1. WIDA Training for ESL Teachers
Christina Ponzio, Birmingham Public Schools
Lisa Lockhart, Lamphere Schools
Suzanne Toohey, Bloomfield Hills Schools

2. Ice breaker
Find someone who…
Lisa
See attachment

3. WIDA & ELP Gap Analysis
Office of Field Services convened a team of educators who provide their professional opinion on:
Gaps between current MI ELPs and WIDA/ TESOL as well as CCSS standards;
And...
Recommended a statewide professional development plan for teaching WIDA standards that will accelerate English learners’ achievement.
Christina

4. Rationale for the Adoption of WIDA
WIDA has a well-established research agenda;
WIDA standards incorporate literacy across all content & the necessary linguistic elements;
Strong alignment between WIDA standards, TESOL and the Common Core Standards; and
WIDA has developed a wealth of instructional and professional development supports.
Adoption of CCSS increased the level of rigor
MI ELPs do not adequately support the CCSS rigorous standards.
Christina

5. WIDA: Guiding Principles
World Class Instructional Design & Assessment
Get up and move: WIDA Guiding Principles
Suzanne
Get up and move: take a strip of paper with one guiding principle written on it; read it and identify a connection to it; get up and go around the room and look for someone who has a different number/principle and discuss; trade/switch if you want; reconvene and ask participants to read and share connection to the principle with the group; get through all 10.

6. WIDA Vision & Values Vision
To be the most trusted resource in the education of Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 language learners.
Values
WIDA's CAN DO Philosophy: believing in the assets, contributions, and potential of linguistically diverse students
Collaboration: facilitating interaction among educators, state and local educational agencies, researchers, policy-makers, and experts worldwide
Innovation: drawing from research and practice to find the best solutions for students and educators
Service: exceeding expectations with friendly and knowledgeable support of our customers and stakeholders
Lisa

7. WIDA Alignment MI ELP Standards WIDA ELD Standards TESOL
Aligned with 1997 TESOL standards
Align with current TESOL standards
Addresses language development
Address language development
Common Core State Standards
Integrate content embedded language development, to support academic achievement in English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies
Promote equitable access for English learners to grade level, standards-based content curriculum by recognizing the shared responsibility between general education and English Language Development teachers to accelerate academic achievement
Christina

8. Overview of WIDA Standards
Christina
Amplified standards pg. 3

9. WIDA Standards and Assessment
WIDA ELD Standards developed along with ACCESS, the WIDA ELD assessment
Seamless connection between standards and assessment
Clear and concrete direction with how to accommodate English learners and to modify instruction
Hold language development and general education teachers accountable for EL’s academic achievement
Integral for data-driven decision-making purposes.
Christina

10. ELPA Screener → W-APT We wait for further direction from MDE.
The ELPA Initial Screening is being replaced by the WIDA Access Placement Test (W-APT) in Fall of 2013
Differences between ELPA Screener & W-APT:
Reusable Materials, On Demand –you will no longer have to order materials from the BAA; materials can be printed on demand directly from WIDA’s website 
Administration - the W-APT is designed to be individually administered and adaptive
Material Returns – because materials are printed on demand, there will be no need to return materials
Lisa
Reusable materials: Test booklets are only used by the person administering the test, not one per student.  They can also be reused, so printing will be minimal. 
We wait for further direction from MDE.

11. ACCESS for ELLs Overview
ACCESS (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State)
Secure, large-scale test
Anchored in the WIDA ELD Standards
Assesses academic language
Three tiers for each grade level cluster
Tier A: Proficiency levels 1-3
Tier B: Proficiency levels 2-4
Tier C: Proficiency levels 3-5
Lisa
Regarding last bullet point: Performance on ACCESS for ELLs is not a predictor of performance on the state test; rather, it provides an indication of the extent to which academic language proficiency will or will not be a barrier to the student accessing academic content on the achievement tests. 11

12. ACCESS cont’ One third of test items replaced annually
Administered once per year as required by No Child Left Behind
Indicator of student’s ability to perform on state content test
Lisa

13. Language Functions/Domains
MI ELP Standards
WIDA ELD Standards
Listening
Listening and Reading
Linguistic Complexity
Discourse Level—
Sentence Level—Language Forms and Conventions
Word/Phrase Level—Vocabulary Usage
Speaking
Reading
Speaking and Writing
Writing
Christina
Refer to Amp Stand pg. 7

14. Integration of Academic Language
Lisa
Go to amp stand pg. 7

15. Comparison of Levels MI ELP Levels MI ELPA Test Levels WIDA ELD Levels
Basic
Level 1 - Entering
1 B
Level 2 - Emerging 2
Low Intermediate
Level 3 - Developing 3
High Intermediate
Level 4 - Expanding 4
Proficient
Level 5 - Bridging 5
Advanced Proficient
Level 6 - Reaching
Lisa

16. Performance Definitions
Suzanne
Performance Definitions help to interpret the WIDA English language proficiency levels. They are descriptive of the levels of English Language Proficiency for WIDA’s ELD Standards and show, at each level, the language that English language learners process, understand, produce or use. However, they are not domain-specific (to L, S, R, or W).
Note: At each level of the WIDA proficiency scale, we have defined the language that English language learners process, understand, produce, or use. These general descriptors apply to all four language domains and are also available by grade level clusters. The general “CAN DO” Descriptors are available in the WIDA English Language Development Standards and Resource Guide (available at Grade level cluster specific CAN DO Descriptors are available at

17. Criteria for Performance Definitions
Linguistic Complexity: Expectations of the quantity and organization of the student’s verbal response
Vocabulary Usage: Expectations of the student’s use of appropriate vocabulary for grade level and proficiency level; refers to language quality
Language Control: Expectations of the student’s control of English grammar, word choice in context, and the English sound system; refers to language quality
Suzanne
The criteria used to determine the performance definitions for each proficiency level are couched in terms of the language used in schools to impart content area information. Issues of linguistic complexity and semantic and pragmatic knowledge are brought to bear in formulating the definitions. At the two lower proficiency levels, it is assumed that ELLs would need extra-linguistic support via graphic and visual aids in order to carry out language functions. This requirement also motivates the use of graphics for test items at these levels.
It is upon these three criteria that the rubrics for Writing and Speaking are based.

18. CAN DO Philosophy Jigsaw Activity Suzanne
Participant packet pg Have participants count off by 1-2-3; each 1 reads pg. 1, 2 reads pg. 2, 3 reads pg. 3. Then get in groups with 1, 2, & 3 and debrief important parts.

19. CAN DO Descriptors
What students are supposed to be able to do at the end of a lesson or unit
Can be used as “benchmarks” listed under each WIDA standard
THINK-PAIR-SHARE
CAN DO Descriptors available for each grade span:
Suzanne
Participant packet pg Look at the K-12 general CAN DO descriptors in packet; do a THINK-PAIR-SHARE;

20. Matrix & MPI: Model Performance Indicators
Specifically state what a student CAN DO on a specific assessment task, or activity, within a specific teaching context
Aligned to CCSS (Common Core State Standards)
Suzanne
Participant packet pg. 9-17
Go over Figure O
Distribute/refer to copies of the CCSS for ELA

21. Elements of Model Performance Indicators
The Model Performance Indicator (MPI) consists of three elements:
The language function describes how students use language to demonstrate their proficiency
The example topic specifies the context for language instruction, derived from state content standards
The support includes instructional strategies or tools used to assist students in accessing content necessary for communication; can be sensory, graphic, or interactive
Suzanne
As mentioned previously, each MPI consists of three main elements: language function, topic, and type of support. 21

22. MPI: Model Performance Indicators
Look at 7th grade example
Suzanne

23. WIDA ELD Strand Sort
The purpose of this activity is to develop familiarity with the components of an ELD strand and to analyze the characteristics of each component.
Read the questions for each area of the strand and determine where to place the pieces of an expanded strand.
Christina

24. MPI: Model Performance Indicators
Write our own strand
ALL
Work in grade level alike teams to write own strand of MPIs

25. General Education Teachers
How can we communicate WIDA to general education teachers?
How can MPI strands help general education teachers?
Suzanne

26. WIDA Wiki
Christina

27. WIDA Wiki What is the purpose?
Collaboratively create/share resources for WIDA implementation in curriculum, general education teacher support, professional development
How can I use it?
Accept our invitation to join and create a log-in name and password.
To modify pages: Click “Edit” on a page to modify the information and/or upload resources
To create/modify projects: Click “Projects” and either click on a project name or click “Create Project”
Watch the video on the home page for more!
Christina

28. WIDA Wiki
Christina

29. Resources www.wida.us go to “Download Library”
Oakland Schools WIDA wiki:
Lisa

30. Next Steps Break into district specific groups and identify next steps
Lisa
If time, go to download library and walk through different sections