Engaging, Inspiring and Supporting Hispanic Students for Success

Theresa Mshar • Cahn Fellow 2018

The focus of my Cahn Project is to analyze, understand, and respond to the significant achievement gap in ELA and math for our Hispanic students. Our baseline data was collected from a comprehensive needs-assessment that involved our school community and stakeholders. The assessment involved qualitative and quantitative indicators of the academic performance and social-emotional development of our Hispanic students. Throughout this project, my school community is engaging in cycles of learning focused on effective ways to increase student achievement. We seek to document, measure, and understand the impact of the following school-wide initiatives on our Hispanic students:

• Heterogeneous classes with individualized student scheduling

• UFT contract variance to enhance Small Group Instruction and Teacher Team Inquiry

• Social-emotional supports, including Brain Power Wellness and Parent-Teacher Home Visits

• Academic interventions integrated with sports and wellness