The Common Core Standards and English Learners

Realizing the PromisePreventing Exacerbated Gaps

Bilingual Coordinators NetworkMay 16, 2013

Purpose of the Session• Acquaint advocates with the materials and

message of the Californians Together toolkit: “Raise Your Voice on Behalf of English Learners and the Common Core”

• Determine how to incorporate EL issues/messages into your CCSS professional development

• Decide which advocates in your county/district could be a voice for English Learners and the Common Core with this training

Agenda

• Assessing prior knowledge• Background on the Common Core Standards• The Common Core Standards and English

Learners• Materials in the Toolkit: Backgrounder• Practice “Raising Your Voice” – the Red Flag

scenarios

Line up #1

• Line up using a rating system from 1 to 10 based upon how you rate your level of understanding and knowledge about the Common Core Standards

#1 is no prior knowledge; #10 is an expert on the Common Core Standards

Line up #2

• Line up using a rating system from 1 to 10 based upon how you rate the extent to which ELLs are/have been a part of the discussion in your schools/districts/county office when the Common Core Standards have been presented.#1 is ELLs have been NO part of the discussion; #10 is ELLs have been a major part of the discussion

Value Line #1

• Rate yourself from 1 to 10 based upon your level of understanding and knowledge about the Common Core Standards. On the count of three everyone mark where you are on the line.#1 is no prior knowledge; #10 is an expert on the Common Core Standards

Value Line #2

• Rate yourself from 1 to 10 based upon the extent to which ELLs are/have been a part of the discussion in your school/district when the Common Core Standards have been presented. On the count of three mark on the line.#1 is ELLs have been NO part of the discussion; #10 is ELLs have been a major part of the discussion

What are the Common Core Standards (CCS)?

• College and career readiness standards developed by National Governor’s Association and CCSSO in 2009

• Adopted in 2010 by California SBE, along with 47 other states

• To be implemented in 2014-15 school year• Internationally benchmarked “so all students

prepared to succeed in global economy and society”

• Will drive curriculum, materials, teaching and assessments in our schools

Structure and Organization

• English Language Arts Standards: * a comprehensive K-5 section

* an English Language Arts 6-12 section * a Language and Literacy for History/Social

Studies, Science and Technical subjects

• Mathematics Standards• New Generation Science Standards (coming)

Structure and OrganizationCCS Anchor Standards

• Define what a college and career ready person can do in the 21st century at the end of high school

• Backwards map from 12th grade to kindergarten• Show progression for each standard from

kindergarten to 12th grade• Have a consistent numbering system across the

K-12 ELA standards

REFLECT ON THE STANDARDS

• Skim the document to get a sense of what is in the standards

• Note the overall organization and structure • Choose one or two standards to read and

follow them across the grade levels K-12 to note progression

Pair-Share

How does the teaching and learning described in the Common Core Standards seem different from what is now taking place in the schools you know?

Major Shifts

Major Shift #1:From Old Paradigm

OR

Learn English

Academic content

then

LanguageAcademic Content

Academic vocabulary as overlap

To new CCS Paradigm: language is central to all academic areas

MATH SCIENCE

LANGUAGE ARTS

Language*

*• instructional discourse• expressing and understanding reasoning

Four Shifts (continued)

• Use of more informational, rigorous and complex texts

• Increased focus on oral language and multiple opportunities for developing speaking and listening skills

• Emphasis on collaboration, inquiry and teamwork

What do the shifts mean for ELs and Instruction?

• Discuss in your group the significance of the your assigned shift for ELs and instruction.

• Create a graphic on the chart paper the conveys the meaning and significance of the shift.

• Post on the wall for a gallery walk or form debrief groups with a graphic of each shift for simultaneous sharing.

How can we make this real for English Learners?

Need for explicit attention to ELLs

• One in four California students are English Learners.• English Learners face specific language barriers to

participation and access, and have special needs.• Most general school improvement efforts in the

past have inadequately addressed the achievement gap for English Learners.

• The California Common Core Standards (CCSS)are a major reform of public education that do not explicitly state how English Learners needs should be addressed.

Currently• Persistent achievement gap• Large number of Long Term English Learners• Narrowed curriculum and lack of access• Disproportionately high drop out rates• Weak or non-existent ELD programs• Lack of use of research-based and consistent programs• Insufficient use of SDAIE strategies to assist

comprehension and engagement• Inadequate curriculum materials to scaffold access to

content

• Many ELLs fail to reach CELDT proficiency, a low-bar for academic access and participation.

• Many ELLs become Long Term English Learners stalled in progress towards proficiency and amassing academic gaps.

• CCCS calls for ramped up rigor.• CCCS implementation without attention to a

basic foundation of English Learner support will fail.

CCCS will require background knowledge

• ELLs will need background knowledge to comprehend and critically engage with academic text and at the levels of CCCS.

• Practices of a narrowed curriculum and years spent in English and math interventions, support classes and instruction (little or no science, social studies, arts) have resulted in gaps in ELL students’ essential academic background knowledge.

The CCSS as Opportunity for ELLs

• Many aspects of the CCSS align with research-based best practices for English Learners that it is time were implemented (i.e., focus on oral language, active engagement, collaborative practices, academic language, lots of interaction & small group work, language development across the curriculum in all academic areas – not just ELD, and access to the full curriculum)

A TIME FOR ADVOCACY!

• “Raise your Voices for English Learners and the Common Core” Advocacy Toolkit

• Be the voice needed to make Common Core serve the language, literacy and numeracy needs of English Learners

• Make this reform a reform FOR English Learners – putting in place high quality language, content and program implementation

Getting Acquainted with The Toolkit

The Background Paper

• Everyone read the Introduction opening paragraph

• Jigsaw the “Background” in groups of four• Each person takes one page of the

Background. Read. Report to the others in your group what you read

• You have 20 minutes to do this jigsaw activity.

Be sure people know….• Now ALL teachers will need to support

language development• The Common Core calls for a change in

teaching pedagogy from teacher-directed and primarily teacher talk student talk, discussion, inquiry, collaboration

• California teachers using existing adopted curriculum and pedagogies have not been using the strategies that are called for by the Common Core Standards

Raising your voice….. Practice!

Small group activity

• Groups of Four. Count off Person A, B, C, D• Read the scenario assigned to your group• Each person reads the points they are

assigned to raise (or the questions they are assigned to ask)

• Put it into your own words and prepare to deliver WITHOUT the text in front of you

• Role Play the Scenario

Resources in the Toolkit

• Articles and materials on the CD• Palm Card

JOIN US FOR A WEBINAR TO DISCUSS:

• “The Common Core State Standards and English Learners: Realizing the Promise, Preventing Exacerbated Gaps”

• PRESENTERS:Shelly Spiegel-Coleman, Executive Director, CaliforniansTogetherMartha Cortes, Senior Policy Manager, Education, Alliance for a Better CommunityWednesday, May 29, 201312:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. (PST)

• Register: https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/new?

cid=feww83a2nvuf

Next steps

• Reflection (5 minutes)• Table discussion: “How do you plan to use the

toolkit? With your district coordinators and others as advocates? As information to incorporate in your CCSS Professional Development?

• How and where do you see yourself playing a role as advocate for English Learners in the Common Core? How do you imagine this will be received? What kind of reaction do you think you will get?”

Let’s go forth, with a common voice, to

deliver the promise for our English learners…..

……To prepare them for college and careers in the 21st century