ELL PROGRAM DESIGNAretha Miller—VP of School Support, Charter CenterMarilyn Calo—Principal, Family Life Academy Charter School

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Workshop Objectives• Learn that the successful education of ELLs is

driven by school leadership• Identify the key systems & processes that are

crucial to the academic achievement of ELLs:– Effective scheduling– Effective staffing– Use of common planning time– Effective Professional Development– Clearly defined roles & responsibilities for gen ed &

ESL teachers

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Workshop Objectives• Learn to differentiate between the myths &

realities of educating ELLs• Diverse strategies for assessing students’

English language proficiency & content knowledge acquisition

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Definition of English Language Learners (ELLs)

ELLs are students from homes where a language other than English is spoken and who score below a State designated level of proficiency on a test of English language skills.

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Number of NYC Students Who are ELLs

Approximately 1 in 4 students (26%) in New York City is an English Language Learner.

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ELL Subpopulations• Newcomers: Students who are new to

the United States. These students are clustered in early elementary and early high school grades. (Note that 43% of all ELLs are foreign born.)

 

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ELL Subpopulations• Long-term ELLs: Students who have completed

at least six years of ELL services in NYC schools and continue to require them. (Almost 13% in 2009.)

• ELLs with Special Needs: ELLs served by and Individualized Education Plan (IEP). An IEP team determines eligibility for special education services and, if eligible, the language in which the special education is delivered. (Almost 22% in 2009.)

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ELL Subpopulations• Students with Interrupted Formal Education:

ELLs who have entered a US school after second grade; have had at least two years less schooling than their peers; function at least two grade years below expected grade level in reading and math; and may be pre-literate in their first language. (Almost 11% have been SIFE at some point in their lives)

 

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ELL Subpopulations• Former ELLs: Students who have

reached proficiency on a test of English language skills and no longer require ELL services.

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Top Five Languages Spoken by ELLs

• Spanish (68% of ELLs)• Chinese (11%)• Bengali (btwn 2.3-2.9%) • Arabic (btwn 2.3-2.9%)• Haitian Creole (between 2.3-2.9%)

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Please Note

Effective academic program designs for ELLs are driven by School Leaders.

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Types of Program Designs for ELLs

Transitional bilingual (TBE)—is an educational theory that states that children can most easily acquire fluency in a second language by first acquiring fluency in their native language. Fluency is defined as linguistic fluency (e.g. speaking) as well as literacy (e.g. reading and writing).

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Types of Program Designs for ELLs

Sheltered Immersion Observation Protocol (SIOP)— was developed to facilitate high quality instruction for ELLs in content area teaching. The SIOP Model consists of eight interrelated components:

» Lesson Preparation» Building Background» Comprehensible Input» Strategies» Interaction» Practice/Application» Lesson Delivery

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Types of Program Design for ELLs

Dual Language/Bilingual• One Way Dual Language—is based on demographic

contexts where only one language group is being schooled through their two languages.

• Two Way Dual Language— have the demographics to invite native-English-speaking students to join their bilingual and ELL peers in an integrated bilingual classroom. Two-way classes can and should include all students who wish to enroll, including those who have lost their heritage language and speak only English (minimum ratio 70:30. Some people have 50:50.)

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Types of Program Designs for ELLs

English as a Second Language (ESL)—provides instruction in the English language and other courses of study using techniques for acquiring English, and…incorporates the cultural aspects of the pupil’s experience.

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HOW DO YOU DEFINE LITERACY?

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According to the National Institute for Literacy (http://novel.nifl.gov/nifl/faqs.html): "The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 defines literacy as 'an individual's ability to read, write, speak in English, compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job, in the family of the individual and in society.' This is a broader view of literacy than just an individual's ability to read, the more traditional concept of literacy. As information and technology have become increasingly shaped our society [sic], the skills we need to function successfully have gone beyond reading, and literacy has come to include the skills listed in the current definition.”

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The requirements of academic assignments

• Compare

• Contrast• List• Define• Order• Classify• Describe

• Predict• Explain• Discuss• Analyze• Infer• Justify• Integrate

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The requirements of academic assignments

• Evaluate• Deduce• Argue• Persuade• Defend

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Some Key Questions to Consider When Designing an Academic

Program for ELLs1. What kind of resources will I need in

terms of People, Time & Money?2. Where will I go to recruit the staff &

faculty that I will need to ensure the academic success of ELLs?

3. Who are the students in my school?4. How will I assign students to classrooms?

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Some Key Questions to Consider When Designing an Academic

Program for ELLs

• How do I assign staff so that I have them where they are most needed and most impactful?

• What should the schedule be like?• How do I integrate the language needs of

ELLs into the school-wide curricula?

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Some Key Questions to Consider When Designing an Academic Program for ELLs

• What kind of professional development should I provide my staff?

• How often should I deliver PD?• How am I defining PD?• What systems and processes should I put

in place to monitor & measure the effectiveness of the program?

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Some Key Questions to Consider When Designing an Academic Program for ELLs

• What are the best ways to engage families of ELLs?

• Do I build community partnerships to increase my capacity to educate ELLs effectively?

• Should I provide after-school programming for ELLs? If so, what should it entail?

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Suggested Strategies for Assessing ELLs

• Performance-based Assessments• Portfolios• Information Journals

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Please Note• Separate Language from Content• Grade Written Work with a Rubric• Write Interactive Comments• Give Grades for Progress & Effort• Offer Extra Chances and Self-grading

Options

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Q &AAretha Miller : (212) 437-8307amiller@nyccharterschools.org

Marilyn Calo: (718) 410-8100marilync@flacsnyc.com