regarding the sharing of school
information. Within this study, informed consent included an explanation of the study, the risks
of participating, a timeline of the study including any final presentation, and a form for the
administrators and teachers to sign that outlines their agreement to participate and be recorded
(Glesne, 2011). The administrators and teachers at the schools received an invitation to join the
study to share their perspectives. The researcher assigned pseudonyms to all participants and
their organizations to maintain their confidentiality. During data collection, through interviews
or document analysis, those pseudonyms are the identifiers, used in all written and recorded
information.
A potential existing bias was the researcher’s personal connection to the topic and
background as a newcomer student. The bias of the researcher’s own lived experience as a
newcomer student may come up while interviewing participants and during the analysis phase if
data relates to the researcher's previous experience. This potential bias was disclosed during the
42
informed consent section to ensure that all participants are aware of who the researcher is within
the positionality of the study.
43
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS
Chapter Four addresses the findings of the study. The purpose of the research study was to
explore and analyze the practices supporting newcomer students in 6
th
– 12
th
grade classrooms.
The analysis focused on the knowledge and motivation of the administrators and teachers serving
newcomer students, and the organizational influences of Dons Unified School District (DUSD).
For practical purposes, the stakeholder group for this analysis was the teachers and
administrators in five secondary schools with newcomer programs across the district. The
following were the guiding questions for the study:
1. What are the stakeholder knowledge and motivation related to meeting the overall needs
of newcomer students?
2. What is the interaction between organizational culture and context and stakeholder
knowledge and motivation?
The chapter concludes with a summary of the findings in relevance to the upcoming
recommendations.
Participating Stakeholders
The stakeholder group for the research study consisted of two administrators and six teachers
across five school sites. Eight documents including information graphics, School Site plans and
Local Control Accountability plans were analyzed through the document analysis protocol. The
study only had qualitative data collection methods used.
Two social workers/counselors and six teachers across five school sites were interviewed for this
study and the interviews were to provide qualitative analysis. Table _ details information of the
participants.
44
Table 5
Participant Information
Participant Name Subject Grade Level School Site
Alex English 9
th
& 10
th
Site 1
Charlie Social Studies 9-12
th
Site 1
Taylor Counselor 9
th
– 12th Site 2
Kendell Social Science 9
th
– 12
th
Site 3
Adrian Science 9
th
– 12
th
Site 3
Jaime English 9
th
– 12
th
Site 3
Bailey English 10
th
& 11
th
Site 4
Jordan Social Worker 6
th
– 12th Site 5
Due to the difficult times the world is in with COVID-19 and educators balancing
competing priorities, the participation window from stakeholders was longer than anticipated.
The administrators of the schools represented sent email inviting staff to participate and for the
last three interviews, it was from interviewees recommending their colleagues to participate.
Each interviewed followed the same protocols with a total of 12 questions, additional follow-up
and clarifying questions were asked when deemed appropriate by the interviewer. Interview
respondents varied in gender and levels of experience. The interviews were conducted through
an eight-week time period via Zoom meetings. The participants responses were reported out with
no identifiable information, additionally the responses were recorded and transcribed by the
researcher. Recordings and transcripts are stored in a secure location without external access.
Analysis of the responses are the qualitative findings of the study.
45
Research Question 1: What are the stakeholder knowledge and motivation related to meeting
the overall needs of newcomer students?
Knowledge Findings
The first research question for this study was to analyze the administrators’ and teachers’
knowledge and skills to support newcomer students. The focus of this study was analyzing if
administrators and teachers had the procedural and metacognitive knowledge to support
newcomer students in the classroom (Rueda, 2011).
Finding #1: Administrators and teachers in the sample are using a variety of research-based
practices to support the development of language and teaching of content.
Through the qualitative interviews, all eight participants were asked for strategies used to
support newcomers and all eight answered with an array of tools used to scaffold and meet
students where they are at. Additionally, participants share specific practices that are effective in
their classroom and support the goal to teach students the content and develop their language
acquisition. There are themes that emerge from the practices used across the participants:
scaffolding and vocabulary development, skill development, family connections and cultural
humility.
Scaffolding and Vocabulary Development. Participants shared some of their scaffolding
practices that have yield results and effectiveness in their experience with newcomer students.
Additionally, participants expressed the constant challenge of having to ensure there is vocabulary
development within the lesson for content to be understood and learned by the students. Non
language teachers have had to realize that in order for them to be effective with newcomers, they
have to teach language development hand in hand, or even at times, prior to their content. Kendell
shares,
46
“I teach them the vocabulary words that are important for the unit and it gets supported
through that we just move it a lot slower pace than like a regular classroom does so they
can actually get they can get the material and they can understand it. … You do a lot of
scaffolding with, like, just like language supports like sentence starters, skeleton notes,
stuff like that.”
Kendell highlights the need to slow down and partition material to be digestible to students. The
participant’s mindfulness to ensure students have the information necessary to be successful in
the lesson or class is key to the success and development of newcomer students. Some specific
tools that support the language development for students are sentence starters, skeleton notes,
word banks, printed materials, and graphic organizers.
Language Acquisition Skill Development. Participants shared different strategies and practices
used to develop skills that can be used across subjects and can support students in making
connections and increasing their English language acquisition and academic confidence
simultaneously. Bailey shares,
“I like to provide students space to share what they learn throughout the week. I
have exit tickets, and once a week each student is asked to share their exit ticket
aloud to the class, I am helping students build conversational language and them
public speaking skills in a place of low stakes.”
Bailey highlights a particular practice that provide students the opportunity to present their
learning not only through written work, but an opportunity to practice their speaking skills.
Creating opportunities for students to practice their speaking skills is key to support their
confidence with the skill and to be able to learn ways and strategies they can use their speaking
skills in different settings. The strategy that Bailey uses creates an opportunity for students to
47
develop their academic vocabulary and presentation skills in a setting that does not put the
pressure on the student and can be a safe space to learn from experience. Charlie shares a
technique used in Ethnic Studies to support student relationships while building and developing
academic skills. Charlie shares,
“The identity unit because that's where most of the ethnic studies classes will start…I try
to get them to write out their narratives. Doesn't matter what language or what
format…its but it's not the object that matters. It's like your reflection of it. Right. And so
that's the skill. I'm trying to learn. So, I put less importance on what they bring in more of
like what they say what they present.”
In the identity unit shared by Charlie there are approaches use to allow students to express
themselves and the autonomy on how they want to reflect their values as part of who they are.
Charlie use of different methods and modalities to define an artifact to the students reflects the
considerations that can be effective and meaningful to students based on their histories and lived
experiences and continue to build skills and develop their learning. Building trust and rapport
with students by starting the class with a unit that allows students to show who they are in a way
that is meaningful and valuable to them, also serves as a way for Charlie to learn about the
students and create content, lessons and units that will best serve them.
Family Connection. Participants share their experiences with attempts to connect with families
and ask for their input to be able to best support the students. The creative methods and strategies
shared by participants highlights their understanding of how to connect with families to make an
impact. Adrian shares the approach at a site that sees the value of supporting newcomer students
and families, while creating an approach that gradually releases dependency and support for
students to be self-sufficient. Adrian shares,
48
“It's kind of like an inverted triangle like it's kind of all hands-on deck at the beginning…
There is no formula how to support every new student, everyone is different has different
things they are dealing with, so we need to shift and adjust our approach constantly.”
Adrian provides an example on the progression a site has to provide resources and support for
newcomer students to support students and their families in becoming self-sufficient. There is
also the acknowledgement and consciousness that there is no checklist or formulaic way to
support newcomers, so everyone has to take the time to support in an individual student or
family basis to create impact and truly support the students. There is a progression for family
connection and supports approach as explained by the participants. Bailey shares,
“[For one student who was struggling], I would call home and phone would be
disconnected; I would resort to sending notes with the student. Finally, after the
second progress report, I sent a letter home. This is what I knew how to do [going
back to basic pen and paper]. Come to find out, the student was living with his
uncle after the mom had been detained by ICE.”
Bailey shares an example of the complex realities’ newcomer students can face. Bailey shares
practices that have been effective to support overall feedback and input from students and
families through phone calls, notes home and mailing letters. Bailey’s example provides the
progression of strategies that can be used to connect with families, the purpose of the family
connect is to figure out what is happening outside of the school sphere that the teacher needs to
know to be able to pivot their supports for the students. In this particular example, Bailey’s
student was facing family separation and that added a layer of barriers for Bailey to connect with
the family to find out what was actually happening. Kendell shares the biggest gap in the site is
49
the limited language access to help support family engagement and participation, especially
families who speak a different language than Spanish. Kendell shares,
“So [lack of language supports] can pose a few issues as well. But I think it's, I think,
really our biggest challenge is getting a multilingual language support in because we only
have Spanish, English really at our site like we have the Cantonese teacher from time to
time to translate if we need to do that, but he's not always available. But we just got a
mam like a mam language class being taught by like a mam speaker so that could actually
also be really helpful.”
Kendell’s reflection is rooted in the challenges that language barriers cause to be able to connect
with families is not only a concern when thinking on receiving feedback on the approaches and
interventions being used, but in the overall access to services and opportunities for involvement.
The increased options of language for students are important and a meaningful way to ensure
that the sites are reflecting the needs and desires of the school community. Adding staff that
speak the languages of the community also serves as an increase support for connecting with
families and being able to solicit their feedback and ongoing input. Adrian highlights one the
struggles of family engagement due to the complexities of the newcomer community. Adrian
shares,
“It's really hard to actually get families to come in here…It's because they have so many
other things that that that are going on. So, what happens is that there's just a ton of
outreach that is done on my end, social workers, and case manager, counselor, or
assistant principal and then we just have these one-on-one meetings, even though it's
probably not always the most effective.”
50
Families are constantly juggling different commitments that all school or program meetings are
not the top priority given everything else in their lives. Additionally, Adrian’s reflections share
the different variety of options that the team at the site support the ability for families to receive
the information and be involved in a way that works for them. Adrian’s site approach to have
one-on-one meetings with families that might miss big school events or community meetings is
an example of a way a school site prioritizes family engagement and has the cultural humility to
support the needs of the community and meet the families where they are at. Taylor expands on
the use of different modalities to approach the development and engagement of families within
the school sites. Taylor shares,
“We do family events, whether it's for college and career, whether it's for mental health,
whether it's to just introduce the families to our to our community... We had like a PTA at
[my site] where they had a big say on how the budget was going to be distributed at our
school so making sure that we get their input as much as we can. I know sometimes
language can be a barrier, we try our best not to use that as an excuse, like, Okay, let's see
how the district can help us with interpretation, how can we get alumni to come in and
support us...We go above and beyond to make sure that our families are included in
whatever event or whatever and resources that we're providing them with.”
Taylor ‘s examples provide practices school sites are partaking in to promote community
building support for newcomer students and families, but also to build and provide agency for
families to have meaningful and insightful input in the school community. The use of
collaboration with alumni and the resources of the community to understand the perspective of
the families, rather than only making assumptions on the families’ perspectives are effective to
build rapport and trust with families is key to increased engagement with newcomer families.
51
Taylor’s example also provides possible solutions for the challenges highlighted by the
participants regarding family connections. The approach to provide space for families to give
input in important school decision making such as the budget and resource allocation to best
serve their students, is key to be able to understand how to best support newcomer students.
Cultural Humility. Participants highlight the importance of having cultural humility when
working with newcomer students and better understand student’s backgrounds and community.
Cultural humility is centered in the practice of self-reflection and self-awareness of personal
identities and experiences. Participants share content units, family collaboration opportunities
and family events that support the school and family relationship and ways to support newcomer
students. Charlie highlights the experience needed to support undeveloped newcomer teachers.
Charlie shares,
“But what does it look like when you are in your literally new to teaching newcomers?
So, you don't say something messed up inappropriate stuff or you don't, you know, teach
them in in a way that doesn't actually meet them where they're at…because you think
you're if you may be hiring someone who's competent culturally competent and
understanding and responsive, but that they're going to need that ongoing.”
Uniquely, Charlie highlights the need for culturally competent educators to teach educators.
Charlie highlights the need to ensure that newcomer teachers are in tuned with practices that are
supportive and not offensive to students. Cultural competence coaches are severely important in
the setting of newcomer students because of the layers of complexities and multitude of
intersections of the community being served. Additionally, Charlie highlights that cultural
competency is not a one-time checkbox approach, rather it is a continuous learning curve.
52
Expanding on the cultural competency needs to support newcomer students, Jordan provides
examples from a social worker perspective of what that looks like. Jordan shares,
“We are trying to increase a way to bring in the cultural piece for like Central American,
particularly the mam community which is still very indigenous so making sure that our
new social workers and new staff are up to game and understanding what that's about.
And also, refresher course for the returning social workers.”
Jordan’s reflection of the need for the cultural piece in particular for the Central American and
mam community representation is aligned to Charlie’s highlight to have cultural competence
knowledge to support newcomer students. The idea of having repeated professional development
sessions as refresh courses ensures that professionals are up to date in practices and continue to
polish their toolkit to best support newcomer students. Alex shares a unique reflection of a
practice that supports newcomers being able to see different possibilities and outcomes post high
school. Alex’s approach is one rooted it in collaboration and outside the box thinking to support
the growth of students’ ability and self-efficacy. Alex shares,
“I invited a guest to volunteer in my class… he was teaching the course [at Stanford] for
licensure students on sort of language in the classroom … he graduated from college,
talking about what he remembered from when he first got to the to the US and first got
into high school because I felt like it validated, a little bit of what I just been trying to like
assume was right and that is like nobody understands much of anything.”
Alex’s approach to bringing in an example from the newcomer community for students to see
themselves in the guest speaker is a powerful move. Building on the cultural humility needed to
support newcomers, Alex was able to leverage the resources available to bringing in someone
that serves as an example from the community and can provide in depth understanding and
53
connection to the students that Alex has limited connection to. Alex’s ability to collaborate and
fill in the gaps through external partners is one effective practice to support newcomer students.
In the district’s executive summaries and Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs),
the program design for newcomer program highlights the extensive academic related support
provided for teachers and administrators to develop their toolkits. The instructional models that
DUSD emphasizes for newcomer programs highlight five different components that need to be
incorporated within the instructional model to support content development and language
acquisition of students. The five instructional components are: Content-based language and
literacy instruction, Strategic Use of Home Language, Heterogeneous grouping, Extended
Learning Opportunities and Assessments. The classroom materials are identified as “resources
for classroom instruction including locally developed curriculum, information on published
curriculum, and assessment tools”, the instructional materials are identified as, “context on the
instructional approach [the district] recommends with newcomers, specific classroom strategies,
and resources for professional learning.” The site provides program overviews of how to
develop and refine newcomer programs through K-12 schools, the information available to the
public strongly suggest that the district has invested appropriate resources to develop researched
based and sound programing for newcomer students. Additionally, the site also provides with
published district created curriculum with embedded supports for newcomer students.
Furthermore, the resources provided to the public expand past the academic needs of students,
but also support the need to address the whole child. Based on district documentation, the district
has made a clear commitment to the development of their newcomer programs and serve as an
example for others.
54
The finding indicates that teachers and administrators in the study have a self-perception
that they utilize research-based practices in their approach with newcomer students. The finding
recognizes the different continuous support and opportunities provided to district staff to develop
their skills and are maintained up to date with best practices. The finding provides an array of
model interventions to support providing families with formal ways to influence decision making
at school sites. The finding emphasizes the importance of cultural humility needed to best
support newcomer students, and the recognition that cultural competence is an ongoing learning
journey. The finding highlights the district’s commitment to providing continuous opportunities
to strengthen, develop and refine newcomer programs across the district.
Finding #2: Administrators and teachers in the study have the self-awareness of their own
positionality in relation to the newcomer students they serve.
Through the qualitative interviews, all eight participants were asked to reflect on ways
that they can relate and connect with students and families to know they are being successful in
serving them. The participants shared reflections of their own positionalities and identities as it
creates barriers in the work. Although each participant had their own variety of experiences, the
common themes across participants are race and ethnicity, and language playing key roles in
their connections and relativeness to students. Through the different experiences shared by
participants, the self-awareness of their own identities as a cross section to the work is there
amongst all.
Racial and Ethnic Barriers. Participants share their experiences and reflection of their self-
awareness that highlights how their race or ethnicity is a barrier for them to fully connect and
understand the newcomer students they are serving. Bailey shares,
“I feel often as the white teacher in the room, it is difficult to ask students to trust
55
me outright and that I have their best interest at hand. So, like sometimes it takes
me a while to understand why a student or group of students is disinterested in me
lesson or conversation and it can be as something as not understanding
what a yacht is, so the lesson or conversation does not make sense.”
Bailey shares a unique example in the power of word choice that is essential in the reflection of
teachers and administrators supporting newcomers. It is clear through Bailey’s reflection that the
assumption in a lesson plan to use the reference to a yacht made assumptions all students would
know what that was; therefore, lost students and engagement. In particular to what Bailey
highlights the challenge as a white individual to ask newcomer students to trust them, when
students have an array of past experiences that can create hesitation through their migration
journey or previous school experience. Bailey highlights an example of the complex ways that
historic race relationships in the U.S. work, there is a commonly understood and believed
narrative that white folks do not have the best interest of people of color, let alone immigrants, in
mind. That creates a barrier by default in the classroom and can impact the relationship students
have to Bailey and the class. Alex shares from a perspective of power and privilege reflections
that support her work with newcomers. Alex shares,
“I care a lot for my students, and I recognize that's possible, in one way, because of the
sort of power and privilege that I had in my life, and I certainly not come from like
money, or I am the only person in my family to have the education. I have, but like, it's
still I'm still in a better place than my students…I don't know that it's a time that I've
struggled to support them. It's sort of a struggle with, like, in really knowing how best to
support them other than what I can offer as grandma white lady.”
56
Alex shares reflection of her own identity providing power and privilege to have the ability to
care for students while recognizing that being able to care for others outside of oneself is a
privilege that not everyone has when taking care of themselves and just trying to survive. Alex
highlights that although she is ready to support and willing to, there is a racial barrier that exist
that does not allow for her to have a complete understanding of the needs of the students.
Jordan highlights the importance of humility in the work as each story is unique and although
there are connections that can be made to personal experience, it is important to be aware that
similar connections does not give a full understanding of the lived realities of students and
families. Jordan shares,
“I think there have been many times in each case has its own set of struggles. Just
because our families are all coming from similar backgrounds, some other countries, but
the stories are all very unique. … I guess part of the cultural humility piece where if I
don't feel like I'm struggling I'm not doing it right because that means I'm not looking at
this family from a unique they might be newcomers, and they might be escaping all the
same things. But there's still a very unique family so and then also understanding the
needs of them collectively.”
Jordan’s perspective shares the experience of supporting various families with grace and respect.
Understanding that although there might be some personal connection to the experience the
family and student is going through, there are nuances of the lived experiences that are different.
Serving with humility as Jordan shares provides space for the reflection to happen and to expand
the way of thinking and in turn, expand the impact being made.
Language Barriers. Participants share their experiences and reflection of their self-awareness
that highlights how their language is a barrier for them to fully connect and understand the
57
newcomer students they are serving. Jaime shares a reflection in the ability to be able to connect
with students, and in particular, with families. Jaime shares,
“This has been one of the biggest challenges for me because I'm not fluent in any of the
languages that my students speak and so commuting communicating with families has
always been a challenge and a little bit scary. Because I know how hard it's going to be
for me to make myself understood for parents who don't speak English. Luckily this year
I'm just learning how to use something called talking points which has changed my life so
it's a program where you type a message in English it texts to the parent and they get to
choose which language they receive it in and then they can respond in whatever
language. It'll translate it back to me in English. And already like it's only the beginning
of the year, but I've had so much more engagement with parents.”
Jaime’s reflection is rooted in the challenges that language barriers cause for teachers and shares
the authentic feeling of being scared by this. Jaime’s reflections highlight an actional approach
implemented in the new school year to support the barrier between themselves and the students
and families and can see the positive impact it is making. Jaime had the self-awareness and
knowledge of the impact the language barrier was creating in the classroom and was able to use
resources available to try a solution to address the gap. Adrian, like Jaime, reflects on the theme
of language, but in the context of the ability to teach language development and the deficit
mentality that can be trapped in trying to balance supporting students or lowering their
expectations. Adrian shares,
“So, a ton of presentations with a ton of feedback and a lot of projects that are hands
on…And then just allowing them to have a productive struggle versus just spoon feeding.
I think that that's definitely a disservice when it comes to our students of all they're so
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cute…They're not stretching or helping or strengthening the student, if anything, there is
a deficit mindset for that. And the students are not learning, and their confidence is going
to grow…And so my practice really is to have this overarching theme of a productive
struggle and figuring out how to best differentiate and scaffold.”
Adrian’s reflection on providing students with a “productive struggle” resonates with their belief
that students are able to achieve under the correct conditions of providing language first, and
then continuing to support the content development as language competency increases. Creating
the conditions for students through their own growth and development is what Adrian reflects on
being what they want to create in the classroom to steer away from the narrative that students are
you too fragile or wounded to achieve. Adrian’s comment “they are too cute” provides some
insight to the deficit mentality that others exhibit to not expect students to perform as the same
levels as their U.S. born peers. While it is important to acknowledge that newcomer students’
achievement will not be compared to U.S. born peers, the insight Adrian highlights is the deficit
mentality that non born U.S. students are not capable of achieving because the expectations are
not set or lowered due to their background and lived experience. Taylor highlights, as previous
participants, the language barrier experienced and the impact of it from a mental health
standpoint. Taylor shares,
“I'm thinking of like a language barrier because that's something that we definitely see it
at our site. We have a big population of students from Guatemala and a big population of
them speak mam. And that's their indigenous language…In terms of like the social,
emotional piece, where I think my struggle was being a big believer of counseling and
therapy and not having the language to support them and bringing in an interpreter into
the room has been a struggle.”
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In terms of being able to provide effective mental health services, Taylor shares that language
barrier can make providing services difficult. As shared by other participants, relationships and
trust are of essence when working with newcomer students, so although there can be an
interpreter to provide mental health services, there will be limited spaces and times that the
relationship can be build outside of that. Additionally, Taylor highlights the experience of
language barrier with indigenous languages, and it was also shared that the community in the city
is so small that the interpreters are from the same community as the students and the cross
section between being supportive of students and the confidentiality laws protecting students are
complicated and messy.
The finding indicates that teachers and administrators have the self-awareness of their
own positionality in relation to the newcomer students they serve. The finding highlights the
way language is key to the connection between teachers and administrators and students and the
different ways language is a barrier from word choice, to access to genuine connections. The
barriers create challenges and opportunities for teachers and administrators to be creative in how
they anticipate, understand, and meet their students’ needs. The participants overall ability to
reflect provides the conditions for teachers and administrators to be able to grow and continue to
find creative ways to be able to connect with their students in effective ways.
Motivational Findings
Finding #3: Administrators and teachers in the study have some confidence in their
knowledge and continue to engage in professional development and learning opportunities to
better support newcomer students.
Through the qualitative interviews, all eight participants were asked to reflect on the
practices they utilize in their classrooms to support newcomers and their effectiveness to
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implement them. The participants all shared that their confidence was limited and different in
regard to content delivery and language development and meeting students’ needs. There is also
a shared experience from participants having limiting confidence to support students through
COVID-19. Though the confidence among participants varied, the common theme was that the
participants want to expand their toolkits and be more effective in their supports for newcomer
students.
Confidence in Content Delivery and Language Development. Participants shared their
different levels of confidence when delivering content and providing language development
strategies and tools. There are different levels of confidence through the participants and some
reflection of what has influenced that level of confidence. Adrian shares an anecdote of a time
when their personal confidence to be able to support newcomer students became a self-doubt.
Adrian shares,
“So, it was actually like my first week of my first a year where I was giving this
curriculum about like the human body or something and it was so simple. And I was
trying to figure out, like, are they just bored or do they just already know this or is this
too hard or this whatever. And I think that it was because of my lack of understanding
that obviously now different sets of newcomer students have different needs … At that
time, I questioned if I could really be a good fit in my site, but it has taken me four years
and I am still working through it.”
Adrian needed to understand who the students in the classroom where and when using previous
work for reference, understanding that there would need to be some pivot. That experience gave
Adrian limited confidence in the supports and practices provided to students. On the other hand,
it was not Adrian’s sole lack of knowing the students as a first-year teacher, the experience
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shared can be a common assumption new teacher working with a specific subgroup of students
such as newcomers could make. Adrian and Charlie’s lived experience with students as shared
in the anecdotes provide a glimpse of the confidence teachers have with their content and
language development. Charlie shares,
“We didn't have enough but like there was, there were no real supports and so it was very
clear that a lot of the teachers were spending time in the classroom just doing translation.
But we realized that as a school, we were failing in that capacity and we couldn't keep
them there just for ADA. As a teacher, I did not have the experience to provide them
what I needed, they needed things I could not provide or even knew what to provide.”
Both Charlie and Adrian highlight their own reflectiveness as the teachers in the scenarios that
are able to recognize, acknowledge and that the students needed more and could not be served
best in their placement or under the current conditions. Both Adrian and Charlie exhibit limited
confidence in their ability to best deliver the content and language development for students.
They both exhibit the ability to provide solutions and suggestions to get students best served.
Confidence in Meeting Students’ Needs in Complex Situations. Participants shared their
different levels of confidence when to be able to meet the needs of newcomer students. The
varying levels of confidence highlight the complexities of the layers of needs students have and
how the impact is felt like teachers. Kendell shares reflections from the teacher preparation
program experience and the limited formal preparation for teaching and supporting newcomer
students and the impact in the classroom experience. Kendell shares,
“I think when I first started it, I definitely didn't feel like I was, I think it's like, you know,
teaching newcomer students is its own kind of category, sort of, and we don't get nearly
enough training and that I think as part of your credentialing program you get like one
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class on that… It's like you're trying to figure out how to be a teacher, while at the same
time trying to like support the students.”
Kendell highlights the lack of preparation in the credential program has teachers in a swim or
sink mentality that makes them have to push through continuously to show up for students and
still learn how to support them. A theme highlighted through Kendell’s experience is the
complexities that teacher and staff turnover have on the school community and on the students,
especially with a population that has experienced different trauma and take the turnover personal
and can be retriggering to their past experiences. On an added layer to some teachers not having
the preparation to support newcomer students, Jaime shares the perspective of the added
challenge of supporting students who are inconsistent with attendance and have clear
engagement gaps. Jaime shares,
“I have a hard time figuring out how to catch [students who are consistently absent] up.
And how to get them engaged in the class in a place where they can engage and really
learn when they have so much that they've missed so if attendance is a problem. I still
struggle with getting students re engaged, especially if it's a continual problem.”
Jaime highlights the lack of confidence had to be able to close long engagement gaps in students.
Given when the interview took place, Jaime’s concern is a combination of the skill and
knowledge had to close the engagement gap from long term absences or inconsistent attendance,
with the complexities of distance learning and COVID-19.
Uniquely, the administrator participants exhibit high confidence in their interventions, supports
and actions for the sake of providing newcomer students with the adequate tools and
opportunities to be successful in school. Taylor shares,
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“Every year is different for our students, our population. Some year we might have more
students that have come as unaccompanied minors, so we have students that come in as
family cases. So, we it all varies. Right. But I think just the support and the collaboration
that we do as a system in itself has been really helpful…as a collective team, we are able
to support families within our given expertise and comfort level and relationship.”
Taylor is confident not only in themselves, but also the overall site team that supports students
with the appropriate interventions and supports needed. The increased confidence and value in
learning and growing for students positions Taylor’s site to constantly adapt to their students’
situation and varying needs from year to year. Bailey sums up the intersection and varied amount
of confidence teachers and administrators exhibit in their ability to support newcomer students.
Bailey shares,
“Speaking for myself, I think about a pizza. I think about the places that give you a
freebie with your slice. They give you a sliver, I am giving my students a sliver. I am not
even able to provide a whole slice. I don’t always have the knowledge and skill to meet
their needs and their needs are above me things I can’t understand.”
Bailey’s confidence reference to a sliver of pizza highlights the lift that teachers and teachers feel
responsible for when it comes to providing students with the adequate resources they need.
Bailey highlights the intersection between what teachers and administrators expect to be able to
provide, and what they feel confident they can achieve.
Confidence in Providing Supports During COVID-19. Participants share the limited
confidence to be able to support newcomer students through distance learning as a result of
COVID-19.
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The shift to online teaching during the global pandemic also requires some mind shift set for
teachers and additional resources to adapt to teach online. Adrian lifts the concerns educators
faced and the complexities their jobs had as a result of COVID-19. Adrian shares,
“And it's a learning curve for them and for teachers too because a lot of our curriculum is,
I mean like, there's a reason why we weren't online teachers from the get-go, right, like
we were teachers to be in a classroom to have impact in person. And not being able to see
your student on a day to day and not being able to, you know, high five hug you fist
bump whatever and on top of that, and I'm being able to create the experiences you want
for them in person is going to be very hard.”
Adrian’s perspective is unique in highlighting the challenges that the educators are facing in
terms of the heaviness of the work without the reward and motivation to see students and be
fueled by their energy. Teachers during the pandemic have not only been experiencing a global
pandemic and public health crisis, but they are also asked to show up for students in a way that is
unorthodox to what they know their jobs to be and how to do their jobs. Jaime shares the same
concern and frustration as Kendell in regard to connecting with students and their presence and
attendance in classes. Jaime shares,
“I hear about like mainstream students are generally having pretty good attendance in
their classes but with our classes, it's only been the first week but like some really low
attendance and it's like these kids are still not even sure what's going on. And it's like,
how do you connect with that?”
As the first week of school concluded, Jaime participated in the interview and was concerned
with the low engagement and attendance being experienced in the class sessions. Jaime’s
experience also highlights the increased concern for the needs of newcomer students in
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comparison to their U.S. born peers, their attendance is significantly lower. Additionally, Alex
shares how teachers were focused on supporting student basic needs and without those supports,
there was no focus on teaching or learning as they tried to fill the holes of the need’s students
had as they faced a pandemic that no one was prepared for. Alex shares,
“All I did was eat and sleep and call students and like figure out what they needed to get
through the day. I bought diapers with my own money, you know, like it didn't matter
like we just were like, whatever you need. I'll figure it out. I'll get it to you and who the
fuck cares about learning, like who can learn right now? I can't teach right now. Can you
learn?”
Alex highlights an example of the immediate and rapid response teachers were providing for
students as a response to the global pandemic and public health crisis everyone was experiencing
when COVID-19 first hit in March of 2020. The demands for teachers to become first
respondents to student needs and still be able to teach and for students to still be able to learn
was not an expectation that teachers could physically, emotionally, or mentally could meet.
Throughout the participants it is a shared sentiment that when shelter in place started, their
response to uphold academic programing was not prioritized because it was not what students
needed at the time. What students needed to learn as a response to COVID-19 were life skills,
similarly to what Alex highlights the need for rapid response and relief, students also needed to
have some life skills to be able to access the rapid response and relief being provided.
The finding indicates that teachers and administrators have varied comforts and
confidence in individual and collective abilities to newcomer students. The finding recognizes
that they are varied levels of confidence for the supports and strategies available for newcomers
through school site staff. The finding highlights participants acknowledgement to need to know
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more and deepen their understanding of the work and to know how to navigate the different
needs to respond to students. The find highlights the impact of COVID-19 in teachers’ and
administrators’ confidence to effectively support newcomer students during a global pandemic.
The different hats and tasks DUSD staff have had to take on to support newcomer students
during the pandemic has had a negative effect on the staff’s morality and effectiveness.
Finding #4: Administrators and teachers in the study see the value in supporting newcomer
students.
Through the qualitative interviews, all eight participants provided an array of specific
anecdotes and examples to highlight the value and importance they see in serving newcomer
students with specific supports and instruction models. The participants show their understanding
of their role in serving newcomer students and importance of their work. Charlie shares,
“Also, in the moment you're building the relationship with the student, because then you
can follow up with them. So, you're more likely to say, hey, we're making this change to
your schedule. This is why you know versus we're going to screw your schedule over; we
don't care about you and we're just going to give you whatever to get you out of this
class. So, we try to have one measure multiple measures like college is going to do.”
Charlie highlights the values teachers put on relationships as an important piece of their work.
Being able to have a relationship with students creates value for teachers to be able to shift and
adapt to meet the supports students need. Charlie’s example of a schedule change to ensure
students are taken care of for what they need and not necessarily approached with blanket
solutions that does not support their needs. Bailey pushes the value of understanding how to
serve students, to understanding that when serving the students adequately they can achieve
much more. Bailey shares,
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“The question to me is always about how do we support the students, there is no other
option, than to provide all we can to them. As teachers, we have a lot of privileged,
power and influence in relation to our students, we should be using it to support them. If
students were provided adequate resources and supports to meet their needs, they would
be able to excel and beyond.”
Bailey shares a perspective of serving newcomers as a responsibility and duty as a teacher.
Bailey notes the positions of the staff in relation to the students and how all resources must be
leveraged to support newcomer students, this indicates the volume Bailey sees in the
interventions and resources available to newcomers and their intended impact. Moreover, Bailey
pushes the impact from surviving to developing thriving newcomer students.
In the district’s executive summaries and Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs), it
is highlighted that 65% of the newcomer student population of the district is concentrated in 6
th
–
12
th
grades, the same grade spans the participants of the study focus on. Additionally, that 65%
of students fall under two or more of the following categories: children with interrupted formal
education, refugee/asylee, unaccompanied minors, and children of migrant families. Those
aforementioned categories highlight the realities, stressors and other trauma children and families
are experiencing past adjusting to school in a foreign country, and often in a foreign language.
Through the executive summaries and LCAPs, it is also noted that the success measures used by
the district of their programming and plans, is based on actional items coming from the district
and not dependent on families and students engaging, partaking, or utilizing the programs and
tools. That measurement of success is strategic and a recognition that the programs and tools are
necessary for families and students to access, but given their realities and personal priorities, this
would not be a true measurement of the success of the district’s approach and efforts.
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The finding indicates that teachers and administrators see the value in serving newcomer
students and addressing their needs. The finding highlights the different ways that teachers and
administrators see their position in relation to the students and navigate through with the
intention to create meaningful impact in the students’ lives. Newcomer students and families are
dealing with not only the pressures and reality of school expectations, but their own lived
experiences and realities that challenge their ability to focus solely on school expectations and
engagement, and therefore having teachers and administrators that see the value in supporting
them creates a high impact program and results.
Research Question 2: What is the interaction between organizational culture and context and
stakeholder knowledge and motivation?
Organizational Results
Finding #5: The school sites and district have a clear collaboration plan and processes for
supporting newcomers’ student enrollment and placement and services.
Through the qualitative interviews, all eight participants were asked for how newcomer
students are identified and placed at their school sites, they each shared a constant and clear
pathway all families take to enroll into DUSD and how placement into newcomer programs
come from intake forms at a district level. Each individual interviewed had slight differences in
their initial assessments on site used to help schedule and support the student when assigned to
the school. Each site has slightly different models of support and ways of receiving students into
their programs from assessments, advisors and case management assignments, and overall
scheduling.
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Traditional High Schools with Newcomer Programs. The participants at a traditional high
school with newcomer programs are able to share their school site collaboration and experience
with the district to best support newcomer students.
Adrian highlights the student advocacy that is focused on her site and how it is aligned with the
shared vision on best supporting newcomer students. Adrian shares,
“[For] the [students] here at [our] high school. There's a placement test that is made by
the ELD teachers and collaboration all together. They used to test with like a super
antiquated old school like it just wasn't reflecting like a lot of the nuances, like a lot of
new stuff. And so, then three of our teachers ended up making their own and then they
place them into ELD one to all the way to level five. So, then the teachers and admin test
them and we're all kind of in this family together trying to figure out what the kid needs
what the student needs. And then based on whatever score they get a class.”
Adrian’s school site has developed an initiation process for students at their school site that is
focused on a holistic approach to best support the students in their site and program. The staff
have intentionally aligned their assessments to the times, the take a holistic approach to identify
what the best wrap around supports will be. Their scores in the ELD levels will determine their
classes. Additionally, Adrian shares the site’s approach to adjusting classes based on student and
family advocacy. Adrian shares,
“Sometimes it is the case that a student will place into a certain class, but once they're in
that class. It's too simple, and they're able to advocate to admin and to the teacher. They
want to be placed in a different at a higher level. And that's been made available to them
to so that's something that a lot of the schools have it's something that we've been trying
to play with, because we do want to challenge the students.”
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Adrian highlights the need to have space for student and family voice and alignment for their
class placement and overall academic plans, Adrian’s school sites exhibit a formal process that
allows the students to be supported and challenged in their academic setting. The balancing act
between supporting and pushing students for academic growth is a challenge not only Adrian’s
students experience, but a shared experience among other teachers and administrators.
Additionally, the site’s approach to ensuring that teachers, administrators, families, and students
are collaborating in the decision on what is best for the student outcomes being set helps create
and establish a relationship of collaboration and partnership upon their arrival and enrollment at
school.
Jordan shares a unique experience as someone who has been and is at a school site and has
supported the development of the district process and support for the newcomer program.
Jordan’s perspectives highlight the growth DUSD has had in recognizing newcomer students and
the process from the enrollment phase to supporting the families with additional services and
supports they might need. Jordan shares,
“So, it's a mix of we work closely with the central enrollment office to help them identify
folks who they believe are newcomers. Also, we kind of know key indicators and
becomes word of mouth so we can also help enroll. So, when there's like a family
member or a relative or a cousin or sibling or a neighbor or wherever. They automatically
know to come directly to our office and it's it so they'll come there, and we'll help them
enroll will help them pick out the school will give them the whole spill, will give them
backpacks, have them enroll for medical and all that type of thing. So, it's a combination
process of they get sent over to us and they directly come to us.”
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Jordan’s unique role supports family with the enrollment within the district and being one of the
first point people to not only provide them with a school placement, but also be a resource to the
family for other needs they are facing is crucial and critical work as often times recently arrived
families are learning and understanding systems as they go. Jordan’s role also allows for
families and students to build trust and feel they are supported through the school placement
process and beyond. Throughout the participants, there was a clear consensus that the process
for identifying newcomer students begins a district level, there are site specific and aligned
processes that take place to support the scheduling of students and supports when school begins.
Although the site assessments might differ slightly based on the site and teachers administering
the assessment, it is standard procedure at district sites that student ELD assessments are a
starting point to help determine the student class schedule and transition into the newcomer
program.
Newcomer Only and Continuation School Experience. The participants at a continuation
school are able to share their school site collaboration and experience with the district to best
support newcomer students. Alex, an English Language Development teacher, shares,
“The district already identified them and then they were routed to us because we
were a newcomer only continuation program. They were routed to us through
various channels, either through the district office or other newcomers supports at
other high schools all the students were a referral basis.”
Alex’s experience is focused on working at a continuation school where their referrals are
different than just the district placing a newcomer student in their program. Most of the students
attending the continuation school have been referred by other schools with newcomer programs
or through community-based organizations to be successful there. Students placed in
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continuation programs are often due to age, educational history, and attendance concerns. Charli
also shares the alternative routes that students can be referred to the continuation high school to
best support newcomers. Charlie shares a unique barrier that families and students who are best
serve by the continuation school have to navigate through to get to the right placement.
However, it is important to note that other administrators and teachers are aware of their program
to be able to support students who might not be as successful in bigger schools or need
specialized supports given their age or number of years with interrupted formal education. The
cross-site support and district collaboration and priority of best supporting newcomers is evident
through the practices Charlie and Alex shared their students experience to be placed at their site.
Alex shares one specific component of the district partnership to provide the opportunity to craft
solutions specific to school site needs. Alex shares,
“The first couple of years. [DUSD] was having every other Wednesday. Maybe they
were once a month, but they had biweekly or monthly Wednesday PD that was just a
newcomer cohort of newcomer TSA and newcomer only teachers. Also, the District paid
for [local college] teacher scholars to have a newcomer only inquiry group where we
were compensated, it was at [local college] has this really lovely like PD that they
contract out with. That's an inquiry. You follow you know one inquiry question and you
look at data and you analyze it in triads with other people and just sort of build your
practice over the course of a year…In addition to like this phenomenal chance to really
dig into questions that I had; I was compensated to do that work.”
Alex highlights and effective practice utilized by the school district to give teachers the agency
to explore an inquiry question that is of their interest and can be of benefit to the school site
community. Expanding on Adrian’s concept of the district providing space to be lifelong
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learners, the program Alex expands on incentivizes staff to participate by providing additional
compensation. Additionally, the opportunity to participate in an inquiry exploration provides
teachers and administrators the skill set to look at data and analyze to provide solutions. The
same skill set that can support the pivoting that is needed to support the array of needs in a
newcomer classroom.
Taylor shared and highlighted the specific approach at their site and the leverage of the
relationship with central enrollment and DUSD middle schools to get the specific student
population they are aiming to serve and have the resources and infrastructure to serve. Taylor
shares,
“basically, it starts with their central enrollment office. So, our enrollment office has a
separate from the regular [district] enrollment office. So, if students come in and they
identify as newly arrived newcomers, and they send them to our team and so they do the
initial assessment there, so they see of their ELD ones and twos and threes and fours. We
want to make sure that at least [our] students have been in the country, no more than two
years. So, we do take students from middle school, especially newcomers to come in
around seventh or eighth grade I go through students that come in and middle school so
basically we work as a partnership with central enrollment.”
Taylor’s perspective highlights the collaboration needed between central enrollment and school
sites to be able to best serve the students in their placement. The school site that Taylor works at
in particular serves as a full newcomer school, therefore the recruitment that happens for the
school site is specific and targeted. Similar to Adrian’s site, Taylor’s site also conducts an ELD
assessment to see where students are in terms of English development. The consistency among
school sites of the ELD assessment supports students in case there is placement shift needed.
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In the district’s executive summaries and program overview, the five conditions needed
to have a supportive and thriving newcomer program that is research based. DUSD ensures that
at each newcomer district program the following five conditions are in place: equity centered
master scheduling and transition, instructional model, professional development, family
engagement and student social services, and staffing. The focus on ensuring the conditions ae
met is to ensure that DUSD graduates are ready for post grad plans and to be successful assets to
the community. Each of the components is attached to specific strategies to ensure that the
district has the structures and procedures to follow the implementation plan that is based on
research practices that are supportive of newcomer students. An equity centered master
scheduling and transition provided the opportunity for having a process for newcomer program
development and strategies and for principals to collaborate.
In particular, as for professional development, the component focuses on developing and
expanding the newcomer toolkit for educators in the district and providing three tier professional
development opportunity for teachers and staff supporting newcomer students and providing for
an opportunity to learn from a local school as a lab school. For staffing, the focus is on being
able to have the appropriate staff to implement and support newcomer programs across the
district and to be able to maintain district wide data and information that is useful to make
determination of program needs such as the type of newcomer students and year of arrival.
Additionally, the district also invested resources into staffing a network office to support the
accountability of the implementation of the newcomer programs in the district. The staffing
formula for newcomer programs also encourages an administrator type role given to a “Teacher
on Special Assignment” to support the program, be the point person and provide coaching for
teachers and ensure a well-developed academic program.
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For family engagement and student social service, the focus is on the human capital support
needed to provide culturally relevant social services to students and to provide families with the
tools to navigate the systems to receive the supports and services needed. Through a study that
DUSD conducted it was found that the top challenges for students were
“adapting to a new family, learning a new language, navigating school, low
understanding of legal situation, uncertain future, fear of police/authority, processing
trauma and retriggering of trauma during judicial process.”
The school district has had limited capacity to be able to address the students’ top challenges at a
wide scale, however, they have been able to determine appropriate interventions that school sites
should prioritize with their staffing and site resources. The three suggestions are “1) helping
students navigate their experience with courts; 2) helping with cultural adaption and 3) attending
to mental health needs.” Each school site is able to build responses to the students’ needs as it
best fits their community, the process to be able to provide additional support to students is under
the state mandated COST (Coordination of Services Team) system. Through the executive
summaries and LCAPs, it is evident the district’s commitment to supporting newcomer students
exist in their newcomer programs and a continued commitment to expanding the program and
services to meet the demands of the increase enrollment of newcomer students in the district.
The finding indicates that teachers and administrators understand DUSD’ vision for
supporting newcomer students. The finding indicated that the district’s programing and
approach is aligned to the research for best and effective practices to create a safe and nurturing
space for newcomer students and have structure to identify individual needs and to support them.
Newcomer students’ program in DUSD is set up with the fundamental components and values
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needed to best serve them and set them up to be contributors of their community upon
graduation.
Finding # 6: The school sites and district need to continue to invest resources to the support of
newcomer students, additional resources need to be allocated as a response to the needs
emerged from COVID-19.
Through the qualitative interviews, all eight participants were asked about the resources
they need to have established to support newcomer and their transition to distance learning due
to COVID-19 and what needs have arose from that.
General Resources. The resources that were highlighted as general resources needed are best
categorized under the themes of time and human capital and academic resources.
Time and Human Capital. Newcomer teachers and administrators highlight the additional need
of time to collaborate and execute plans that can yield increased supports for newcomer students.
Jaime shares,
“More time and facilitation of teacher collaboration. I mean that we always talk about,
like, we want our content overlap in different classes so that we're building projects
together and the students are seeing, you know, the connections between classes, we
always talk about it. But there's very little time to actually do it and make it work…It
would be helpful if we had more structure like planning time to collaborate with other
teachers in our work with our students.”
Jaime’s reflection highlights the impact of not having enough collaboration time within the
school day with other teachers limits the impact teachers can have across the content delivery for
students. The need for cross content and project collaboration is a strategy that teachers find
value in and are unable to always deliver on. Based on Jaime’s reflection, time would not only
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benefit the staff collaboration, but it would also have impact on students to have shared content
across subjects, the repetition of vocabulary and context, and connections across. Additional
time is important to support newcomer students and develop engaging and fruitful material.
Newcomer programs require staff to support the different needs that students, might be basic
need connections, mental health support, medical assistance, etc. Participants highlight the need
for additional staffing to support the students’ varying needs. Kendell shares,
“I think the number one thing that the students need is like is a social worker, and I think
a lot of the time it's like, at least for some of them. I think that's like one of the most
important ones, but I think anything that involves SEL support is what they need... So, I
think having that in place is probably the most important resource that you can have for
newcomers.”
Kendell highlights the need for staffing that can support the whole child and the SEL
development of newcomer students. The experience of teachers throughout the interviews
highlights the different lived experiences students have and their need for coping skills and space
to process their lived experiences. Additionally, Kendell highlights the need for support to
connect students to basic needs. Students are coming into a new landscape and are trying to get
their essentials met, and teachers cannot do that job. Case management is the support that
newcomer students need to support their transition to the U.S. and support their emotional and
academic growth and wellbeing.
Academic Resources. Academic resources for newcomer students and classrooms have been
highlighted to support language acquisition and content understanding. Some academic
resources highlighted by participants are to teach students with language that they might not have
access to learning elsewhere. Alex shares,
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“I would say the other resources that are so important. Our visuals for students that have
common phrases in their home languages and in English. My room is always covered
everything has labels on them and visuals of just the basic pieces of everyday language
weather numbers. Time, you know, things like that that are essential for many newcomers
… you may end up in the country for five years and never be explicitly taught how to say
time in English. And so, like having those things that students can sort of work through
when they're ready to always on display. I think it's super important.”
An academic environment that is accessible and supportive for student growth and learning is
important for newcomer students. Alex highlights the importance of creating learning
opportunities throughout the classroom even of things that might not be relevant to the class
content but can support in other areas of the student lives so that they can have access to and
learn language and content that would not be learned or acquired elsewhere. Charlie’s
experience suggests that there is academic knowledge needed from other educational models
internationally that can support the transition of newcomer students. Charlie shares,
“I think another resource that's helpful in supporting newcomers is perhaps looking at the
way instruction is done in their country. Because you might be able to see okay when
they come from a place that they really value like a lot of group work, right. So maybe
that's why little Maria or Ricardo are sitting there upset, you know, not doing work
because he's so used to working with others because he's a social person you know he's,
he extroverted, maybe that's why. And so, I think that understanding that the way we
teach, and people learn isn't always linear or what they have been exposed to as
educational environment.”
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Charlie’s input highlights the importance of creating a familiar academic environment for
students as they transition from one system to another to support their learning, comfort, and
overall success. Teachers and administrators investing time to understand and familiarize
themselves with international educational models and instruction can help connect with
newcomer students in a deeper and more meaningful way as content and language is presented.
COVID-19 Related Resources. The resources that were highlighted needed as a result of
COVID-19 fall under the themes of basic needs, additional trained human capital, and
technology resources. These resources in this section are additional supports needed to help
students through a pandemic and global health crisis, they are not intended to be in replace of the
resources aforementioned.
Basic Needs. The reality of newcomer students quickly shifted as the global pandemic swept
across the world. Many students and families had to go into survival mode and find ways to
meet their basic needs. Families and students were losing their jobs, food and housing
insecurities were on the rise. Bailey shares,
“As a school, our focus was on supporting all kids and had food giveaways and
community partnerships and all, but the reality my students faced as newcomers
were deeper than what the school was doing. We had students who were losing
their jobs and then could not pay rent.”
Bailey highlights the complexities that COVID-19 brought to the newcomer student community.
The needs of newcomer students are not the same as general classroom students due to the many
layers of supports newcomer students receive in school that are harder to address in a distance
learning setting along with their living realities as immigrants. Newcomer students many relied
on jobs to survive in the U.S. and when COVID-19 hit, their livelihood was put at risk, that
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increased the demand for basic need services at a faster rate than the school sites and district
could address.
Additional Trained Human Capital. The need for additional trained staff is to support all the
additional jobs that teachers and administrators had to take on as the pandemic worsen and the
needs of families shifted. Families experienced an increase need for services, follow up, and
outreach that teachers and administrators could not do on top of their jobs already, and the
limited staff that are available to do the work is not enough. Kendell highlights the challenges
faced when having students and families stay in the loop of what school was going to be like and
academic expectations for students. Kendell shares,
“I think also getting the students, parents and making sure they're in the loop to is hard. I
want to give a shout out to our case manager and our social worker for just, you know,
they're making calls all day, basically. So, it's been it's been rough. I mean, I think it's
been rough for everyone, but I think especially with the newcomer students it’s been a
little bit rougher. So, and a lot of them are working to so I don't know all their [job]
schedules yet stuff like that so that is a big challenge.”
Kendell highlights the important work being done by the case managers and social workers at the
school site that support with the family and student communication and engagement. Kendell
highlights a theme that came up through other participants around the various layers newcomer
student deal with when coming to this country, the necessity to have jobs. Newcomer students
have to prioritize their jobs, often as a mean of survival or condition for being in the country. As
many things have changed and shifted due to COVID-19, student work schedules have also
shifted and are interfering with school time and expectations as part of the distance learning plan.
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Charlie shares and reflects the shift in scope of work and priority that was given to supporting
students build and develop life skills as a response to COVID-19. Charlie shares,
“My job is college and career. And part of that is I'm learning goes life skills. So now the
lessons. I'm creating are around that. Like we noticed during COVID, a lot of those skills
that are sort of lacked. A lot of skills they have. And so how do we teach these skills in
their advisory class when we meet with them, like I'm instead of me completing the form
for you. I'll share it and you type it in, or here, you're on zoom all screen share what's
your name.”
Charlie’s role a college and career teacher shift drastically during COVID-19 and not just in
terms of the support students needed, but in the content and the delivery of the information that
was needed for students to develop and learn life skills that students U.S. born often do not have
to face and create accessibility to ensure the basic needs of students are met.
During the time of data collection, there were vacancies in schools that pre COVID-19, had
extensive waitlists and vacancies were rare, especially at the beginning of the year. As the
concerns for student attendance rose, additional support work was done by case managers and
social workers during these unprecedent times. Similarly, to teacher roles, social workers and
counselors had to pivot their approach to be able to best support the needs students were
presenting at the time. Uniquely, social workers and counselors had their own sets of challenges
due to confidentiality and mental health work they were engaging in prior to the shelter in place
hit. Taylor shares,
“A lot of my social emotional check ins have become more basic need check ins, which
it's important because for me therapy and it sounds. I'm coming from a place of love
because it's like I'm using my hat as a school counselor and as a mental health, but like
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even my mental health therapy sessions have become a lot of like basic needs and check
ins, a lot of income insecurity support that we've been providing as a school. That's been
that's been the biggest I feel like I haven't been able to do the full-on therapy work, or I
haven't been able to do the full-on school counseling work because we are focusing our
attention on basic means and it goes back to this piece is like if we don't, if they're not
well with their basic needs.”
Taylor highlights the challenges of the work from a clinical perspective and within theme as the
teachers that COVID-19 shifted everyone’s response to support basic needs before being able to
address academics. Although this is true of most educators across the field, Taylor, and others,
highlight the adversities newcomer students faced during the pandemic with housing and food
insecurity and having to be employed. Taylor’s experience echoes the teachers’ experience that
the additional jobs added due to COVID compromise the delivery of their job duties, but their
job duties are unable to be done without address the students’ needs.
Technology. Due to the nature of distance learning, technology became a basic academic
resource with layers of complexity based on the understanding and knowledge from families of
what they had, what they needed and how it was used. The digital divide was huge in DUSD,
and in particularly challenging when families did not have the knowledge or understanding of the
system and the academic needs of students. Jordan shares,
“All of that is, we're still trying to figure it out. Nothing is like things are constantly
changing things are constantly evolving. There is so many factors that we have to
consider. It's not, if I'm being completely frank with you. It is not at all, supportive
inclusive or equitable to supporting newcomers, or there's if the digital divide, and the
digital gap from low-income families to the rest of affluent families is really high and big.
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It's double that for newcomers who come from where none of them actually have a
computer at home or parents don't know.”
Jordan shares the frustration that the transition to distance learning as a response to COVID-19
has been inequitable across the district and comes with many challenges. The frustration Jordan
shares outright and clearly is a summary of the other participants sentiments, thoughts, and
reflections regarding the pivot due to COVID-19 and the layers of needs and shifts in students’
lives that teachers and administrators have to consider and deal with.
The finding indicates the needs of newcomer teachers and administrators during a school
year under normal teaching conditions, and during a response to a global pandemic. The finding
concludes that time and additional staffing are key to support the needs of newcomers from the
day to day, additional there needs to be academic environments that provide embed supports for
language acquisition and development as well as comfort and familiarity. During a global
pandemic, teachers and administrators need additional resources and staffing to support
newcomer students through a global pandemic and to support the aftermath as well. Given the
newness of COVID-19 and ever evolving guidelines, DUSD does not have any public data
available to help understand where the supports are and what they are. COVID-19 has impacted
the world and lives of many individuals, including many K-12 students, the challenge found in
this study are the layers of needs students need addressed intertwined with needs that are a result
of the global pandemic. Staff believe that support with basic needs, additional staffing, and
academic resources to be able to support their newcomer population fully and equitably as
COVID-19 continues to impact the community, and to create a plan to support the needs that will
emerge when in person school resumes.
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Summary
The chapter highlights the findings of the study that address the knowledge, motivation
and organizational influences that answer the research questions and aligned with stakeholder
goal. The interviews along with the document analysis highlight the ways that DUSD
administrators and teachers in the study can support newcomers, and the reinforcers and
continued practices needed to continued support for newcomer students. Based on the finding,
there are varied research-based practices administrators and teachers in the study have as part of
their toolbox. Additionally, the complexity of cultural humility when working with newcomer
students and how self-awareness and reflection plays a role for administrators and teachers to
work through cultural humility is highlighted through the data. The findings of the motivational
influences of participants were challenged by the shift to distance learning because of COVID-
19. The findings of organizational influences highlight the collaboration currently in place to
support the placement of newcomer students within DUSD, in the next chapter there are
recommendations to assure there is a shared vision across the district for newcomer students.
Lastly, the findings highlight the need for specific resources allocated and process needed to
support newcomer students.
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CHAPTER FIVE: SOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction and Overview
Chapter Five presents the recommendations from the study. The purpose of the research
study was to explore and analyze the practices supporting newcomer students in 6
th
– 12
th
grade
classrooms, and the recommendations are routed in research-based principles to support the
knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences of the study. The recommendations are
presented through a program using the Kirkpatrick New World Model (Kirkpatrick, 2016). The
New World Kirkpatrick Model focuses on maintaining the implementation at center. Level 4
focuses on effectiveness of the recommendations were to meet the targeted results, followed by
the methods that the recommendations will be measured for effectiveness. Then, it focuses on
critical behaviors that need to happen to support the program. Kirkpatrick introduces the
required drivers that help support, monitor, and reinforce the critical behaviors. Lastly, learning
focuses on what was acquired through the implementation of recommendations. The chapter
concludes with limitations and delimitations, recommendations for future research and
conclusion.
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences
The following sections cover the different researched based principles and
recommendations based on the findings in the Knowledge, Motivation and Organization
influences in the previous chapter. The recommendations are based on actions that can be
adopted at the stakeholder level and the organizational level. Some recommendations are based
on continued reinforcement due to the limited participants in the study.
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Knowledge Recommendations
Table 6 presents the assumed knowledge influences as related to the research questions and focus
on classroom practices needed by administrators and teachers to support newcomer students.
The assumed knowledge influences are aligned with the stakeholder goal that by June 2021, all
administrators and teachers will be able to implement strategies to support newcomer students.
The assumed knowledge influences are administrators and teachers having the knowledge of best
practices to support newcomers and being able to self-reflect. The knowledge influences were
validated as an asset for DUSD, however based on the limited number of participants, solutions
are presented to support the current conditions of the educational landscape as it has been
impacted by COVID-19 and distance learning. Table 6 also highlights the recommendations for
the influences based on theoretical principles and recommendations that would best meet the
needs of the administrators and teachers.
Table 6
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Knowledge Influence
Researched-
Based Principle
and Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
The participants need to know
research-recommended practices for
supporting newcomer students in.
(Procedural Knowledge)
Staying up to
date with the
field’s research
and practice
positively
impacts student
learning
outcomes.
(Waters,
Marzano &
McNulty, 2003).
Provide education and training for
teachers to have appropriate
frameworks and pedagogies to be
effective to work with newcomer
students in the classroom.
Possible job aids to help remind
the components of the training or
to support the students in
understanding outcomes.
Provide additional targeted
supports for administrators and
teachers to be equipped to support
the lasting effects of COVID-19
and distance learning.
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Prioritize building community and
establish relationship with
students.
The participants need to have self-
awareness and reflection.
(Metacognitive)
Learning and
motivation are
enhanced when
learners self-
reflect on their
practices and
progress.
(Ambrose, 2010)
Information and training related to
being agents of change and to
recognize positionality within
students being served.
Increasing the administrators’ and teachers’ knowledge about classroom practices to support
newcomer students in the classroom.
The findings of this study indicated that most administrators and teachers have varied procedural
knowledge about the kinds of strategies to support newcomer students in the classroom
academically and socio emotionally. It was evident that there have been shifts in strategies
needed to be used to support students through distance learning and COVID-19, therefore the
following recommendations are to ensure there is continued support for administrators and
teachers to have adequate understanding of effective practices to support newcomer students. A
recommendation rooted in learning theory has been selected to support procedural knowledge
that is important to support newcomer students. Waters, Marzano & McNulty (2003) provides a
theory on learning that highlights the need for individuals to be up to date in the learning of their
field to increase student outcomes. This suggest that providing learners with constant learning
opportunities or reinforce their learning on effective community building practices such as SEL
check ins; appropriate processing questions and projects; and training on academic strategies to
scaffold and develop language and present content to increase student outcomes. The
recommendation then is to provide education and training for administrators and teachers to
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know research-based practices to be effective to work with newcomer students in the classroom.
An example is possible job aids to help remind the components of the training or to support the
students in understanding outcomes. Additionally, because of COVID-19, the recommendation
is to provide access, training, and continued modeling for the use of online teaching and
engagement platforms for teachers and administrators. The continued use of online platforms
can support additional resources teachers and students have in their toolkit.
Administrators and teachers need training in adequate language acquisition skills and how to
support language development across curriculums and content areas (Martin & Suarez-Orozco,
2018). Hos et. al. (2019) highlights the importance of teachers having the skills to teach content,
as well as teaching skills that are transferable across subjects to support language development.
Finally, Jaffe-Walter and Lee (2018) examine the importance of schools establishing culturally
sustaining pedagogy that supports students’ acclimation to a new place, while still highlighting
and embodying their transnational identity and experience within the classroom and school
space. Research highlights the importance of a culturally inclusive environment for newcomer
students to thrive (Hos et. al., 2019; Jaffe-Walter & Lee, 2018; Martin & Suarez-Orozco, 2018).
There also needs to flexibility and adaptability of how training is delivered to adults, as not
everyone has the same needs and prior knowledge. Professional development needs to be
differentiated to grow and support administrators and teachers to get the most they can from the
training and education sessions.
Increasing the administrators’ and teachers’ self-awareness and reflection to support
newcomer students in the classroom.
The findings of this study indicated that most administrators and teachers have metacognitive
knowledge regarding their own positionality and their students, the way that privilege and power
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shows up in their work. It was evident that there has been shifts in strategies needed to be used
to support students through distance learning and COVID-19, therefore the following
recommendations are to ensure there is a continuance practices that support administrators and
teachers to continuous reflection on their practices and choices to support newcomer students. A
recommendation rooted in leadership theory provides the framework for the recommendation to
ensure that administrators and teachers engage in self-reflection (Ambrose, 2010). The
recommendation then is to provide time for administrators and teachers to have conversations
and time to reflect the way that their positionality shows up in the way their support newcomer
students. An example is to provide writing time, think, pair, share time and to pair
administrators and teachers with the ability to self-reflect and also have thought partnership in
their reflection.
Newcomer administrators and teachers may need to leverage the diversity of their students to
support learning in the classroom (Lynch, 2018). The good intentions to help some of the most
vulnerable groups in schools and classrooms, without reflection, can become misaligned to the
reality of the students they want to support (Gaytan et al., 2007). Part of the self-reflection work
supports debunking negative beliefs about the students that can impair the supports provided
(Rodriguez, 2019).
Motivation Recommendations
Table 7 presents the assumed motivation influences as related to the research questions and focus
on classroom practices by administrators and teachers to support newcomer students. The
assumed motivation influences are aligned with the stakeholder goal that by June 2021, all
administrators and teachers will be able to implement strategies to support newcomer students.
The assumed motivation influences are administrators and teachers seeing the value of
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implementing strategies to support newcomers based on expectancy value theory, then having
the confidence to do so based on self-efficacy theory. The first motivational influence was
validated as an asset for DUSD, however based on the limited number of participants, it is
recommended that the solutions are followed to support the current conditions of the educational
landscape as it has been impacted by COVID-19 and distance learning. Table 7 also highlights
the recommendations for the validated influences based on theoretical principles and the needs of
administrators and teachers to best support newcomer students.
Table 7
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Motivation Influence
Researched-
Based Principle
and Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Teachers need to see the value of
implementing strategies to support
newcomer students in the classroom.
(Value)
The more a
person values a
task and the more
they think they
are likely to
succeed at it, the
greater them
motivation to do
it (Eccles and
Wigfield, 2002)
Pairing administrators
and teachers with
others in similar roles
with similar identities
as models doing the
work.
In addition to
highlighting the value
of the work,
reminding staff of the
value of the work
through staff
meetings, bulletins,
data review.
Teachers should feel confident in their
ability to support newcomer students in
the classroom. (self-efficacy and
collective efficacy)
Feedback and
modeling
increases self-
efficacy (Pajares,
2006).
Providing feedback
consistently on lesson
plans, interactions,
and practices.
Providing the
opportunities for
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teachers to co teach or
observe other teachers.
Celebrating growth
and improvements.
Given the global
pandemic conditions,
teachers need to build
up their confidence on
their ability to support
newcomer students
through distance
learning.
Increasing administrators’ and teachers’ value of implementing strategies to support
newcomer students in the classroom.
The findings of this study indicated that the majority of administrators and teachers have in-
depth understanding and value to the strategies being implemented for newcomer students in the
classroom. A recommendation rooted in expectancy value theory has been selected to close this
motivation gap. Eccles and Wigfield (2002) provides a theory that focuses on the interrelation
between the value of tasks and the learner’s motivation. One component of the theory is the
higher value in the work, the higher the self-efficacy and then motivation is for the individuals
(Eccles and Wigfield, 2002). The recommendation then is to pair administrators and teachers
with others in similar roles with similar identities as models doing the work. An example is
highlighting the value of the work, there will be additional encouragement and reminding staff of
the value of the work through staff meetings, bulletins, data review.
Administrators and teachers need to the value of supporting newcomer students. The
administrators’’ and teachers' value of newcomer students, the desire to successfully impact all
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teachers to best support newcomer students, and to shift and align resource allocation to that.
When thinking of ways to best serve newcomer students, their migration stories are an integral
part of their narrative, and that is important for educators to understand and value (Fierke, 2020).
Cultural and linguistic compatible interventions are interventions done in the classroom that
value the native language of the students and bridges the students’ experiences and the
curriculum (Barba et al., 2019). The administrators’ and teachers’ value for the work will be the
driver for others to value the work and will drive them to do the work.
Increasing administrators’ and teachers’ confidence in their ability to support newcomer
students in the classroom.
The findings of this study indicated that there is mixed level of confidences amongst
administrators and teachers in their ability to implement best recommended practices to support
newcomer students in the classroom. It was evident that there has been shifts in the confidence
administrators and teachers have in the ability to support students through distance learning and
COVID-19, therefore the following recommendations are to ensure there is a continuance
practices that support administrators and teachers to continue to feel confident and increase their
confidence in their approach and ability. A recommendation rooted in self-efficacy theory has
been selected to close this motivation need. Pajares (2016) found that individuals need feedback
and modeling to increase their self-efficacy. The recommendation then is to provide
administrators and teachers constant feedback, provide the opportunities for teachers to co teach
or observe other teachers and celebrate growth and improvements.
Given the global pandemic conditions, teachers need to build up their confidence on their ability
to support newcomer students through distance learning. Self-efficacy is key for administrators
and teachers in having the confidence necessary to bring change to the school that will support
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the goal. Administrators and teachers will need to create a plan to achieve their goals, and the
plan has to be concrete and clear with attainable goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). Additionally,
administrators and teachers need to have the self-efficacy and collective efficacy to support the
development of others to support newcomer students (Rodriguez et al., 2020). The efficacy of
administrators and teachers helps drive the teams around them. Collective efficacy is built
through momentum and with the motivation to achieve the common goal (Denler et al., 2006).
Bajaj and Suresh (2018) note the collective concentration needed to understand how trauma
impacts the brains of children and their ability to learn. The collective efficacy of the team is to
find viable solutions to support students experiencing high trauma and stress during their
transition to the United States (Bajaj & Suresh, 2018).
Organization Recommendations
Table 8 presents the assumed organization influences as related to the research questions
and focus on classroom practices by administrators and teachers to support newcomer students.
The assumed organization influences are aligned with the stakeholder goal that by June 2021,
100% of teachers will be able to implement classroom strategies to support newcomer students.
The assumed organization influences are the district needing to have a shared vision on how they
will support newcomers and allocating the resources necessary to support newcomer students.
The organizational influences were validated as an asset for DUSD, however based on the
limited number of participants, it is recommended that the solutions are followed to support the
current conditions of the educational landscape as it has been impacted by COVID-19 and
distance learning. Table 8 also highlights the recommendations for the highly probable
influences based on theoretical principles and best recommendations to best support the needs of
the administrators and teachers.
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Table 8
Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Organization
Influence*
Researched-Based Principle
and Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
The district needs to have a
shared vision on how it will
support newcomer student
transition through enrollment
and program placement.
(Cultural Model)
Organizations thrive when
they have a shared vision to
accomplish their
organizational goal (Clark &
Estes, 2008)
Establish formal and
informal ways for
community input on
priorities of the program.
Create data analysis
process to identify
newcomer student needs
and strategies needed.
Establishing district wide
policies and practices
expectations.
The organization needs to
dedicate resources to support
the needs of newcomer
students in and outside of the
classroom.
(Cultural Setting)
Insuring staff’s resource
needs are being met is
correlated with increased
student learning outcomes
(Waters, Marzano &
McNulty, 2003).
DUSD to create a process
for LCAP
recommendations for
funds specific to
newcomer students
District wide process for
newcomer teachers to have
access to additional funds
as needed for training or
materials.
The organization needs to have a shared vision of how it will support newcomer student
transitions.
The findings of this study indicated that administrators and teachers believe that the
district needs to have a clear shared vision on how it will support newcomer students.
Organizations thrive when they have a shared vision to accomplish their organizational goal
(Clark & Estes, 2008). This would suggest that having a shared vision as a district can support
newcomer students in adaptive ways. The recommendation then is for DUSD to establish formal
and informal ways for community input on priorities of the program, providing the community
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for input will be able to provide a holistic view of what the need is and what the program needs
to focus on. Another recommendation is for DUSD to create data analysis process to identify
newcomer student needs and strategies needed, being able to use data such as attendance points,
standardized testing, and classroom data will allow to create a cohesive vision to work toward
common goals. Given the diverse linguistic differences and needs in the newcomer community,
language interpreters are a high priority for staffing and for which additional resources are
needed. Lastly, DUSD is to establish district wide policies and practices expectations to support
the common language and approach across all sites and programs.
The lack of a common language and approach can create a gap for students in their experience
and support based on those from whom they can receive support, if anyone (Suárez-Orozco et
al., 2010). Through the migration journey, students are constantly having to adjust and pivot to
new conditions, a shared vision supports that regardless of the students’ backgrounds all will be
served and cared for. (Oikonomidoy, 2014).
The organization needs to dedicate resources to support the needs of newcomer students in
and outside of the classroom.
The findings of this study indicated that the majority of teachers in the study believe that
the district need to expand the dedicate resources to support newcomer students in and outside of
the classroom. Additionally, there are specific resources that are needed based on a response to
distance learning and COVID-19 impact in the learning for newcomer students. A
recommendation rooted in the principle that insuring staff’s resources needs are being met is
correlated with increased student learning outcomes (Waters, Marzano & McNulty, 2003).
Through this lens the recommendation is for DUSD to create a process for LCAP
recommendations for funds specific to newcomer students which would allow for participants
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and community input in how the funds and resources are allocated for the support of newcomer
students. Additionally, DUSD to create district wide process for newcomer teachers to have
access to additional funds as needed for training or materials to serve newcomer students.
Martin and Suarez-Orozco (2018) categorized the approaches as individual needs focused
practices, inclusive school culture practices, and partnerships with outside organizations. Each
category encompasses the different resources needed to support newcomers. Hos et. al. (2019)
highlights the importance of teachers having the skills to teach content, as well as teaching skills
that are transferable across subjects to support language development. Finally, Jaffe-Walter and
Lee (2018) examine the importance of schools establishing culturally sustaining pedagogy that
supports students’ acclimation to a new place, while still highlighting and embodying their
transnational identity and experience within the classroom and school space. Other researchers
detail the negative impacts for school culture when newcomer students are tracked and
segregated into their own classes and the creation of a divisive environment (Hos et al., 2019;
Jaffe-Walter & Lee, 2018). Community-based partnerships allow schools to provide more
essential services like health school site-based clinics, human services, and mental health
resources (Martin & Suarez-Orozco, 2018). As a result of COVID-19, the platforms students
engaged with for asynchronous assignments and learning can continue to be embedded for
acceleration and additional instructional support. Additionally, family engagement strategies
that were effective to connect and support families can continue as part of the return to in-person
school schedules. School districts and school sites need to leverage their position as schools with
a set membership to establish partnerships with community-based organizations to increase their
reach, while increasing their support of newcomer students.
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Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
This implementation plan is influenced by the New World Kirkpatrick Model (2016) that
is based on the Kirkpatrick Four Level Model of Evaluation (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2006).
The New World Kirkpatrick Model focuses on the levels in a reverse order, in comparison to the
2006 representation, from Level 4 to Level 1. The New World Kirkpatrick Model focuses on
maintaining the implementation outcomes at the center. Level 4 focuses on how effective the
recommendations were to meet the targeted results. In order to measure the effectiveness of the
recommendations there will short-term observations. The short-term observations identify the
critical behaviors that support the desired results for the implementation of recommendations.
As supports for critical behaviors, Kirkpatrick introduces the required drivers that help support,
monitor, and reinforce the critical behaviors. Lastly, the Kirkpatrick model focuses on learning
and reaction of the implemented recommendations. Learning focuses on what degree of the
intended skills, knowledge, and metacognition was acquired through the implementation of
recommendations. Reaction focuses on the value that the individuals have for the
implementation of the recommendations. The New World Kirkpatrick (2016) will be the
framework for the recommendations to support the findings found in Chapter 4.
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations
DUSD is committed in providing quality education to students who recently migrated to
the United States from other countries. Schools should have proactive practices to address the
different complex needs of newcomer students that can be misunderstood or misinterpreted for
misbehavior and disengagement (Olsen, 2019). The obstacles that newcomer students face upon
arrival in United States schools demonstrate that this is a problem because students are received
98
with discrimination, unprepared teachers, and deficit-based discourse and policies (Rodriguez,
2019). As part of the school program, it is imperative to support the whole child during this
transition. Additionally, it is important that the practices in place support the effects of distance
learning due to COVID-19 and the lost instructional time. Therefore, the organizational goal
focus for this study is to support newcomer students with meeting their holistic needs.
The desired outcome of the following recommendations is to provide administrators and teachers
with the appropriate support and tools to continue to support the increased number of newcomer
students.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
Table 9 shows the proposed Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators by showing the outcomes,
metrics, and methods for both external and internal outcomes for DUSD. Once the internal
outcomes are met as a result of the recommendation and the appropriate district organizational
supports are in place, the external outcome will be completed as well.
Table 9
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External Outcomes
Provide adequate supports
for newcomer students.
Public California Dashboard
School Accountability Report
Card
DUSD internal dashboard for
newcomer programs
Student, Family, Teachers and
Staff feedback
SBAC scores
LPAC scores
COST Intervention Data
Provide adequate
resources and allocation
process for Newcomer
Student Programs and
Teachers and Staff
Budget Allocations
LCAP
LCAP Community Meetings
Staff Request Forms
Internal Outcomes
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Increase administrators’
and teachers’ confidence
in their ability to support
newcomer students in the
classroom.
Annual assessment of
administrators’ and teacher’s
confidence on the ability to
support newcomer students.
Ongoing assessment will be
implemented to be administered
to track level of confidence.
Increase administrators’
and teachers’ perception
of the value of
implementing strategies to
support newcomer
students in the classroom.
Annual assessment of the
administrators’ and teacher's
perception of the value of
supporting newcomer students.
Ongoing assessment will be
administered to track level of
comfort.
Improve the
organization’s shared
vision on how it will
support newcomer student
transition.
Organization’s rating on
improving their shared vision to
support newcomer students.
Annual survey as part of end of
year closeout
Level 3: Behavior
Critical Behaviors
Administrators and teachers who teach newcomer students are the stakeholder group of focus for
this study. The first critical behavior for administrators and teachers is to implement research-
based strategies to support newcomers. The second critical behavior is that they need to engage
in professional development. The third critical behavior is for participants to engage in data
analysis and reflection within Praxis Learning Communities. Lastly, the fourth critical behavior
is for participants to engage in reflection. Table 10 shows the specific metrics, methods, and
timing for each of these outcome behaviors.
Table 10
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical Behavior Metric(s)
Method(s)
Timing
Participants to
implement
research-based
strategies to
Number of research
recommended
practices for
Lesson plans
End of unit assessments
and projects
Yearly
100
support newcomer
students.
supporting newcomer
students.
Participants to
engage in
professional
development
Number of
professional
development
opportunities attended
Agendas
Sign in sheets
Yearly
Participants to
engage in data
analysis and
engage in
discussion in Praxis
learning
communities.
Praxis Learning
Community Protocols
for data analysis
Agendas
Meeting notes
Every marking
period
Participants to
engage in reflection
Self-reported growth Self-assessment survey
and open-ended
questions
Every marking
period.
Required Drivers
Administrators and teachers need the support of their school administrators and the district to
reinforce what was learned through the implementation of recommendations and remain
encouraged to apply those learnings to best support newcomer students. Rewards would need to
be established for increased achievement of the performance goal to have administrators and
teachers be equipped to support newcomer students. The recommended drivers to support the
critical behaviors of administrators and teachers is shown below in Table 11.
Table 11
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing
Critical Behaviors Supported
1, 2, 3 Etc.
Reinforcing
Provide education and
training for administrators and
teachers to have research-
based practices that effective
to support newcomer students
in the classroom. Possible job
Annually 1
101
aids to help remind the
components of the training or
to support the students in
understanding outcomes.
Information and training
related to being agents of
change and to recognize
positionality within students
being served.
Annually 1, 3
Encouraging
Pairing administrators and
teachers with other teachers
with similar identities as
models doing the work.
Every marking period 1,2
Administrators and teachers
create quarterly plans to be
able to self-monitor their
implementation of the
strategies. Creating the space
for administrators and
teachers to complete and share
their strides and receive
feedback.
Quarterly 2
Rewarding
Gift card raffle drawing for
completion of assessments.
Annually 1,2
Snacks provided at
professional development
Every event 1,2,3
Monitoring
In addition to highlighting the
value of the work, there will
be additional encouraging and
reminding staff of the value of
the work through staff
meetings, bulletins, data
review.
Every marking period 1,2,3
Organizational Support
In order to implement the organizational plan with fidelity, the organization will need to allocate
resources and time. The administrators will need to include time in their professional
development schedule to support the recommendations and include quarterly check ins for
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teachers to be able to track their own growth aligned with their own developed plans to support
newcomer students. The district’s and school sites’ communication need to ensure there is a
shared vision on how to support newcomer students and reinforce the importance of supporting
newcomer students. Some financial resources may need to be allocated to provide the
appropriate training and additional duties that might be assigned to the teachers. All of these
different resources will support what is needed to produce the organizational change being seek.
Level 2: Learning
Learning Goals. Following completion of the recommended solutions the stakeholders
will be able to:
1. Identify research-recommended practices to support newcomers (D)
2. Implement of research-recommended practices to support newcomers (P)
3. Articulate the value of implementing strategies to support newcomer students in the
classroom. (M)
4. Articulate confidence in their ability to support newcomer students in the classroom.
(Confidence)
5. Articulate the growth and mindset shift process to support newcomer students.
Program. The learning goals listed in the previous section, will be achieved through a district
wide training and the alignment of administrators and teachers who are supporting newcomer
students throughout the school year. The stakeholders, the administrators, and teachers, will have
access to research-recommended practices that will support the needs of newcomer students and
will have the time to develop plans and assessments to measure their growth as professionals by
implementing these strategies and the impact it has on newcomer students. The program will be
balanced between teacher learning and training and time for implementation and reflection.
103
Evaluation of the Components of Learning. In order to evaluate any implementation, it is
important to measure the learning that occurred through the training. Measuring both, declarative
and procedural knowledge, being taught is important to understand the impact. It is imperative
that the stakeholders have buy in and value attached to the training and reflection activities to be
able to increase their retained knowledge and skills. Additionally, stakeholders need to be
confident in their knowledge and skill implementation. Table 12 lists the methods and timing of
the different learning components.
Table 12
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”
Knowledge checks through reflection questions. As part of the reflection questions and
planning time
Knowledge checks through discussions, “pair,
think, share” and other individual/group
activities.
Through quarterly meetings and coaching
sessions amongst peers.
Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”
Demonstration in groups and individually of
using the job aids to successfully perform the
skills.
Through quarterly meetings and coaching
sessions amongst peers.
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”
Evidence of participants’ statements and actions
demonstrating that they see the benefit of what
they are being asked to do on the job.
As part of the reflection questions and
planning time.
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”
Demonstration in groups and individually of
having and presenting the confidence to
implement the learned skills.
Through quarterly meetings and coaching
sessions amongst peers.
104
Pre- and post-test assessment survey asking
participants about their level of proficiency
before and after the training. .
At the beginning and end of the quarters.
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”
Discussions following practice and feedback. During planning time.
Create an individual action plan.
During planning time.
Level 1: Reaction
Table 13 presents the methods, tools and timing that will be used to measure the reactions to the
program. The methods and tools fall under three main categories: engagement, relevance, and
customer satisfaction. The timing of the methods and tools are based on the recommendation for
the program and aligned to be within the program commitment time to ensure high participation
of feedback. The methods and tools range from a variety of observations, pulse checks and
opportunities for feedback and reflection. Table 13 lists the methods and timing of the different
reaction components.
Table 13
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program.
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Completion of training/lessons/units Ongoing during training sessions
Attendance Ongoing during training and planning
sessions
Relevance
105
Pulse check when creating series of training
and during planning sessions agendas
After every training/lesson/unit and planning
session
Creating a space for input for future agendas End of every session
Customer Satisfaction
Self-assessment survey Ongoing during training sessions
Evaluation Tools
Immediately Following the Program Implementation. During the training portion of the
program, there will be data collection for the pre and post assessments to be compared and to
continue to have improvements for the program. This data will indicate the retention of
knowledge and skill and the engagement with the training material. Lastly, for level 1, there will
be quick pulse checks on the relevance of the training and material for the teachers. For level 2,
there will be a conscious effort to check for understanding through situational examples,
discussions and reflection pieces.
Delayed for a Period After the Program Implementation
As part of the quarter reviews and administrators and teacher planning and reflection time,
approximately eight to ten weeks, after the implementation of the training, and then again at 22-
25 weeks, administrators will provide time to administer a brief self-assessment survey for
administrators and teachers to reflect. The survey will contain open-ended questions and prompts
to measure, from the participant’s perspective, satisfaction, and relevance of the training (Level
1), confidence and value of applying their training (Level 2). Additionally, there will be
106
reflection questions on the participant’s critical behaviors (Level 3) and leading indicators (Level
4).
Data Analysis and Reporting
As part of Level 4 is to ensure teachers are prepared to support newcomer students, the immediate
and delayed instruments will help measure how much administrators and teachers gained from the
training to improve their practices. The data will be available at whole staff and team meetings for
review and overall organizational learning. The immediate instrument will be presented by the
themes of the comments will be represented through groupings of similar answers. The delayed
instrument has no comment section to be noted and will allow for clear numerical data only.
Limitations and Delimitations
The limitations and delimitations of the study include external factors and purposeful choices
made by the researcher. One of the study’s limitations is that the newcomer population is broad
and undocumented, and refugee experiences might not have their challenges explored in this
study. Another limitation is the truthfulness provided by the participants and the transparency in
the documents collected. The knowledge influence findings are based on the self-evaluations of
administrators and teachers regarding what they think they do and not necessarily on what they
actually do. There will be limitations on what resources are available at the different school sites
and how those resources impact the overall findings. There are limitations of the findings related
to the study's conceptual framework and stakeholder goal. One of the limitations delimitations
of the study is the limited number of participants based on the limitations due to the added
responsibilities administrators and teachers as a response to COVID-19. The limitation of the
participants’ professional roles may be a limited perspective on practices to support newcomer
students. A delimitation of the study was the chosen framework using Clark and Estes’ modified
107
gap analysis approach with pre-identified knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences.
An added delimitation is the chosen schools met the minimum district criteria to have a
newcomer program on site. Lastly, the experience of the administrators presented in this study
were from a mental health professional standpoint, therefore, other administrators voice and
experience are not represented.
Recommendations for Future Research
This study evaluated six assumed influences contributed to the goal for the district to implement
supports to meet the holistic need of newcomer students. The stakeholder goal focused on that
all 6
th
– 12
th
grade administrators and teachers would be prepared implement practices to support
newcomer students in DUSD. Eight administrators and teachers were interviewed to identify the
knowledge, motivational and organizational influences affecting the organizational and
stakeholder goal achievements.
Given the educational landscape of the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school year, there is future
research needed to explore the impact that COVID-19 and distance learning had on newcomer
students. Due to the COVID-19 distance learning shift, there is value in researching teacher
preparation programs response to COVID-19. Also, there is value in researching administrators’
and teachers’ efficacy as impacted by COVID-19 and distance learning models. Given the
limitation of the one district participation in the study, it impacts the generalization that can be
made, therefore, looking at interviewing stakeholder from other districts can provide more
additional insight. Lastly, this study focused on 6
th
-12
th
grade administrators and students and
future research can expand to explore the needs that Kinder – 5
th
grade newcomer students have.
108
Conclusion
This study addressed the problem of practice of the supports in public schools for
newcomer students. The problem of practice is important to address because based on growth
trends, by 2040, 1 in 3 students in U.S. schools will be foreign born students (Suárez-Orozco et
al., 2010b). The study of practices supporting newcomer students focused on the procedural and
metacognitive knowledge administrators and teachers needed to support newcomer students,
then it focused on the value and motivation administrators and teachers needed to support
newcomer students, and lastly looked at the collaboration amongst the district and school sites to
support newcomer students and the resource allocations to support newcomer students. This
study touched on the beginning impact of COVID-19 on newcomer students. The goal is that
practices will continue, will be enhanced, and be supported to have administrators and teachers
continue to support newcomer students. The true impacts of COVID-19 will not be seen until
the pandemic is over, this study provides a window into the preliminary stages of support
needed. Additionally, the study provides other districts or schools sites with tangible action steps
to take to support newcomer students and elevate administrators’ and teachers’ knowledge and
motivation. The future of U.S. classrooms might not look the same due to COVID-19, and it is
pivotal that there is continued work on how to support newcomer students as they are a fast-
growing subgroup of students in U.S. schools.
109
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Appendix A
Interview Protocol
Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today regarding your experience serving
newcomer students. The purpose of the study is to identify best and effective practices that are
able to be applied in the overall field to support newcomers in different school settings. Thank
you for providing me with your preferred pseudonym and that is the name I will refer to you by
for all my documentation and notes to respect and protect your identity. If it is okay with you, I
will be recording this interview to ensure that your experience is represented correctly in the
study aside from my notes. The recording will be labeled with your preferred name. I want to
make sure that this is comfortable for your and that you are able to set the boundaries you need.
Please let me know if you need to me repeat a question, skip it, or stop the interview at any time.
Are you ready to begin?
1. How long have you been a teacher or administrator support newcomer students?
2. What is the district’s approach to supporting newcomer students? How do/don’t they
convey value for supporting newcomer students?
3. What is the process, if any, used to identify newcomer students as newcomers upon
enrollment at your school?
4. What types of supports and interventions do newcomer students receive at your
school?
5. What is your process, if any, for determining support and interventions appropriate
for students?
6. How are effective supports and interventions measured?
7. How do you collaborate with families to support student’s needs?
116
8. Walk me through a time a teacher was struggling due to the lack of understanding the
needs the students were presenting?
9. What are the professional development opportunities teachers have to support
newcomer needs, if any?
10. What does a typical first day look like for your students when they beginning after the
first day of the school year?
11. How do you measure your impact as a leader when working with newcomer students?
12. As a leader, how do you define and measure success of meeting newcomer student
needs?
13. Describe a time you experienced feeling like you were not meeting the needs of
students?
14. What are some of the things you reflect on when you think about your approach to
working with newcomer students?
15. What makes you feel like you had a win for the day? What motivates you to work
differently the next day to improve?
117
Appendix B
Document Analysis Protocols
The researcher intends in collect public documents available as the second data collection
for the study. The documents will be sorted into one of the following categories and the
following connections to the conceptual framework will be made. The categories will be:
Enrollment/information packets (district level), enrollment/information packets (site level),
LCAPs/SPSAs/School Action Plans, professional development information and curriculum
overviews. The researcher plans to analyze the documents through asking the following
questions:
1.Does this document highlight the knowledge influences of the stakeholder goal?
2. Does this document focus on the motivational influences of the stakeholder goal?
4. Does this document provide insight on the organizational influences of the stakeholder
goal?
5. What does this document contribute to the conceptual framework
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Appendix C
Evaluation Preceding Each Training/Professional Development Session
Please circle the rating for each question based on the criteria below:
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree
Engagement
1. Today’s session held my interest for professional growth and reflection.
1 2 3 4 5
2. I was provided enough time to practice or plan how to practice the skills presented today.
1 2 3 4 5
Relevance
3. What I learned today will help me in the classroom.
1 2 3 4 5
4. I am clear about what is expected of me in the classroom.
1 2 3 4 5
Satisfaction
5. I would recommend this session to my colleagues.
1 2 3 4 5
Additional Comments:
6. Was there information in today’s session that was unnecessary? (Relevance)
7. List at least two strategies you can use to implement newcomer centered support strategies.
(Knowledge)
119
8. What is the importance of expanding today’s learning into your classroom? (Attitude)
9. What additional support will you need to implement newcomer centered support strategies in
your classroom? (Confidence)
10. List one thing you plan to implement from today’s training and briefly explain how you will
implement it in your classroom. (Commitment)
120
Appendix D
Pre-Training and 12 Week Post Training
Newcomer Support Questionnaire
Question Never or
very
rarely
true
Rarely
true
Some
times
true
Often
true
Very
often or
always
true
There has been at least one occasion in my
classroom to implement what I learned
from training. (L1)
1 2 3 4 5
What I have learned in training has been
relevant to use in my classroom. (L1)
1 2 3 4 5
Looking back, this training was a good
use of my time. (L1)
1 2 3 4 5
I have been able to apply in my classroom
what I learned in training. (L3)
1 2 3 4 5
I have received support in order to apply
what I learned successfully. (L3)
1 2 3 4 5
This training has positively impacted my
classroom and students. (L4)
1 2 3 4 5
Abstract (if available)
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Salinas, Leslye Ivette
(author)
Core Title
Practices supporting newcomer students
School
Rossier School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)
Degree Conferral Date
2021-08
Publication Date
07/23/2021
Defense Date
05/20/2021
Publisher
University of Southern California
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Tag
English learners,family supports,Immigrants,immigration,migration,newcomer students,newcomers,OAI-PMH Harvest,socio emotional supports,Teacher Training
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Language
English
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Electronically uploaded by the author
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Advisor
Hirabayashi, Kimberly (
committee chair
), Mora-Flores, Eugenia (
committee member
), Sanchez, Raquel (
committee member
)
Creator Email
lisalina@usc.edu
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https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC15618636
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Tags
English learners
family supports
migration
newcomer students
newcomers
socio emotional supports