WIDA IMPLEMENTATION: CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES ACROSS MULTIPLE DISTRICTS

Ashley Karlsson - MELED CONFERENCE Friday, November 6, 2015

“As anyone knows who has worked in the field,

implementation of new practice is the biggest

challenge of all.”

Hollin & McMurran (as cited in Fixsen & Blase, 2009)

Objective And Agenda• By the end of this

session, participants will understand:

i. the WIDA Standards Framework

ii. the challenges of implementation

iii. strategies for moving implementation forward

• Research Context

• Overview of WIDA Framework

• Research Methodology

• Major Findings

• Implementation Strategies

Research Context• Implementation of WIDA Standards is required, but what does that look like on a practical level?

•How does implementation look different in different settings?

WIDA Vocabulary Self-Assessment

WIDA

Performance Definitions

WIDA ELD Standards

Model Performance Indicators (MPIs)

Implementation Science

1 – I don’t understand at all. 2- I need to go over this again. 3 - I think I get it, but I’m not completely comfortable.4 – I get it. 5 – I can explain it to someone else.

WIDA ELD Standards

Overview of WIDA Framework Can Do Philosophy Guiding Principles of Language Development

Age-appropriate Academic Language in Sociocultural Contexts

Performance Definitions Strands of Model Performance Indicators

How is the WIDA Standards Framework being used in your school?

Turn and Talk - Introduce yourself to a neighbor. - Share your one word.

Share-Out

Think of one word that describes your school or district’s implementation of WIDA Standards.

Research Design and Methodology

•Semi-structured interviews with 12 participants from different districts

•Anonymous and confidential

•Interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded

Participant Breakdown

Coding Data

Challenges with Implementation

Consultants and Trainers

Model Performance Indicators (MPIs)Can-Do Descriptors

WIDA Assessments

Interim Assessments

Professional Networking

Audience for Training

Training around WIDA

• Consultants and Trainers

• Conferences

• Professional Networking

• District Training

Challenges with Implementation

Participant Quotes:

I would be curious to know what implementation means and looks like in other districts. Are there things being done besides writing up an indeterminable list of MPIs?

It’s basically like, here’s a really nice framework, now spend a hundred hours creating your own standards, and who has time for that?”

I feel like in my district the implementation of WIDA has been very minimal. […] We haven’t really talked about it. It kind of gets ignored.

Challenges with ImplementationParticipant Quotes:

We had a lot of questions, like, ‘How are we going to do this?’ and ‘Where do we even start?’ and ‘When?’ And, ‘Do we have to bring in a trainer?’ And we got absolutely nowhere.

No matter what timeline you put together, what really happens will always look different because there’s real life and there are other initiatives from the federal government and state and from your own district that will have to balance.

Can-Do Descriptors Participant Quotes:

I do think Can Do Descriptors have helped people in this building, but I think it’s something they get and then put aside.

I feel like they got set aside or tossed in the trash and nobody really used them or looked at them anyway.

Unlike some districts that are really digging into that and applying it to particular classes, for us, it is more of a guiding document.

Model Performance Indicators (MPIs)Participant Qu0tes: MPI writing is really stressful for my teachers. I don’t know much about using the MPIs, just because I haven’t had much exposure to it and it kind of gets ignored.

I’m not using them. I attempt to, but like I said, in the end, it just gets [to be] too much, with how much we have to do.

We did a fair amount of work in MPI writing. What we wound up seeing is that it wasn’t necessarily used.

Model Performance Indicators (MPIs)Participant Qu0tes:

We’ve noticed it has been a good place for conversation about what mediating or differentiating instruction would look like. So while the teachers may not actually write MPIs for their lessons or units, it has named supports and language expectations for us in our conversations. It sort of brought those conversations up.

What role do MPIs play in the implementation process?

Turn and Talk

• Were there any quotes that stood out to you?

• Did any of the quotes connect with your own experiences?

Major Findings

(1) Nature of WIDA Framework

(2) Guidelines for

Implementation

(3) Complexity of MPIs

(4) Role of EL Teacher

Nature of WIDA Standards Framework WIDA Standards are distinct from other academic standards in that they are generative and transformative

Lack of understanding perpetuates difficulties with implementation

Effective implementation involves more than just EL Teachers

Guidelines for Implementation No definite formula for implementation

Lack of accountability in implementation process

The tools that do exist are often unknown or underutilized

Complexity of MPIs

(WIDA, 2012)

Complexity of MPIs Task of writing MPIs can be overwhelming

Needs to be built into already established processes of curriculum writing and revision

Goal should be establishing a mindset of differentiation, not quantity

(WIDA, 2012)

Role of EL Teacher The role of the EL teacher within the school setting is not always clear

WIDA Framework creates a common language for EL professionals

Implementation efforts provide an opportunity for EL teachers to be experts

Moving from Adoption to Implementation Successful implementation depends on multiple drivers:

(Fixsen & Blase, 2008)

Moving from Adoption to Implementation Successful implementation takes multiple years.

(Fixsen & Blase, 2008)

Strategies for Moving Forward Creating Implementation Teams

Self-Assessment

- WIDA Essential Actions Handbook

- ELD Standards Implementation Guide from MDE

Extending the Conversation• If you’re interested in continuing to discuss issues around implementation, add your name and contact information to the session Google Doc.

https://goo.gl/ZgvU6y

• You will also find links to the slides from this presentation and access to the complete research results.

Closing Thoughts• You are not alone.

• Supporting each other will help support ELs across the state.

• We need to be advocates, not just for our students, but also for ourselves.

• We need to be intentional about finding what works in our schools.

Questions and Answers