Running header: CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 1

Current Reality and GSAPS

Taylor Bright

Kennesaw State University

May 2023

Dr. Campbell

June 2021
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 2

Overview

World Language Academy (WLA) is a dual immersion school offered to students in pre-

k through the eighth grade. WLA was the first dual immersion program to be offered in the Hall

County School System and opened in 2008. Students begin pre-k learning in 100% Spanish.

Once they enter kindergarten and first grade they learn at a 90:10 model and then beginning in

second through eighth grade students learn in the 50:50 model. The school is divided into the

elementary school, prek-5th, and then the middle school, 6th-8th. Student’s who live in the Hall

County district are able to attend WLA free of charge as long as they have transportation.

Student’s who live outside the county who wish to attend need to pay a tuition fee each year.

Vision

The Hall County school district overall is a 1:1 ratio for technology. Every student has

the opportunity to check out a Chromebook at the beginning of the year. IPads, Epson Smart

Boards and various other technology devices are also available for use by the teachers and

students. WLA’s technology goal this year is to find an appropriate balance. Last year teachers

were using too much technology and students were not as engaged. It was also observed that

many of the activities the teachers were completing online could have easily been done on paper.

The hope is to provide professional learning opportunities to show teachers how to create

engaging lessons using technology that will allow students to go above and beyond anything that

can be done on paper. The school will also implement a Tech Tuesday once a month. This will

be coordinated by the BLaST team. Members of the team will work in pairs to create training

sessions and lessons to show teachers around the school how to implement the various

technologies available at the school. The classes will be conducted once a month after school.

Teachers will get to choose which class interests them the most.
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 3

Needs Assessment

Hall County uses a balance score card to set goals for each school year. The scorecard

focuses on three main areas; character, competency and rigor. Under each of these areas various

goals are created.. For example, under competency one of the goals is “by the end of third grade

90% of HCSD students will be able to read on grade level.” (Hall County School District

Balanced Scorecard, 2021) Each school then looks at this scorecard to create a School

Improvement Plan. These plans are specific to the school and their goals but still go along with

the county goals. The school’s leadership team meets over the summer to review the previous

years data. From evaluation of the data the team then begins to create specific goals for the

school. For example, according to last year's data it showed that 75% of third grade students

were reading on or above grade level. (WLA School improvement plan, 2021) With this finding

the county's goal of 90% of third grade students was lowered to 80% of third grade students to

meet the needs of WLA. Once the school improvement plan is created it is presented to teachers

at the beginning of the year during grade level meetings. Teachers get to provide input and

discuss how they will achieve these goals. They then set grade level specific goals to focus on.

From these goals various PLs are created to help the teachers become the most successful. For

example, one math goal this year is for teachers to continue to effectively implement math

exemplars. To help accomplish this goal, an exemplars expert will come in every other month to

discuss ways to implement exemplars and to go over the data collected by the teachers. The

trainer will even go into the classrooms and show teachers how to implement exemplars.

Professional Learning
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 4

Various types of Pls are available for teachers. The school sets up ELA and Math PLs

each month. During planning twice a month teachers attend one of these meetings. These

meetings are led by one of the county’s professional learning specialists. During the ELA

meeting the content specialist provides various strategies for teachers to implement into the

classroom that coordinate with our curriculum content. She may also send out something to the

teachers to complete before the meeting and then during the meeting they discuss the outcome.

For example, the county has implemented a new reading assessment. The ELA specialist asked

teachers to complete the assessments with the students and then had teachers bring specific

questions to the meeting about the assessment. The Math specialist does similar content with the

math teachers.

Along with these PLs teachers also participate in PLCs that focus on specific areas.

Currently WLA has SLA, ELA, BLaST, parent involvement, and math PLCs. These groups meet

every other month. The first meeting of the school year is to discuss their goal and how to meet

that goal. The BLaST team is focused on how to implement technology more into the classrooms

in an engaging way. Members of the teams look for research strategies to discuss during the

meetings. The team discusses a strategy they want to focus on and then implement it into the

classroom. They then meet to discuss how it went. The ELA group is focusing on a book study

this year. All groups implement strategies into the classroom and collect data to see if the

strategy was effective.

The county also provided many PL opportunities. Some PLs are conducted as an entire

county. Over the past few years one of the counties main focus is on students mental health and

how we can build stronger relationships with our students. During pre-planning the entire staff in

the county attended a mental health seminar. Other county PLs are provided virtually. Some are
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 5

self-guided classes while others are instructor-led. These courses are available during the

summer as well as throughout the school year. An example of one of these courses is the

Certified Canvas course. This is an instructor led course and the teacher becomes Canvas

certified at the end. Teachers are given content to read and explore and then an assignment to

complete. The instructor provides feedback on each assignment. Teachers can sign-up for these

courses through a link on the county's content management system.

Alignment to School Improvement Goals

PLs are set up with the school improvement goals in mind. The math goal is “ By the end

of fifth grade, 90% of students will master 90% of their basic fluency facts (addition,

subtraction,multiplication, and division) with automaticity from long-term memory.” (WLA

School Improvement Plan, 2021) The school has scheduled numerous math PLs throughout the

year to help teachers work towards meeting this goal. The math specialist will provide teachers

with strategies to use during whole group assignments as well as small groups. The specialist

will also provide training on the new Eureka math program they are expected to use. Teachers

can also schedule times for the math specialist to come in and observe a lesson and provide

feedback or to model a lesson. New teachers in the school will get additional training in these

areas.

The ELA goal for the school is “By the end of fifth grade, 90% of HCSD students will

be able to read on grade-level.” (WLA School Improvement Plan, 2021) The ELA specialist will

come into the school and complete training similar to the way the math specialist does. The ELA

specialist focuses more on conferencing with students and how to help students set and reach

goals. The system has adopted the Fountas and Pinnell reading program and the specialist will
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 6

help teachers go through the lesson book and help design lessons that will best fit the needs of

the students.

One last goal of the school is to focus on the mental health of the students. The goal is for

every child in the building to be able to identify at least one trusted adult that they can go to in a

time of need. Teachers are working with the school's social worker to learn about the MTSS

intervention system.

Funding and Incentives

The content specialists provided by the county do not require payment from the

individual schools. They are county employees and paid through the county. WLA is a Title II

school and is given $3,851 towards PL. The district also gives WLA a professional learning (PL)

fund of $1,800. Any other PL is paid for using PTO funds. The exemplar expert mentioned in the

above section is brought in from outside the county and is paid through the Professional learning

(PL) and Title II fund. The PL fund and Title II also pays for substitutes when teachers attend

various county PLs or collaborative planning inside the school.

While many of the PLs provided from the county do not offer any type of stipend there

are a few. Many of the ones that are conducted during the summer or that require participants to

turn in assignments in a timely manner do have a stipend provided. The goal of PL is for teachers

to improve their practice and to show growth on their TKES annual review.

Diversity

This is an area where the WLA school needs more PLs. Many of the PLs do not focus

specifically on diversity. The special education teacher attends training each year that focuses on
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 7

how to help children with disabilities. The school also has an occupational therapist assigned to

the school that assists teachers when they have students that need OT services. She meets with

the teachers individually to talk about various accommodations and how they are used to assist

the student.

Collaboration

WLA is strong in the area of collaboration. Each Tuesday, teachers participate in

collaborative planning. Sometimes the meetings are vertical planning with either the grade level

below or above. Other times the meetings are focused on content. For example all the ELA

teachers may meet and discuss what is happening in each of the grade levels and how they are

working towards the school goals. Teachers also meet with their grade levels once a week to

discuss data and content. Grade levels also get two, half-day, plannings throughout the year to

discuss goals and how to reach those goals.

Since WLA is one of three dual language programs in the county all the Spanish teachers

from the other dual language schools meet together, three times a year, to discuss how the dual

immersion program is working in their school, as well as strategies they have found helpful.

Evaluation

Overall WLA has strong professional learnings that are focused on the school

improvement plan. The areas of strength are in collaboration and content specific PLs. The area

that needs the most improvement is in diversity. WLA has many teachers and students from

various backgrounds and those should be celebrated and talked about. One of the most successful

PLs that have been implemented is the math exemplars. The school has used this for a little over
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 8

5 years now. Teachers mention each year that students are able to understand math more and are

able to talk about how they got to a solution. Another successful PL was reading conferences that

was presented by the county ELA specialists. The specialist discussed the different types of

conference and the steps for each one. Then the specialist modeled how a conference would be

completed with a student. Teachers then got to try using various selected students. This gave

teachers the opportunity to ask questions right then and there instead of when they were alone in

the classroom. WLA is fourtuant to be in a county that strives to find great PLs for their teachers.

Reference Page

Hall County School System. (2018–2023). Hall County School District Scorecard

[Dataset].

World Language Academy School Improvement Plan, 2021, T. Bright, personal communication,

September 2021
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 9

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 Professional Professional Professional

learning needs are learning needs are learning needs are learning needs are
identified and identified through a identified using identified using
differentiated collaborative limited sources of little or no data.
through a analysis process data.
collaborative using a variety of
analysis process data (e.g., student
using a variety of achievement data,
data (e.g., student examination of
achievement data, student work,
examination of process data,
student work, teacher and leader
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 10

process data, effectiveness data,

teacher and leader action research
effectiveness data, data, perception
action research data from students,
data, perception staff, and families).
data from students,
staff, and families).
Ongoing support is
provided through
differentiated
professional
learning.

EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating
above
–https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1bvWF1pHDQAF5kMUGbbD40yiR2o7
8RxxrmOBRjQKGavQ/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Kkz3ipWYv1-
Zo9T4QmELOUAbckjXK_DUvp5yFsNR9LU/edit?usp=sharing

The school improvement plan was developed by taking a look at the data collected by
teachers at the end of last year and the Milestone testing. An extensive conversation
was had over the trends that were seen in the data and if the Milestone data correlated
with the data collected by the teachers. The leadership team also looked at the parent
survey that was provided to all the parents to fill out. This survey was a perspective of
how the school is performing from the parents point of view.

RECOMMENDATIONS: The one area of growth would be that the PLs be more
differentiated. Many of the Pls offered to all grade levels and some of the content may
not work in the lower grade levels. PLs should be more differentiated to allow better
response from the teachers.

Professional Learning Standard 2: Establishes a culture of collaboration among

administrators and staff to enhance individual and collective performance
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 11

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

Exemplary Operational Emerging Not Evident

Administrators Administrators Administrators Administrators

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

EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating
above – Teachers and staff meet every Tuesday to collaborate and discuss how to
improve the school. Teachers are broken up into groups with a representative from
each grade level in each group. The groups are broken up into ELA, SLA, Math and
Technology. Each group has a shared Google drive where meeting minutes, data and
resources are stored. When grade levels meet as a group they each take turns discussing
what happened during the other group meetings.
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 12

RECOMMENDATIONS: Many times the teachers do not come prepared for what was
supposed to be discussed during the meeting. There needs to be more accountability
during the meetings and more structure. The group will get off topic on unrelated
subjects. Each member can be given a job. For example, a note keeps, time tracker,
leader etc. This will allow for everyone to have a responsibility and things to stay on
track.

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 define expectations define expectations define expectations
for the for the for the for the
implementation of implementation of implementation of implementation of
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 13

professional professional professional professional

learning, including learning. learning. learning.
details regarding
the stages of
implementation
and how
monitoring will
occur as
implementation
progresses.

EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating
above – While the school has a ton of professional learning opportunities they are
rarely backed-up. The PL is presented to the teachers but then nothing is ever said after
that or the teachers are not given the material to complete the strategy.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Observations should be used more in the school. Teachers

should have the opportunity to see how other teachers are implementing the
information given in the PL in their class. Some teachers are strong in specific areas and
should be given the opportunity to show how it can actually work in a real working
classroom.

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

Staff members Staff members Some staff Staff members

actively participate actively participate members are receive single,
in job-embedded in professional engaged in stand-alone
professional learning, most of professional professional
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 14

learning that which is job- learning that learning events

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

EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating
above – Teachers have the opportunity to participate in a variety of PLs platforms.
Some are presented online and at the teachers own pace while are led by an instructor.
Some PLs are offered county wide and all certified and uncertified staff take part. The
county provides a website with links and places of all the PLs offered throughout the
county.
https://pl.hallco.org/
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 15

RECOMMENDATIONS: While there are many job embedded PLs for the math teachers
there should be more of this for the ELA teachers. Sometimes teachers are presented
with wonderful strategies that sound great in isolation but then they have a hard time
trying to figure out how to implement it into the classroom. It would be great to have
someone come in and do a lesson study with a whole classroom of students.

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

Extensive resources Adequate resources Some resources Few, if any,

(e.g., substitute (e.g., substitute and systems are resources and
teachers, materials, teachers, materials, allocated to systems are
handouts, tools, handouts, tools, support and provided to
stipends, stipends, sustain support and
facilitators, facilitators, professional sustain
technology) and technology) and learning. professional
systems (e.g., systems (e.g., learning.
conducive conducive
schedules, schedules, adequate
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 16

adequate collaborative time,

collaborative time, model classrooms)
model classrooms) are in place to
are allocated to support and sustain
support and professional
sustain effective learning.
professional
learning.
Opportunities to
practice skills,
receive follow-up,
feedback, and
coaching are
provided to
support the
effectiveness of
professional
learning.

EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating
above – The school does a wonderful job making sure that teachers get the needed
material. The school tries to get every teacher a copy of the material or they have one
copy in the PL room for teachers to check out and share.
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 17

RECOMMENDATIONS: Giving time for the teachers to go through the resources

available would be great. Many resources and books are available in the PL room but
teachers do not have time to spend going through what is in there.

Professional Learning Standard 6: Monitors and evaluates the impact of

professional learning on staff practices and student learning

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

Exemplary Operational Emerging Not Evident
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 18

Monitoring and Monitoring and Monitoring and Monitoring and

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

EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating
above – During conferences is when PL evaluation is discussed. Administration also
asked the teachers which type of PLs they would like to attend in the future.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Having some type of peer observations would be a great way to

see how the PL is used into the classroom. The teachers who are in groups together
could take turns observing each others classrooms and then meet to discuss what they
observed.

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

Classroom practices Classroom Classroom Classroom

(e.g., considering practices of most practices of some practices reflect
interests,
teachers reflect teachers reflect little or no evidence
backgrounds,
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 19

strengths, and skill in evidence of of teachers’

preferences to communicating teachers’ training training in
provide meaningful,
high expectations in understanding understanding the
relevant lessons and
for each student the impact that impact that
assess student
progress, and adjusting attitudes attitudes regarding
differentiating classroom regarding race, race, disabilities,
instruction, and activities to meet disabilities, background,
nurturing student student needs. background, culture, high
capacity for self- Respect for culture, high expectations, and
management) of all
students’ cultures expectations, and social class of both
teachers reflect an
emotionally and
and life social class of students and
physically safe experiences is both students and teachers have on
environment where evident through teachers have on the teaching and
respect and the emotionally the teaching and learning process.
appreciation for a and physically safe learning process.
diverse population is learning
evident. There are
environment
high achievement
expectations for all
where students of
students and diverse
teachers. The backgrounds and
principal and other experiences are
leaders provide taught the school
professional code of conduct
learning for teachers
(customs) to help
lacking
understanding of the them be successful
impact that attitudes in the school
regarding race, context.
disabilities,
background, culture,
high expectations,
and social class of
both students and
teachers have on the
teaching and
learning process.

EVIDENCE: In the space below, provide detailed evidence supporting your rating
above – The teachers at WLA do a wonderful job of creating positive learning
environments where students feel open to share and participate in class. Each year a
survey is sent around to parents to evaluate the school. Positive learning is an area WLA
scores high in each year. Teachers are also successful at meeting students needs and
adjusting assignments to best meet the student.
CURRENT REALITY AND GSAPS 20

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Kkz3ipWYv1-
Zo9T4QmELOUAbckjXK_DUvp5yFsNR9LU/edit?usp=sharing

RECOMMENDATIONS: WLA is a dual language school and has many festivals centered
around the hispanic culture. It would be great to see if the students had a chance to
show their culture and where they come from because there are more than just the
hispanic aspect of it.