Enhancing Language Learner Success through Culturally Responsive Strategies

1. Pathways for Promoting the Success of English Language Learners with Disabilities in Standards-Based Education Funded by the Office of Special Education Programs H324D010023 Kristin Kline Liu kline010@tc.umn.edu

2. Study Components  Phase 1: Analyze statewide assessment data for ELLs with disabilities  Phase 2: Conduct focused brainstorming sessions with groups of teachers to determine most recommended teaching strategies  Phase 3: Conduct parent group interviews to gain their perceptions on recommended strategies  Phase 4: Conduct interviews with ELLs with disabilities to learn their perceptions  Phase 5: Implement single-case studies of recommended strategies in classrooms

3. Phase 3 Can ELL parents say something about creating instructional environments that work for their middle-school aged students with disabilities?

4. The process we used to find out  Developed culturally and linguistically appropriate interview format that was user-friendly  Had interviews reviewed by cultural advisory panel  Collaborated with parent advocacy organization/language community to recruit  Employed bilingual interviewers from language community

5. Process cont.  Held informal dinner meetings with advocacy organization prior to interviews to inform and meet parents  Interviewed parents in place of their own choosing – provided transportation and childcare if needed  Allowed parents to choose language of interview  Emphasized parents were experts on children and partners in helping us

6. Interview Questions  Describe child -Home -School -Strengths -Difficulties -Future plans  Comment on strategies teachers use to help children read -Look at sample reading and descriptions of activities -Start with hypothetical child (English, Native Language) -Then comment on own child (English, Native Language)

7. Scenario with Hypothetical Child Mai is a ninth grade child. She came to Minnesota in the second grade from California. Her bilingual teacher says she can speak English and Hmong, but seems to have more trouble in Hmong. Mai’s reading, writing, and math scores on the Minnesota Basic Skills Test were very low last year. The teacher is having trouble finding a group of students in her class who read at her level. Her English and Hmong were tested and it was found that she had trouble in both languages, but that her best score was in English when compared to Hmong.

8. Sample Reading  How the Rooster Got His Crown (see handout) -- Hmong folktale

9. Sample of activities described The teacher decided to help her improve her reading in English by doing the following activities: Before reading  Have Mai read from a book other students are reading to see what words she can read and what words she needs still to learn.  Ask Mai questions on what she read with a copy in front of her to see if she understood the material she read. • The teacher provides a story outline before reading and reviews the story with the students After Reading  The teacher helps students make a story map including key ideas in the story.  Teaches students like Juanita how to study key words and ideas about the story.

10. Sample Questions Questions about Hypothetical Child  What do you think about the Teacher using English to teach the child how to read?  Please look at the activities the teacher used before reading. How well do you think they work for someone like Mai? Really great, ok, not so well? What else should the teacher do?

11.  Repeated the same questions asking about the teacher using the native language  Then repeated similar questions asking parent about how activities would work with their own child

12. Did parents have something to say? YES!!

13. Parents said…. “Well, I think it would be fine to give her [child in scenario] the same book because…Because in this way, well, she can learn more from her classmates. You see, in a group you learn much more. What she does not know, well, another will know. That is the way cooperation takes place in the group.” Latino parent

14. Interviewer: “…Now after the reading the teacher asks Juanita [child in scenario] to draw the story or to write the story in her own words. What do you think about this?” Parent: “I think it is perfect. Because she is going to show the skills she is already developing, she will show what she can say and what she cannot say and what she has learned with that unit only.” Latino parent

15. “I think that it is not bad, the fact that they draw is not bad, because in this way they are developing their skills, the fact that they write using a little bit of her writing skills is very good, er…the fact that she has to make a map of the story…I think if she was given the directions as to how to make it, that is excellent; but if she does not know how to make a map, and what a map is all about or what a key idea is, then she would not be able to do it….After that, when they have to teach Juanita how to study the words and main ideas of the story, if the words are not complicated, as I mentioned, I think that they are good ones, then, if Juanita could get the main ideas then it is good, because in that way she is demonstrating how much she understood” Latino parent

16. “I support that the teachers use Somali language if they are teaching a class of Somali students only. But English must be the main language of educational communication.” “I would encourage that in this situation teachers need to use the native languages of those students whom have limited English strength.” Somali parent

17. “I think that when they assess her [child in scenario], they should find out what her levels are and give her the appropriate books for that level of reading. Because since she tested low on the test. So I don’t know, but am not a teacher, but that’s what I do with [my son] you know….Other children’s book that I know that fits the three level and then [my son] has the ability of a fourth and fifth grade and then I would buy books at that level for him.” Hmong parent of a child with multiple disabilities

18. “Uh. I am not a teacher. But according my thoughts, whether we are just farmers, or whatever our occupation, in a time when we don’t understand, we don’t understand. Everything is dark. I believe that if the teacher teaches back and forth, in time, repeated exposure will help us learn some information. If the child gets, then it’s because he has learn but if he doesn’t, then it means he hasn’t learn it. In the future, it’s similarly for the teachers too. The child that understands language or math we must spend time to work on the child’s weakness to improve.” Hmong parent

19. For more information: National Center on Educational Outcomes http://education.umn.edu/NCEO/