The initiative titled, The Pedagogical Paradigm: Instructional Routines for Educators of English Learners, will begin in Spring 2018. One aspect of the initiative will focus on building community among staff, students and families. In addition, Paradigm will help principals and teachers of grades K-3 learn explicit instructional routines, developed by Dr. Kate Kinsella, that are designed to build all students’ confidence and capabilities in academic language use, and accelerate language proficiency among English learners. There are 3,421 English learners in Franklin-McKinley School District, accounting for 44% of the District’s students.

FMSD will use this opportunity to expand the Academic Vocabulary Toolkit curriculum to grades K-2, providing alignment across K-8. Four schools in Franklin-McKinley will participate in this initiative. “After reviewing our CAASPP results for English Learners for the 2016-2017 school year, we know there is still a lot of work to do to ensure that ALL children are making academic gains,” said Superintendent Juan Cruz.

“The grant will provide us with an opportunity to positively impact the education pathway of our English Learner’s, fostering a brighter future for Franklin-McKinley students,” Karen Allard, Director of Curriculum & Instruction stated.