Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students

1. Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students West Memphis School District

2. Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) students CLD students are those who have a language other than English in their background. CLD students have been identified with terms such as English as a Second Language (ESL), English Language Learner (ELL), or Limited English Proficient (LEP). English speaking students who have dialectical differences are not considered to be CLD.

3. Given the proposed definition, the following purposes of multicultural education are offered: 1. Enhance higher-order thinking and problem solving skills to increase academic performance of all students. 2. Increase awareness and knowledge of the history, culture, and perspectives of all ethnic and racial groups in the United States, and eventually, the world. [This includes ALL groups, e.g., early immigrants such as English, Irish, among others; and non-immigrants such as Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Vietnamese, African-Americans, Native Americans, among others]. 3. Enhance students' self-esteem, self-awareness, and identity. 4. Promote the valuing of cultural differences so that they are viewed in an egalitarian mode rather than in an inferior/superior mode. To identify differences, commonalities must be identified. 5. Develop an understanding of the multicultural nation and interdependent world. http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/files/rcd/BE022361/Educating_Teachers_For_Cultural.pdf

4. http://www.leadered.com/pdf/ELL%20Strategies%20Kit%20excerpt.pdfhttp://www.leadered.com/pdf/ELL%20Strategies%20Kit%20excerpt.pdf Top 10 Things That Mainstream Teachers Can Do Today to Improve Instruction for CLD Students 1. Enunciate clearly, but do not raise your voice. Avoid idioms, slang words, and colloquial expressions that CLD students would not understand. 2. Whenever possible, support your words with visuals and gestures. Point directly to objects, dramatize concepts, and display pictures when appropriate. Visuals, gestures, and smiles help CLD students create meaning from a new environment. 3. Write clearly, legibly, and in print — CLD students may have difficulty reading cursive. 4. Develop and maintain regular routines. Use clear and consistent signals for classroom instructions.

5. 5. Repeat information and review frequently. If a student does not understand, a teacher should try rephrasing or paraphrasing in shorter sentences and simpler syntax. Check often for understanding, but do not ask, “Do you understand?” Instead, have students demonstrate their learning in order to show comprehension. 6. Present new information in the context of known information. 7. Announce the lesson’s objectives and activities, and list instructions step-by-step in small “chunks.” 8. Present information using a variety of methods and delivery formats. 9. Provide frequent summations of the salient points of a lesson, and always emphasize key vocabulary words

7. DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES IN THE ACQUISITION OF A SECOND LANGUAGE

9. Pre-referral Checklist for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students • STEP 1 • Initiate the pre-referral process using the • Pre-referral Process Checklist to guide the team • through this process. • Assign a person to coordinate the pre-referral • process for the CLD student who is referred • Interview the person who made the referral to • the pre-referral team to find out more information • about the reason for the referral

10. STEP 2 • Conduct a comprehensive review of student • academic records. • Years of formal education • Frequency of school attendance • Number of schools attended in the past • Learning difficulties noted in the native country • Language of instruction in native country

11. STEP 3 • Review family history including cultural and • economic background. • Collect information about socioeconomic • background, family member(s) educational level, occupation • Collect information about family cultural • background including ethnic group, country, beliefs, language • Collect medical history information from parent/ • guardian including vision/hearing evaluations • Assess differences in school and home behavioral • expectations, using family survey/interviews • Conduct assessments for acculturation level • and socio-cultural factors • Conduct ecological/environmental assessments • of student in home and community settings

12. STEP 4 • Gather information about language dominance • and the student’s motivation to learn English or • to speak in his/her native language. • Examine previous or current test information • concerning dominant language • Obtain information from a Home Language • Survey (may have been conducted during • school registration) • Assess language dominance if no determination • has been made

13. STEP 5 • Gather initial information about a student’s • proficiency in the use of language (in English • and native language). • Basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS) • Academic screenings • Work samples • Classroom observations

14. STEP 6 • Review services, interventions, and strategies • previously used by the student in most recent • classroom environment. Conduct ecological/ • environmental assessments of classroom as needed. • Identify the types of services used by the student • Identify student’s learning style • Identify the dominant language that student • receive instruction • Identify types of classroom adaptations • including accommodations and/or modifications • used in the regular or bilingual classroom, • when they were implemented, and their • effectiveness

15. STEP 7 Decide on possible classroom interventions and strategies based on information collected and team discussion. • STEP 8 • Document the effectiveness of pre-referral interventions and strategies over a time period that is determined by the team. • Use a form(s) to document the process STEP 9 Decide whether or not a referral for special education is warranted, refer to other services (e.g., Chapter I, ESL), or continue with the same interventions and strategies.

16. Remember: • If the learning/behavior problems can be primarily attributed to • - Socio-cultural differences (level of acculturation) • - Economic disadvantage • - Lack of instruction/inconsistent schooling • - Inappropriate instruction • - Ecological/environmental issues in the classroom then the student should not be considered for special education.

17. Arkansas has taken several important steps to address the educational needs of its ELL students: • State and federal funding are provided to assist districts in providing instructional resources for ELLs, and includes funding for professional staff development. • The State Board of Education has approved the creation of an ESL endorsement for licensed teachers. • The State Board of Education has approved the creation of English acquisition Standards. • English Language Learners are required to participate in state mandated criterion referenced assessments and to meet the same state learning standards established for all students. • A statewide assessment system for ELLs is currently in place to provide data required for strategic planning and instructional decisions related to ELL academic achievement. • The State is in its eighth year of providing a summer ESL Academy that trains licensed teachers in ESL. These teachers are eligible for the ESL endorsement after successfully completing the training.http://arksped.k12.ar.us/documents/stateprogramdevelopment/ELLDocument.pdf

18. Tests to Assess Language Proficiency/Dominance Approved by the Arkansas State Department of Education for Use in School Districts • Language Assessment Scales (LAS) including the Pre-LAS for the early grades (K, 1, 2), the LAS Oral, the LAS R/W (reading and writing), the LAS II for upper grades/secondary (DeAvila & Duncan, 1983, 1986) • Woodcock-Muñoz Language Survey (Woodcock & Muñoz, 1993) • Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery-Revised (Woodcock, 1980) • Maculaitis Assessment (Touchstone Applied Services Assoc, 1980) • IDEA Language Proficiency Tests (Ballard & Tighe, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1987) • Language Assessment Battery (LAB) (Mitchell, 1985) These tests have been normed on the appropriate population and have been determined to be reliable and valid testing measures. Other instruments may be approved by the Arkansas Department of Education; districts should verify approval of any tests in accordance with state standards and No Child Left Behind.

19. Multiple Choice Test Go to the following web site and take the test on Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_lewis_teaching_7/37/9647/2469810.cw/index.html

20. Resources: http://arksped.k12.ar.us/documents/stateprogramdevelopment/ELLDocument.pdf http://www.tr.wou.edu/eec/assessmentprocess2001.pdf http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_lewis_teaching_7/37/9647/2469811.cw/content/index.html http://www.tn.gov/education/speced/doc/Assess_Consid_CLD.pdf http://www.leadered.com/pdf/ELL%20Strategies%20Kit%20excerpt.pdf http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_lewis_teaching_7/37/9647/2469811.cw/content/index.html http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/PB13_CulturalCompetence08.pdf

21. Google Doc Link Go to the following link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDREU1NERkEtNl9lOGJFdW9yRWZJUXc6MQ Answer the questions Click submit to complete your training