State Seal of Biliteracy Recognizing Students and Building Capacity April 10, 2014

Presentation Agenda Introduction Overview of the Seal Progress and Plans National Update One District’s Story A Seal Responsive to All Learners The Awards Attributes to be Developed/Expected How Does it Work in Smaller Districts? Next Steps/Questions

Desired Outcomes Shared understanding of the proposed Wisconsin Seal of Biliteracy Incorporate your feedback into our next steps Promote enthusiasm for the Seal Build our network of partners for this initiative

Current Workgroup Members Laurie Burgos, Racine Pam Delfosse, Madison D. García, Waukesha Mandi Maurice, Middleton-Cross Plains Jesús Reveles, Madison Tolú Sanabria, DPI Ron Sandoval, Delavan-Darien

“The degeneration of the mother tongue of people is the degeneration of both social participation and its own very identity.” “The denial of a people’s native tongue is a denial of their participation in society and of their very identity.” Eduardo Hernández-Chávez (1988)

Parking Lot Your feedback is critical to the work of this group. Questions you may have during the presentation? stick them on the parking lot and we will answer them following the presentation.

Why a Seal of Biliteracy? To frame the multilingualism and multiculturalism already existing within our schools as an asset and something to be developed and nurtured. To raise awareness among educators, administrators, parents, students, and policy makers of the benefits of bilingualism, biliteracy, and intercultural awareness. To elevate the status of bilingualism and biliteracy in the eyes of institutions of higher learning and employers.

Progress & Plans Overview of DPI and workgroup meetings, process and outcomes to date. Vision for stakeholder engagement, process and timeline through completion.

National Update •Federal Seal of Biliteracy and Testing •Approved State Seals of Biliteracy –California, New York, Illinois, Washington •Proposed State Seals of Biliteracy –Washington, Florida, New Mexico, Texas, Utah •Work in Progress: Wisconsin Seal of Biliteracy Consortium –DPI, Colleges/Universities, Local School Districts & Professional Organization Representatives •Wisconsin Seal of Biliteracy Criteria - most recent draft on flash drive If there are changes to the current DRAFT, please change the link.

One District’s Journey (MMSD) School Board approved development of District Seal of Biliteracy for class of 2017 eligibility (June 2012) Draft of working definition of “biliteracy” Planning for inclusive model (ESL, bilingual, heritage, world language learners) Criteria drafted for future review by stakeholders Proficiency assessment review & recommendation workgroup in process District Administrator Leadership Team support Work to be embedded within high school reform effort District criteria available upon request to Pam Delfosse pjdelfosse@madison.k12.wi.us (See Jesus for contact information)

MMSD Working Definition Biliteracy is competence with literacy skills in two languages and the ability to apply those skills within one’s educational, social, linguistic, cultural, political and psychological context.

MMSD Implementation Proposal 2013-14 Fall 2014 - Spring 2016 2016-17 •Determine participation and attainment criteria •Collaborate with DPI Consortium to align MMSD and State Seal of Biliteracy •Finalize Seal of Biliteracy Implementation Plan •Seek BOE approval of implementation plan (winter 2014) •Develop essential elements of plan to include a language proficiency development and assessment system •Communicate program elements and criteria to stakeholders •Award Seal of Biliteracy to qualifying graduates

Seal of Biliteracy Responsive to All Learners English language learners Bilingual language learners World language learners Heritage language learners

Seal of Biliteracy Awards 2 Award Types (attainment in 3-12) By Grade Level Bands (PK,K-5, 6- 8, 9-12) Attainment D How to we create opportunities for ALL Learners without diminishing what this award means? How to we ensure inclusive opportunities to earn the award, creating pathways and removing barriers? As a team we have grappled with defining participation and attainment for ALL students and this is our story.

Seal of Biliteracy: Sociocultural Lens Successful candidates will demonstrate: Active use of language Service to others Positive attitudes towards bilingualism and cultural competency

Seal of Biliteracy: Sociocultural Lens Active Use *oral presentations *writing samples *peer tutoring *parent engagement activities Service to Others *reading buddies *service learning projects *character building programs *volunteer work with multilingual community agencies Positive Attitudes *leadership skills *written essays *oral presentations *response to cultural events *self-reflections We know and value that language, culture, and identity are inextricable. This is an overarching belief that encompasses/frames the essence of the Seal of Biliteracy. From the start, we want our students to see that they are learning languages for more than just proficiency growth or increased career opportunities; that there is value in being able to communicate with and serve others in order to become multicultural, which means viewing the world through multiple perspectives. Because of this, as districts work to develop criteria, it is important to infuse opportunities for students to demonstrate their sociocultural capacity by actively using their languages, serving others, and developing positive attitudes towards bilingualism. The evidence can be gathered through authentic experiences in the school or community.

Climb that tree!XXXX XXXXXXXXXXX Assessment To ensure a fair XXX selection you all get the same test. XXXXXXX Climb that tree!XXXX XXXXXXXXXXX We have shared a lot of collaboration around a variety of subjects in evaluating Biliteracy attainment. One of our greatest concerns was that our assessments did not provide opportunities for ALL learners to meet criteria for the Attainment award in the same way. For example, we may have some partner languages that are not written (hmong) or spoken (Latin), or that cannot be found in the school setting (Karen, Gujarati etc.). and that we We may have some students who can achieve an exemplary or distinguished level of attainment that is rare and set apart, but more possible as we create Dual Language Programs that endure from PK into the secondary schools. Additionally we may experience new comer English Learners arriving with superior skills in their first language and developing skills in English. We have struggled to define criteria for assessment as determined by each district, as it could lead to different criteria for attainment, and the potential to engage in performance based assessment portfolios and the need to create rubrics that communicate criteria. We have struggled to determine whether to earn this award a student must be proficient on State Assessments, or whether participation in “seat time” would be a source of evidence. A promising practice to explore further might be a balanced performance assessment which includes some evidence of standard assessment like AP, IB, ACCESS or ACT, but also includes demonstration of having met some common criteria in authentically created samples of language production, with multiple opportunities to demonstrate growth over time. As we continue to articulate the measurables for the attainment award, we will have EQUITY, STUDENT ENGAGEMENT and AUTHENTICITY in mind.

Evaluating Achievement 3-12 ENGLISH Partner Language PURPOSE Measure achievement in English Language and Academics in the English Language* Measure achievement in the Partner Language ASSESSMENT Access for ELs, Classroom/District Assessment Classroom, District to IB/AP/AAPPL COSTS No Additional Cost to Student/District Cost to Student/District Free-$100 PRO Embedded in District Work, and so low cost/free IB/AP value add, AAPPL online multiple languages CON Language and Content achievement often synonymous Potential for different criteria and measures by district Costly Measures different skills than English Evals Biliteracy achievement will be measured by the students linguistic and academic achievement in English and the target language. We are looking at setting performance goals at the Advanced levels according to the ACTFL descriptors as measured by a variety of tools. As tools are varied, we may not be able to compare acheivment from one to the Next. Assessment for Biliteracy is at the status of practice and craft-to innovate a robust evaluation system, we are considering combined efforts to create achievement and performance criteria and from which to make judgements about authentic tasks via a portfolio assessment process. Might we focus on students meeting and demonstrating proficiency based on shared criteria and rubrics to evaluate achievement

Essential Questions about Language Achievement/Evaluation Do we create different paths of attainment to reflect the possibilities of achievement for all students? (regular versus distinguished) How can we create criteria for achievement for students with varied linguistic backgrounds? (ELL, Dual Language Learners, Heritage Speakers)

What if my school or district doesn’t have a bilingual program? In the short term, the following are accessible: WI Seal of Biliteracy Participation Award WI Global Education Achievement Certificate Some students may still qualify for the WI Seal of Biliteracy Achievement Award: Heritage language speakers (who may or may not be ELLs) Students at high levels of world language attainment Students excelling in world language programs Students who have lived/attended school abroad In order to maintain the integrity of the Seal of Biliteracy Achievement Award, students MUST achieve high levels of proficiency in at least two languages to qualify. Criteria must remain high.

What if my school or district doesn’t have a bilingual program? In the long term, the Seal of Biliteracy can help schools advocate for the establishment or enhancement of programming to support students in becoming truly multilingual: From subtractive to additive bilingual programs From 6-12 world language programs to K-12 world language programs To increase rigor in already existing programs

Next Steps Finalize Criteria Develop a Plan Form Form Review Teams Spread the Word! Involve IHEs Feedback Needed!

Operation Cooperation