New English Language Development and Common Core State Standards Institute Best Counseling Practices for Addressing the Needs of Long Term English Learners June 28, 2013

Introductions Julio Villalobos Academic Coordinator, Gilroy High School Gilroy Unified School District (408) 843-4715 Julio.Villalobos@gusd.k12.ca.us Lorena Tariba Multilingual Programs Coordinator Santa Clara County Office of Education (408) 453-6859 lorena_tariba@sccoe.org Shift Happens! Instructional Shifts to Support ELs in the CCSS Classroom

Gilroy Unified School District Challenges Two thirds of all students enrolled in GUSD are identified as Latino. Nearly half of these students are classified as English Learners. (29% of the district’s total K-12 enrollment) GUSD did not meet its AYP target in ELA (AMAO 3)for the EL subgroup with only 27.9% scoring proficient or advanced. At the Middle School level- the percent of 6-8th graders scoring within the Below Basic/Far Below basic was slightly above 50%; the percent scoring at Basic band ranged from 38-42% and the percent scoring Proficient/Advance ranged from 5-10%. Low reclassification rates of Long Term Els - only 64% of 8th grade EL’s enrolled in the district five or more years had been reclassified Title of Presentation

GUSD Strategies to Improve Achievement of EL’s: District Focus 2009-2012 Expand stakeholder input for our Master Plan for Services to EL’s (2009-2012). GUSD current major initiatives relate to improving instruction for ELs by creating a single, well articulated and understood plan of action with clear pathways for EL students from PreK-12 The EL Master Plan- both describes and guides our practice to ensure that all EL’s are meeting graduation requirements, and are ready to begin college prep work by the time they enter 9th grade.

Gilroy High School Student Services How Does GHS Student Services Promote EL Success? The Mission of the Gilroy High School Academic Coordinators is to support equal opportunities for all students in the areas of academics, career planning and personal/ social development. Through conscientious collaboration with students, their families, staff and the community, we are dedicated to serve as educational advocates by providing relevant and current information and resources to guide students towards their life goals.

Improving Middle & High Schools Articulation Rationale for Placement Articulation of Incoming 9th Grade ELs at GUSD: Middle School and High School Course Pathways for ELs varied from site to site. Core and intervention curriculum was not well-aligned from one level to the other. EL students in ELD levels 1 & 2 were clustered into 1 or 2 classes at the High School level and no specific support was provided for students in Levels 3 &4 who were mainstreamed. Middle school EL students in intervention classes did not experience the same support at the HS since they were placed according to the courses that High schools had available.

Gilroy High School Student Services The department consists of several Academic Coordinators/Counselors, an Administrator and support staff, who serve the needs of our student body. We support all our students in their Academic, Career and Personal/Social Development. Department Goals: To ensure all students are meeting high school graduation requirements To increase College Awareness and Entrance Requirements To increase awareness of school to work programs

Protocol for Placement of Incoming 9th grade EL Students Purpose: Improve articulation for successful transition of EL students to high schools Monitor needs and strategically place EL students in the appropriate classes, in order to ensure student academic success and motivation Establish timely and proactive agreements to facilitate the drafting of master schedule, course offerings and make adjustments based on EL student needs and graduation goals

Transition Placement Team Improved Placement/Master Schedule for EL students Site/District Administrators & Migrant Ed Counselor 1-2 Middle School Guidance Counselors per site 1-2 High School Academic Counselors per site Teacher on Special Assignment for ELs & Data Specialist

EL Placement Committee meeting Timeline Gather data for incoming EL 9th graders from assessment & data management Middle School and High School Counselors Meet December Incoming 9th grade Family Night (Spanish/English - 4th week of January) Individual student registration appointments (one on one) January M.S. Counselor/AC Meeting (+/∆) March EL Placement Committee meeting May

Counseling Services at GHS Guidance for School Curriculum Access Designed to facilitate the systematic delivery of guidance lessons or activities to every student, through classroom instruction, group activities and parent workshops. Individual Student Planning Designed to help individual students establish personal goals and develop future plans. All counselors coordinate activities that help all students plan, monitor and manage their own learning. Includes targeted CELDT and CST Goal Setting Conferences for EL students to understand the role of their test scores in their ability to access higher education and reach Reclassification.

Maximizing Individual Student Planning Individual/Group Advisement Priorities: Test Score review, interpretation, analysis & goal setting (CELDT scores, CST’s, CAHSEE) Graduation and College Entrance Requirements Course selection & Class scheduling Financial Aid and Scholarships 4-year plans Review of academic plans (IEP’s, SST, 504’s)

Responsive Counseling Services Responsive Services: activities to meet students immediate needs through counseling, consultation and referrals such as: Individual/Small Group Counseling (MST) Referral to programs & community agencies Parent/Student/Teacher Collaborations

Improvement Resulting from MS to HS Planned Transition for ELs A District Work Group was convened to work on EL curriculum and course articulation between MS and HS and revise their pathway Building of Master Schedules for appropriate EL placement is now proactive and more responsive to the needs of Long Term ELs

Improvement (cont.) Building of the EL students’ 4-year graduation plans starts earlier with the incoming freshman Intervention plans start right after 9th graders start high school Placement process includes middle school teachers feedback on course placement and individual EL student needs

Improvement (cont.) Prevents high schools from misplacing EL students who were reclassified during the spring semester