About the Program
Project PULSE:
A collaborative effort between KSU, Geary County School District, and the Salina School District.
Project PULSE Mission:
(a) To endorse 100 teachers in the Geary County and Salina School District in ESL Education via the CLASSIC© ESL/Dual Language model;
(b) to strengthen the capacity of ESL Education endorsees, regular classroom teachers, support staff, school administrators, and university faculty by providing extended professional development training in the SIOP Model of sheltered English instruction and assessment;
(c) to increase collaboration between the classroom teachers, building staff, districts, communities, and local IHEs through summer institutes; and
(d) to assess and evaluate Project PULSE for continuous program refinements and improvement.
Project PULSE Goal:
To increase the number and enhance the quality of ESL teachers and general classroom teachers needed to serve the growing number of ELLs in the Geary County Schools and the Salina Public Schools of the Midwest.
Project PULSE Outcomes:
(a) new participant capacities for standards-based teaching;
(b) participant competencies in the conduct of critically reflective practice;
(c) high-quality sheltered instruction in target-school classrooms;
(d) the formation of a critical nucleus for school restructuring to more appropriately address the assets and needs of ELL students; and
(e) the post-training evaluation of participant effectiveness with English language learning students.
Expected teacher outcomes include:
(a) new competencies and essential teaching skills related to implementing local/state standards and assessments;
(b) improved ability to work collaboratively to provide effective services for ELLs; (c) greater understanding and appreciation of cultural and linguistic differences; (d) greater understanding of second language principles and how these can be incorporated into learning activities;
(e) improved ability to incorporate the culture of diverse student populations into the curriculum;
(f) effective utilization of authentic assessments for students with diverse needs; and
(g) an increased ability to collaborate with teachers across the curriculum as well as give feedback, ideas, and suggestions to faculty of IHEs through summer institutes.
Expected student outcomes include:
(a) an increased performance related to adopted content standards;
(b) increased proficiency in the English language;
(c) increased accountability for students own learning; and
(d) greater participation with peers in general education settings.
Expected district/institute of higher education outcomes include:
(a) effective research-based methods/instructional strategies utilized to address needs of ELLs and their families;
(b) a system-wide professional development plan based on an effective training model;
(c) the development of training curricula to prepare teachers to work with ELLs; (d) higher accountability for student achievement within a standards-based system;
(e) increased numbers of English proficient students;
(f) the development of seamless comprehensive services for all students in schools; (g) increased dialogue with school districts and teachers (both pre-service and in-service) to determine needs; and
(h) greater collaboration between home/school/ community to increase student achievement and access to educational settings.
Participating Schools:
Salina School District:
Cottonwood Elementary, Oakdale Elementary, Schilling Elementary Sunset Elementary, Lakewood Middle School, Salina South High School
Geary County School District:
Custer Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, Lincoln Elementary Washington Elementary, Westwood Elementary, Junction City High School
