Working With ELLs An Overview of Policy and Practice

1. Working With ELLs An Overview of Policy and Practice Presented by Bob Measel ELL Specialist Office of Instruction, Assessment, and Curriculum Emily Klein ELL Specialist Office of Student, Community, and Academic Supports The Rhode Island Department of Education

2. We’re going to cover… • Federal Policy (NCLB, Title III, Federal Case Law) • State policy (Title 16, Chapter 16-54) • Identification and Placement of ELLs • Program Models • Assessment/accountability systems • The WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) and assessment framework • Interpreting assessment data • Planning instruction and making accommodations

3. Federal Policy • NCLB hold schools accountable for the success of all students. • Title I requires the annual assessment of ELLs • Title III of NCLB provides funding for supplemental programs to serve ELLs • Title III lays out separate accountability requirements for districts receiving funds (Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives – AMAOs) • Three AMAOs: • Making progress (measure of growth) • Attaining proficiency • Making AYP

4. Federal Policy • Civil Rights Act of 1964 – Title VI – Makes federal funding contingent upon compliance with non-discriminatory practices • Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 – Prohibits states from denying equal educational opportunities to ELL because of failure to take appropriate actions to overcome language barriers • Lau v. Nichols (1974) – Supreme Court ruled that equality of education was qualitative • Castañeda v. Pickard (1982) – Developed a three pronged test for compliance with EEOA and Lau

5. State Policy Rules and Regulations Authorized by R.I.G.L. 16-54-2 • Definitions of program models • Identification requirements • Placement standards • Requirements for personnel • Assessment requirements • Reporting requirements • Exit criteria • Standards for parental involvement

6. How it all fits together

7. Program Models • Direct ESL Instruction (Pull-Out) • Push-In ESL Instruction • Collaborative ESL • Co-planning • Co-teaching • Sheltered Content ESL • Transitional Bilingual • Dual Language Bilingual Ed

8. Activity 1 What's your ELL IQ? Look ahead at the next 4 slides in your handout. Work with a partner to identify each statement as TRUE or FALSE.

9. Conversational Language What’s your ELL IQ? A student speaks well so she/he should perform well in class. FALSE There is a difference between social and academic language. Basic Interpersonal Communications Skills (BICS) Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP)

10. What’s your ELL IQ? English language learners (ELLs) will learn English easily and quickly by being exposed to and surrounded by English. FALSE While students may develop social language skills for interpersonal communication, students will not develop academic language skills for success in school without explicit instruction focused on the ELPS and Academic Standards. Content and ESL teachers must collaborate.

11. What’s your ELL IQ? ELLs do not have to attain English language proficiency to be successful in mainstream content classes. TRUE Students will achieve academically and attain English language proficiency when educators incorporate ELPS and Academic Standards into curriculum and instruction.

12. What’s your ELL IQ? ESL teachers are responsible for providing the content instruction in the ESL classroom. FALSE ESL teachers do not plan the lessons for the content teacher nor teach the content teacher’s lesson. HOWEVER, the ESL teacher should collaborate with content teachers on development of instruction. ESL teachers are responsible for delivering targeted ESL instruction. Content teachers are responsible for planning and instruction in the content area using the ELPS.

13. Activity 2 • 1. Break into groups of three • 2. Take out the article entitled Contextual Factors in Second Language Acquisition. • 3. The article is divided into three major sections – • Language, • The Learner, and • The Learning Process • 4. Each member of the group reads one of three sections. Once complete, each member will summarize their section for the other two members.

14. Factors Affecting Second Language Acquisition • Motivation and Attitude • First Language Development • Language Distance • Age • Personality and Learning Style • Peers and Role Models • Quality of Instruction • Cultural Background • Socioeconomic Status

15. Identification and Placement Student enrolls in LEA • A home language survey must be completed for all enrolling students • HLS forms can be found at http://www.ride.ri.gov/applications/ell/who-are-ells/ Home Language Survey

16. Identification and Placement Student enrolls in LEA ELP Screening (W-APT) ELP Level? Home Language Survey Not more than 30 days Determine Program Met cutoff? NO YES Language other than English? YES Not an ELL Schedule Student NO

17. The difference between CLD and ELL Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Student Body English Language Learners

18. The Levels of English Language Proficiency 5 BRIDGING 4 EXPANDING 3 DEVELOPING 2 BEGINNING 1 REACHING ENTERING 6

19. The WIDA ELPS Framework

20. The WIDA ELPS 5 English Language Proficiency Standards • 5 grade level clusters • 6 English language proficiency levels • 4 Domains: Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing. • 20 Model Performance Indicators (MPIs) per standard per grade cluster All of these are contained in each of two distinct documents Formative/Classroom -- Summative/Large Scale

21. The WIDA ELPS

22. ELPS Formative Summative Social and Instructional Social and Instructional Language Arts Language Arts Mathematics Mathematics Science Science Social Studies Social Studies

24. 5 grade spans 5 standards for each grade span

25. Formative/Classroom

26. The WIDA ELPS ELPS 2-5 do not replace their respective content standards. They are a dynamic overlay for those content standards and serve as a guide for ALL teachers in making content instruction comp- rehensible and planning assessments that are valid for ELLs. ELPS

27. The Breakdown English Language Proficiency Levels Standard title, content area, and framework A strand of model performance indicators Model performance indicator Domains

28. The big picture

29. The Performance Definitions

30. The Performance Definitions

31. The Performance Definitions (cont.) The Performance Definitions encompass three criteria: Linguistic complexity — the amount and quality of speech or writing for a given situation; Vocabulary usage — the specificity of words or phrases for a given context; and Language control — the comprehensibility of the communication based on the amount and types of errors.

32. Activity 3 • Look at the two writing samples that follow. • Give each a proficiency score for: • Linguistic Complexity • Vocabulary usage • Language Control • 2. Give each sample an overall proficiency level score

33. Some examples…

34. Evaluate these two writing samples in terms of: • Linguistic Complexity • Vocabulary Usage • Language Control WIDA score: Emile’s writing - 2 Maxine’s writing - 6

35. The Performance Definitions The MPIs give expectations for what students should be able to process and produce at a given proficiency level. The Performance Definitions describe how wellthe student can or should be expected to do so.

36. The Can-Do Descriptors

37. The Can-Do Descriptors • The Can-Do Descriptors: • expand the Performance Definitions by giving suggested indicators in each language domain • are more targeted than the Performance Definitions (have greater instructional implications) • may assist in interpreting the meaning of ACCESS score reports • may help explain the WIDA Speaking and Writing Rubrics • contain sensory, graphic or interactive support through ELP Level 4

38. Activity 4 With a partner, try to sequence the CAN-DO Descriptors correctly onto the blank matrix provided.

39. An Overview

40. How do the ELPS fit in? Content Objective Language Objective Academic Standard Resources Materials ELPS LP Adaptations Lesson Plan Assessment Adaptations Assessment ELPS Instruction

41. When planning instruction • Know your ELLs’ proficiency levels - (ACCESS results) • Consider what your ELLs can do in relationship to the materials for your lesson (texts, worksheets, manipulatives, etc.), your lesson delivery, and the lesson activities. • Can your ELLs read and comprehend the text? • How will your ELLs participate in the instruction and activities? • What scaffolds can you use and/or what accommodations can you make to help your ELLs access the content?

42. Activity 5 At your table discuss some possible modifications/accommodations, based on your ELLs’ proficiency, levels that you could make: during instruction for your assignments/worksheets for the assessments

43. When planning instruction Use the ELPS

44. Activity 6 • Now it’s your turn!

45. The students Use the lesson planning outline from the handout or use your own to create a lesson in your content area for these students or students you teach now. If you’re unsure of their proficiency level information, assume a score of each of the domains for this activity. Ruslan Russian speaking (semi-literate in L1) ACCESS Scores: Listening – 4.4 Speaking – 3.9 Reading – 3.0 Writing – 2.7 Fatima Russian speaking (literate in L1 to grade level) ACCESS Scores: Listening – 4.8 Speaking – 4.4 Reading – 3.4 Writing – 2.9 Eduardo Spanish speaking (semi-literate in L1) ACCESS Scores: Listening – 3.4 Speaking – 3.4 Reading – 2.1 Writing – 2.0

46. Thank You! Additional professional development on this topic, as well as others related to ESL, may be arranged by contacting: Bob Measel ELL Specialist Office of Instruction, Assessment, and Accountability Rhode Island Department of Education255 Westminster StreetProvidence, RI 02903 robert.measel@ride.ri.gov Voice: 222-401-8480 Fax: 401-222-3605