The specific strategies were developed for teachers to increase brain development, increase student investment learning, and subsequently to increase achievement and likelihood of success. These strategies have been infused into every teacher education program at Francis Marion University.

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Teaching Children of Poverty

Standard 1:
Life in Poverty

Teacher Candidates exemplify their understanding of students’ behavior
differences that may occur as a result of cultural differences. Teacher
candidates apply acquired knowledge, skills and dispositions grounded in current
research to create learning environments that value, engage and support
children of poverty as capable learners.

ELEMENT 1.1 The candidate will apply current research to interpret the
life in poverty as it relates to educational environments.

Supplementary Notes:

• Recognize poverty as the extent to which an individual has available and uses necessary resources, including health care resources, role models, and support systems.

• Compare generational and situational poverty.
• Explain the relationship of poverty with other risk indicators, such as race, ethnicity, limited English proficiency, parents’ educational attainment level, and single parent family status.

• Exemplify the roles that self-efficacy, learned helplessness, and learned optimism play in the personality development of children of poverty.
• Explain how contextual risk factors, such as poor nutrition and inadequate housing, can compromise typical development in children of poverty.
• Recall the signs, symptoms, and effects of common health issues of persons living in poverty and explain how health issues impact children of poverty.

ELEMENT 1.2 The candidate will apply current research-based knowledge,
skills, and dispositions to generate and implement classroom strategies designed to support the unique needs of children of poverty.

Supplementary Notes:

• Create supportive environments for students who exhibit behaviors viewed as negative or inappropriate that assist them in learning new, more productive behaviors.
• Apply strategies that teach children how to code-switch as necessary between cultural contexts.
• Create appropriate links to resources that can support students’ success in academic contexts.

STANDARD 1:
Life in Poverty

I. Overview

This module deals with the restrictive elements of life in poverty that shape the learning environment of the student. The module analyzes the relationship of race, social-economic class, and culture, as well as, the impact these facets have
on the educational success of the child of poverty. Special features of the module deal with “poverty bias” in the classroom/school setting, the hidden rules
of poverty in society, indicators (thresholds) of poverty, and internal vs. external factors of poverty.

II. Rationale

This module is important because many people, including teachers and preservice teachers, misunderstand the reasons for classroom behaviors sometimes demonstrated by students who come from impoverished backgrounds. When teachers or others who work with children of poverty understand the behaviors in
terms of cultural differences, they are able to respond more positively to what are often labeled as negative or inappropriate behaviors. Teachers who understand
the life of poverty are typically better able to assist students in learning new behaviors that are more productive.

III. Content

a. Necessary Resources for Success
b. Risk Indicators and Contextual Risk Factors
c. Health Issues, Signs and Symptoms
d. The “Hidden Rules of Poverty”
e. Generational vs. Situational Poverty
f. Family-based Relationships and Role Models
g. Self-efficacy, Learned Helplessness, Learned Optimism

Teaching Children of Poverty

STANDARD 2:
Language and Literacy

Teacher Candidates exemplify their understanding of the unique aspects of language development that influence children of poverty’s abilities to be successful members of a classroom’s community structure. Teacher Candidates apply acquired knowledge, skills and dispositions grounded in current research to create learning environments and home-school-community partnerships that are specifically designed to support children of poverty as successful language learners.

ELEMENT 2.1: The candidate will apply current research to explain the nature of language deficits frequently registered by children of poverty.

ELEMENT 2.2: The candidate will apply current research to generate and implement appropriate strategies for facilitating language learning in the home.

ELEMENT 2.3: The candidate will apply current research-based knowledge, skills, and dispositions to create effective instructional environments that support the growth of language skills of children of poverty.

STANDARD 2:
Language and Literacy

I. Overview

This standard deals with the importance of literacy for all children and especially children of poverty who often enter school with language differences. Teacher candidates learn and apply many approaches to facilitate and enhance children’s listening, speaking, writing, and reading vocabularies. This standard is designed to assist candidates in working with children, especially children living in poverty, as they develop language skills. Research-based approaches to language and literacy will be explored, including strategies to assess literacy backgrounds for children of poverty.

II. Rationale

This module is important because many children of poverty enter school lacking language skills which are a driving factor in literacy skills. Their working vocabulary is often very low compared to children of higher income families. Teacher candidates need to be able to address these language and literacy issues at all grade levels, but especially in the formative early childhood years. Also, teacher candidates need to be able to share appropriate strategies with parents of children of poverty so that they can assist in their child’s literacy development.

III. Content

1. Language-oriented background knowledge and experiences
2. The nature of reading
3. Research-based practices for reading instruction
4. Struggling readers
5. Literacy-rich classrooms
6. Language-rich homes

Teaching Children of Poverty

STANDARD 3:
Family and Community Partnerships

Teacher Candidates exemplify their understanding of the structures and cultures of families of poverty and of their local communities. Teacher candidates apply acquired knowledge, skills and dispositions grounded in current research to create effective, achievement-oriented relationships with families and communities that embrace them as valid partners in children’s education.

ELEMENT 3.1 The candidate will apply current research to explain how family structures of children of poverty impact home-school-community partnerships.

Supplementary Notes:

• Classify the family structures or forms that exist for children of poverty and compare them with those of their more affluent peers.
• Apply understandings of family structures to generate strategies for capitalizing on the strengths and value of cultural differences.

ELEMENT 3.2 The candidate will apply current research-based knowledge, skills, and dispositions to generate and implement of a plan for partnerships between home, school and community stakeholders.

Supplementary Notes:

• Generate and implement achievement-oriented plans for family and community partnerships using a framework that includes strategies that support six primary areas for partnership: parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community.

ELEMENT 3.3 The candidate will apply current research-based knowledge, skills, and dispositions to successfully generate and implement a service-learning activity with children and/or their families living in poverty.

Supplementary Notes:

• Apply inferences about the needs of children of poverty to successfully generate and execute a service learning project in a K-12 classroom or in a community-based setting.

STANDARD 3:
Family and Community Partnerships

I. Overview

This module deals with the structure and culture of families that live in poverty and the local communities in which they reside. The community resources and services that are available to support families living in poverty will be explored, as will methods for successfully communicating with families that need access to the resources. Service learning projects can provide important insight into the families supporting children of poverty and the community serving these children.

II. Rationale

An understanding of the value, validity, and strengths of different family structures is critical when working with children of poverty. Teacher candidates need to understand the support systems in place for children of poverty. They also need to have skills to communicate positively with families and to embrace families as valid partners in children’s education.

III. Content

a. Family Structures that Impact Partnerships and Strategies
b. A Framework for Partnerships
1. Parenting
2. Communicating
3. Volunteering
4. Learning at Home
5. Decision Making
6. Collaborating with Community
c. Service Learning

Teaching Children of Poverty

STANDARD 4:
The Classroom Community

Teacher Candidates exemplify their understanding of the unique aspects of social, emotional, and cognitive development that influence children of poverty’s abilities to be successful members of a classroom’s community structure. Teacher Candidates apply acquired knowledge, skills and dispositions grounded in current research to create positive, relationship-driven classroom environments that are specifically designed to support children of poverty as engaged participants in the classroom environment and as successful lifelong learners.

ELEMENT 4.1 The candidate will apply current research to compare the social, emotional, and cognitive developmental abilities of impoverished students with those of their more affluent peers.

Supplementary Notes:

• Explain how differences in development and achievement may be linked to self-efficacy.
• Explain how differences in development and achievement may be linked to motivation and engagement.
• Explain how differences in development and achievement may be linked to school-based relationships and role models.
• Explain how differences in development and achievement may be linked to classroom management systems.

ELEMENT 4.2 The candidate will apply current research-based knowledge, skills, and dispositions to create and implement classroom strategies that cultivate a positive classroom community that recognizes children of poverty as capable learners and that implements explicit instruction in success-oriented strategies.

Supplementary Notes:

• Create and implement strategies designed to establish a positive tone and atmosphere in the classroom.
• Create and implement strategies that explicitly teach rules, routines, and procedures in the classroom context.
• Create and implement appropriate instructional strategies, including modeling, success on challenging-but-doable tasks, verbal persuasion, and success-strategy instruction.
• Create and implement instruction that actively increases motivation and engagement, including appropriate uses of praise and encouragement.
• Create and implement a classroom plan that includes specific strategies for gaining student cooperation and for encouraging positive student participation.

STANDARD 4:
The Classroom Community

I. Overview

This module deals with the many facets of the classroom community. The module analyzes the social, emotional, and cognitive aspects of the individual students which play a major role in the student’s ability to be a part of a classroom’s community structure. Teacher skills that address positive tone, student participation, classroom organization, self-efficacy, motivation, and active engagement are also addressed by this module.

II. Rationale

This module is important because children of poverty have unique needs to become engaged participants in the learning community. Teacher candidates need to develop skills to build a positive classroom environment so that all students can grow and be successful learners.

III. Content

h. Self-efficacy and Achievement
i. Motivation and Engagement
j. School-based Relationships and Role Models
k. Relationship Driven Classroom Management Plans

Teaching Children of Poverty

STANDARD 5:
Curriculum Design, Instructional Strategies & Assessment

Teacher Candidates exemplify their understanding of how the use of specific elements of curriculum design, instructional strategies and assessment support the academic achievement of children of poverty. Teacher candidates apply acquired knowledge, skills and dispositions grounded in current research to create and implement results-driven instructional strategies and assessments.

ELEMENT 5.1 The candidate will apply current research to explain the importance of accessing students’ background knowledge prior to planning instruction.

ELEMENT 5.2 The candidate will apply current research to a) explain how alignment of state mandated curriculum with instruction and assessment impacts achievement of children of poverty; and b) analyze (align) state content standards with planned instruction and assessment.

ELEMENT 5.3 The candidate will apply current research to explain appropriate types of assessment methods for use with children of poverty.

ELEMENT 5.4 The candidate will apply current research to explain elements of age- and developmentally-appropriate curriculum design appropriate for children of poverty.

ELEMENT 5.5 The candidate will apply research-based knowledge, skills, and dispositions to create and implement results-driven instructional strategies and assessments.

Supplementary Notes:

• Create and implement plans for accessing students’ background knowledge prior to planning instruction.
• Apply data collected relative to background knowledge to generate and implement instructional planning and assessment.
• Create and implement authentic and appropriate formative and summative assessments most likely to lead to increases in achievement by children of poverty.
• Create and implement age- and developmentally-appropriate curriculum design and instruction.

STANDARD 5:
Curriculum Design, Instructional Strategies & Assessment

I. Overview

This standard deals with the importance of research based curriculum design that integrates theories of child development and content standards. Horizontal and vertical teaming are vehicles for the delivery of quality curriculum design. Current research on teaming will be explored.
This standard deals with the role of assessments and assessment data for teachers in the classroom that serve children of poverty. The identification of data and its use for assessment and evaluation are addressed. Categorical data, such as Free and Reduced Lunch status vs. Paid Lunch status, is a standard poverty index in the state school system.

II. Rationale

Children of poverty often have cognitive delays that need to be addressed through intentional curriculum design. Instructional strategies that take into account these cognitive delays will assure greater possibilities of academic success. Teaming is an excellent route for teachers to plan and evaluate instruction. Teaching students metacognitive skills is an important strategy to increase the academic success of children of poverty.

Teachers need to be able to identify, interpret, and make instructional decisions based on the available data for children of poverty. The interpretation of the data for use in decision-making for the classroom is important to improve instruction. Also, teachers need to be able to share testing results with parents in a positive way so that the ultimate goal of improved achievement is addressed.

III. Content

l. Background Knowledge
m. Curriculum Design

1. Growth and development as it drives curriculum design
2. Alignment of curriculum with instruction and assessment
3. Appropriate instructional strategies
4. Metacognitive strategies that facilitate student learning
5. Horizontal and vertical teaching teams
n. Assessment
1. Authentic assessment
2. Formative assessment strategies
3. Summative assessment strategies
4. Assessment data and effective instructional planning
5. Assessment data organized by poverty subgroups

Teaching Children of Poverty

STANDARD 6:
Teachers of Children of Poverty as Learners, Leaders, and Advocates

Teacher Candidates exemplify their commitment to learning about and advocating for children of poverty. Teacher candidates apply acquired knowledge, skills and dispositions grounded in current research to create and implement professional development and advocacy plans that exemplify their understanding of their roles as leaders in working with children of poverty.

ELEMENT 6.1 The candidate will apply current research to generate an appropriate plan for life-long learning that includes the elements of self-reflection and self-evaluation, especially as they relate to personal qualities, including knowledge, skills, and dispositions, necessary for success as a teacher of children of poverty.

ELEMENT 6.2 The candidate will apply current research-based knowledge, skills, and dispositions to exemplify professional leadership through participation in a variety of professional activities that focus on the issues that impact children of poverty.

ELEMENT 6.3 The candidate will apply current research-based knowledge, skills, and dispositions to advocate for children of poverty by creating and executing appropriate advocacy activities designed to illuminate their needs and improve their academic success.

STANDARD 6:
Teachers of Children of Poverty as Learners, Leaders, and Advocates

I. Overview

The objectives of this module are articulated independently, but it should be noted that self-reflection is critical for all teacher candidates in all modules. For teacher candidates the practice of reflective thinking should be included in all aspects of their professional development. Teacher candidates should demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to teach all students, including children of poverty who have special educational needs.

II. Rationale

Teachers in the Pee Dee of South Carolina will have children of poverty in their classrooms. It is critical that teachers stay current with research based practices to assist these students. They will also become role models for these students and should remain cognizant of their responsibilities. Reflective practitioners who constantly ask themselves how to improve their professional skills will be the most successful in teaching children of poverty.

III. Content

a. The Teacher as a Learner

1. Self-reflection and self-evaluation
2. The responsibilities of role models
3. Teacher qualities that result in student success

b. The Teacher as a Leader

1. Ways teachers lead
2. Leadership through professional organization membership/participation

c. The Teacher as an Advocate for Children of Poverty

1. The importance of advocacy
2. Strategies for advocacy