Teacher Development Grant

 2014-2015 Project Summary

Kelly Kitterman

Derby Middle School • Derby, KS

Over the past few years, Derby, KS students who are English Language Learners (ELL) have been unable to meet proficiency goals on state assessments. With the current, more rigorous standards placing a much larger demand on the student’s language ability to access the curriculum, teachers need to maximize instructional time in the classroom. The Cultivating Culturally Responsive Teachers project prepares teachers to take the whole child into consideration. Teachers will gather information on students’ sociocultural, linguistic, academic and cognitive abilities which will allow them to learn about students’ strengths and challenges in a holistic way. This instructional model will teach ELL and non-ELL students together and will allow students to work in cooperative groups with their non-ELL peers, creating an inclusive and respectful environment.

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