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Breakout Session 2C

Building a Better Birth-3rd Grade System for Dual-Language Learners

DLLs: A Lightning-Fast Primer

Dr. Conor P. Williams

Founding Director

—

Dual Language Learners National Work Group

New America

The Dual Language Learners National

Work Group

•New America’s Dual Language Learners National Work

Group provides a policy-driven focus on language

learners in the early and elementary years. The Work

Group conducts research, develops recommendations,

and disseminates new ideas to policymakers,

practitioners, and the public to improve outcomes for

dual language learners (DLLs), children from birth

through age eight who are learning English in addition to

their native languages.

•https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/dual-

language-learners/

• Dr. Conor P. Williams: williamsc@newamerica.org

What’s in a name?

• Limited English Proficient (LEP): No Child Left Behind’s

term

• English Learners (ELs): the Every Student Succeeds Act’s

term

• English Language Learners (ELLs): common variation of

ELs

• Dual Language Learners (DLLs): Head Start’s usual term.

(Sometimes used to distinguish young language learners from

older language learners, since younger kids are still learning

the basics of their native languages while beginning English.)

• Multilingual Language Learners, Emergent Bilingual

Learners, Simultaneous Bilinguals…all currently in use.

Demographics (and Data Limits)

•Around 50 million PreK–12 students.

•Around 1 in 10 U.S. K–12 students is officially

considered to be an “English Learner.” (~5 million

students)

–Note: this does NOT count former English Learners

•Between 1 in 5 and 1 in 4 U.S. children between 5 and

17 years old speaks a non-English language at home.

(~12 million or 22% of all kids)

•Nearly 1 in 3 Head Start students speaks a non-English

language at home.

ELs are disproportionately young!

•Around 1 in 2 ELs in US schools are enrolled in the K–3

grades.

EL growth, 2002–2014

• South Carolina (437%)

• North Dakota (211%)

• Kentucky (209%)

• Mississippi (192%)

• Kansas (154%)

• Arkansas (136%)

• Delaware (111%)

• Maine (102%)

• Maryland (105%)

• Over 50% growth in

Alabama, Virginia, North

Carolina, Wisconsin, and

Iowa.

• Growth above national

rates in Michigan, Indiana,

Ohio, Texas, Florida,

Pennsylvania, Colorado,

Georgia, and

Massachusetts.

U.S.: ~8% growth

Pwy ydyn nhw? (Who are they?)

•Around ¾ of ELs are native Spanish speakers. (3.8

million students in 2013–14.

•~1 million ELs speak a different, non-Spanish

language as their native tongues. Arabic, Chinese, and

Vietnamese are the next most prevalent native

languages.

•Between 75% and 90% of ELs are second- or third-

generation Americans. (i.e. native-born U.S. citizens.)

•28% of families that speak English “less than very

well” live under the poverty line.

•Comparison: 19% child poverty rate in English-only

households.

Upshot

•Children of immigrants constitute all U.S. population

growth in the 0–8 cohort since 1990.

•Future workers! Future citizens! Future taxpayers! Future

servicemen and servicewomen! Future friends,

colleagues, neighbors, and in-laws!

To be successful, every public PreK–12

system needs to serve English Learners

well.

ALIGNING TO SUPPORT

MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS

SARAH BARAY, PH.D.

The Dilemma

Jennifer Ramirez is a bilingual Pre-K teacher. All of her students have a home language survey indicating Spanish is a primary home language. The majority of her students qualify for bilingual services based on their individual language assessments. Jennifer knows research supports teaching her students in their home language, but she also know the importance of children having a consistent approach to language instruction in the early school years. Next year Jennifer’s students will go to several different schools for kindergarten, each using a slightly different approach. Knowing all of this, Jennifer wonders what approach to language instruction she should use in her classroom.

How would you approach this situation?

What advice do you have for Jennifer?

CONTEXT OF SAN ANTONIO

• 500,000 children live in Bexar County• 27% live in poverty• 73% of public school students are Latino• 55,000 (11%) are multilingual learners• 20 public school districts serve the

county• Districts use a variety of approaches to

language instruction within and across districts

PRE-K 4 SA

• Community investment in high quality Pre-K• Funded through sales tax (1/8 cent)• Prioritizes serving lowest income students• Four-pronged approach:

• 4 Education Centers serving 2,000• Professional learning Pre-K–3rd educators• $4.2 million awarded through competitive

grants to increase quality and access• Family outreach and engagement

MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS

AT PRE-K 4 SA

• Approximately 20% qualify as EL• Need ranges by center:

• North – 30% of students; dozens of languages

• East—13%; almost exclusively Spanish• West—10%; primarily Spanish• South--<10%; many non-qualifying students in need of

support

• Most students will go to public kinder• State supports early exit (3rd grade); ESL

only beyond elementary grades

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Pre-K 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade Middle School High School

Early Exit Dual Language Late Transition

HOME LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION BY

GRADE AND PROGRAM

PRE-K 4 SA APPROACH

Classroom:• Base instruction on interests of student—focus

on current needs more than future situation• Engage parents in the discussion

School:• Equip parents with knowledge of the system

and advocacy skills• Share information with receiving school

System:• Work across organizations to align policy and

practice• Advocate for multilingualism

TAKE-AWAY:LEAD FROM WHERE YOU ARE

Classroom• Know the research• Keep interests of students at center; track

success• Inform parents

School• Establish undergirding approach• Align across classrooms/grade levels• Engage parents in the conversation

System• Make the context visible• Present research and data• Lead stakeholders in discussion• Advocate for supportive policies

THANK YOU

West Chicago District 33

PreK-3 Dual Language ProgramBuilding a Continuum of Services

Dr. Charles Johns, P.h.D

@D33Supt

Objectives

➢To share our journey in moving to a Birth to 3rd grade continuum of services

➢To share lessons learned for a smooth transition

TakeOff – TouchDownStand up if it applies to you / sit down if it does not

➢TBE, Dual, Gen Ed, Sped, other?➢Lead a birth to 3rd program➢Teach in a prek dual program➢Can explain the difference between

One-Way and Two-Way dual language➢Are leading changes in your prek

programs

D33 Demographic Information

D33 District Highlights

➢ Pre-K-8 District➢ 6 Elementary, 1 MS, 1 Pre-K➢ 2001-2015 dual program (Gary School)➢ 80.2% Hispanic➢ 55% Limited English Proficient➢ 65% Low Income*➢ 42 different languages spoken➢ D33 is surrounded by the most affluent communities

in Illinois (Dupage County)

Early Childhood Programs in West Chicago

• Prevention Initiative - Home Visiting

• Parents as Teachers Model, 170 familiesB - 3

• Educare, 102 Preschool, 48 B-3

• Additive model in 13-14B - 5

• Half Day – 366 Students

• Full Day - 120 Students

• Additive model in 13-144 - 5

• Added Full-Day at Two-Way Dual 2013

• Full-Day whole district in 2014Kinder

B-3 Continuity ProjectFamily Engagement

Joint Professional Development

Aligned Curriculum and Instruction

Aligned Assessments

Data-Driven Improvements

Supported Transitions

Community Partnerships

Comprehensive Services

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Establish

Urgency

Build the

Guiding Team

Get the Right

Vision

Communicate

For Buy-in

Empower

Action

Create Short-

term Wins

Don’t Let

Up

Make it

Stick

Creating a climate

for change

Engaging and

enabling

the whole

organization

Implementing

and

sustaining

change

JOHN KOTTER’S “8 Steps of Change”

Step 1- Leading Change

Establish Urgency

Family Engagement

➢Pre-K parent education led to parent advocacy- they learned what the superior program was.

➢Pre-K parents petitioned the board for change

➢Board of Ed directed a study to determine the need for program expansion

2014 English Data: Achievement Gap Between Non-LEP vs. LEP students:

Kindergarten, 1st Grade & 2nd Grade

Proficient

Non-LEP

Proficient

LEP

Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Legal Background Office of Civil Rights

OCR is responsible for enforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

School districts must take steps to overcome language barriers and ensure students can participate meaningfully in

the district’s educational program.

Step 2 – Leading Change

Build the Team

D33 SLL Committee Program Review Objectives

2014 - 2015

• To respond to PreK Hispanic parents request for dual language opportunities for all children

• To provide dual language continuity from Prek-5th grade

• To close the achievement gap

• To comply with federal law

Step 3 – Leading Change

Get the Right Vision

District 33 Vision and Mission forDual Language

The vision of West Chicago Elementary District 33's Dual Language program is to become a state leader in closing the achievement gap and educating Prek-

8th students to become bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural.

Our mission is for all District 33 students to have the opportunity to achieve academic excellence in

two languages and attain multicultural understanding and appreciation for the different

cultures represented in the Dual Language program.

Step 4- Leading Change

Communicate

Communication PlanBOE/Parents/Community

1. Press Release2. Newsbites3. Town Hall4. District Website5. Dual Video6. Information Nights7. Letters to Parents8. Mexican Independence

Day Parade

Teachers/Administration

1. Talking Points2. District Newsletter3. Building Presentations4. District Website5. Dual Video6. Coffee Talks7. Professional Dev Plan8. Long Range Planning

Step 5 – Leading ChangeEmpower Action

Joint Professional DevelopmentEducare and D33 Joint PD

➢ Teaching for Biliteracy PD was provided to prek- 2nd

grade and rolling up each year

➢ Play-based training and coaching PD from prek-

kinder and rolling up each year to 3rd

➢ Cooperative learning PD prek-8th

➢ Instructional coaches added for preschool and

elementary school to support the ongoing PD and to

ensure sustainability

Articulated Curriculum & Assessments➢ Dual Language for all - English earlier/Spanish longer

➢ Language Allocation consistent across all grades starting with prek-3rd

➢ Articulated curriculum across grades and programs

➢ Kinder Play-based rubrics aligned to KIDS assessment/report card

➢ Prek Gold curriculum aligned to play-based rubrics

Language Allocation in Dual Language

Grade % Spanish % English

Preschool & K 80 20

1 70 30

2 60 40

3 50 50

4 50 50

5 50 50

Play Based Learning

Kagan

Step 6 – Leading ChangeCreate Short Term Wins

Step 7 – Leading ChangeDon’t Give Up

Program Supports

•COFI

•Fathers Read Everyday (FRED)

•Discovery Night

•Parent Cafe

•Breakfast and a Book

•Parent Workshop

•International Book Fair

•Community Partners

Program Supports

Supported Transitions

➢ Pilot Summer Program Services for P5’s

➢ Expanded Transition Meeting Process

w/Kinder

➢ Aligned and Consistent Documentation

Step 8 – Leading ChangeMake It Stick

Community PartnershipsComprehensive Services

Lessons Learned

•Engage your parents in advocacy

•Go slow to go fast

• EDUCATE YOUR BOARD!

• Embed your goals in strategic planning

• Pre-plan your communication

Lessons Learned

● Form partnerships to gain momentum and support

● Don’t underestimate your audience when communicating

● Be aware of the research against bilingual education

Lessons Learned

● Engage your allies

● Engage those that are not your allies

● Reassure your monolingual staff

● Keep smiling and make friends with those

who don’t get it.

Next Steps

• Roll Up Two-Way Dual Language

• Pre-K Summer Program

• Mindfulness Training

Questions?

62

Please complete the session evaluation.

THANK YOU!