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TEACHING AT THE NEXT LEVEL $3 MILLION GRANT FOCUSES ON ENGLISH LEARNERS

Thrilled. Grateful. Ready. These words describe the reactions of local K-8 teachers who are embarking upon professional development training to better teach non-native speakers of English in their classrooms.

The training is made possible through a new Richard W. Riley College of Education initiative entitled NExT LEVEL: NETwork for Leading Education that Values English Learners. The College of Education was one of only 49 institutions out of 337 applicants nationwide and the only South Carolina institution to receive the nearly $3 million grant.

Winthrop is currently partnering with the Fort Mill School District (York 4) and the Rock Hill School District (York 3), and will expand the partnership to the Lancaster County School District in the fall. These districts have experienced dramatic increases in English Learner populations.

“South Carolina as a state has seen a 150 percent average increase in English Learners,” said Lisa Johnson, co-principal investigator of the grant and director of Winthrop’s Jim and Sue Rex Institute for Educational Renewal and Partnerships. “This increase is occurring so fast that institutions and schools struggle with preparation to meet the unique needs of second language learners and their families.”

Since Winthrop received the grant in fall 2016, teachers at two model professional development schools – Sugar Creek Elementary in Fort Mill and Sullivan Middle in Rock Hill – have started their first course in what Winthrop officials are proposing as a state endorsement in English as a Second Language. “With more than 75 percent of the teachers and administrators at each site actually enrolled in the graduate course and close to 100 percent participating in professional development, there is a strong commitment to improving teaching for their students,” said Johnson.

Kelly Costner, co-principal investigator of the grant, said the professional development is critically important in order to provide teachers with tips and techniques to get content across to students when language is a barrier.

Sugar Creek Elementary Principal Michelle Vandrovec Gritz ’98, ‘03 said her teachers are thrilled with the opportunity to participate. “The NExT LEVEL initiative will guide our teachers in connecting the information we already know about our English Learners and unlocking new knowledge to better understand and teach our students. It will also help us expand our support to families and increase our community outreach.”

An additional component of the grant is establishing a Parent Institute for Quality Education at each partner school. The six-week program will build more effective communication among teachers, school administrators, parents and caregivers of English Learners.

Sullivan Middle Principal Shane Goodwin ’04 also expressed his appreciation for his school’s participation. “Sullivan has one of the largest English Learner populations in the district. The NExT LEVEL initiative has enabled us to partner with Winthrop to ensure all of our teachers understand and utilize effective techniques that are unique to our English Learners. Research articles, video lessons and direct instruction offered by excellent Winthrop professors are helping us move forward as a school to effectively reach every student and family who walks through our doors.”

The initiative already is yielding results. “Sullivan’s teachers are utilizing NExT LEVEL practices learned through our first course and we are seeing results. We are grateful for our partnership with Winthrop and the many ways it helps our school and our community,” said Goodwin.

Teachers at Sugar Creek Elementary participated in a recent professional development workshop provided by the grant.

Amber Floyd, a middle level education major at Winthrop, worked with students in a

seventh-grade science class during her full-time internship at Sullivan Middle School in Rock Hill.

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