New English Language Development

and Common Core State Standards Institute

Creating Common Core ELD for Long Term English Learners in the Secondary School Grades: Course Design & Instruction and

Collaboration Across DisciplinesJune 28, 2013

Introductions

Laurie Olsen, Ph.D.Director of the Sobrato Early Academic

Language (SEAL) initiative

English Learner Typologies

• Newly arrived with adequate schooling (including literacy in L1)

• Newly arrived with interrupted formal schooling - “Underschooled” - “SIFE”

• English Learners developing normatively (1-5 years)

• Long Term English Learner

Review: Key elements

• Urgency, acceleration and focus on distinct needs

• Language development is more than literacy development – LTELs need both

• Language development + Academic gaps• Crucial role of home language• Rigor, relevance, relationships• Active engagement• Oral language and Academic language• Writing• Integration

Reparable Harm Recommendations

• Specialized ELD or LTEL language class (aligned to new ELD standards)

• Clustered in heterogeneous classes mainstream academic classes with differentiated SDAIE strategies used

• Explicit language/literacy development across the curriculum

• Emphasis on engagement, oral language and academic language, study skills, rigor

• Native speakers classes (through AP)

The Specialized LTEL Class

The “LTEL” Course• 52 districts have created/adopted some

kind course for LTELs in middle school and/or high school

• Variety of “buckets” and intentions: ELD for LTELs; English support classes; academic language; academic intervention/support; SDAIE English for LTELs

• Range of materials, programs, approaches drawn upon – and diverse combinations of components

Four case studies

• Tracy Unified School District: “ALAS” class paired with regular English class

• Arroyo Valley High School (San Bernardino): schoolwide approach

• Anaheim Union High School District: High school special ELD IV class; middle school support class

• Ventura Unified School District: Multiple placement options

Essential components• Oral language• Student Engagement• Academic Language• Expository text (reading and writing) plus other

genres• Consistent routines• Goal Setting• Empowering pedagogy• Rigor• Community and Relationships• Study Skills

Materials/Curriculum

• Major challenge• Drawn from existing materials, added

supplementary and created additional materials• Needs to be relevant, high interest, age appropriate• Needs to incorporate whole books• Curriculum explicitly provides opportunities for

active engagement• Curriculum should touch on all essential components• Materials should align and connect to core academic

courses

Structural Considerations

• Smaller class size• More fluid pacing guide• Dedicated LTEL class just for LTELs• Attention to maximizing graduation credits

and fulfillment of the A-G• Same teacher for dedicated LTEL class as

for core English class (?)• Careful teacher selection/assignment

Language development across the curriculum

Language development across the curriculum

• Attention to the language demands of academic subjects

• Use of language objectives to focus instruction for ELs

• Use of “scaffolds” to bolster comprehension and access to content (e.g., visuals, primary language resources, graphic organizers)

• SIOP, Constructing Meaning, GLAD, ELLA, SDAIE strategies

Native speakers classes

Does introducing native language instruction in secondary schools have benefit?

The case for Native Language classes

• Activates the language system facilitating meta-linguistic benefits

• Bolsters English• Can increase college preparation and

college-going rates• Develops skill with personal, family, labor

market and societal benefits• Addresses identity and culture

ELD Intervention

s

Lennox School District

• After school ELD intervention• Project based journalism series for “emerging LTELs” (English Learners in

grades 3 – 7, been in district at least four years, at CELDT Levels I, II or III)

• Project-based, student centered curriculum focusing on speaking/listening, collaborative practices and authentic writing – integrating language learning with content learning

• Journalism: focused writing and technology – and genre specific syntax

• Community partnerships: real word application/fieldwork

• Active engagement• Strong language models• Authentic opportunities to connect

language with students communities and social realities

• Eleven week cycle• Two days a week for two hours each day• Small groups (4-7 students per teacher)• Community business/location for fieldwork• Culminating project: publication of Lennox

Voices newspaper

Professional development• ELD Standards• Vocabulary development, oral language

development in context of journalism (questioning, interviewing, paraphrasing, synthesizing information, collaborative planning), lesson planning, journalism as a genre

• Selecting expository reading materials to support research and inquiry

• Differentiating ELD instruction• Use of varied grouping strategies

Looking closer at what ELD for LTELs in the Common Core era

looks like

Dedicated ELD + ELD across all academic areas

MATH SCIENCE

LANGUAGE ARTS

ELD*

SOCIAL STUDIES

CALIFORNIA NEXT GENERATION ELD STANDARDSaligned to the Common Core ELA

LANGUAGE MODESInteracting in Meaningful Ways

LANGUAGE PROCESSESLearning How English Works

Emerging Expanding Bridging

Using Foundational Literacy Skills

“SCAFFOLD”

• Frayer Vocabulary Model• Begin with Examples (quadrant 1)• Brainstorm related non-examples

(quadrant 2)• Essential characteristics (quadrant 3)• Construct a definition (quadrant 4)• Discuss “scaffolds” for English Learners

THE ELD STANDARDS….• Guide for all teachers to support access to

academic content and participation in academic classes for diverse ELL students along continuum towards proficiency

• Guide for all teachers to focus on academic and discipline specific English – what it is, how it works

• Guide for dedicated ELD instruction• Guide for collaboration between ELD and

content teachers

TRANSITIONING TO NEW ELDDedicated ELD class Other academic courses

Transition Level 1 Continue using current program – try to infuse engagement, oral language; Learn about new standards

Teachers use SDAIE strategies to promote access; teach academic vocabulary; learn new ELD standards

Transition level 2 Can use existing scope and sequence, ELD routines, but begin to build in academic content from another subject; more focus on key new ELD standards

Begin to plan small group scaffolds in assignments, preview/review appropriate to level; Deepen learning about scaffolding

Transition level 3 ELD that is connected to and responsive to academic demands and materials – allowing for deeper linguistic focus, practice

ELD differentiation is regular feature of classes; focus on academic language development

COLLABORATION BETWEEN ELD AND OTHER TEACHERS

APPLICATION

• Identify language features English Learners need to understand that they encounter in academic text

• Construct the LANGUAGE lesson that scaffolds their understanding of that language feature using the ELD standards as guidance

Connection/Collaboration

• During ELD time, work on the linguistic features ELLs need in order to access academic content – informed by and sometimes using material from the rest of the day

• During the rest of the curriculum, teacher awareness of ELD standards and linguistic demands of the content guides the kind of graphic organizers, vocabulary focus, scaffolding, differentiated prompts and activities needed to support ELL access

ELA Example: Frederick Douglas excerpt

• CCS Grade 7 3.0 Literary Response and Analysis: Students read historically significant works of literature that reflect and enhance their studies of history. They clarify the ideas….. 3.3. Analyze characterization through a character’s actions, the narrators description….

• ELD Standard Part II.A.b. “Cohesion” Apply basic understanding of how ideas, events or reasons are linked throughout a text using everyday connecting words or phrases.

Heavy scaffoldAt first, Mistress Hughes was a kind,

pious, warm and tender-hearted woman. Later, she treated me as

though I were a brute. Her lamblike disposition gave way to one of

tiger-like fierceness.

Medium scaffoldMore variety of connecting words and

phrases

In the beginning, at first, initially…..

However, due to… as a result of… as a consequence of…. because of…..

In the end, later, over time……

Light scaffoldMy mistress, who had kindly

commenced to instruct me, had, in compliance with the advice and

directions of her husband, not only ceased to instruct but had set her

face against my being instructed by anyone else.