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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

Bagwell College of Education, Kennesaw State University

Professional Learning and Instructional Technology Coaching 7460

Dr. Katherine Williams

September 27, 2021

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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

Vision

Ragsdale Elementary school's vision is to prepare all students with the shared

responsibility of families and community members in becoming successful citizens as they

prepare for a challenging world (Ragsdale SIP, pg.44, 2021). Part of the vision at Ragsdale is for

teachers and staff to collaboratively increase their knowledge and practice of technology

resources and strategies through professional learning to effectively improve academic

achievement during face-to-face instruction, blended learning, digital learning days (DLD),

and/or visual instruction. An overarching need described in the school improvement plan is for

the number of students in 3rd-5th grade scoring proficient and/or advanced on the Reading

Inventory to increase by 5%; collectively progressing from 66% scoring proficient and/or

advanced in Spring 2021 to 71% in Spring 2022.

One action-step the school plans to take in order to achieve this goal is to continue the

use of provided technology along with programs such as Education Galaxy, System44, Read180,

iRead, and Write Score. With Technology ever changing, Ragsdale strives to make sure the latest

technology is available to each teacher. It is a district goal to have each pupil issued a device to

use at school and at home. This device would be assigned to each specific student at the

beginning of the year, and they would keep that device until the end of the year. This would

ensure each student is exposed to the most cutting-edge technology possible and would keep

students’ resources comparable to other districts. The school attempts to keep each student

technologically sound so they may be successful once becoming an adult and exiting the school

system. Ragsdale does not have these capabilities yet, but this is one of the school’s long-term

goals.
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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

Needs Assessment and Evaluation

The lead teachers and administrative team at Ragsdale participate in professional learning

(PL) at an annual data retreat meeting. At this meeting, teachers analyze student growth within

each specific content area. The team identifies data patterns then discusses current practices that

have yielded satisfactory student growth. Similarly, participants address areas of need based on

regression in data and form a plan to improve instruction and drive professional learning. The

principal, Ms. Ann Arnold, described this process in an interview. “We take every piece of data

collected, whether it be a small formative assessment or a state assessment that we implement

one time a year, and we analyze it.” “We break it down and we look at whole school, grade level,

individual class, and finally, it is specified to individual child.” This data is utilized to set school-

wide goals and make instructional decisions. Each teacher assesses before, informally during,

and cumulatively after each unit. Principal Ann Arnold states “This has been the most

informative piece of data for the school”.

Ragsdale utilizes assessment strategies to drive daily instruction and identify professional

learning needs. Professional learning and the effectiveness of instructional strategies are

evaluated through students’ data and through teacher and administrator evaluations. After

participating in a PL meeting, teachers are expected to implement the strategies taught. There is a

trial period and then the administrative team uses the TKES evaluation platform tool to assess if

the professional learning strategies are being executed properly. The TKES standards are

subjective and allow the evaluator to assess several areas of instruction from classroom

management to student engagement. Once evaluations are complete, the administrator will
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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

conference with the teacher and celebrate milestones and identify deficiencies. Finally, the

administrative team will do a follow up observation to evaluate the teacher’s skills and

improvements. If a teacher is in need of more support to achieve the desired skills, another PL is

administered and/or peer collaboration and observations are implemented.

Based on the school’s Reading Inventory Assessment (RI) scores, the professional

learning provided is helping students gradually increase their depth of knowledge. Statistical

scores provided during this year’s data retreat indicate that in the spring of 2018 56% of

Ragsdale’s 3rd-5th graders scored proficient and/or advanced on the Reading Inventory (RI). The

Spring 2021 data revealed 65% of students are scoring proficient and/or advanced on the

Reading Inventory Assessment. This indicates that 9% of students increased their reading

capabilities between 2018 and 2021 and can read on or above grade level (See chart 1-2). Based

on the data provided from this cumulative assessment, the Professional learning meetings along

with teacher implementation and an evaluation follow ups are having positive effects on student

growth. This data confirms that students are reaching their learning goals and adequate

instruction is being provided.

(Chart 1) (Chart 2)
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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

Incentive and Funding

At Ragsdale, teachers are self-motivated to provide students with high quality instruction.

Many teachers have earned graduate degrees with intentions of producing greater student

success. Continuing education demonstrates how dedicated the teachers are in making sure the

students at Ragsdale are reaching their greatest potential.

The state of Georgia requires teachers to earn continuing education credits in order to

renew their teaching certificates and work as an educator in the state. This pushes teachers to

participate in professional learning programs.

Teacher retirement is a common incentive based on teachers’ highest paid years of service.

Financial security motivates teachers to further their education which sequentially helps them

climb the pay scale later.

Funding for professional learning is provided by the state and district budget. This fiscal

amount is voted on by the board of education and each department is allotted a specific dollar

amount to use strictly for PL. Other monetary supplements for professional learning at Ragsdale

is provided by Title I part A funds. “Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESEA) provides financial

assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with high numbers or high

percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure all children meet challenging

state academic standards. Federal funds are currently allocated through four statutory formulas

that are based primarily on census poverty estimates and the cost of education in each state”

(U.S. Department of Education Website, 2018). Ragsdale is identified as a Title I school,

therefore they receive this monetary support.

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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

Diversity

The School Improvement Plan (SIP) did not specifically address how teachers of students

with special needs or diverse backgrounds will be provided professional learning. It simply

addressed the common student body and/or all certified staff members, as opposed to addressing

each unit separately. Teachers who work with students with special needs are provided yearly

trainings by the school district. These trainings include behavioral interventions, hands on

techniques, supportive/supplement technology trainings, along with instructional practices that

best meet the needs of the students at Ragsdale.

The school district provides professional learning for ELL/ESOL teachers to ensure that

students with language barriers have the same opportunities to be successful in the classroom.

There are several new technologies that have been provided to supplement instruction for

students whose primary language is not English, and the ELL/ESOL teachers attend trainings for

these technological resources on an as needed basis. According to Ragsdale’s ELL/ESOL teacher

Mrs. Capalbo, all Paulding County ELL/ESOL teachers receive annual training on Lexia®

Core5® Reading, SIOP, and ELLevation. Lexia® Core5® Reading is an adaptive blended

learning program that accelerates the development of literacy skills for students of all abilities,

helping them make that critical shift from learning to read to reading to learn. SIOP is an

acronym for Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) was developed to make content

material more comprehensible to English Language Learners. Last, ELLevation is the most

comprehensive EL program management platform that organizes all EL student data, supports

critical meeting and monitoring processes, enables accurate reporting, and supports instructional

planning for multilingual students.

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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

These teachers work collaboratively with general education teachers to provide needs-

based instruction and interventions to supplement the barriers ESEP and ELL/ESOL students

face. The ESEP and ELL/ESOL teachers attend all of the school-wide professional learning

meetings, as well as issue a representative to attend the annual data retreat. This unit of teachers

implement and analyze data collection daily and use it to drive their instruction. They are also

given PL on new policies, laws, etc. to ensure that legal obligations are met.  

Collaboration

Ragsdale is an exemplar school for peer collaboration. Recently graduated teachers are

paired with a veteran teacher as a mentor. This collaborative strategy is an informal coaching

relationship to help developing teachers provide sufficient instruction and learn the norms and

expectations of the school and the district. New-to-Ragsdale teachers are paired similarly with a

teacher who has several years of experience at Ragsdale in order to help this teacher adjust to the

obstacles of joining a new school. If the need arises for peer observations, the administrative

team is always supportive and helps provide coverage for the observer’s instructional segment.

Vertical team meetings are held monthly to address high stakes standards and assure each grade

level is vertically aligned with the one before and the one after. Teachers from each grade level

team are split amongst the subject matters to form committees. This helps to provide a picture of

how each standard builds upon one another as students progress through each grade level. Each

collaborating teacher shares out with their team the meeting discoveries and agreed upon

strategies for instruction.

Grade level planning is another example of collaboration to which Ragsdale credits its

success. Each grade level meets once weekly to write lessons, discuss assessment strategies, and
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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

differentiate instruction. This keeps the teams close knit and provides a safe space for

questioning and diagnosing learning needs.

Monthly staff meetings often include a brief data analysis session. Ragsdale’s staff

analyzes current data trends and comes to a consensus on areas of need, as well as areas of

success. The discoveries drive instruction and serve as a data checkpoint.

Each of the collaboration examples stated above work coherently with the School

Improvement Plan (SIP). Ragsdale’s administration believes it is imperative for teachers to be

supported in order for students to be successful. The school’s vision of continued growth on the

Reading Inventory Assessment and using progressive technological advances to evolve

instruction is profited by these school’s efforts to collaborate and support its teachers and its

students. An action step stated within the School Improvement Plan (SIP) reads “Teachers in

grade K-5 will work collaboratively and vertically to align curriculum best practices strategies”

(Ragsdale SIP, pg. 45, 2021).

The professional learning goals stated in the vision section of this paper are aligned with

the professional learning trainings provided. The school provides teachers with weekly

professional learning opportunities. Many of the professional trainings are focused on reading

instruction which addresses the SIP overarching needs. Much time is spent on whole group and

small group reading instruction. Ragsdale is considered a model school for the county mandated

reading curriculum Bookworms. Bookworms has a whole group instruction piece, a writing

piece, as well as a differentiated small group reading instructional piece that are combined to

provide the most efficient and student-centered reading instruction. Many teachers from all over

the county are encouraged to observe Ragsdale classrooms to learn the county’s expectation for

reading instruction.
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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

The means by which teachers, administrators, and other staff acquire, enhance, and refine
the knowledge, skills, practices, and dispositions necessary to create and support high levels
of learning for all students
 
Professional Learning Standard 1: Aligns professional learning with needs identified
through analysis of a variety of data

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

  Exemplary   Operational   Emerging   Not Evident

Professional learning Professional learning Professional Professional

needs are identified and needs are identified learning needs learning needs
differentiated through a through a collaborative are identified are identified
collaborative analysis analysis process using a using limited using little or
process using a variety of variety of data (e.g., sources of no data.
data (e.g., student student achievement data.  
achievement data, data, examination of  
examination of student student work, process
work, process data, data, teacher and leader
teacher and leader effectiveness data, action
effectiveness data, action research data, perception
research data, perception data from students, staff,
data from students, staff, and families).
and families). Ongoing
support is provided
through differentiated
professional learning.
 

EVIDENCE: The lead teachers and administrative team participate in a professional learning
and data retreat meeting annually to analyze student growth within each specific content area.
The team identifies data patterns then discusses current practices that have yielded satisfactory
student growth. Similarly, participants address areas of need based on decreased exponential
data and form a plan to improve instruction and drive professional learning.
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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

RECOMMENDATIONS: The methods of data collection and analysis utilized by Ragsdale

seem to be effective. There are several new teachers and new-to-Ragsdale teachers employed
this year. It would be beneficial for Ragsdale to provide frequent professional learning on the
Bookworms reading instructional strategies to ensure that student data continues to climb and
doesn’t plateau.
 

 
Professional Learning Standard 2: Establishes a culture of collaboration among
administrators and staff to enhance individual and collective performance

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

  Exemplary   Operational   Emerging   Not Evident

Administrators and Administrators and Administrators and Administrators and

staff, as a staff routinely staff routinely staff routinely
foundational practice, collaborate to collaborate to collaborate to
consistently improve individual improve individual improve individual
collaborate to support and collective and collective and collective
leadership and performance (e.g., performance (e.g., performance (e.g.,
personal construct construct construct
accountability and to knowledge, acquire knowledge, acquire knowledge, acquire
enhance individual skills, refine skills, refine skills, refine
and collective practice, provide practice, provide practice, provide
performance (e.g., feedback). feedback). feedback).
construct knowledge,  
acquire skills, refine
practice, provide
feedback).
Teachers conduct
action research and
assume ownership of
professional learning
processes.

EVIDENCE:  Ragsdale teachers and administration collaborate effectively. Teachers

regularly collaborate during a weekly planning meeting and vertical team meetings occur once
a month. They use SharePoint and a school OneDrive to collaborate and share data. However,
very rarely does teachers take professional learning into their own hands and conduct research
to better their instructional strategies. They wait for the guidance of the administrative team. If
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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

teachers were more proactive this school would score a 4. Professional learning is offered to
teachers through the district each year, but few teachers are reluctant to participate.

RECOMMENDATIONS: There needs to be more incentives or higher expectations for

teachers and administration to complete professional learning. An example would be for those
teachers who participate in a certain number of hours a year would receive a bonus or be
rewarded with lunch out. Administration could require one person from each grade level team
to participate in a required number of hours of professional learning yearly and share out their
research in one of the monthly staff meetings or during the vertical team meeting.
 

 
Professional Learning Standard 3: Defines expectations for implementing professional
learning

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

  Exemplary   Operational   Emerging   Not Evident

Administrators, Administrators, Administrators, Administrators,

teacher leaders, or teacher leaders, or teacher leaders, or teacher leaders, or
both consistently both regularly both occasionally both rarely, if ever,
define expectations for define expectations define expectations define expectations
the implementation of for the for the for the
professional learning, implementation of implementation of implementation of
including details professional professional professional
regarding the stages of learning. learning. learning.
implementation and
how monitoring will
occur as
implementation
progresses.

EVIDENCE:  Currently, there are no stated and/or displayed expectations for teachers to
participate in professional learning. The administrative team provides professional learning as
the need arises based on student data. It is stated in the school improvement plan “teachers
will participate in professional learning”, but it does not specify how many hours or which
types of PL along with other other specific expectations.

RECOMMENDATIONS: There needs to be specific expectations for professional learning

stated in the school improvement plan and those expectations need to be communicate to
teachers consistently.
 
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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

Professional Learning Standard 4: Uses multiple professional learning designs to

support the various learning needs of the staff

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

  Exemplary   Operational   Emerging   Not Evident
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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

Staff members actively Staff members actively Some staff Staff members
participate in job- participate in members are receive single,
embedded professional professional learning, engaged in stand-alone
learning that engages most of which is job- professional professional
collaborative teams in embedded, which learning that learning events
a variety of includes multiple makes use of that are
appropriate learning designs (e.g., more than one informational
designs (e.g., collaborative lesson learning design and mostly large-
collaborative lesson study, analysis of to address their group
study, analysis of student work, identified needs. presentation
student work, problem problem-solving designs.
solving sessions, sessions, curriculum  
curriculum development,
development, coursework, action
coursework, action research, classroom
research, classroom observations, online
observations, online networks) to support
networks). Professional their various learning
learning includes needs. Professional
extensive follow-up learning includes
with descriptive follow-up with
feedback and coaching. feedback and coaching.
   

EVIDENCE:  Teachers are subjected to meeting-type professional learning. Sometimes these

meetings are held virtually. There are times when teachers and administrators collaborate in
problem solving sessions and peer observations are encouraged. There is not a range of
different professional learning outlets provided to teachers through the school administration.
However, the school district does endorse a few professional learning networks and hands-on
workshops. Teachers can visit professional learning networks and conduct research online, but
are not directly exposed to these outlets within the school.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Professional learning should be offered based on teacher needs

and requests as defined by students’ data and the school’s Title I teacher survey. The
administration needs to research various outlets of professional learning and communicate
different opportunities to teachers. Professional learning can be provided in many different
forms. The administration should adhere to andragogy and provide more information about
different professional learning outlets.
 
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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

 
Professional Learning Standard 5: Allocates resources and establishes systems to
support and sustain effective professional learning

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

  Exemplary   Operational   Emerging   Not Evident
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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

Extensive resources (e.g., Adequate resources Some Few, if any,

substitute teachers, (e.g., substitute resources and resources and
materials, handouts, tools, teachers, materials, systems are systems are
stipends, facilitators, handouts, tools, allocated to provided to
technology) and systems stipends, facilitators, support and support and
(e.g., conducive schedules, technology) and sustain sustain
adequate collaborative systems (e.g., conducive professional professional
time, model classrooms) schedules, adequate learning. learning.
are allocated to support collaborative time,    
and sustain effective model classrooms) are
professional learning. in place to support and
Opportunities to practice sustain professional
skills, receive follow-up, learning.
feedback, and coaching  
are provided to support
the effectiveness of
professional learning.
 

EVIDENCE:  Adequate resources and systems are provided both through the county budget
and the school’s Title I part A funds. Coverage is always facilitated when a teacher needs to
do a peer observation or participate in PL. Ragsdale sets aside funding for each grade level to
have one full day of planning per semester. These planning days are used for professional
learning and to analyze instructional strategies based on student data. Teachers are provided
opportunities to practice skills, receive follow-up, feedback, and coaching is provided to
support the effectiveness of professional learning.

RECOMMENDATIONS: No recommendations for this standard at this time.

 

 
Professional Learning Standard 6: Monitors and evaluates the impact of professional
learning on staff practices and student learning
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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

  Exemplary   Operational   Emerging   Not Evident

Monitoring and Monitoring and Monitoring and Monitoring and

evaluating the impact of evaluating the evaluating the evaluating the
professional learning on impact of impact of impact of
staff practices and professional professional professional
increases in student learning on staff learning on staff learning on staff
learning occurs practices and practices occurs practices occurs
extensively. Evaluation student learning sporadically. rarely, if ever.
results are used to occurs routinely.    
identify and implement  
processes to extend
student learning.
 

EVIDENCE:  Ragsdale routinely uses grade level meetings(weekly), vertical team

meetings(monthly), and staff meetings(monthly and as needed) to determine the impact of
professional learning on staff practices and student learning through examination of student
data. Administration refers to instructional practices taught during professional learning
workshops when conferencing with teachers after evaluations.

RECOMMENDATIONS: To improve the monitoring and evaluation of professional

learning the school should collaboratively work towards mastery of one instructional strategy
quarterly. Currently, several strategies are evaluated and monitored intermittently. It would be
most beneficial to master one strategy as a whole and then move on to additional strategies.
 

 
KSU ITEC Professional Learning Standard: Professional learning reinforces educators’
understanding and use of strategies for promoting equity and high expectations for all
students, application of research-based teaching strategies and assessment processes, and
involvement of families and other stakeholders in promoting student learning.

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

  Exemplary   Operational   Emerging   Not Evident
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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

Classroom practices Classroom practices Classroom Classroom

(e.g., considering of most teachers practices of some practices reflect
interests, reflect skill in teachers reflect little or no evidence
backgrounds, communicating high evidence of of teachers’
strengths, and expectations for each teachers’ training training in
preferences to student and in understanding understanding the
provide meaningful, adjusting classroom the impact that impact that
relevant lessons and activities to meet attitudes regarding attitudes regarding
assess student student needs. race, disabilities, race, disabilities,
progress, Respect for students’ background, background,
differentiating cultures and life culture, high culture, high
instruction, and experiences is evident expectations, and expectations, and
nurturing student through the social class of both social class of both
capacity for self- emotionally and students and students and
management) of all physically safe teachers have on teachers have on
teachers reflect an learning the teaching and the teaching and
emotionally and environment where learning process.  learning process.
physically safe students of diverse    
environment where backgrounds and
respect and experiences are
appreciation for a taught the school
diverse population is code of conduct
evident. There are (customs) to help
high achievement them be successful in
expectations for all the school context.
students and  
teachers. The
principal and other
leaders provide
professional
learning for
teachers lacking
understanding of
the impact that
attitudes regarding
race, disabilities,
background,
culture, high
expectations, and
social class of both
students and
teachers have on the
teaching and
learning process. 
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Tori Martin Current Reality and GSAPS Narrative

EVIDENCE:  Ragsdale conducts a school climate survey every year to gather feedback from
students, teachers, and parents. This survey addresses several issues including curriculum,
classroom environment, support for families, and support for teachers. This survey is
evaluated once a year as a reflection of school climate and is used to create the School
Improvement Plan.

RECOMMENDATIONS: The school’s learning environment should be evaluated more

frequently. Administration discusses individual classroom learning environment with teaches
during evaluations, but there is little discussion about school climate as a whole after the
annual survey evaluation is complete.

References

Martin, T., & Arnold, A. (2021, August 30). Professional Learning and How it Relates to
Ragsdale Elementary's School Improvement Plan. personal.

Otott, B. (2019, August).

https://www.paulding.k12.ga.us/cms/lib/GA01903603/Centricity/Domain/196/
FY2019%20PCSD%20Budget%20Book.pdf. Paulding County School District Budget
Book FY2019. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from
https://www.paulding.k12.ga.us/cms/lib/GA01903603/Centricity/Domain/196/
FY2019%20PCSD%20Budget%20Book.pdf.

Ragsdale Elementary School Administration. (2021, September). Ragsdale School Improvement

Plan. 528 Holly Springs Rd, Rockmart, GA 30153. Retrieved September 28, 2021.

U.S. Department of Education (Ed.). (2018, November 7). Title I, part a program. Title I, Part A
Program. Retrieved September 21, 2021, from
https://www2.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/index.html.