Raising the Achievement of English Language Learners in the Providence Schools: Report of

1. Raising the Achievement of English Language Learners in the Providence Schools: Report of the Strategic Support Team of the Council of the Great City Schools An Update to the School Board Office of English Language Learners April 8, 2013

2. Agenda • Define the roles of the Advisory Panel and the ELL • Workgroups • Provide an overview of each of the Workgroups' goals • Overview of recommendation work to date

3. ELL Community Leaders Advisory Panel • Role • Act as “champions” within the community to support the changes to ELL instructional programming. • Provide feedback on the work of the ELL Workgroups. • Act a critical friend and thought partner in the work. • Commitment • Meets every 4 to 6 weeks. • Review report recommendations and updates provided by the Office of ELLs.

4. Overview: ELL Workgroups • 5 ELL Workgroups • Program Models, ELL Instructional Guidance & Professional Development • Student Registration • Community & Family Engagement • Data & Assessment • High School Pathways for ELLs • Comprised of experts within the district • ESL, bilingual, dual language, special education and general education teachers, guidance counselors, reading coaches and content specialists • School and district-based administrators

5. Expectations: ELL Workgroups • Workgroups are led by a Chair and Co-Chair. • The Chair was selected by the workgroup membership and the Co-Chair was selected by the Office of ELLs. • Workgroups were provided with work goals and mechanisms for reporting their progress. • Workgroups have developed their own schedules to meet and accomplish their tasks. • Chairs and Co-Chairs meet every 4 to 6 weeks to report on their progress, have concentrated work sessions with the Office of ELLs and have content area specialists available for technical support.

6. Process for the Work

7. Agenda • Define the roles of the Advisory Panel and the ELL • Workgroups • Provide an overview of each of the ELL Workgroups’ • goals • Overview of recommendation work to date

8. Program Models, ELL Instructional Guidance & Professional Development Goals: • Design & define coherent ELL programming K-12. • Develop an ELL program implementation handbook. • Develop an ELL instructional guidance document to support all educators in meeting the instructional needs of ELLs at varying levels of language acquisition. • Make recommendations for staffing ELL instructional programs. • Provide guidance for establishing a coherent professional development plan for educators in PPSD who work with in-program and mainstreamed ELLs.

9. Secondary Pathways Goals: • Design graduation pathways for ELLs entering high school at varying levels of language proficiency. • Provide guidance in supporting ELLs in meeting graduation requirements. • Develop protocols and procedures for ELLs to earn foreign language credit through ACTFL.

10. Student Registration Goals: • Redesign the registration process for ELLs. • Update and, when appropriate, redesign ELL program information and placement documents. • Create a plan for projecting enrollments that will aid seat availability for ELLs. • Redesign the process for language proficiency screening and placement. • Develop a PD plan for retraining all staff at Student Registration.

11. Family & Community Engagement Goals: • Design an outreach plan for all language minority families for both the schools and the district, including refugees. • Design a communication plan for the rollout of student registration changes to families.

12. Data & Assessment Goals: • Make recommendations for improving the comprehensive assessment system for ELLs. • Develop a series of explicit and measurable performance and programmatic goals for the academic improvement of ELLs. • Identify key information needed by classroom teachers and school sites specific to ELLs that can be created as regular reports. • Make recommendations for information needed on SIS regarding ELLs.

13. Agenda • Define the roles of the Advisory Panel and the ELL • Workgroups • Provide an overview of each of the Workgroups' goals • Overview of recommendation work to date

14. CGCS Recommendation Work to Date • Leadership and Strategic Direction • Development of the ELL Community Leader Advisory Panel & ELL Workgroups. • Plan in place to provide ELLs access to core ELA instruction in the 2013-14 SY. • Updates to the School Board regarding the CGCS recommendations have been established. • Increased the staff in the ELL Office. • K-12 Scheduling & Time Requirements Specialist hired. • Secondary ELL Specialist hired.

15. CGCS Recommendation Work to Date B. Goals and Accountability • Revised K-12 ELL Program Descriptions are complete. • Program expectations are currently under development. • Secondary ELL Specialists and ELL TL are working on instructional guidance to support secondary ELL teachers teaching core ELA to ELLs.

16. CGCS Recommendation Work to Date C. Curriculum & Instruction • ELL Instructional Guidance Document is under development. • A profiling system was developed and implemented to ensure that secondary ELLs are accurately scheduled. • A process for ELLs to earn foreign language credits has been put into place. • A course sequence for secondary level ELLs has been developed. • Secondary ELL Specialists and ELL TL are working on instructional guidance to support secondary ELL teachers teaching core ELA to ELLs.

17. CGCS Recommendation Work to Date D. Program Design and Delivery System • Revised K-12 ELL Program Descriptions are complete • Includes the proposal of a New Arrival Academy for grades 6-12. • ELL Program Handbook & ELL Instructional Guidance Document are under development. E. Program Support and Monitoring • Funding has been allocated in Title III to provide ELL TLs at middle and high schools with high ELL populations. • New ELL TL positions were posted on PATS 4/2/13.

18. CGCS Recommendation Work to Date F. Data and Assessments • Funding has been secured in the 12-13 FY CRP to add a position in RPA to support ELL and Special Education program evaluation. • Workgroup is reviewing assessments to identify a language acquisition progress monitoring tool and a non-verbal/reduced language demand math assessment.

19. CGCS Recommendation Work to Date G. Program and Student Placement • ELL student registration process is currently under revision with the intent to move the district to using the RIDE potential ELL interview and a secondary transcript review interview process. • ELL Initial Identification/Consent to ELL Services document has been revised and all Student Registration Center Staff has been trained. • Training to review the administration of the Home Language Survey will be provided in early May.

20. CGCS Recommendation Work to Date H. Human Capital and Professional Development • School-based sheltered instruction modules were developed and implemented at three schools. • SIOP training is being provided to all ELL teachers with a plan to bring SIOP to all teachers in the next 3-5 years. I. Parents and Community • ELL Advisory Council has been re-established. J. Funding and Compliance

21. Next Steps The Office of ELLs will continue publishing a bimonthly newsletter in an effort to continue to build awareness around key ELL issues and initiatives. Plans are underway to develop an ELL Office link on the PPSD website where teachers can find program updates as well links to videos and resources. The Office of ELLs will provide face-to-face and on-line opportunities for educators in PPSD to understand the changes to ELL programming.

22. Next Steps The Director of ELL will present a formal implementation plan to CAO Shannon by April 30th with a final document to Superintendent Lusi by May 17thoutlining the plan for fully implementing all 79 recommendations, including staffing requests, and potential roadblocks for implementation.

23. Final Thoughts “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” --Margaret Mead