The Power of Shadowing Multilingual Learners: A Success Story on HTH Unboxed Podcast
“The momentum that we picked up once we started collecting this [information] was just so powerful. We immediately started seeing changes in our classrooms.” - Principal Tammy Unck, Bernal Intermediate School
In the “S7E8 The Power of Shadowing Multilingual Learners” episode of the High Tech High Unboxed podcast, host Alec Patton talked to Principal Tammy Unck, Assistant Principal Maria Smith, and previous Partners in School Innovation Supervising Improvement Partner Uchenna Lewis about Bernal Intermediate School's work with Partners in School Innovation on improving outcomes for multilingual learners (MLLs) using student shadowing techniques and elements of the AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) curriculum.
The results of the dedicated work was astounding: During the 2022-2023 school year, Bernal achieved a 250% increase in the rate of MLLs reclassified to fluent English proficient status, which affects students’ abilities to continue education through college/university as some admissions are barred based on language proficiency status.
How did the school get there? By focusing on their multilingual learners who comprise 1/7th of their student population and assessing actual student data to set specific goals that leverage whole school transformation strategies. The plan was to be “less teacher-directed, more student-directed.”
“Once we implemented…teachers quickly adapted what they were doing and how they were teaching to the students, and I think that’s where the power is. We can roll out all the PD [professional development] we want. I’ve been doing this 20 years now as a principal and have rolled out a lot of PD. This PD - MLL shadow day and the work we did with Partners - is the most impactful I have ever seen for students.”
Listen to the 41-minute episode to learn more about:
How a theory of improvement framework helps align objectives
Challenges when programs assume all MLLs are merely Spanish speakers
How Results Oriented Cycles of Inquiry (ROCI) helped Bernal Intermediate School
How Partners uses the School Transformation Rubric and Theory of Action to help schools
Types of student collaboration strategies for multilingual learners
You can access resources on student shadowing through our MLL blog post here.
“Unboxed” is a media platform that produces podcasts, videos, interviews, card decks, and curricular resources to spread good ideas that can improve schools.
More Partners in School Innovation thought leadership
Visit thefull catalog of pieces here which includes podcast episodes, webinars on-demand, and featured articles.
Graphic of dark blue microphone. Underneath is the Partners in School Innovation logo and words “featured on” next to the cover image of the High Tech High Unboxed podcast episode.
