Leadership Cycle 1

Part B: Written Narrative:

Contributing Factors and Problem Statement Template

Step 2: Plan
Part B: Written Narrative: Contributing Factors and
Problem Statement Template
Directions: Respond to the prompts below (no more than 5 pages). Type your responses within the brackets
following each prompt. Do not delete or alter the prompts. NOTE: When citing relevant research, embed your
citations directly within your written responses. Do not provide citations in a separate list.

I. Institutional/Structural Factors

1. What potential contributing factors are suggested by the data you have collected and
analyzed that may have created or added to the equity gap you identified for a student
group at your school?
[When analyzing the data collected, there are several areas that can be attributed as
contributing factors to the equity gap experienced by Hispanic students at Tustin High School.
Teachers have reported that students take part in the interventions provided within the bell
schedule and attendance for activities outside of the bell schedule are not as well attended.
Data from “Titan Tutors”, the tutoring service that Tustin High contracts with for afterschool
support, reports that only 2% of the student population is attending free tutoring after school.
Interviews with teachers report that students have shared that they are sometimes not able to
keep up with schoolwork while at home due to family responsibilities. Examining the data from
interviews with parents during home visits, it indicates that parents confirm this feedback from
students and the constraints on their time after school and on weekends. This data leads me to
believe that the focus of programs after school and on weekends is not where it should be. If
students are not able to attend due to work or childcare commitments, the school needs to find
a way to offer interventions during the bell schedule.
The data also suggests that many of the Hispanic students are not performing as well due to
feelings of inferiority and lack of confidence in their abilities. These feelings seem to be
compounded by the lack of knowledge about the rigor of the course and the number of students
who level down to an easier course within the first four weeks of the semester. Students are
reporting that they do not feel that they can compete with the other “smarter” students who have
been taking Honors and Advanced Placement courses previously. They report not having very
much information about the rigor of the course and not feeling comfortable in asking clarifying
questions or asking for support. Structural factors like irregular messaging from the Advanced
Placement teachers regarding the expectations and support provided for the course show that
students are not receiving the desired message from the teachers.
Another structural factor that may be contributing to the decrease in College and Career
Readiness for Hispanic students is the way the master schedule is constructed and how the
courses are placed. When the emphasis in building a master schedule is on the higher level,
Advanced Placement courses that only a small fraction of the student body takes and not on the
support classes needed to maintain levels of student achievement, the students who need the
support will lose.]

Copyright © 2021 by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Page 1 of 4

1900 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95811 5 pages maximum
All rights reserved. V04
 Leadership Cycle 1
Part B: Written Narrative:
Contributing Factors and Problem Statement Template

2. How do these specific contributing factors, including institutional and/or structural factors,
impact student learning or well-being for the student group?
[These factors are impacting student learning in a negative manner. Because students are
obligated to assist their families with either childcare or income from a part-time job, they are not
able to access the interventions that are offered after school or on weekends. This inability to
access the intervention is resulting earning D’s or F’s in core academic classes, which takes the
student off-track for College and Career Readiness and A-G compliance.
The feelings of inferiority and inability to measure up is having a lasting effect on Hispanic
students. Students meet with their counselor to confirm course selections for the next year, in
an open setting with no privacy. Being surrounded by their peers who are listening in to the
conversation is not a conducive environment to explore options for pushing themselves
academically. If the students already have a negative perception of their ability to access the
curriculum, they are unlikely to attempt a conversation about their fitness for the course in front
of their peers. This environment is a structural factor that can be examined and possibly
changed. Hispanic students also report that they do not know enough about the content and
rigor of the course when they are registering, as the main options for more information about the
course is to read the course description or talk with the teacher of the course. The course
description is dry and covers the facts. The best course of action would be to speak with the
teacher but many students are intimidated. The lack of information and hesitancy in accessing
the source creates a barrier for these students. Once students are enrolled in the course and
progressing, they are less likely to ask for help and be able to have the time available outside of
school to receive the help they need. There is a type of domino effect that is created where
students do not understand the content, have little to no time outside of the bell schedule for
support, which leads to lower grades on tests and projects, which leads to embarrassment over
the grades and further feelings of inferiority.
The master schedule and the priority placed on ensuring AP classes are protected is also a
contributing factor to negatively impacting the educational equity gap found in Hispanic
students. The focus on ensuring that AP classes have placement priority often means that
support classes are not as important when building the master schedule. This means that those
courses are usually classes that are filled in where space allows and where teachers need an
“extra” class to teach. Often times, the most motivating teachers, those who can reach students
and know the value of intervention are often already scheduled for a full day and cannot take on
additional classes.]

3. Cite research related to your findings regarding contributing factors that may have created
or added to the equity gap you have identified for the student group.
[Research continues to be done on the achievement of each subgroup of students that are on
California’s school campuses, in order to continue to grow and improve instruction and learning
outcomes for students. In their article, “A Hidden Part of Me”, researchers Jason G. Irizarry and
John Raible explore how institutionalized racism contributes to Hispanic students’ feelings of
inferiority when compared to White students. They also critically examine how a supportive
classroom atmosphere, one in which dialogue and partnership between student and teacher is
clear, can help students move from feelings of shame to confidence in their abilities. (Jason G.
Irizarry & John Raible (2014) “A Hidden Part of Me”: Latino/a Students, Silencing, and the
Epidermalization of Inferiority, Equity & Excellence in Education, 47:4, 430-
444, DOI: https://10.1080/10665684.2014.958970)

Copyright © 2021 by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Page 2 of 4

1900 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95811 5 pages maximum
All rights reserved. V04
 Leadership Cycle 1
Part B: Written Narrative:
Contributing Factors and Problem Statement Template

In their article, “Trends in Hispanic Academic Achievement”, researchers Carlos J. Ortiz,

Melissa A. Valerio and Kristina Lopez sought to identify factors that have influenced high school
completion and college readiness rates among Hispanic students. They found that a focus on
the school organizational level where parental involvement, especially by fathers, is championed
and requiring teachers to undergo cultural training is a standard that all must meet. (Carlos J.
Ortiz, Melissa A. Valerio, & Kristina Lopez (2012) “Trends in Hispanic Academic Achievement:
Where Do We Go From Here?” Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 11 (2), 136-148,
https://journals-sagepub-com.lib-proxy.fullerton.edu/doi/pdf/10.1177/1538192712437935

In their paper, “Academic Achievement among Immigrant and U.S.-Born Latino Adolescents”,
Santiago, et al explored how cultural, family and acculturation factors have affected
Latino/Hispanic students and impacted their achievement levels. They saw that Hispanic
students have been shown to have an increased risk of dropping out of high school and having
a lower-than-average educational achievement level (based on grade point average, credits
earned, etc.) than those of their non-Hispanic White peers. They examined the possible barriers
to success for these students and their results corroborate what I have found at Tustin High
School. Hispanic students in this study faced additional academic stress due to the need for
them to help with family responsibilities and obligations. This obligation gives the student
additional stressors, in both the family and school environments, making the stress even worse.
(Santiago, C.D., Gudino, O. G., Baweja, S., & Nadeem, E. (2014). Academic Achievement
among Immigrant and U.S.-Born Latino Adolescents: Associations with Cultural, Family, and
Acculturation Factors. Journal of Community Psychology, 42(6), 735-747. https://doi-org.lib-
proxy.fullerton.edu/10.1002/jcop.21649)]

4. Identify areas of educational need related to the single equity gap for a group of students
(e.g., the school needs additional supports or materials, necessary specialists or counselors,
after-school programs for students).
[The first area to be addressed would be to examine how intervention supports are offered to
students and when they are offered. Finding ways to provide tutoring during the bell schedule is
a necessary first step to addressing the gap. If Hispanic students are able to make the
intervention work for their schedule and not shirk their familial obligations, they are more likely to
take advantage of it. The next area to address would be the environment in which students must
make course selection decisions. Providing a more private space for students to explore these
options would help those who lack the courage to approach their counselor before course
selection decisions need to be made. Lack of confidence leads students to avoid even
broaching the subject of a more rigorous course in the presence of some of their peers.
Knowing more information about the expectations, rigor, as well as what supports will be
provided to help them be more successful in the class. Having access to the teacher of the
course, as well as bringing in current and prior students who are also Hispanic and found
success in the class to talk about their experiences and expectations, would help students feel
more at ease and persist. Lastly, changing the way the master schedule is designed and built
would address the issue of needed support classes being offered at the appropriate times. If the
master schedule were built with the needs of the struggling students in mind, instead of
prioritizing AP classes, the supports for students would be built-in and easily accessible to all
students.]

Copyright © 2021 by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Page 3 of 4

1900 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95811 5 pages maximum
All rights reserved. V04
 Leadership Cycle 1
Part B: Written Narrative:
Contributing Factors and Problem Statement Template

II. Problem Statement to Address Student Group Area of Need

Directions: Prepare a problem statement that culminates from your data collection and equity gap analysis. Your
analysis may have revealed several contributing factors that impact the equity gap you identified for a student
group. Some of these factors may be larger societal issues while others may be related to specific practices at the
school. Select from the areas of educational need you have identified for the student group that could be
addressed at the school level and develop one problem statement.

5. Problem Statement: Describe the equity gap that needs to be addressed by a problem-
solving team at the school for the California state indicator and student group area of need
(achievement or well-being) that you have identified.
[At Tustin High School, Hispanic students are more likely than their non-Hispanic peers to have
experienced a decrease in their rates of College and Career Readiness, as well as A-G
Compliance. Recent research indicates several factors that have contributed to this decline,
which is corroborated by data taken at Tustin High School. These factors include: difficulties
with their ability to access interventions outside of the bell schedule due to family obligations;
the lack of confidence in their own skills needed to approach the course or teachers and
counselors about the course; and structural deficiencies within the master schedule and how it
is constructed have all led to this decrease, as shown by data from the California School
Dashboard.]

Copyright © 2021 by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Page 4 of 4

1900 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95811 5 pages maximum
All rights reserved. V04