Initiate Involvement of a Hispanic Young Woman with Honors/AP ProgrammingKim Geddes

RSLP Assignment

EPSY 7270E

RSLP Overview

• By establishing a student-mentor relationship, differentiating instruction, and providing college/career counseling, I will encourage and ultimately persuade a young Hispanic woman currently in regular academic courses to enroll in honors/AP programming at our high school.

Background

• “Carlie” is a Hispanic student in the regular academic track who shows much promise, works hard, exhibits maturity beyond her age, and is committed to achieving academic success.

• She has never been identified as gifted or encouraged to enroll in honors courses.

• Carlie feels that she could not be successful in an accelerated program.

Project Goals

• Assist Carlie in realizing her talents and improve her self-concept.

• Enroll Carlie in at least one honors/AP course for the 2009-2010 academic school year.

• Develop college and career goals commensurate with her high potential.

• Gain a better understanding of factors that improve motivation and self-concept for Hispanic girls.

Context

• Rural high school with majority middle-class, white students.

• In this school district, the Hispanic population is generally low-achieving, low socioeconomic status, and possess little or no education beyond high school.

• Undertone of prejudice by certain members of the majority against Hispanic members of the school and surrounding community.

Retention Activities Utilized

• Active learning strategies using differentiated instruction and tiered assignments.

• Student-mentor relationship.

• Service learning project: college/career luncheon targeting ethnic minority young women in the school interested in science, math and technology majors and careers.

Procedures/Timeline

• Ongoing: Seek opportunities to counsel and encourage Carlie on academics and future goals.

• 1/26 – 1/30 Confer with Carlie’s current math teacher concerning movement from regular academic math to honors or AP math.

• 1/26 – 2/6 Develop and implement first tiered lesson plan.• 2/9 – 2/13 Begin service learning project.• 2/23 – 2/27 Develop and implement second tiered lesson plan.• 3/1/09 Organize an informal meeting with Carlie and invite her

other teachers (perhaps a lunch meeting) to discuss possible placement in AP courses next year.

Procedures/Timeline (cont.)

• 3/1 – 3/27 Plan and implement the college/career luncheon with Carlie’s assistance.

• 3/16 – 3/20 Develop and implement third tiered lesson plan.

• 4/6 – 4/10 Confirm Carlie’s enrollment in honors/AP programming for the 2009-2010 school year.

Facilitation of Retention Seminar

• Title: “Lunch and Learn,” a college and career exploration for ethnic minority middle and high school girls.

• Goals: Introduce high school girls to professional role models, encourage girls and specifically ethnic minority girls to consider college as an option, develop a plan for achieving that goal.

Seminar Outcomes

• Due to the science and technology focus, discussions focused on science and math opportunities in high school and college that support these careers.

• Active and lively Q&A sessions between industry representatives and students.

• Middle school girls were especially interested in learning about opportunities for advanced science and math courses at the high school level.

• Positive interaction between middle and high school girls with high school girls taking on role model positions.

• Middle school girls expressed a desire to enroll in advanced programming based on these interactions.

Scenes from the seminar

Outcomes of the project

• Active learning strategies worked to improve Carlies’ self-concept and self-confidence.

• The service learning project allowed Carlie to assume a role model position that strengthened her leadership capabilities.

• Carlie enrolled in three AP/honors courses for next year (math, science, and language arts).

Personal Growth from the Project

• Increased sensitivity to the under-representation of ethnic minorities in gifted programming.

• Greater knowledge of teaching strategies that result in retention of ethnic minority students.

• Developed a repertoire of tiered lessons that differentiate based on learning styles.

• Gained insight about Hispanic families and the obstacles that they face in our county and our school system.