Strategies to Accelerate Success · “LTELs lack oral and literacy skills needed for academic...
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Transcript of Strategies to Accelerate Success · “LTELs lack oral and literacy skills needed for academic...
Strategies to Accelerate Success
for English Language Learners
Dr. Carrie Doom, Vice President—Implementation, Voyager Sopris Learning
Cynthia Jones, Director of Categorical Programs
Deb Ritchhart, K–12 English Learner Facilitator
CONNECT WITH US
@VoyagerSoprisLearning
@voyagersopris
@VoyagerSoprisLearning
Participants will learn:
● Current landscape of U.S. English Language Learners
● High-Impact Strategies to impact Long-Term English Learners
▪ Everett’s journey to adopt and implement LANGUAGE! Live
▪ Steps to success in our second year
Your Presenters
Dr. Carrie Doom
• Vice President of Implementation for
Voyager Sopris Learning
• 12 years consulting with school districts
across US
• Former teacher in rural, suburban and
urban school settings
Your Presenters
Cynthia Jones
Director, Categorical Programs
Deb Ritchhart
K–12 EL Facilitator
• English Learners make up one of the fastest growing populations of
students in US schools
• 2014–2015
• 9% of student populations
• Some states like California (22.45) exceed national average
Current Landscape of English Language Learners
“English Language Learners in Public Schools.” National Center for Education
Statistics, March 2017. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cgf.asp
Long-Term English Learners
• Steadily increasing population in US Schools
• Making up a majority of those students categorized as ELL
• Socially bilingual; making students hard to identify
Dr. Olsen (2014) noted in NEA booklet, Meeting the Unique Needs of Long
Term English Language Learners, that Long-Term English Language Learners
(LTELS) have distinct language issues:
“LTELs function socially in both English and their home language.
However, their language is imprecise and inadequate for deeper expression
and communication, and they lack the vocabulary, syntax, and grammar of
native speakers in both languages. Despite the fact that English tends to be the
language of preference for these students, the majority are “stuck” at
intermediate levels of English oral proficiency or below.”
Olsen, L., Ph.D. (2014). Meeting the Unique Needs of Long Term English Language Learners: A Guide for
Educators(pp. 1-37, Rep.). National Education Association. doi:https://www.rcoe.us/educational-
services/files/2012/08/NEA_Meeting_the_Unique_Needs_of_LTELs.pdf
Long-Term English Learners
“LTELs lack oral and literacy skills needed for academic success.
They struggle reading textbooks, have difficulty understanding
vocabulary, and are challenged by long, written passages. They
lack understanding of academic genres and display weak English
syntax, grammar, and vocabulary.
Observant educators often notice that LTELs have significant deficits
in writing, which LTELs approach as written-down oral language.
Because they perform below grade level in reading and writing, and
lack academic vocabulary, they struggle in all content areas that
require literacy.”
Olsen, L., Ph.D. (2014). Meeting the Unique Needs of Long Term English Language Learners: A Guide for
Educators(pp. 1-37, Rep.). National Education Association. doi:https://www.rcoe.us/educational-
services/files/2012/08/NEA_Meeting_the_Unique_Needs_of_LTELs.pdf
Long-Term English Learners
The Hanover Research (2017) report, Effective Interventions for Long-
Term English Learners reiterated the information in the NEA report and
called out the specific strategies below to ensure time spent in
intervention was impactful:
• Overview of “big ideas”
• Explicit vocabulary instruction with student integrated discussion
• Video clip as a shared experience with collegial discussion following
• Teacher led/paired student reading assignment followed by question
answering and generating
• Wrap-up activity using graphic organizer and or writing.
“Effective Interventions for Long-Term English Learners.” Hanover Research, July 2017.
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/ESSA%20Evidence%20Guides/Effective_Interventions_for_Long-
Term_English_Learners
Long-Term English Learners
Oral Literacy Skills
• Start with a familiar topic or shared
experience
• Support dialog with sentence frames
• Explicitly teach, model and practice the
ability to state an opinion, disagree,
agree, clarify, review, etc.
Putting Research into Practice
• Explicitly teach tier two words that are
used across content areas
• Use examples and non-examples
• Teach ways to break down words into
categories (type of?) and attributes
(What does it look like, sound like,
smell like, used for?)
Vocabulary
Grammar and syntax function to support comprehension.
• Embedded in instruction and authentic text to allow for
understanding and access
• Grammar and syntax should lead with comprehension
questions (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How,
Which one, What kind, How many)
Grammar and Syntax
Don’t underestimate the power of starting simple.
• Who/What did it? What did they/he/she/it do?
Used shared writing experiences to build to a paragraph and on to
longer pieces using graphic organizers
Writing
Everett, Washington
Everett, Washington
▪ 20,000 students
▪ 5 middle schools (6–8)
▪ 3 comprehensive and one alternative high school (9–12)
Everett Public Schools
Growth in Middle and High School EL Population
489543
721789
893
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
# students
October Counts
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Growth in Number of Emerging English Learners at High School
Other = 56
different
languages
spoken by 9 or
fewer students
Total = 83
languages
Spanish
Russian Arabic
Vietnamese
Ukrainian
Marshallese
Korean
Telugu
Hindi
Cambodian
Punjabi Tagalog
Chinese-Unspecified Amharic
Chinese-Mandarin Tamil
Portugese Japanese French
Swahili Farsi Kurdish Nepali
Rumanian Chuuk/ Chuukese Hmong
Turkish Other (56)
Languages Spoken in EPS, October 2018
Achievement Gaps Persist
▪ Year-long process
▪ Representative committee
▪ Review of best practices
▪ Review, rate, and score six different curricula
▪ Publishers’ presentations
▪ Parent and teacher feedback
▪ Selection of top two
▪ Instructional Materials Committee
▪ School Board of Directors approval
Adoption Process
Purpose▪ Recommend instructional materials aligned with
o English Language Arts Common Core State Standards (ELA CCSS)
o 21st century skills
o Evidence-based best practices
Focus on systems of support▪ Collaboration between general education, special education,
and EL program
▪ Academic interventions for SpEd and EL classes
▪ Resources for data-based problem solving
▪ Improve learning outcomes through the use of evidence-
based practices
Instructional Materials Adoption
Digging into the research and considering our
practice…
What does the research say about the needs of
secondary students who struggle in literacy
(reading, writing, listening, speaking, and
language)?
Research Base
Reading
Language
Speaking and Listening
Writing
Standards and 21st century skills▪ Alignment with and integration of ELA CCSS
o Foundational skills• Phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, word use,
sentence structure
o More complex skills• Syntax, close reading, comprehension, critical analysis of
text, language structures, writing
▪ Resources for 21st century skills: o Growth mindset, motivation, persistence, self-direction
Best Practice Design and Resources Key Criteria
Instructional design ▪ Personalized computer-adaptive instruction combined with
direct instruction for a technology-transformed, blended
classroom
▪ Engaging and systematic literacy instruction
▪ Independent and supported complex and relevant texts
Standards-aligned assessments▪ Progress monitoring and benchmark assessments
▪ A variety of data reports with actionable data to identify
growth areas and successes and determine next steps in
instruction
Best Practice Design and Resources Key Criteria
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Research-based design▪ Design based on research
o Effective instruction in literacy
o Struggling adolescent learners
o Computer-assisted learning
▪ Program design validated as effective when used
with fidelity
Best Practice Design and Resources Key Criteria
▪ Intervention program that addressed EL & SWD needs
▪ Aligned to CCSS
▪ Reading + writing
▪ Foundational skills
▪ Small group instruction
▪ Blended instruction
▪ Sufficient and accurate monitoring data
▪ Quality assessments
▪ Teacher and student friendly and flexible
In Summary, We Were Looking For:
Year Zero: 2017–18
▪ Initial training from Voyager Sopris Learning after school was out in
June and before school started in August
▪ Meetings with middle school & high school principals
▪ Creation of differentiated pacing calendars
Implementation and Training: Year Zero
School district leadership team
▪ ELA, SpEd, EL
▪ Dr. Doom joined us several times and
helped us work through understanding
of pacing guides, data, etc.
Implementation and Training: Leadership Team
EL and SpEd facilitators
▪ Ongoing support for teachers across the year
o Evaluation goal for Deb
Implementation and Training: Facilitators’ Role
▪ Two rounds of one-on-one coaching
o Followed by round-table feedback
o Discussion and guidance for leadership team
▪ MS and HS EL teachers created a PLC
o Met once a month to unpack and thoroughly
understand the writing projects
Implementation and Training
▪ Initial set up took longer than expected
▪ Differentiating between the three tests
▪ Inconsistencies in student placement
▪ Following the pacing guide was challengingo Teachers didn’t trust that the skills and concepts taught would spiral
o Rigor and pace
▪ Lack of experience teaching two simultaneous groups
▪ Students moved independently through Word Training too
quickly
Glitches
Mid-year course correction
▪ Confirmed for teachers best practices and rationale
▪ Students were regrouped
▪ Teachers revised pacing calendars with goal of
teaching at least three units by the end of the year
▪ PLCs and EL meetings resulted in high quality
discussions
▪ Program ran much more smoothly second half of
the year
Reset
▪ Place students in the program accurately using data.
▪ Implement the program as designed.
▪ Create two Text Training groups in each class for small group explicit instruction
and focused intervention.
▪ Use student data to guide instruction and support with data from:
o Benchmark Assessments,
o Pre- and post-unit tests.
▪ Use practice and re-teaching activities.
▪ Utilize the Power Passes at the end of each unit.
▪ Work to complete three LANGUAGE! Live units by the end of the year.
▪ Work to complete all expected LANGUAGE! Live writing projects by the end of the
year.
▪ Follow LANGUAGE! Live best practices: post agendas/itineraries for Text Training
and Word Training each day and focus with students on building a growth mindset.
Planning for Student Success Guidelines
▪ Revised our understanding of which students
benefitted the most
o Students struggling with reading; not emerging
language acquisition
▪ Understood how to more accurately assess and
place students in groups
▪ Requested additional assessments to support
instruction
o Voyager created initial and final
assessments, and pre- and post-unit tests
Lessons Learned: Teacher Feedback
Year 1: 2018–19
▪ Met with principals in August to share teacher data regarding
completion of units to prompt conversation and goal setting with
teachers
▪ SpEd teachers setting IEP goals based on assessment results
Implementation: Year 1
August Principals’ Meeting
1. Review your teacher progress graphs
2. Select one teacher. What would be your conversation with this teacher?
A TPEP goal?
3. Draft a SIP goal to monitor progress toward meeting your equity targets
for EL and SpEd students
Year 1: full implementation
▪ Teachers familiar with program
▪ Two PD tracks
o Refresher for continuing teachers
o Initial training for new teachers
▪ Better understanding of what data to pull
▪ Increased expectation for number of units
completed from three to five
Implementation: Year 1
45-Minute Pacing Guide
▪ Revision of pacing guideo Trust that skills spiral
o Implementation of new
assessments and unit tests
o Time for practice and re-teaching
activities
o Initial and final assessments
o Pre- and post-unit tests
oWriting units to be completed
before state testing
▪ Created our own pacing guide
template so that teachers can
adjust for starting place of each
group
▪ Didn’t complete all three writing prompts last year
o Started late
o Teachers didn’t move quickly enough through the curriculum
o Need to complete all three to show proficiency on state assessment,
which is linked to graduation
▪ This year better set for success
o Earlier start—start-up unit first week of school
o Moving more quickly through pacing calendar
o Pacing calendar revised to move writing assignments earlier
o Added time for practice activities
Inclusion of Writing
▪ Students walked away with reading and
writing skills that I see them using:
annotating, asking questions, writing topic
sentences
▪ Far more competent about accurately
placing students in groups
▪ Like the pre- and post-tests—they give us
good information
Teacher Feedback
▪ Confident and positive
▪ Trust that the program will meet student needs
▪ Ready to implement independently
▪ Connections from LANGUAGE! Live practices to best
practices, state assessment skills, and students’ other
content classes
▪ Love the small groups
Teacher Feedback
▪ Two facilitators are now LANGUAGE! Live trainers
▪ Ongoing, differentiated professional development
▪ Monthly reports to teachers to share student data and have
conversations regarding implementation
Next Steps
Board director: “What has your
school done that has really
helped you?”
Student: LANGUAGE! Live
Student Feedback
