MD4 dis2

To prepare:
• Review your Module 4 Discussion 1 scenario, the data associated with your scenario, and the resulting dialogue in the Discussion forum.
• Review the assigned Fullan (2016) chapters for this module as well as chapters from previous modules. Reflect on the various strategies Fullan presents for addressing educational change. How might those strategies 

Amanda Puryear

A significant issue in the Hearne ISD gifted and talented program is the lack of gifted-specific instructional strategies utilized in the classroom. This issue stems from the lack of gifted certified teachers in the district. Out of the 71 teachers employed from k-12, only 14, 19%, have completed the gifted and talented training course (A.Puryear, personal communication, December 26, 2022). This lack of enrichment can lead gifted students to become bored in the classroom. It is imperative to the gifted and talented program that more teachers become trained in gifted instruction and accommodate our higher-achieving students.

The first strategy I would use to target this issue is forming a professional learning community focused on gifted education. According to Fullan (2016), teachers need purposeful interaction like skill training workshops and time to converse with one another in order to give and receive help in learning new instructional strategies. Another strategy that I would use is applying the right pressure for change. Making training and the implementation of strategies a job-embedded requirement shows that gifted education is just as important as general education. This pressure can be applied through the use of a focus on the data, which shows an increase in the number of students classified as gifted. However, as Fullan(2016) describes, pressure should also be accompanied by time for teachers to process and react to the change and collaborate with others to find success. By creating a district-based gifted and talented training program, our teachers will be able to learn from each other on the best methods to reach our gifted students.

References

Fullan, M. (2016). The new meaning of educational change (5th ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Katheryn Gonzales

The primary issue concerning the “Reading Wars” is that teachers are not being taught specifically how to teach reading in their schools. Many teachers are learning through school curriculum, professional development, and experience. However, many teachers are unaware of the science behind reading and the importance of teaching students to look at a word and decode it properly. The research suggests that 33% of teachers learned how to teach reading through professional development, 17% through experience, 14% through curriculum, and 15% said other and so on (Loewus, 2019).

The first strategy I would use to address this issue, according to Fullan (2016), is to “assume that lack of capacity is the initial problem and then work on it continuously” (p. 46). The assumption, to begin with, is that people in education do not know how to improve the situation regarding the best way to teach reading and also acknowledge that teachers need to be taught in college the science behind reading and how best to teach it before leaving for the classroom. Once the lack of capacity has been acknowledged, work hard every day to improve.

The next strategy I would focus on effectively addressing change is establishing positive pressure (Fullan, 2016). The crisis with the “Reading Wars” is not isolated to one school or school district; this is a problem nationwide. According to Fullan (2016), we need to take the excuses off the table to establish positive pressure. As resources, capacity, and positive examples of successful reading programs are working and distractions removed, positive peer pressure is essential to see actual change.

References
:

Fullan, M. (2016). The new meaning of educational change (5th ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Loewus, L. (2019, December 4). Data: How Reading Is Really Being Taught. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-Links to an external site.

learning/data-how-reading-is-really-being-taught/2019/12

due Jan 16

Module 4: Discussion 2

APPLYING STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE

Once the need for change has been identified and planning begins to enact it, educational and community leaders must apply strategies for successful implementation. As Fullan (2016) notes, proposed change is often made more complicated than it needs to be, and the most effective approach requires that, among other factors, strategies should be focused, memorable, and actionable. Consider the scenario you developed for this module’s Discussion 1. What strategy would most effectively support the changes involved? How would you lead the change process?

For this Discussion, you will apply evidence-based strategies for leading change to a scenario based on your community and specialization.

To prepare:

· Review your Module 4 Discussion 1 scenario, the data associated with your scenario, and the resulting dialogue in the Discussion forum.

· Review the assigned Fullan (2016) chapters for this module as well as chapters from previous modules. Reflect on the various strategies Fullan presents for addressing educational change. How might those strategies address the issue present in your scenario?

Assignment Task Part 1

Write an
1 ½ page explanation of the two strategies from Fullan (2016) that would most effectively address the issue in your scenario for Discussion 1. Then, explain how each strategy targets the problem you identified and how change will occur as a result of implementing each strategy. Be sure to support your explanation with reference to the data associated with your scenario.

For this Discussion, and all scholarly writing in this course and throughout your program, you will be required to use APA style and provide reference citations.

Assignment Task Part 2

Read a selection of your colleagues’ posts.

Respond to at least two colleagues
in a 150 word response each of the following:

· who have identified a different strategy by offering a rationale for or against their selected strategy.

· Support your response with specific reference to the Learning Resources, research, and prior professional experiences.

·
For this Discussion, and all scholarly writing in this course and throughout your program, you will be required to use APA style and provide reference citations.

MODULE 4: LEARNING RESOURCES

Required Readings

· Fullan, M. (2016).

The new meaning of educational change (5th ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

· Chapter 3, “Insights into the Change Process” (pp. 39–53)

· Chapter 5, “Planning, Doing, and Coping with Change” (pp. 82–96)

· Giancola, S. (2014). 

Evaluation matters: Getting the information you need from your evaluation
 Links to an external site.

. U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oese/sst/evaluationmatters

· Jayaratne, K. S. U. (2016). T

ools for formative evaluation: Gathering the information necessary for program improvement.
 Links to an external site.

 
Journal of Extension, 54(1), 28. Retrieved from https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1930&context=joe

· Henson, H. (2016). 

Data quality evaluation for program evaluators
 Links to an external site.

. 
Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 21(1), 99-108. doi:10.3138/cjpe.261

· Document: 

Action Plan Template 1

 Download Action Plan Template 1

(Word document)

· Document: 

Action Plan Template 2

 Download Action Plan Template 2

(Word document)

Required Media

· Grand City Community

Go to the 

Grand City Community
 Links to an external site.

and click into City Hall to review the following for this module:

· Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2017a). 
Grand City opening task force meeting [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

· Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2016b). 
Grand City education and demographic data files [PDF]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

2

Scenario

Student’s Name

Institution

Course

Instructor

Date

Scenario

As a specialist in early childhood education, I am always concerned with the issues affecting the sector at both community and professional level. The Grand City case study has exposed the issues that need change within the specialization of early childhood education. Some of the problems experienced in the case are also applicable to my community. Low enrollment into early childhood education program due to financial challenges affecting parents is equally affecting my community. However, in my community of lack of access to quality childcare programs remains a challenge. Parents in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin state are finding it difficult to enroll their children in quality programs due to income challenges. As at the year 2019 there were 37,000 children who were enrolled into childcare programs leaving out a total of 10,000 children. At least 14,000 children under 3 years have been locked out of childcare programs in Milwaukee. 27,000 of the total 47,000 children in Milwaukee cannot access a three-star childcare program (Files, 2020). Some of the specific factors considered for rating these programs include curriculum and wellness, staffing, and environment. There is a shortage of quality providers in both North and South of Milwaukee (Files, 2020).

In Milwaukee South, the problem is exacerbated by the hours of operations. It is challenging for the children in the Southern side of the county since not more than 30% of the childcare programs operate prior to 7 am and after 7 pm. The situation forces parents to look for alternatives jobs that match the time schedule or leave their children in the care of relatives. The problem is equally becoming expensive as most families are forced to spend more than $1,000 per month in childcare programs (Schmid, 2019). If the problem is not addressed a majority of the children will be locked out of childcare programs and thus limiting their chances of accessing quality early childhood education.

References

Files, E. (2020, February 21st). Report: Half of Milwaukee’s young children lack access to quality early education
. BBC World Service. Retrieved from

https://www.wuwm.com/podcast/lake-effect-segments/2020-02-21/report-half-of- milwaukees-young-children-lack-access-to-quality-early-education

Schmid, J. (2019). There is not enough good child care in Milwaukee- and it is often unaffordable.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved from

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/solutions/2019/04/12/just-one-five-milwaukee-

families-have-access-to-licensed-childcare/3423431002/