TCSII and English learners

1
Taking Center Stage Act II (TCSII)
Ensuring Success and Closing the Achievement Gap
for All of Californias Middle Grades Students
Building Effective Programs for English Learners
in the Middle Grades
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Taking Center StageAct II

• Presenters today are
• Carol Abbott, Author of Taking Center StageAct
  II, and consultant with the Middle and High
  School Improvement Office of the California
  Department of Education
• cabbott_at_cde.ca.gov
• Jeanette Ganahl, Administrator, English Learner
  Accountability Unit, California Department of
  Education
• JGanahl_at_cde.ca.gov

3
Welcome

• Back to SchoolsMovingUp Webinar Series on
• Promoting English Learners' Success

4
Housekeeping

• Discussion/Interactive Format
• Quick Polling
• Open Responses
• Going Live for Web Tour
• Breaks for responding to chat
• questions/comments
• Those on just the teleconference can email
  questions to eventquestion_at_wested.org
• FAQ posted after the webinar

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Taking Center StageAct II

• Who are you?
• Site administrator
• District administrator
• Teacher (classroom or resource?)
• EL coordinator
• Community member
• Higher education staff
• SEA staff
• Other

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Taking Center StageAct II

• POLL
• TCSII is a California resource, but it has been
  viewed by nearly 200,000 people from 47 states
  and 46 countries.
• Please let us know the state you are calling from.

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Taking Center StageAct II

• We will have several question and answer breaks
  during the presentation. If we dont have time to
  answer all the questions, well post FAQs with
  the archived presentation.

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Taking Center StageAct II

• TCSII represents research and best practices of
  successful California educators who, like you,
  are concerned about what engages English learners
  and what helps them achieve.

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Taking Center StageAct II

• TCSII is
• Built by educators and for educators
• Based on 12 interrelated recommendations for
  middle grades success.

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Taking Center StageAct II

• The 12 recommendations reflect four focus areas
• Academic Excellence
• Developmental Responsiveness
• Social Equity
• Organizational Structures and
  Processes

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Taking Center StageAct II

• Today we will show you the TCSII Web portal and
  resources for middle grades English learners in
  the second half of this presentation.
• Following the tour, we will review what the
  research says about practices that help educators
  achieve the major goals of the California English
  learner program .
• First, though, we need to know what you need to
  know!

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English Learner (EL) Needs

• POLL
• What are your burning issues around supporting
  adolescent English Learners?
• Developing English proficiency?
• Engaging them in the broader school culture?
• Building academic proficiency in grade-level
  subject matter
• Preparing them for high school, college, and
  career?
• Understanding young adolescents in general?
• Engaging their families?
• Other

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Taking Center StageAct II

• Thank you. We will attempt to address your
  burning questions by viewing the research and
  resources on the TCSII Web portal and then
  through an in-depth discussion of the research
  about best practices.

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Taking Center StageAct II

• Going live to
• http//pubs.cde.ca.gov/tcsii

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Taking Center StageAct II

• Back to
• Presentation

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Taking Center StageAct II

• Coming Soon to TCSII
• GIS features
• A TCSII School Self-Study Rubric
• A video submission project
• New professional development tools including
  presentations by
• Kate Kinsella, Janet Zadina, and
• Doug Reeves

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Taking Center StageAct II

• POLL
• How would you use the TCSII Web portal as a
  resource?
• Do a staff treasure hunt based on key site
  issues?
• Identify 3 key EL issues for our school and
  assign teams to find the answers from TCSII and
  report back to the larger group?
• Use the TCSII Rubric as a schoolwide staff?
• Have a faculty-wide video session to view Kate
  Kinsellas presentations about English learners?
• Use the TCSII Professional development modules as
  they appear?
• Other

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Program Goals

• There are two major goals for English learners in
  California
• English Language Development (ELD) develop
  English proficiency as rapidly as possible
• Access to the Core help them to meet
  grade-level standards.

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Goal 1 ELD

• 1. English Language Development (ELD) ELD is
  English language instruction appropriate for the
  student's identified level of language
  proficiency. It is designed to promote second
  language acquisition of listening, speaking,
  reading, and writing.

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Goal 1 ELD

• Research-based Instructional Principles for ELD
• Explicitly teach the components and processes of
  reading and writing
• Teach and model comprehension skills and
  strategies
• Build and activate prior knowledge
• Deborah Short presentation on SchoolsMovingUp
  (4/5/07)
• http//www.schoolsmovingup.net/events/doublework
• Center for Applied Linguistics http//www.cal.org

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Goal 2 Access to the Core

• 2. Access to the core curriculum
• This means that students receive grade-level
  instruction in a manner that allows them to meet
  grade-level standards in a reasonable period of
  time, and that the district has a PLAN for
  monitoring and overcoming any academic deficits.
• EL Instrument Item 7-12.1
• http//www.cde.ca.gov/ta/cr/cc/documents/elins07.d
  oc

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The Pathway
Taking Center StageAct II
Core
Goal 2
content area standards
content objectives/concepts
scaffolded instructional strategies
content area academic language
current English proficiency level
on-going ELD assessments
Goal 1
ELD standards-based instruction
ELD
CDE presentation on EL pedagogy, 1999
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Taking Center StageAct II

• Q and A
• Do you have any questions about the presentation
  up to this point?

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HOW?

• What do we know about best practices that
  accomplish the two goals for English learners in
  the middle grades?

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Taking Center StageAct II

• (TCSII Recommendation 1)
• Rigorous, research-based principles on teaching
  English language development highlight the need
  to
• Integrate listening, speaking, reading and
  writing skills from the start
• Develop vocabulary and academic language
• Deborah Short presentation on SchoolsMovingUp
  (4/5/07)
• http//www.schoolsmovingup.net/events/doublework
• Center for Applied Linguistics http//www.cal.org

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http//www.nwp.org/cs/public/download/nwp_file/905
0/Double_the_Work.pdf?x-rpcfile_d
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Goal 2 Access to the Core

• The issue of access is particularly important for
  ensuring that all EL students not only have
  access to ELD, but also access to the strategies
  and supports that they need such as
  differentiation.

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2. Accessing the Core

• Differentiation in teaching ELs involves
  systematic instruction and ongoing assessment
  targeted to each individuals language level.
• Scaffolding strategies help students access the
  core curriculum.

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Goal 2 Access to the Core

• How can we help students access the core
  curriculum?
• Specially Designed Academic Instruction in
  English (SDAIE)
• Primary Language (L1) Instruction
• Primary Language Support (PLS)

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Instructional Strategies for ELs

• 1. Specially Designed Academic
• Instruction in English (SDAIE)
• SDAIE is an approach used to teach academic
  content to EL students in English. It is designed
  for non-native speakers of English and should
  focus on increasing the comprehensibility of the
  academic content normally provided to FEP and
  English-only students in the district.

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Know your students!

• USE RESULTS FROM PRIMARY LANGUAGE ASSESSMENTS as
  well as ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY ASSESSMENTS
  (CELDT)
• It is as important for teachers to access the
  data about each students primary language
  proficiency as it is to use assessments about
  their English proficiency level to inform
  instruction.

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Instructional Strategies for ELs

• 2. Primary Language (L1) Instruction L1 provides
  academic content instruction in the students
  primary language and may also include language
  development in the student's primary language.
  For example, a student may be ready for advanced
  content such as Algebra, but may lack the English
  skills needed for the course. These students may
  also be receiving SDAIE.
• From Similar English Learner Students, Different
  Results
• Why Do Some Schools Do Better?
• http//www.edsource.org/pdf/SimELreportcomplete.pd
  f

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Instructional Strategies for ELs

• 3. Primary Language Support (PLS) In addition to
  ELD and SDAIE, students may need Primary Language
  Support (L1.) PLS may be used to clarify meaning
  and facilitate student comprehension of academic
  content area concepts taught mainly through
  English.

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How to access the core

• Research shows that ELs typically need 4-7 years
  of instruction in English language development
  before they reach grade-level academic
  performance levels.
• Deborah Short presentation on SchoolsMovingUp
  (4/5/07)
• http//www.schoolsmovingup.net/events/doublework
• Center for Applied Linguistics http//www.cal.org

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How to access the core

• Time (TCSII Chapter 3)
• English learners typically need additional time
  to master grade-level standards as delineated in
  district pacing guides. Flexible middle grade
  schedules can provide extra time for students to
  receive instructional support in effective
  intensive intervention programs targeted to their
  needs..

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Reaching the Goals

• What else does the research say?
• Effective districts, schools, and classrooms that
  promote successful English learner achievement
  provide
• Systematic, explicit, intensive, differentiated
  reading skill instruction
• Development of L1 literacy skills along with
  English oracy and literacy
• Instructional scaffolding for comprehensibility
  of content
• Systematic assessment of students strengths and
  needs.
• What Does the Research Say Research-Based
  Characteristics of Effective Districts, Schools,
  and Classrooms that Promote English Learner
  Achievement. WestEd, 2007.

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A third goal

• In addition to attaining English language
  proficiency and meeting grade-level academic
  standards, there is another over-arching goal
• Every English learner should be prepared to be
  successful in secondary and post-secondary
  education, career, and community.

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Taking Center StageAct II

• POLL
• Check for understanding
• DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PRESENTATION
  UP TO THIS POINT?

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Taking Center StageAct II

• Meeting the three goals for adolescent learners
  requires knowledge about the adolescent brain
  (remember the Adolescent Development tab on each
  Chapter page in TCSII)!
• For example, brain research confirms that young
  adolescents need
• Access to prior knowledge (Chapter 2)
• Engagement (Chapter 4)
• Meaningful participation (Chapter 4)
• Caring Relationships (Chapter 5)

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4. Relevance and English Learners

• Research related to Chapter 4
• Effective districts, schools, and classrooms that
  promote English learner achievement provide
• Engagement in structured, academic talk
• Enrollment in academically challenging
  coursework.
• What Does the Research Say Research-Based
  Characteristics of Effective Districts, Schools,
  and Classrooms that Promote English Learner
  Achievement. WestEd, 2007.

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4. Relevance and English Learners

• Research-based Instructional Principles
• Develop language acquisition skills through
  content and themes
• Use native language strategically
• Pair technology with existing interventions
• Motivate ELs through choice in topics of
  interest to young adolescents.
• Deborah Short presentation on SchoolsMovingUp
  (4/5/07)
• http//www.schoolsmovingup.net/events/doublework
• Center for Applied Linguistics http//www.cal.org

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Relationships and English Learners

• TCSII 5 Know your students!
• Not all English learners are the same
• Some are under-schooled, newly-arrived
  immigrants
• Some are highly educated, academically competent
  new arrivals
• Some are long term English learners (have been
  in the program longer than expected).
• Consider time-in-program to determine
  instructional approach.
• Consider cultural contexts and family education
• Laurie Olsen, Ensuring Academic Success for
  English Learners,
• LMRI Newsletter, Summer 2006
• http//lmri.ucsb.edu/publications/download.php?fil
  enewsletters/v15n4.pdf

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5. Relationships and English Learners

• One way to develop caring relationships is
  through SMALL LEARNING COMMUNITIES (SLCs).
  Research found that student affiliation with the
  school community increases when students
  participate in small learning communities.
• -K. Cotton, New Small Learning Communities
  Findings from Recent Literature

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What kinds of schools work?

• TCSII 8. Safety, Resilience, and Health
• Create and sustain a fair, safe, and healthy
  school environment
• Fair and positive discipline
• Safe, clean, and engaging inviting facilities
• Access to counseling and health supports

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9. Leadership and English learners

• TCSII 9 A systems approach helps English
  learners succeed
• Comprehensive LEA plan for English learners
• Site implementation of the plan
• District support (hiring coaches, providing
  professional development conducting data
  analysis)
• Ongoing professional development opportunities
• Teaming to support implementation of plan based
  on best practices

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What else ensures access?

• TCSII 10. Professional Learning
• Teacher effectiveness preparedness is the most
  critical element for student success. . . .
  students assigned to the most effective teachers
  for three years in a row performed 50 percentile
  points higher on a 100-point scale than
  comparable students assigned to the least
  effective teachers for three years in a row.2
• Kevin Carey, The Real Value of Teachers Using
  New Information about Teacher Effectiveness to
  Close the Achievement Gap (PDF Outside Source),
  Thinking K-16, Vol. 8, Issue 1 (Winter 2004), 4.

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10. Professional learning and English learners

• Provide ongoing coaching and professional
  learning about instruction for English learners
  beyond required authorization to teach English
  Learners

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Resources for Professional Learning

• Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) is a
  unique project created by the Teacher
  Professional Development Program at WestEd under
  the direction of Aida Walqui. It is devoted to
  improving the capacity of teachers to support the
  linguistic, conceptual, and academic development
  of adolescent English language learners, both
  immigrant and U.S.-born. http//www.wested.org/cs
  /we/view/pj/380

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Accountability Questions

• TCSII 11 Accountability
• In writing and reviewing the implementation of
  your district and site English learner plans,
  what accountability questions should you ask
  yourself/your staff?
• Consider

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11. Accountability and English learners

• Did we base the district/site EL plan on a needs
  assessment?
• Were the findings verified?
• Was the EL program developed based on the needs
  assessment findings?
• Is the program being implemented as planned?
• Do teachers have the training, coaching, and
  resources to implement the plan?
• Do they receive timely results from key
  assessments?

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11. Accountability and English learners

• How well are English learners
• acquiring English and progressing in the core
  curriculum over time?
• If they are not progressing, what interventions
  are being used?
• Are the interventions effective?
• If not, how will they be modified?
• Has the program been modified based on the
  answers to these questions?

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12. Partnerships and English learners

• TCSII 12
• Schools in which English learners achieve to
  high standards are typically characterized by
  active parent and community engagement, supported
  with programs that build leadership capacity
• Laurie Olsen, Ensuring Academic Success for
  English Learners,
• LMRI Newsletter, Summer 2006
• http//lmri.ucsb.edu/publications/download.php?fil
  enewsletters/v15n4.pdf

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12. Partnerships and English learners

• Parents can have a positive effect on literacy
  outcomes. However, schools typically do not take
  advantage of this.
• Diane August A National Literacy Panel to
  Conduct a Comprehensive Evidence-Based Review of
  the Research Literature on the Development of
  Literacy Among Language Minority Children and
  Youth (CAL 2006)
• http//www.ccsso.org/content/PDFs/5-19-06chiefs20
  (2).ppt

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12. Partnerships and English learners

• Schools with a high population of English
• learners find that student achievement increases
  family involvement. Likewise, family involvement
  increases when schools provide
• Personal relationships (between school personnel
  and family members)
• Sense of belonging
• Events that celebrate cultures with parents and
  families (student performances, holidays, meals)
• Child care (during parent or guardian conferences
  and meetings)
• Transportation

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Parent involvement

• Translations encourage parent involvement
• Clearinghouse for Multilingual Documents
  (http//www.cde.ca.gov/ls/pf/cm/)
• California Education Code Section 48985
• The Clearinghouse for Multilingual Documents
  (CMD) is a secure database to assist local
  educational agency (LEA) staff in locating
  parental notification documents translated into
  non-English languages.

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12. Partnerships and English Learners

• More ways to support ELs and families
• Fund a parent liaison
• Establish a parent room
• Keep library/media centers open after school
• Educate parents or guardians about options for
  involvement.
• Do family visits in their neighborhoods.

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Taking Center StageAct II

• In conclusion the following practices help
  schools meet the 2 goals of an effective EL
  program (slide 1 of 2)
• EL programs are schoolwide (not isolated -- TCSII
  9-Leadership)
• Teachers collaborate, particularly for ELD
  instruction (TCSII 10-Professional Learning)
• Staff members demonstrate extensive language and
  cultural competence (TCSII 10 10-Professional
  Learning)
• Staff members demonstrate a focus on individual
  students and differentiation of instruction
  (TCSII 2- Instruction, Assessment, and
  Intervention)

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Taking Center StageAct II

• The school culture emphasizes
• consistent monitoring of students progress and
  teaching to rigorous academic standards (TCSII
  11-Accountability)
• Staff members articulate rigorous expectations
  for ALL staff and students (TCSII 1-Rigor)
• Consistent leadership supports and benefits
  programs and instruction (TCSII 9-Leadership)
• Staff members focus on consistent, coherent
  program design (TCSII 9-Leadership)
• Norm Gold, Successful Bilingual Schools. SDCOE,
  October, 2006, p. 50.
• http//www.sdcoe.net/lret2/els/pdf/SBS_Report_FINA
  L.pdf

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Taking Center StageAct II

• POLL
• Which topics would you like us to address by
  providing more resources?
• Well try to add them to TCSII and/or our FAQs on
  the archive site.

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• Taking Center StageAct II

Thank you! Carol Abbott cabbott_at_cde.ca.gov and Je
anette Ganahl Jganahl _at_cde.ca.gov
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Additional Resources

• California Department of Education
  (http//www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/) resources on
  English learners
• WestEds Quality Teaching for English Learners
  (QTEL)
• http//www.wested.org/cs/we/view/pj/380
• Americas Choice (http//www.americaschoice.org/)
  provides research-based interventions based on
  California standards
• Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) focuses
  on professional development in the area of
  language acquisition and literacy (housed at the
  Orange County Department of Education)
  http//www.projectglad.com/
• Colorin Colorado is a research-based Web site for
  EL teachers and parents http//www.ColorinColorado
  .org
• TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other
  Languages) http//www.tesol.org/s_tesol/index.asp.
  TESOL, a professional association for English
  language educators, offers a variety of resources
  and networking opportunities for professionals
  involved in secondary school English language
  education.

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Next Steps

• Archive
• http//www.schoolsmovingup.net/webinars/centerstag
  e
• Feedback
• http//www.schoolsmovingup.net/webinars/centerstag
  e/survey.htm