Strategic Interventions for English Learners

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Strategic Interventions for English Learners
Chris Dominguez, Deputy Superintendent Pamela
Seki, Director, Program Assistance for Language
Minority Students
Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Goals
• Accelerate English language acquisition
• Meet academic achievement standards

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Guiding Approaches
• Data-based Decision-making / Problem Solving
• Response to Intervention
• Adapted from
• Response to Intervention Policy Considerations
  and Implementation
• Council of Administrators of Special Education

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Problem Solving Model

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Define the problem . . .
• Is there a problem? What is it?
• Non-strategic / random interventions
• Learning gaps not diagnosed
• Instruction not differentiated (time and
  intensity)
• Under-utilized supplemental resources

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Analyze . . .
• Why is it happening?
• Lack of intervention curricula
• Site teachers unable / unwilling to work
  additional hours
• Site administrators need technical guidance,
  assistance to organize comprehensive program

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Develop a plan . . .
• What shall we do about it?
• Consider multi-tier model Response to
  Intervention (RtI)
• Tier 1 - Core instructional interventions all
  students, all settings, preventative proactive
• ? Tier 2 - Targeted Group Interventions some
  students, high efficiency, rapid response
• Tier 3 - Intensive, individual interventions
  individual students, intense, durable procedures

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Develop a plan . . .
• What shall we do about it?
• Supplemental instruction (tier2) for students
  with poor response to core instructional
  interventions (tier 1)
• Problem-solving interventions
• Traditional
• Site team uses functional academic and behavioral
  assessments
• Individualized program is designed to address
  student needs
• ? Standard treatment protocol interventions
• Evidence-based / standard practices for
  predictable difficulties
• Systematic, structured, scripted - fidelity
• Small group delivery

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Develop a plan . . .
• What shall we do about it?
• Select focus group English learners in grades 6
  - 8
• Preponderance of Program Improvement schools
• English learners not responding to 4 years of
  instruction
• Accumulated ELAP resources

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Develop a plan . . .
• What shall we do about it?
• Lack of intervention curricula
• Analyze achievement gaps / data trends using
  multiple indicators
• Task-analyze specific skills contained in state
  standards
• Identify target populations / student profiles
  using data

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Develop a plan . . .
• What shall we do about it?
• Lack of intervention curricula
• Create curricula for extended-day program that
  facilitate language / literacy development at
  varying proficiency levels (academic vocabulary
  and structures)
• Frontload / reinforce content area concepts and
  language
• Design placement, formative, and summative
  assessment tools
• Identify supplemental materials to support
  curricula

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Develop a plan . . .
• What shall we do about it?
• Year One Intervention Curricula
• all courses include Step Up to Writing strategies
• Language Development through Science
• Language Development through U.S. History
• English language development with a focus on the
  academic vocabulary and grammatical structures
  needed to access the regular-day core course
• Student Profile CELDT INT ADV
• CST/ELA BB (high) B
• Grade 8

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Develop a plan . . .
• What shall we do about it?
• Year One Intervention Curricula
• all courses include Step Up to Writing strategies
• Language Development through Math I
• English language development with a focus on the
  academic vocabulary and prerequisite math skills
  needed to access Algebra core course
• Student Profile CELDT EADV ADV
• CST/ELA B ADV P
• CST/Math FBB - B
• Grades 6 - 8

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Develop a plan . . .
• What shall we do about it?
• Year One Intervention Curricula
• all courses include Step Up to Writing strategies
• Language Development / Foundations I
• English language development for students who
  have not yet developed oral proficiency and need
  intensive instruction in word study and phonics,
  reading comprehension and fluency
• Student Profile 3 years in U.S. school
• Low oral, low literacy skills
• CELDT BEG - INT
• CST/ELA FBB - B
• Grades 6 - 8

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Develop a plan . . .
• What shall we do about it?
• Year One Intervention Curricula
• all courses include Step Up to Writing strategies
• Language Development / Foundations II
• English language development for students who
  have oral proficiency and need extensive
  instruction in reading comprehension strategies
  and writing skills
• Student Profile gt 3 years in U.S. school
• High oral, low l literacy skills
• CELDT BEG - INT
• CST/ELA FBB - B
• Grades 6 - 8

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Develop a plan . . .
• What shall we do about it?
• Year One Intervention Curricula
• Language Development / Foundations III
• English language development which integrates the
  teaching of grammar and vocabulary with lessons
  on literature, reading, and writing
• Student Profile Close to reclassifying
• CELDT INT - ADV
• CST/ELA B
• Grades 6 - 8

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Develop a plan . . .
• What shall we do about it?
• Develop cadre of intervention teachers,
  district-wide
• Recruit via Superintendents Bulletin, former
  supplemental program participants, coaches,
  trainers
• Create training modules for each intervention
  course, Step Up to Writing strategies
• Match teachers credentials, preferences to
  available assignments
• Maintain substitute list

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Develop a plan . . .
• What shall we do about it?
• Meet with individual site administrative /
  support staff
• Review site-level student achievement data
• Match treatment to identified need
• Identify funding resources
• Select from menu of treatment protocols

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Develop a plan . . .
• What shall we do about it?
• Saturday School Implementation Year One (Spring
  2007)
• Nine schools signed on approximately 700
  student participants
• Facilitation by central office
• Student placement
• Teacher placement
• Course outlines pacing charts
• Professional development
• Supplemental materials procurement
• Parent/guardian contact

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Evaluate . . .
• Did our plan work?
• Summer 2007
• Based on administrative, teacher and student
  participants feedback
• Summative assessments re-written to more closely
  reflect standards and instruction
• Additional course outlines created
• Language Development through Science 6 7
• Language Development through Math II
• Language Development through Ancient World
  History

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Evaluate . . .
• Did our plan work?
• Fall 2007
• Based on administrative, teacher and student
  participants feedback
• Aspiring Administrators selected, trained, and
  assigned to each site
• Additional training for returning teachers
• Extended training for new teachers
• Intervention Specialist to provide counseling as
  needed at sites
• Reminder postcards sent at vacation intervals

Long Beach Unified School District
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Strategic Interventions for English Learners

• Contact Information
• Chris Dominguez, Deputy Superintendent
• cdominguez_at_lbschools.net
• [phone]
• Pamela Seki, Director, PALMS
• pseki_at_lbschools.net
• [phone]

Long Beach Unified School District