Serving Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners: Strategies for the School Psychologist

1. Serving Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners: Strategies for the School Psychologist Presenter: Date: Location: Duration: 7.5 hours

2. Objectives • Participants will identify ways to strengthen collaboration between the school and family. • Participants will determine appropriate forms of collaboration, instruction, intervention and assessment for ELLs. • Participants will distinguish and compare the backgrounds of ELLs.

3. I know • I know • I know • I know • I want to know • I want to know • I want to know • I want to know

4. Language Acquisition Anticipation Guide Read the following statements about Language Acquisition, then mark Agree or Disagree • ________Children learn a language by imitation and repetition. • ________The process by which a student learns a second language is very different to how the first language was learned. • ________A controlled language environment is the best place for language acquisition/learning to occur, an uncontrolled environment is non-conducive to language learning. • ________Oral language proficiency (speaking ability) is a good predictor of academic success. • ________Research shows that it takes 1-4 years to achieve sufficient fluency in academic English. 4

5. Answer #1 • Children learn a language by imitation and repetition. • Disagree. Children seldom use imitation or repetition, generally only to acquire isolated words. Children are unconsciously acting as “little scientist,” taking in a large quantity of language and organizing it into patterns and categories. Two types of evidence illustrate this process: overgeneralizations of rules, such as when a child says “go-ed” for “went” shows that the child is unconsciously constructing rules for the past tense, but has not yet learned the exceptions; and children’s unique utterances, in which children generate sentences that they have never heard, show that they are constructing meaning on patterns and rules, not imitation or repetition. 5

6. Answer #2 The process by which a student learns a second language is very different to how the first language was learned. • Disagree. The processes are similar, which suggest that especially for young learners, a language-rich classroom where ELLs are exposed to natural language use and good language models will facilitate acquisition. Older children and adults also acquire language, but in addition, they can supplement this process with conscious learning and cognitive faculties. 6

7. Answer #3 A controlled language environment is the best place for language acquisition/learning to occur, an uncontrolled environment is non-conducive to language learning. • Disagree. Naturally –occurring language acquisition takes place in an uncontrolled environment; placing a child in an artificially-controlled language environment may actually impede natural acquisition. For example, ELLs taught to read using highly adapted texts have difficulty transitioning to mainstream texts because the clues that they have learned to attend to are not the same. 7

8. Answer #4 Oral language proficiency (speaking ability) is a good predictor of academic success. • Disagree. Oral language proficiency, especially for non-academic communication, is not a good predictor of academic success. Saville-Troike (1984) found that knowledge of academic, content-vocabulary was the best predictor; other predictors included opportunities to discuss academic concepts in their native language, to use language in academic tasks including, writing, with study skills, and literacy skills in the native language. 8

9. Answers #5 Research shows that it takes 1-4 years to achieve sufficient fluency in academic English. • Disagree. Research shows that it often takes as long as five to seven years to achieve sufficiently fluency in academic English to compete on par with native-speaking students. It is more difficult for students with poor prior schooling, high mobility, less exposure to rich language and literacy experience in their native language or in English, and in schools which are less supportive of bilingualism and biculturalism. 9

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12. ELL Placement Process • Home Language Survey • Schedule • Social History Inventory • CultureGrams or Ciafactbook

14. Schedule Planned Instruction in Academic content areas (content area classes) • The language instructional program must also provide ELLs with meaningful, comprehensible access to instruction in all content areas. • The academic standards and must be incorporated in planned instruction for ELLs by all teachers.  • Students with LEP must receive instruction the same as they would receive instruction for other curricular areas. ESL classes must be part of the daily schedule and thoughtfully.        planned from the administrative level so that students are not removed from        other content classes to receive ESL instruction. • Guidelines to consider when planning direct instruction of ESL:          – Entering (level 1) / Beginning (level 2) students: 2 hours          – Developing (level 3): 1-2 hours         – Expanding (level 4): 1 hour         – Bridging (level 5): up to 1 hour or support dictated by student need

16. Useful Website • www.culturegrams.com • www.ciaworldfactbook.com

17. My Five Values- Refugee Simulation Activity Instructions: Have participants write 5 of things that they value most in life on 5 separate squares of paper. Each Square will hold a value. For Example: Health, Education, Spirituality, Family, etc. Have participants place the squares on a surface in front of them, writing side facing up. Scenario: • You wake up on a typical Monday morning and brew a pot of coffee. As you are sitting down to eat breakfast you turn on the television. The television is broadcasting that your government has been toppled. You are upset, but are reassured by the government that some changes will occur, but things are expected to go on as “normal”. • As few weeks pass and your government announces again through the media that all individuals will be losing one of their rights. PLEASE TEAR UP ONE OF YOUR VALUES. You are surprised, but you are able to continue on with relative success. Little changes are starting to be noticed…. • A couple of nights later, you are woken by pounding at your door. Four military soldiers break down your door and order you to hand over two of your values- immediately! PLEASE QUICKLY TAKE AWAY TWO OF YOUR VALUES, YOU CANNOT PONDER OVER THIS, YOU DON’T HAVE TIME, AND YOU NEED TO PUT THOSE TWO VALUES OUT OF YOUR SIGHT IMMEIDATLY. YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THEM BEHIND… • Now you are on the move you have left your house, your town, to seek safety. You are fleeing. You travel on foot, seeking refuge with family and friends. Food and shelter is limited. Along the way you have to trade in another one of your values to stay alive and safe. PLEASE HAVE YOUR NEIGHBOR TAKE AWAY ONE OF YOUR VALUES FROM YOU. • You finally reach the entrance of the refugee camp. Others who have had similar experiences are also lining up to enter the camp. You register and walk through the gate, in your hand is your last remaining value. It is battered and worn, but you clench to it tightly… it is the only remaining reminder of what life used to be…. (Closing statement) So now you know what many of our families (students) feel when they walk through our doors, they have many times had experienced tremendous loss and are very resilient people. Empathy is key to the building of a positive and successful relationship. Reflection Ask group to share what they have remaining. Inquire on what it felt like to make the decision to take away values, to have to select and choose. How did it feel to have someone choose for you? What did they gain from this experience? 17

18. Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills Experts such as Jim Cummins differentiate between social and academic language acquisition. Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) are language skills needed in social situations. It is the day-to-day language needed to interact socially with other people. English language learners (ELLs) employ BIC skills when they are on the playground, in the lunch room, on the school bus, at parties, playing sports and talking on the telephone. Social interactions are usually context embedded. They occur in a meaningful social context. They are not very demanding cognitively. The language required is not specialized. These language skills usually develop within six months to two years after arrival in the U.S. 18

19. Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency CALP refers to formal academic learning. This includes listening, speaking, reading, and writing about subject area content material. This level of language learning is essential for students to succeed in school. Students need time and support to become proficient in academic areas. This usually takes from five to seven years. Recent research (Thomas & Collier, 1995) has shown that if a child has no prior schooling or has no support in native language development, it may take seven to ten years for ELLs to catch up to their peers. Academic language acquisition isn't just the understanding of content area vocabulary. It includes skills such as comparing, classifying, synthesizing, evaluating, and inferring. Academic language tasks are context reduced. Information is read from a textbook or presented by the teacher. As a student gets older the context of academic tasks becomes more and more reduced. 19

20. What Are Accommodations? • An accommodation to the curriculum do not change the content (i.e., social studies) nor the concept difficulty (i.e., compare and contrast the causes of the Revolutionary War). • Instead, an accommodation changes the input and/or output method used by the teacher and/or student related to the instructional outcome (Friend & Bursuck, 2009; King-Sears, M., 2001).

21. Important Clarification • Adaptations are always relative to the outcome specified for typical students, so teachers must first be clear on the outcome before deciding on an adaption of it.

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24. Student Scenarios • “Wait and See” • “Watch and See” active monitoring, data collection, and sharing of information. • “Act Now” step allows for immediate referral when there are clear health related issues, obvious disabilities, or educators trained in language acquisition are significantly concerned.

25. Student Scenarios What are your initial impressions? What are your initial concerns? What follow-up questions do you have? At a glance, is it a language or learning problem?

26. Buki • Buki, a native Albanian-speaker, arrived to your school, as a 6th grader, with a Level 1 ESL proficiency. Currently, she is a 7th grader. She has had little formal education in her native country and is semi-literate in Albanian. She needs intensive English instruction, particularly instruction that addresses the basic concepts, background knowledge, and language needed to participate in the general education program. Her lack of prior education would seem to explain some of her lack of academic progress and limited English, but it did not explain her irregular behaviors. Throughout the year, she was unable to pick up on verbal and non-verbal cues (using the pencil sharpener and scissors, sitting down, taking notes), school norms (shouting, running, being on time, using a locker) and socially appropriate behaviors (personal grooming, touching, using the restroom), and her progress in school actually deteriorated during the course of the school year. Her legal guardian, her aunt, and previous school records indicated that she had never advanced beyond the fourth grade in her native country.

27. Thaku • Thaku, a native Karen-speaker from Burma/Thailand, is now in 9th grade and has an overall Level 2 ESL proficiency. He arrived to the US in 6th grade, as a Level 1. His lack of academic progress after three years resulted in his repeating the Level 1 ESL curriculum twice. His first year in high school his teachers were alerted that his progress might be slow and he would probably have problems with reading, writing and other academic skills. Besides having poor grades, Thaku would “zone out” during class and was easily distracted by his peers. He had difficulty working independently, copied all assignments from other students, and rarely turned in homework. His penmanship was so poor he had difficulty reading his own writing. His oral communication improved over the three years, but his reading and writing remained at a Level 1. His parent informed the school that he had experienced some emotional traumas in his native country and refugee camp.

28. Shoti • Shoti, a native Nepali-speaker, is a Level 2 proficiency level student with approximately six months of US high school instruction. She is currently in the 10th grade. Her behavior was an issue immediately. She was chronically tardy, disruptive, disorganized, unable to sit still, and very needy for attention. Her grades were poor, but her teachers did not believe this reflected her ability. She rarely turned in homework and she lacked the focus needed to complete written work thoroughly. She was competitive in the classroom and was quick to answer questions orally. Unfortunately, her impulsive and disruptive behaviors led to disciplinary action. Her parents revealed that Shoti had similar discipline problems in her home country.

29. Peter • At his first school, Peter entered an early childhood special education program with a speech and language IEP that specified he was non-verbal, speech and language impaired. Peter had just turned four years old. His mom and sister spoke only Thai in the home. This IEP showed hours of testing and evaluations conducted primarily in English with some words translated into Thai. Now at age five, Peter is now in your school district. Upon fully screening the new student, the ESL teacher informed the Early Childhood Special Education team that she did not feel this was a learning disability.

30. Ivana • Ivana arrives at your school as a seventh grader. She did not have her prior records, but the home language survey revealed Ivana spoke English only when at school. The ESL teacher screened Ivana and determined she was a Level 3 English proficiency. A few weeks later an IEP arrived from Ivana’s previous school. According to this school, in another state, Ivana was a special education student with an identification of EMR- Educable Mental Retardation. She was in a self-contained classroom 75% of her day. She was also about to be remanded to an alternative special education school for fighting, disrespectful behavior, and poor attendance. The EMR identification was made when Ivana was nine years old when she arrived from war-torn Bosnia via Germany and had been extended without further assessment. Although Ivana was in ESL at the time of her first assessment, she never returned to an ESL class until her arrival at your school four years later.

31. ELL Resources • On-line ELL Resources for Content Area Teachers • http://education.uncc.edu/more/StartResources/OnlineRes.htm • Professional Organizations for Teachers of English • Education Law Center (ELC) ELC is a non-profit legal advocacy and educational organization, dedicated to ensuring that all of PA’s children have access to a quality public education. http://www.elc-pa.org/index.html • PA Refugee Resettlement Program provides a continuum of employment, educational, case management, health, and financial support services to newly arrived refugees in the Commonwealth. http://www.refugeesinpa.org/RefugeeResettlementProgram/aboutus.html • Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is a global professional community of teachers of English to speakers of other languages. http://www.tesol.org • The American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) features research and practice in applied language issues. AAAL is the U.S. affiliate of the International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA). http://www.aaal.org • The Center for Applied Linguistics is dedicated to providing a comprehensive range of research-based information, tools, and resources related to language and culture. CAL is a private, nonprofit organization working to improve communication through better understanding of language and culture. Established in 1959, CAL is headquartered in Washington, DC. http://www.cal.org

32. Translation Services • www.transact.com • www.dtinterpreting.com

34. Conclusions • 3 “Big Ideas” about supporting ELLs. • 2 “Innovative Ideas” you have for supporting ELLs. • 1 Question you still have about supporting ELLs