Succeeding with English Language Learners: Emerging Themes

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Succeeding with English Language Learners
Emerging Themes

• Council of the Great City Schools
• Curriculum and Research Directors Meeting
• Chicago, IL
• July 17, 2009
• Do not cite without permission from the Council
  of the Great City Schools

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Overview

• Modeled after Foundations for Success
• Goal provide guidance and promising practices
  for ELL reform
• Case studies
• 4 districts making progress in ELL achievement
• 2 comparison districts making less progress
• Study period 2002-2006

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Key Questions

• Nature of achievement changes in faster improving
  districts
• Key challenges and contextual factors affecting
  ELL progress
• Policies, practices, and strategies across faster
  improving districts
• Connection between central office strategies and
  changes in teaching and learning in classrooms
• Differences between faster improving districts
  and those making less progress

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Methods

• Four case study districts
• Two anonymous comparison districts
• Two site visits per district
• Initial visit focused on central office staff,
  understanding district strategies, key policies
• Second visit focused on connection to school and
  classroom

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Identifying Case Study Districts

• Sample Frame
• Districts with ELL Enrollment gt 10 Percent
• Districts with ELL Population gt 10,000
• Districts in Key States California, Texas,
  Florida, New York
• Districts with Significant Non-Spanish Speaking
  ELL Populations

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Identifying Districts (Contd)

• Criteria
• Average ELL Proficiency Rates
• Progress in ELL Achievement between 2003 and 2006
• Data Availability for ELL Students
• Performance
• Progress Exceeded Similarly Situated Districts in
  the Same State
• Progress Exceeded that of the State as a Whole

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• Emerging Themes Common Practices

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Planning and Support for Reform

• District-wide instructional improvement strategy
• often with an emphasis on reading and literacy
• in some but not all improving districts
• A particular emphasis on improving teaching and
  learning for ELLs
• Strong support for and monitoring of
  implementation

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Data and Accountability

• NCLB increased visibility and focus on ELL
  performance
• District leaders used disaggregated data to drive
  reform
• Schools/teachers given access to student data,
  support/training/tools to use data to diagnose
  student needs and improve instruction

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Reform Press and Buy In

• Commitment from senior leadership to ELL reform
  as a priority
• Strategic partnerships and consistent attention
• Consistent attention to implementation of
  strategies for improving teaching and learning
  among ELLs
• Not all of these elements present in every
  improving district.

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Empowerment of ELL Office

• ELL staff included in high levels decision
  making, able to push for funding and staff
• Authority to set policy and work with schools and
  other central office departments manage ELL
  reforms
• Empowerment of ELL staff/office at district level
  led to empowerment of ELL staff at school level

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Collaboration and Shared Accountability

• Changes in organizational culture
• Shared accountability for ELLs
• Dismantling barriers between departments and
  subject areas
• Collaboration at district level and school level
  became high priorities

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Staffing

• Recruitment and placement of qualified teachers
  and support staff
• Significant restructuring of existing
  teaching/support staff
• Creation of new staffing structures
• Required significant resources

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High Quality Professional Development

• Founded on research on literacy and ELL
  instruction
• Provided to teachers of all subjects
• Targeted teachers, school administrators, and
  support staff
• Offered concrete guidance and skills

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• Emerging Themes Limiting Factors and Shared
  Challenges

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Limiting Factors

• Inconsistent Leadership
• Compliance-Oriented Practice
• Resource Issues
• Compartmentalized Central Office structure

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Shared Challenges

• ELL instruction at the secondary level
• Long-term ELLs
• Shifting directions

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Conclusions