Students with Unique Learning Needs Specific Considerations in Evaluating Teachers of English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities Broome-Tioga BOCES March 18th, 2013

Elements of Lead Evaluator Training New York State Teaching Standards and Leadership Standards Evidence-based observation Application and use of Student Growth Percentile and VA Growth Model data Application and use of the State-approved teacher or principal rubrics Application and use of any assessment tools used to evaluate teachers and principals Application and use of State-approved locally selected measures of student achievement Use of the Statewide Instructional Reporting System Scoring methodology used to evaluate teachers and principals Specific considerations in evaluating teachers and principals of ELLs and students with disabilities

New York June 2011 Graduation Rate Calculated College & Career Ready* Graduation under Current Requirements Calculated College & Career Ready* % Graduating All Students 74.0 34.7 American Indian 59.6 16.8 Asian/Pacific Islander 82.4 55.9 Black 58.4 11.5 Hispanic 58.0 14.5 White 85.1 48.1 English Language Learners 38.2 6.5 Students with Disabilities 44.6 4.4 *Students graduating with at least a score of 75 on Regents English and 80 on a Math Regents, which correlates with success in first-year college courses. Source: NYSED Office of Information and Reporting Services 3

ESL & Special Ed: Similarities Students with unique learning needs Shared responsibility among teachers Federal civil rights legislation Common Core Standards & Assessments Testing accommodations available Service model options

ESL & Special Ed: Differences No IEP Individualized Education Plan Parents cannot opt out Parent must approve participation Single classification: LEP Multiple classifications Identification & exit based upon standardized test Identification & exit based upon comprehensive evaluation Developmental continuum leads to bilingualism Developmental trajectories differ greatly

Specific Considerations in Evaluating Teachers of ELLs Adam Bauchner Director How many of you have ELLs in your building? How many of you supervise ESL teachers? How many of you supervise other teachers of ELLs? How many of you, when you were teachers, were ESL teachers? How many of you were teachers of English Language Learners? How many of you are served by an itinerant ESL teach? One ESL teachers for the building? Multiple ESL teachers in a building? Bilingual program? SIOP training? For those of you with English Language Learners, raise your hands if in your school they are performing & achieving as well as their Native English Speaking peers?

Agenda for ELLs Section Context Which teachers? NYS Regulations Service Models Evaluation of Best Practice Ask about students Ask about curriculum Ask about instruction

Some things look the same, but are different Some things look the same, but are different. Some things look different, but are the same.

My goal in this presentation is to provide you some basic tool to distinguish between them. I will describe a basic framework for understanding best practice with ELLs. This includes understanding the students, the curriculum, and the instructional practice that research shows is best suited for increasing outcomes fro ELLs. Recognizing that the total evaluation process is complex and to some extent contact-bound, I want to help you learn how to see, hear, and talk about teaching English Language Learners.

Objectives Participants will be able to: Understand NYS regulations regarding English Language Learners.   Describe “language objectives” and “sheltered instruction”.   Evaluate and develop best instructional practice for ELLs.

Pre-Assessment: Self-Evaluation Adam Bauchner, RBERN 11/6/2012 Pre-Assessment: Self-Evaluation I wonder if this will help with state tests? Do I need to speak other languages? Is this all for those few students? Indian River MS & HS

Which teachers?? “ESL Teachers” “Teachers of ELLs” Linguistics & second language acquisition (SLA) Cultural components ESL standards, curriculum & assessment Best instructional practice for ELLs Training or experience with content areas? Any teacher with ELLs Any subject Any grade level Generalists & specialists Training or experience with ELLs & SLA? These teachers rely on each other. Neither group can succeed without support from the other. Collaboration time has always been vital- the new APPR system underscores this. Please consider, do I need to change systems and schedules within my building to increase this collaboration? Do I need to change the culture in my building?

Commissioner’s Regulations CR 154* ID Process (CR 117) Services models Services minutes Testing accommodations *Also the name of the annual report

Commissioner’s Regulations CR 154* *Also the name of the annual report Even if there are no ELLs, your district submits a “zero report”. Every district has one “Program Coordinator” responsible for this reporting. Do you know who is your district’s ESL program coordinator?

Check the FAQ Use the FAQ.

Service Minutes “Language Allocation Policy”

Service Minutes 1 unit = 180 minutes per week 2 units =360 minutes per week 3 units= 540 minutes per week Minutes per week do not need to be exactly the same every day, keeping in mind the needs of the students. K-8 9-12 Beginner & Intermediate: 2 units = 360 m/week = 72 m/day Advanced: 1 unit = 180 m/week = 36 m/day Beginner: 3 units= 540 m/week = 3 periods/day Intermediate: 2 units = 2 periods /day 1 unit = 1 period /day

Testing Accommodations Mandatory on state tests, local decision on local tests Extended Time Best location 3rd read on listening sections (ELA & Regents) Bilingual dictionaries or glossaries Simultaneous dual language testing Translator or interpreter

Mathematics 2006-2012 Grades 3-8 Combined Percentage of Students Scoring at Levels 3 and 4 2012: 64.8% 19

Mathematics 2006-2012 Grades 3-8 Combined Percentage of ELLs Scoring at Levels 3 and 4 2012: 34.4% 20

English Language Arts 2006 – 2012 Grades 3-8 Combined Percentage of Students Scoring at Levels 3 and 4 2012: 55.1% 21 21

English Language Arts 2006 – 2012 Grades 3-8 Combined Percentage of ELLs Scoring at Levels 3 and 4 2012: 11.7% 22 22

English as a Second Language (ESL) Service Models English as a Second Language (ESL) Push-in Pull-out Combo Content area support No opting out Bilingual Education Transitional Two-Way Rule of 20: One building, one grade level, one language Parents can opt-out

Please tell people at your table one new thing you learned about ESL regs.

What questions remain about the ESL regs?

Agenda for ELLs Section Context Which teachers? NYS Regulations Service Models Evaluation of Best Practice Ask about students Ask about curriculum Ask about instruction

Ask about Students Emergent Bilinguals: One thing we know: If we can successfully educate bilingual people, we are creating an amazing resource for our communities. Bilingualism pay off academically, cognitively, emotionally, socially, culturally, economically. The first step in succeeding with English Language Learners or Emergent Bilinguals is a deeply help conviction of the value of these students and all they bring and all their potential. Any teacher who sees them as deficient, as extra work, as a burden, cannot succeed.

5 Stages of Second Language Acquisition Preproduction  Early Production  Speech Emergence  Intermediate Fluency  Advanced Fluency  Stage I: Pre-production up to 500 words in their receptive vocabulary, will repeat, will listen attentively and copy words from the board. respond to pictures and other visuals. Exhausting Stage II: Early production last up to six months, receptive and active vocabulary of about 1000 words, one- or two-word phrases, short memorized language chunks Stage III: Speech emergence vocabulary of about 3,000 words, simple phrases and sentences, ask simple questions, initiate short conversations with classmates. BICS: Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills CALP: Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency Stage IV: Intermediate fluency vocabulary of 6000 active words, more complex sentences when speaking and writing , will ask questions to clarify , able to work in grade level math and science classes with some teacher support, students will use strategies from their native language to learn content in English, writing at this stage will have many errors , time for teachers to focus on learning strategies Stage V: Advanced Fluency 4-10 years, near-native, exited from ESL, need continued support

5 Stages of Second Language Acquisition Preproduction: 0-6 months Early Production: 6-12 months Speech Emergence: 1-3 years Intermediate Fluency: 3-5 years Advanced Fluency: 5-7 years Stage I: Pre-production up to 500 words in their receptive vocabulary, will repeat, will listen attentively and copy words from the board. respond to pictures and other visuals. Exhausting Stage II: Early production last up to six months, receptive and active vocabulary of about 1000 words, one- or two-word phrases, short memorized language chunks Stage III: Speech emergence vocabulary of about 3,000 words, simple phrases and sentences, ask simple questions, initiate short conversations with classmates. BICS: Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills CALP: Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency Stage IV: Intermediate fluency vocabulary of 6000 active words, more complex sentences when speaking and writing , will ask questions to clarify , able to work in grade level math and science classes with some teacher support, students will use strategies from their native language to learn content in English, writing at this stage will have many errors , time for teachers to focus on learning strategies Stage V: Advanced Fluency 4-10 years, near-native, exited from ESL, need continued support

5 Stages of Second Language Acquisition Affects: Questioning strategies Response expectations Level of independence 

English Language Learners English Language Learners Differentiation For English Language Learners Among English Language Learners

Sub-Groups Of LEP/ELLs Long Term LEP/ELLs (LTL) Students With Disabilities who are LEP/ELLs (SWD) Former LEP/ELLs New Immigrants Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE)

What other differences do you find among ELLs?

So we need to ask: “Who are your ELLs? What are their specific needs? How is this lesson tailored to help them?” Teachers of ELLs probably won’t be able to answer these questions without some training in SLA and consulting with ESL teachers

Ask about Curriculum Language Goals Content Goals Dual Objectives http://www.cal.org/siop/

Content Goals Usually drawn from state standards for the content area Recognized by verbs related to knowledge of the content area: identify, analyze, rank, construct, graph, divide, solve, visualize, design. http://www.cal.org/siop/

Language Goals Address the language needed to engage with the academic content, perform classroom tasks, and achieve the content objectives: read, write, listen, list, tell, discuss, journal, record, persuade, debate, draft Also key vocabulary, language functions, and language learning strategies. http://www.cal.org/siop/

Explain the effects of smoking on health. Language Objectives: Content Objectives: Students will be able to Explain the effects of smoking on health. Language Objectives: Explain to a partner the effects of smoking. One consequence of smoking is ___________. Smoking leads to _____________. Smoking causes _____________. Smoking increases the risk of _____________. Smokers are more likely to ___________ than nonsmokers. In the reading, highlight the effects of smoking.

Content Objectives: Language Objectives: Students will be able to Explore three decisions about the atomic bomb that were faced by the U.S. during WWII, take a position on each, and defend their position orally Decision A: Whether to build an atomic bomb Decision B: Whether to drop an atomic bomb Decision C: Whether Truman made the right decision Language Objectives: Read information in a small group for each decision and reach consensus on a position by listening and discussing State their position and orally defend it in a class dialogue Disagree with prior speakers in a respectful manner In writing, defend a position on whether or not it was justifiable to use the bomb on Japan

What does a teacher need to know in order to identify dual objectives?

So we need to ask: “What are the lesson’s content objectives and language objectives? How did you determine these objectives?” Interdependence of teachers of ELLs & ESL teachers.

Factors Affecting Language Learning Motivation Reading & Writing Skills in 1st Language How different is 1st language from new language. How much English is in the home? Age Personality & Learning Style Peers & Role Models Quality of Instruction Cultural Background

Ask about Instruction “Sheltered Instruction” Definition: An approach to teaching content to English Language Learners in a strategic way so that they both access the subject matter and improve their English.

Eight Components: Lesson Preparation Building Background Comprehensible Input Strategies Interaction Practice/Application Lesson Delivery Review/Assessment

Not for summative evaluation. Rubric on Handout: For use by trained teachers and administrators For self-evaluation For peer observation Not for summative evaluation.

Best Instructional Practice for ELLs Start with what the kids bring: Culture Language Personal Experiences Academic Experience Funds of Knowledge

Best Instructional Practice for ELLs Provide lots of comprehensible input. Speak slowly & clearly Controlled, simplified vocabulary. Minimize idiom Use gestures & visuals Check comprehension frequently This is when people start to be concerned about pace & rigor for native English Speakers. 1. A lot of what is best practice for ELLs is best for any struggling student. 2. Yes, teachers need to differentiate so kids who can move faster & deeper have opportunities to do so, whether or not there are ELLs in the room. 3. Common Core: Pressure to slow down, build language & literacy, go deeper for higher order thinking skills. We can’t just race through any more.

Best Instructional Practice for ELLs Teach strategies Check comprehension frequently The person who is doing the most learning is doing the most talk. See: “ESL Shadowing”

Best Instructional Practice for ELLs Provide lots of opportunity to use English. Students speaking a lot Extra processing time Affirm communicative ability Correct with modeling Check comprehension frequently The person who is doing the most learning is doing the most talk. See: “ESL Shadowing”

Best Instructional Practice for ELLs Practice all four language modalities: The person who is doing the most learning is doing the most talk. See: “ESL Shadowing”

Best Instructional Practice for ELLs Keep anxiety low. All students benefit from this. Brain research tells us, we just don’t learn as well when we’re stressed out. For students learning both content & language, the likelihood of stress is higher, and the penalty doubled. Check comprehension frequently for corrective measures, to lower anxiety.

So we need to ask: “How are you sheltering instruction for your ELLs? How do you check comprehension and progress?”

Application Questions Which aspects of this presentation tie in directly with your teacher evaluation rubric? What can you do for a teacher who is developing or ineffective in teaching ELLs?

Next Steps Crosswalk these ideas with your districts evaluation rubric. Practice evaluation with videos, norming levels of rigor. Contact Network Team or RBERN for further support.

http://rbern.ocmboces.org/ RBERN Resources Website Resource Library Contacts for Translators & Interpreters Email List Quarterly Administrators Meetings http://rbern.ocmboces.org/

Resources on OBE-FLS Webpage LEP/ELL Program Evaluation Toolkit Bilingual Glossaries FAQ “Art as a Tool for Teachers of ELLs” “Guide for Parents of Limited English Proficient Students in New York State” “Promising Instructional Practices for Secondary English Language Learners(7-12)” “Response to Intervention (RtI)” “Suggested Spanish Literature and Reading Books” “Technology in the LEP/ELL Classroom” http://www.p12.nysed.gov/biling/

Post-Assessment: Self-Evaluation Adam Bauchner, RBERN 11/6/2012 Post-Assessment: Self-Evaluation I wonder if this will help with state tests? Do I need to speak other languages? Is this all for those few students? abauchner@ocmboces.org Indian River MS & HS

Please complete the evaluation.

10 Minute Break