The "Turtle" Graphic

This graphic, which I have heard lovingly referred to as the "Turtle" graphic, is an excellent visualization of how the California English Language Development Standards and the California Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy are integrated and interdependent.

Outer Ring	The outer ring of this graphic gives us the four overarching goals of ELA/Literacy and ELD instruction. California's goals for each student by the time they complete high school is to: have developed college and career readiness, attained the capacities of literate individuals, become broadly literate, and have acquired the skills for living and learning in the 21st century.
White Field	The white field surrounding the "turtle" is designed to represent the context in which high-quality instruction occurs. The ELA/ELD Framework states that the context in which students are learning should be motivating, engaging, respectful (so that students can take risks), integrated (across the disciplines), and intellectually challenging (regardless of language proficiency level).
Circling the Standards	The small blue circles surrounding the standards are are the 5 key themes of the standards: meaning making, language development, effective expression, content knowledge, and foundational skills. These five themes exist at every grade level and increase in rigor and complexity as the CCSS spirals progress.
Center	In the center of the graphic, at the heart of instruction are the CA CCSS for ELA and Literacy. The CA ELD standards are embedded in this center circle. The standards provide teachers with year-end outcome statements for a wide range of student knowledge and abilities. The standards guide instructional planning and observation of student progress. The CA ELD standards provide English Learners with full access to the CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy as well as other content areas.

Academic Language Prezi

Here is the presentation I gave on Academic Language during our back-to-school staff development in August. Hope you enjoy! If you have any questions, feel free to comment below!  

NEW FREE MOOCs from Stanford Online Learning

Hola Gente! I've been away, learning my new curriculum for a few weeks, but I'm back with a whole new series of blog posts for you over the next few weeks! Most urgently, I wanted to share with you some new MOOCs that are free to anyone from Stanford Online Learning. All of the MOOCs I have taken from them have been high-quality and extremely relevant. Please take a minute to look at what's available. If you plan on signing up for one, let me know in the comments! Late to the game? Don't fear, you can always sign up after the start date (though within the first two weeks is preferable). EDUCATION

CONSTRUCTIVE CLASSROOM CONVERSATIONS: MASTERING LANGUAGE FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS (ELEMENTARY) Starts October 1 This fourteen-week course looks closely at student-to-student conversations and addresses ways to improve students' abilities to engage in the types of interactions described in the new standards. It consists of four sessions with three weeks between each session. Learning in this course relies heavily on participant contributions and comments, especially in the team collaboration setting. Learn More >

CONSTRUCTIVE CLASSROOM CONVERSATIONS: MASTERING LANGUAGE FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS (SECONDARY) Starts October 1 This fourteen-week course is focused on the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards, which emphasize improving the quality of student-to-student discourse as a major feature of instruction. The sessions and assignments are designed for participants who teach or have access to classrooms in which they can gather samples of students’ conversation during lessons, and learn ways to improve students' abilities to engage in the types of interactions described in the new standards. The course includes resources and tasks for instructional coaches and others who support teachers and build school-wide capacity. Learn More >

SUPPORTING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS UNDER THE NEW STANDARDS Starts October 1 In this seven-week course, participants will use a range of practical tools for gathering and analyzing language samples that show how students currently construct claims supported by evidence and/or reasoning. Learn More >

Characteristics of Long-Term English Learners

          Students become LTELs after many years of schooling in the United States. Olsen (2010) revealed that many students, in their formative, elementary schooling, received little to no ELD instruction, were provided with curriculum and course materials not adapted for use with ELLs, enrolled in weak language development program models, and or were given only given access to a narrowed version of the core curriculum. She further explained that a lack of continuity in programs, social segregation of linguistically homogenous groups, and transitional schooling, “spending some time

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fdrlibrary/4998820378/

in schools in one country, and some time in the United States, with movement back and forth over the course of their education,” results in the language gaps that plague students who eventually become LTELs (Olsen, 2010, pp.13-20). Olsen describes LTELs as students who generally struggle academically, have distinct language issues (high functioning social language in both their home language and English, but weak academic language knowledge and skills), and have limited background knowledge and schema. An interesting dichotomy that Olsen points out is that many LTELs want to go to college but are unaware that they are not on track to meeting their goal, while on the other hand, some LTELs have become so discouraged that they disengage, fall behind, and some eventually drop out.

            Students who become LTELs can often be difficult to identify, without knowledge of their educational background. They can often speak in a seemingly fluent manner, but they lack the academic English conventions, vocabulary, grammar, discourse formats and language functions to be proficient. Students with these language gaps have found coping strategies of non-participation, silence, and passivity in order to be undetected and unexposed. Many LTELs become discouraged, which can lead them to stop asking for help. Students in this category are often misplaced in interventions and support classes intended for struggling native English speakers (Olsen, 2012).

            Walqui, Koelsch, Hamburger, et al. (2010) discuss the need for focusing attention on the plight of middle school ELLs, due to the early adolescent years being a critical period of transition, socially, physically, and personally. Walqui, et al. (2010) explain that students at this stage are discovering their role in varying social groups, as well as their own families. Students are discovering and defining their personal identities and how they would like to be perceived by others. How students perform academically and socially have a significant impact on their continued motivation, interest in school and intellectual confidence. These findings are significant when coupled with the characteristics of LTELs and the social-emotional issues they face.

            In all three studies, it is evident that the problems facing LTELs are much greater than the current solutions available to them at this time. While not all of the problems are relevant to each LTEL, many of the issues discussed are present when assessing the barriers to success facing any group of LTELs. In order to understand how to best serve our diverse LTEL populations, it is important to understand which obstacles they are facing, so that we may more fully address and meet their needs. 

Experts in the Field of Long-Term English Learner Research

          There are two places in the United States where the majority of research around the issue of Long-Term English Learners is being done. One of these places is California and the other is New York. Both states have statistically significant numbers of English Language Learners, and more importantly LTELs. Dr. Laurie Olsen and Dr. Kate Kinsella are both doing their research out of California, and Dr. Kate Menken and Dr. Tatyana Kleyn are both from New York. The work that Menken and Kleyn have done was part of a project funded by the New York City Department of Education, Office of English Learners which took place from 2007-2009. Menken was the Principal Investigator and Kleyn was the Faculty Consultant and Co-Author for the project.

Dr. Laurie Olsen

Dr. Laurie Olsen

Dr. Laurie Olsen is an educator in the California Bay Area region. She is part of the Californians Together coalition which advocates for civil rights, equity, access to quality education for all students, but especially for English Language Learners. In her pivotal study, “Reparable Harm,” Olsen (2010) revealed that many students, in their formative, elementary schooling, received little to no ELD instruction, were provided with curriculum and course materials not adapted for use with ELLs, enrolled in weak language development program models, and or were given only given access to a narrowed version of the core curriculum. She further explained that a lack of continuity in programs, social segregation of linguistically homogenous groups, and transitional schooling, “spending some time in schools in one country, and some time [sic] in the United States, with movement back and forth over the course of their education,” results in the language gaps that plague students who eventually become LTELs (Olsen, 2010, pp.13-20). Olsen describes LTELs as students who generally struggle academically, have distinct language issues (high functioning social language in both their home language and English, but weak academic language knowledge and skills), and have limited background knowledge and schema. An interesting dichotomy that Olsen points out is that many LTELs want to go to college but are unaware that they are not on track to meeting their goal, while on the other hand, some LTELs have become so discouraged that they disengage, fall behind, and some eventually drop out.

            Students who become LTELs can often be difficult to identify, without knowledge of their educational background. They can often speak in a seemingly fluent manner, but they lack the academic English conventions, vocabulary, grammar, discourse formats and language functions to be proficient. Students with these language gaps have found coping strategies of non-participation, silence, and passivity in order to be undetected and unexposed. Many LTELs become discouraged, which can lead them to stop asking for help. Students in this category are often misplaced in interventions and support classes intended for struggling native English speakers (Olsen, 2012).

Dr. Kate Kinsella

Dr. Kate Kinsela

            Dr. Kate Kinsella is the foremost expert on teaching academic vocabulary in a formalized routine for maximum retention. She helped to develop Scholastic’s Read 180 program, and has most recently developed English 3D for Scholastic, designed specifically for meeting the academic vocabulary deficiencies of Long-Term English Learners. Kinsella offers many workshops on learning to deliver academic vocabulary to students at all levels. In her explicit vocabulary routine students are introduced to a word and its meaning several times and in several different ways, before they are given formalized assessment. They learn how to pronounce each word, are told the meaning of the word, and shown multiple examples of the word in context, then are given immediate practice in using the word. Finally, word knowledge is put further in to context through readings and various writing activities. Once a student has reached mastery of the word, they are asked to use the word orally, usually through a report or some other form of structured writing (Kinsella, 2012).

            Another important aspect of Kinsella’s work is in the field of academic discussion. It is not enough for LTELs to gain mastery of various academic words, but it is also important for them to obtain the language needed to hold and sustain academic discussions. She most often does this through the use of frames and modeling. Students are given different frames for various academic purposes, then are shown how they should be used, and in which settings. Then, students are asked to produce the language with a partner, or small group, before sharing with the class or on some other individual basis. Kinsella maintains that students’ interactions need to be structured and ELLs need proper language supports to further learning and language retention (Kinsella, 2012).

Dr. Kate Menken

Dr. Kate Menken and Dr. Tatyana Kleyn

            Dr. Kate Menken and Dr. Tatyana Kleyn are both researchers from New York, who have done extensive research on bilingual education and on Long-Term English Learners, as part of a study funded by the New York City Department of Education, Office of English Language Learners. The two phase project was designed to study the characteristics and needs of LTELs in the New York City school system. The study focused on students who had been in United States schools for seven or more years, were bilingual in English and Spanish, but had not been reclassified. Their goal was to come up with a program that would focus on biliteracy development for these students (Menken & Kleyn, 2009).

Dr. Tatyana Kleyn

            What these researchers found is that Long-Term English Learners are facing conflicting feelings over the value of their primary language and English, as well as conflicting feelings about their native culture over the dominant culture of America. The LTELs in their study wanted to be identified as English speakers, but also took pride in their cultural heritage and language. Unfortunately, as with many LTELs, these students had limited proficiency in their primary language and were uncomfortable with using it in an academic way, whether that is reading or writing. They could all articulate their perception of the value of spoken Spanish, but due to their lack of literacy in that language, often avoided any mention or application of written Spanish. Their research has given me great insight into the complicated cultural dichotomy our LTEL students are facing both at home and at school. Students need to have their native language affirmed and supported at a young age if we are to significantly reduce the number of languishing LTELs in our school systems (Menken & Kleyn, 2010).

Screencasting for your ELLs

Screencasting can be a great tech resource for helping your ELLs. It can help free the teacher up to help give individual attention to more students, while empowering other students to move ahead independently. Here's a screencast I made about screencasting using Screencast-O-Matic:

Some of my other screencasts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks9Q90PZt5U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdFKCGKMPgs

Two different programs you can use to do your screencasting:

Screencast-O-Matic - The program I use. Easy to use interface and uploads directly to YouTube or Google Drive, or download to your computer.

Snag-it - Chrome app. Can be used on Chromebooks, where SOM cannot, because it requires the use of Java. Syncs directly to your Google Drive.

California's Long-Term English Learners

In this video by Colorín Colorado, Janet Davis describes who California's Long-Term English Learners are, what their characteristics are, and what kind of supports they need to be more successful in our schools.

Bilingualism vs Biliteracy: What's the Difference?

What is the difference between the terms bilingual and biliterate? Are they interchangeable?

• A person who is bilingual can fluently speak two languages.
• A person who is biliterate can also read and write proficiently in two languages.
• A person who is biliterate is also considered bilingual, but a person who is bilingual is not necessarily biliterate.

For more information on the Seal of Biliteracy, visit them on Facebook, Instagram, or the website. For California-specific information, visit the CDE's Website on the State Seal of Biliteracy.

Copyright 2010 Vancouver Film School - Link

The California ELD Standards

The following informational video by Sandra Orozco gives an overview of the California English Language Deveopment (ELD) Standards that were adopted in November 2012. It's a great introduction into how the standards are layed out and what the meaning of all of the new proficiency descriptors and color coding means.

Why it Pays to Be Bilingual

Here's an interesting infographic from Voxy.com that shows why being bilingual is an advantage in more ways than giving one an economic edge.


Via: Voxy Blog

Here are some ways that Voxy suggests using this graphic in your class!

Warm-Up Activity

Before handing out the infographic, discuss the following question with your students: What are the advantages of being bilingual?

Speaking & Critical Thinking Practice

Questions to ask your students after presenting the infographic:

1. What is the most surprising fact that you discovered from this infographic?
2. Is the information in this infographic applicable in your own country or society? Give examples.
3. Since beginning your English studies, what perspective have you gained on the advantages of being bilingual? Do you agree with the statement that there are cognitive, monetary and cultural benefits to being bilingual? Why or why not?
4. Today, many people would say that English is the most important language in the world; if English is not your first language, then you should become bilingual in your L1 and English. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
5. If you agree with the statement in #4, do you think that another language will ever become more important than English?

Writing Challenge

After reviewing this infographic with your students, have them write an essay or blog post based on the facts from the infographic as well as their own findings. Encourage them to do their own research using the sources listed at the bottom of the infographic.

The California Seal of Biliteracy

Part of motivating our Long-Term English Learner (LTEL) population is helping them to see the value and importance of their primary language. Often times, due to subtractive schooling and other societal pressures, LTELs begin to devalue their primary language, shunning it for English. This can happen at any age, but most often happens in the primary grades, when students begin to realize that they are different and are wanting to fit in.

If we begin to put a higher value on biliteracy - fluent, academic reading, writing, and speaking of another language, in addition to English - students will in turn place a higher value on their primary language. This has multiple benefits. "Academic skills, literacy development, concept
formation, subject knowledge, and learning strategies developed in the first language will
all transfer to the second language" (Collier, 2005). In addition, changing the perception of the primary language for a student can help foster positive associations with their primary language, resulting in a desire to maintain and further their cognitive development in their primary language.

In 2009, Californians Together introduced the Seal of Biliteracy. The following is from their website:

"The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by a school, school district or county office of education in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. Appearing on the transcript of the graduating senior, the Seal of Biliteracy is a statement of accomplishment for future employers and for college admissions."

The Seal of Biliteracy can help to motivate students to maintain their primary language, to learn a second language, other than English, and can help prepare our students to be competitive in the global economy. In a world where students in most other countries know two or more languages, American students are at a distinct disadvantage. The Seal of Biliteracy not only promotes fluency in two or more languages, but adds prestige and intrinsic value to an English Learner's primary language.

To learn more about the Seal of Biliteracy:

Seal of Biliteracy Information and Implementation Booklet Download - Californians Together

State Seal of Biliteracy - California Department of Education

Long Term English Learners

Long Term English Learners (LTELs)

What is an LTEL?

California Assembly Bill 2193, passed in 2012, defines LTELs as:

• A student in grades 6-12
• Enrolled in U.S. schools for 6+ years
• At the same proficiency level (as determined by the CELDT) for 2 or more years
• Scores at Far Below Basic or Below Basic on the CST, or the Smarter Balanced Assessment

In addition, AB 2193 also defines students "at risk" of becoming LTELs:

• In grades 5-11
• At the Beginning, Early Intermediate, or Intermediate proficiency level (as determined by the CELDT)
• Scores in their 4th year of U.S. schooling at the Far Below Basic or Below Basic on the CST, or the Smarter Balanced Assessment

Unfortunately, AB 2193 does have its flaws. For example, a student that has been in U.S. schools for 5 or more years, but scores at the Below Basic level on state proficiency exams one year, then at the Far Below Basic level the following year cannot be considered an LTEL, according to this definition. We at MUSD do, however, still consider this student to be an LTEL, and they should receive services and interventions appropriate to their needs.

What are the characteristics of an LTEL student?

Reparable Harm, by Laurie Olsen, PhD, gives us a clearly defined set of characteristics that many LTELs exhibit. Not every descriptor applies to each LTEL, but usually, it is more than one descriptor that matches to each student:

• Struggles academically, poor grades, possible grade retention in the past
• Has distinct language learning needs
• High-functioning social language skills
• Weak academic language and gaps in reading and writing, leading them to struggle in all content areas
• "Stuck" at the intermediate level of proficiency
• Non-engagement - learned habits of passivity and invisibility in school
• Wants to go to college - but unrealistic views of academic preparation
• Significant gaps in academic background knowledge
• Discouraged learners, at high risk of dropping out

How does a student go from being an English Learner to an LTEL?

There are a variety of reasons that a student may not have been able to reclassify within 5 years. Again, Reparable Harm gives us several reasons why this may have occurred:

• Received no language development program
• Elementary curriculum and materials were not designed for English Language Learners
• Weak language development program models
• Inconsistent programs, migrant family, the "Ping Pong Syndrome"
• A narrowed curriculum and partial access to the curriculum
• Social segregation, linguistic isolation
• Transnational schooling

What can we do to help LTELs in our classrooms?

This question has many answers, but none of them encompass a "one size fits all" approach (in education, there rarely is one). Depending on the distinct academic and social-emotional needs of each of our LTELs, we can find appropriate interventions and strategies to help them find success.

Use appropriate and effective curriculum designed for LTEL students

• English 3D
• EL Achieve's Systematic ELD and Constructing Meaning (CM)
• LAUSD's LTEL Course Framework and Resources

Foster Resiliency - Grit - Growth Mindset

• Building Resiliency in Students - Richard Sagor (1996)
• Resilience and Grit: Resource Roundup - Edutopia
• TED Talk: The key to success? Grit - Angela Lee Duckworth
• What is Mindset? - Carol Dweck

Build Positive Relationships and Community

• Building Classroom Community and Respect For Others, Pinterest Board - Carol Camp
• Hearts and Minds, Educational Leadership - Steven Wolk
• 10 Team Building Games for the First Day of Class - TeachThought

From the April MUSD EL Newsletter

Integrating ELD Standards, Common Core Standards for Literacy  

Mathematics, and Science

Using the STEAM Building Background Knowledge

Lesson Framework

The goal of STEAM is to promote high-quality, integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics instruction in Santa Clara County by supporting teachers and administrators. The STEAM team provides professional development in science, mathematics, literacy, engineering and the arts. On-site assistance is available focusing on program implementation, teaching strategies and support with the integration of STEAM content areas and the infusion of technology to bring context and real-world to the classroom.

Using the Building Background Knowledge lesson framework provides engaging, integrated experiences with any subject. These lessons are content rich and support academic language development for all students, addressing ELD Standards, Science Standards, and Common Core Standards for Literacy and Mathematics. They also provide students with more content knowledge so they can comprehend information written at a high Lexile Level. knowledge in real-world settings and builds 21st Century Skills such as:

o Critical Thinking

o Communication

o Collaboration

o Creativity

     Building Background Knowledge  (BBK)

Instructional Routine

                     

Step 1: Mystery Text or Other Hook

Choose a relevant brief text, poem, political cartoon, mystery graph, photograph, or song. Students look and discuss together. What do they think this is about? What do they notice? Etc. Ask at the end for guesses. Tell students the topic. They share in small groups what they already know. Brief report out to whole group.

Step 2: Silent Gallery
Artfully arrange a variety of artifacts such as photographs, timelines, quotes, titles, brief pieces of text, graphs and  charts, cartoons, etc. for the gallery walk. Students walk and take notes on what they notice and wonder. All silent. Then, back at the group, discuss their notes, ideas and questions.

Step 3: Common Texts
Everyone reads the same text that is provocative or provides important background information at this point in the process. The text may answer questions that have arisen from the previous steps and their small group discussions. Ask students to text code for important information. Remind them of the Guiding Questions and Learning Targets for the BBK.

Step 4: Expert Texts
Present articles or texts (still brief). Each member of the group reads a different text and becomes “expert” on it (Jigsaw). The texts may be a rich narrative that offers multiple perspectives, such as brief biographies, and could also be different formats or media. Again, students should text code and prepare what they are going to report to their group.

Step 5: Carousel/Group Charts/Summarize Learning Each group hangs their chart and everyone carousels around to read. Possible questions to ask: Did groups have similar  or different perspectives or gather different information? Each small group ends by adding any additional information and questions. Individuals then have a chance to record their own learning and questions. Finish with review of Learning Targets or debrief process.

Functional Language

English Learner students have two jobs in your class. First of all, they need to learn your content. Simultaneously, they also need to acquire the language and vocabulary needed to express their thoughts, ideas, and new content knowledge. We can't expect students to be able to delve deeper into the content, as is expected in the Common Core State Standards, until they can access the content at this most basic level.

How are you helping make your content more accessible through language supports?

One strategy for making content more accessible is by offering the functional language students need in order to process your content, through sentence frames.

Here's an example from EL Achieve's Student Flipbook. The flipbooks have language frames for Cause and Effect, Compare and Contrast, Explain and Describe, Proposition and Support, and for Sequence.

This is portable, generic academic language that can be used for all content areas. By providing and using supports like this in your content area class, students will gain practice with high leverage, functional language that can be used across the content areas. Providing these frames can help students to clearly express their ideas, both in written form, but perhaps even more importantly for ELs, orally!

There are many places in your lesson plan that these frames can come in handy. Information can be presented through the use of the frames. The teacher can model the frame in use.

Students can use the frames during oral language practice and structured peer interactions. Increased student talk time should be a goal for all teachers while transitioning to Common Core.

Sentence frames can be used to facilitate note taking and interactive reading. They can be used to help with comprehension of complex texts. They can be scaffolded to gradually increase student independence.

They can be used extensively when creating academic writing supports for students. You can create genre-specific writing templates to assist students in writing in the language of your discipline with confidence and support.

Can you think of other ways that functional language sentence frames can assist you in the classroom? Share in the comments!

LTELs and California Assembly Bill 2193

AB 2193 was passed in 2012. This bill defines our Long Term English Learners (LTELs). However, this criteria is not all-inclusive. Here's a breakdown of the basic criteria in this bill which defines an LTEL:

• In grades 6-12 
• 6+ years in US 
• At the same proficiency level for two or more consecutive years 
• At Far Below Basic or Below Basic on the CST, or any successor test 

Students "At Risk" of becoming LTELs are defined as:

• In grades 5-11 
• At the Beginning, Early Intermediate or Intermediate level on CELDT 
• Scores in the 4th year at Far Below Basic or Below Basic on the CST, or any successor test 

Some of our students, though defined as our district as LTELs, are not defined by this bill as such. For example, a student that is at Intermediate one year and the next year goes to Below Basic, then the next year goes back up to Intermediate, is are not defined at an LTEL by this bill, although they have been in U.S. schools for more than 5 years.

What does being an LTEL mean for your students? LTEL students have needs that are very different from your other EL students. According to Dr. Kate Kinsella on the English 3D Website, LTELs:

• Have lived most or all of their lives in the United States 
• Are often orally bilingual and sound like native English speakers do not have well-developed academic literacy skills in English 
• Often have developed habits of non-engagement, learned passivity, and invisibility in school 
• Perform below grade level in reading and writing and, as a result, struggle in all content areas 
• Have overall school performance is low, with poor grades and grade retention commonplace, making this population at high risk for dropping out 

How are we serving the unique and pressing needs of our LTEL population? When designing your lessons, are you ensuring that you have included a language objective that helps all students, especially your LTELs, move towards language proficiency? Do you know who the LTELs in your classroom are?

Assembly Bill No. 2193 

CHAPTER 427 

An act to add Sections 313.1 and 313.2 to the Education Code, relating to English learners.

[ Approved by Governor September 21, 2012. Filed with Secretary of State September 21, 2012. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2193, Lara. Long-term English learners.

Existing law requires each school district that has one or more pupils who are English learners, and, to the extent required by federal law, a county office of education and a charter school, to assess the English language development of each of those pupils in order to determine the pupil’s level of proficiency. Existing law requires the State Department of Education, with the approval of the State Board of Education, to establish procedures for conducting the assessment and for the reclassification of a pupil from English learner to English proficient.

This bill would define “long-term English learner” and “English learner at risk of becoming a long-term English learner” and would require the department to annually ascertain and provide to school districts and schools the number of pupils in each school district and school, as specified, who are, or are at risk of becoming, long-term English learners.

BILL TEXT

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1.

Section 313.1 is added to the Education Code, to read:

313.1.

For purposes of this article, the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) “Long-term English learner” means an English learner who is enrolled in any of grades 6 to 12, inclusive, has been enrolled in schools in the United States for more than six years, has remained at the same English language proficiency level for two or more consecutive years as determined by the English language development test identified or developed pursuant to Section 60810, or any successor test, and scores far below basic or below basic on the English language arts standards-based achievement test administered pursuant to Section 60640, or any successor test.

(b) “English learner at risk of becoming a long-term English learner” means an English learner who is enrolled in any of grades 5 to 11, inclusive, in schools in the United States for four years, scores at the intermediate level or below on the English language development test identified or developed pursuant to Section 60810, or any successor test, and scores in the fourth year at the below basic or far below basic level on the English language arts standards-based achievement test administered pursuant to Section 60640, or any successor test.

SEC. 2.

Section 313.2 is added to the Education Code, to read:

313.2.

(a) The department shall annually ascertain the number of pupils in each school district and school, including a school that is within the jurisdiction of a county office of education and a charter school, who are, or are at risk of becoming, long-term English learners, as those terms are defined in Section 313.1.

(b) The department shall annually provide the information described in subdivision (a) to school districts and schools.

EL Achieve Symposia

Today I am at the EL Achieve Symposia at the Dolce Hayes Mansion in San Jose, California. I am really looking forward to learning about the ways that we can help our secondary EL students. There are people here from all over: Santa Clara, Santa Barbara, Alameda, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Mateo, San Diego, Contra Costa, Oregon, Texas, and even Alaska! 

New MOOC from Understanding Language at Stanford University - FREE!

Happy Thursday colleagues and friends!

I wanted to share some information with you about a free online class I will be taking from Stanford University. I thought you might be interested in it too, since we're going full throttle into Common Core next year. Information about the course is below. It's FREE and the first assignments aren't due until March 20th, so there is still time to sign up. Please let me know if you choose to participate! I would love to have a study buddy for the course!

From Understanding Language at Stanford University:

A team from the Understanding Language initiative at Stanford University that includes Drs. Kenji Hakuta, Jeff Zwiers, and Sara Rutherford-Quach, is launching their second set of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on Thursday, March 6th. These MOOCs cover similar material but are split into two separate courses, one designed for elementary educators (i.e. PreK-5 grades), Constructive Classroom Conversations: Mastering Language for the Common Core State Standards (Elementary) and the other targeted at secondary educators (i.e. 6-12 grades), Constructive Classroom Conversations: Mastering Language for the Common Core State Standards (Secondary). The courses focus specifically on how educators – and particularly educators of English language learners- can foster the kind of rigorous student-to-student academic discussions required by the Common Core State Standards. An original version of these courses was offered last fall, with more than 2,000 teachers actively participating. Potential participants should have access to a K-12 classroom, as the course assignments will require them to listen carefully to real conversations among their students, reflect upon this discourse, and plan instruction accordingly. Both courses are free of charge, but if a participant would like to receive an official record of completion from Stanford University with the approximate number of professional development hours to which the course is equivalent, he or she may pay a modest fee to do so.

10 Do's and Dont's for Effective Vocabulary Instruction, by Dr. Kimberly Tyson

"Infographic: 10 Do’s and Don’ts for Effective Vocabulary Instruction {12 Days of Literacy}"

 by Dr. Kimberly Tyson was originally published on Learning Unlimited.

We know that there is a strong relationship between vocabulary and reading comprehension. Systematic vocabulary instruction must be an integral component of a K-12 comprehensive instructional framework

While there is no one correct way to teach vocabulary, common characteristics of effective vocabulary instruction have been documented in many professional journals and books. And yet, recentNAEP results for vocabulary reveal no significant change in vocabulary scores for 4th- and 8th-grade students from 2009 to 2011. In short, we still have a long way to go to improve vocabulary instruction and student word learning.

Effective vocabulary instruction across grade levels and content areas is key. Whether you implementMarzano’s 6-step vocabulary process or integrate digital tools into your instructional toolkit, the “10 Do’s and Don’ts” highlighted in this infographic can help you drill down to the basics and strengthen your instruction. It can also set the stage for discussions to improve vocabulary instruction and word learning across classrooms in your setting.

{12 Days of Literacy} Tool 11: Infographic: 10 Do’s and Don’ts for Effective Vocabulary Instruction

Student Talk Time and Collaborative Work

ELL students can often go the whole day, without being asked or required to speak. The following link is an excerpt from the book Content Area Conversations, by Fisher, Frey, and Rothenberg (2008). In the article, they discuss the effects of student to teacher talk time ratios on student achievement outcomes. It's powerful stuff, especially for those of us with reluctant speakers in class.

ASCD: Why Talk is Important in Classrooms, from Content Area Conversations

Collaborative work spaces give all students (both EL and EO) the opportunity to speak with their peers in a non-threatening environment. These spaces can increase valuable student speaking time, which is necessary in order to advance in language acquisition. Students can be given frames and word banks to help them practice applying academic language. This can also prepare students to speak and share as a whole group, for further discussion, or to prepare them to write about a topic. Read on to discover five features that help support these collaborative work spaces for all learners.

The following five features should be considered in any collaborative task. 
(Fisher & Frey, 2008; Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1991) 

1. Positive interdependence 

Members must see how their efforts contribute to the overall success of the group. The task cannot be one that individuals could have completed independently. Rather, the task has to have at least an aspect of interdependence such that students need each other to complete their work successfully.

2. Face-to-face interaction 

As part of the task, group members have to have time to interact live. Although they can also interact in virtual and electronic worlds, our experience suggests that the opportunity to interact on the physical level encourages accountability, feedback, and support.

3. Individual and group accountability 

As we have noted, productive group work is not simply having a group of students complete a task in parallel with peers that they could have done alone. Having said that, we also know that the risk of productive group work lies in participation. In nearly every group, there are likely members who would allow their peers to complete the required tasks. To address this, each member of the group must be accountable for some aspect of the task. Of course, this is a perfect opportunity to differentiate based on students’ needs and strengths. In addition to the individual accountability, the group must be accountable for the overall product. This also ensures that students who are overly involved from monopolizing the conversations during productive group work.

4. Interpersonal and small-group skills 

One of the opportunities presented during productive group work is social skill development. Wise teachers are clear about their expectations related to interpersonal skills and communicate these expectations to students. For example, during a group brainstorming session about ways to represent the concept of slope, Heather reminds her students that “put-downs for ideas are not allowed, especially during a brainstorming session.”

5. Group processing 

As part of the learning associated with productive group work, students need to learn how to think about, and discuss, their experiences. The goal of the discussion is for students to consider ways that they can improve their productivity and working relationships.

Source: Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Anderson, H. (2010). Thinking and comprehending in the mathematics classroom. In K. Ganske & D. Fisher (Eds.), Comprehension across the curriculum: Perspectives and practices K-12 (pp. 146-159). New York: Guilford.

Scaffolding Content Instruction for English Learners with DOK and Bloom’s Taxonomy

From the January MUSD English Learner Newsletter...

Scaffolding Content Instruction for English Learners with DOK and Bloom’s Taxonomy

 This guide provides teachers a tool to scaffold instruction for

         English learners organized by proficiency levels to target

         questions and responses with the support of sentence frames.

         Based on Bloom 's Taxonomy of higher order thinking skills,

         these supports develop oral language and writing development

         in remembering, comprehending, applying, analyzing,

         evaluating, and creating. Questions and sentence writing

         frames modeled by the teacher can help English learners:

• Assess, understand and master critical academic concepts
• Increase acquisition of academic language
• Move beyond simple assignments of recalling information to higher level thinking tasks, such as analysis, evaluation, and creating.

              Click here to view the Scaffolding tool.

              

              If you would like a copy of the tool, please contact Catherine Waslif

              cwaslif@musd.org at ext. 6014.