Birmingham Progress Graphs for EAL

1. Birmingham Progress Graphs for EAL Based on “SEN or EAL? Distinguishing the Difference” by Birmingham Advisory and Support Service

2. Introduction It is commonly estimated that English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners take between 5 and 7 years to acquire the same level of Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) in English as their English first language peers. This period tends to be longer (perhaps 7 to 10 years) for learners who do not have secure literacy skills in their first language: usually this means learners who enter UK education in YR or KS1. These graphs offer a way to track learners’ progress while acquiring CALP. They use the extended scales for EAL from the DfE document “A Language in Common.” The broken coloured lines represent progression for learners making faster progress (taking 7 years to close the gap for younger children, 5 years for older.) The solid coloured lines represent progression for learners taking 10 years (younger children) and 7 years (older learners.) The black line represents average progress expectations for an English first language (L1) learner. As a very rough rule of thumb, a learner whose levels are plotting above the broken line is making rapid progress. The area between the broken and the solid coloured lines represents the range of normal expectations. Learners who are plotting below the solid line are making slow progress.

3. Problems In my opinion, there are five major conceptual problems with these graphs: They assume that the EAL learner is of average ability, and is therefore closing the gap with an averagely able English first language learner; They assume that the learner begins school at below Step 1 on the Language in Common scales; They assume that learners entering UK education from Y3 onwards will have literacy skills in their first language; They assume the learner entered at the beginning of the year; Although there is extensive research evidence for the overall length of time it takes learners to acquire CALP, I’m unclear about how BASS identified the specific progression paths on the graphs, or why the EAL paths aren’t simply straight lines. None of the above are fatal to the graphs’ usefulness, I believe, but they do need bearing in mind

4. Instructions (1) The first two graphs (for learners joining UK education in YR and Y1) have been populated with data as an example. In the first the purple markers represent the pupil’s levels. These are generally above the broken green line, suggesting that progress is faster than normal expectations. However, on the graph for learners joining in Y1, the pupils’ levels are generally below the solid blue line, suggesting progress is slow.

5. Instructions (2) To input data for a pupil, begin by identifying the year in which they entered UK education, and find the corresponding graph. You may want to copy the relevant slide to a new presentation, and save it using the pupil’s name. Then double click anywhere on the graph or click the Chart Tools Design tab. Choose Edit Data from the data menu. A spreadsheet should open on the right hand side of the screen.

6. Instructions (3) Enter the pupil’s English level next to the appropriate year group. Levels can be entered twice a year. Whole numbers represent the beginning of the year, so “4” represents September Y4, for example. “4.5” represents the middle of Y4. In the example data here, the pupil was found to be working at pre-step 1 on entry. By mid YR, she was assessed as working at step 1. At the beginning of Y1, she was working at step 2. If you wanted, it would be possible to track the pupil’s progress in four skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing. You’d need paste the original graph four times.

7. Instructions (4) When you’ve finished inputting data, close the spreadsheet to revert back to a view of the graph on its own. You may find the results easier to read if you put the presentation into slide show mode. Steven Donohue Wiltshire EMAS July 2012

8. 5A+ 5B 5C 4A 4B 4C 3A 3B 3C 2A 2B 2C Level 1S Level 1T Step 2 Step 1 YR

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14. 5A+ 5B 5C 4A 4B 4C 3A 3B 3C 2A 2B 2C Level 1S Level 1T Step 2 Step 1 YR

15. 5A+ 5B 5C 4A 4B 4C 3A 3B 3C 2A 2B 2C Level 1S Level 1T Step 2 Step 1 YR

16. 5A+ 5B 5C 4A 4B 4C 3A 3B 3C 2A 2B 2C Level 1S Level 1T Step 2 Step 1 YR

17. 5A+ 5B 5C 4A 4B 4C 3A 3B 3C 2A 2B 2C Level 1S Level 1T Step 2 Step 1 YR