Eradicating English Learner Lethargy: Bolstering Engagement and Language Development Through Accountable Student Responses Santa Clara County Office of Education Academic Success for English Learners and Migrant Students: Using Research-Based Practices March 5, 2011 Kate Kinsella, Ed.D. Center for Teacher Efficacy San Francisco State University

In this session, we will explore: Common English language challenges of long-term ELs Prevalent 6-12 program placements and their limitations in meeting the acute language needs of long- term ELs Research-informed ELD principles and practices A practical tool for lesson observation and feedback Development of accurate oral fluency –Structured, accountable responses with language targets –Use of response frames to bolster accurate oral fluency –Orchestrated verbal rehearsals and student interactions –Consistent instructional routines

Session Guiding Question How can the acute English language development needs of long-term ELs be addressed, particularly at the secondary level?

Definition: Long-term English Learners (LTEL)  Enrolled in U.S. schools for 6+ years  Plateaued at intermediate to early advanced proficiency levels; relative fluency in everyday English  Struggle or merely get by academically (classroom performance, grades, standardized tests)  Exhibit fossilized errors and striking gaps in oral and written English (Swiss cheese ELD)

Long-term Adolescent ELs Are Concentrated at CELDT % 36%33% 11% 8% Advanced 12% 36%33% 11% 8% English Proficiency Levels (Grades 6-12) Early Advanced Intermediate Early Intermediate Beginning Source: CELDT

Long-term English Learners Looking at Language Use 1. An extended oral response to a question about a familiar topic 2. An extended writing response to a formal writing prompt

Two-Minute Activity Partner Discussion Task 1.Make eye contact with an elbow partner. 2.Determine partner one and partner two. 3.Think about this question: What are differences between a cell phone and a landline phone? 4.At the signal, partner one will share first. Continue sharing until I call time. 5.Briefly record 2-3 differences you discuss.

Brainstorming List: Cell Phone & Landline Phone Differences  ________________________________ the potential for annoying others the convenience

Example #1 - Long-term Adolescent English Learner Clip of Extended Oral Response Listen for the vocabulary this student uses to respond to the question: What are differences between a cell phone and a landline phone? What differences did she identify? What language did she use to discuss them?

Example #1 - Long-term Adolescent English Learner What do we notice about this student’s English language use?  We would characterize her __ (syntax, vocabulary, register ) as __ Everyday Adjectives Precise Adjectives basiclimited casualconversational weakimprecise

Example #2 - Long-term Adolescent English Learner Formal Writing Prompt  Evaluate your current study place and determine whether you should make any changes to create a more productive work environment.  Write a detailed expository paragraph, including a clearly-stated topic sentence, transitions, and supporting details.

Example #2 - Long-term Adolescent English Learner Extended Written Response Well actually I study in my livingroom almost sometime. Because I don’t usually do my homeworks. Every time when I pick up my pen to work on my homeworks. I got disturb from my little bros., and sister. They come into the livingroom and chasing each other aroun. Man I was like sitting in hell with a demon. In my living room I had a desk. Which it is about 6 ft. by 3, a lamp, dictionary, pens and school stuff. I had a 27 inch TV in front of me. 9th grade (7 years in U.S., CELDT 3 for 5 years)

 Imprecise vocabulary use: school stuff  Inconsistent and inaccurate use of habitual present tense: I study; I got disturb; I had a desk  Errors with:  Adverbs of frequency: almost sometime  Count/non-count nouns: homeworks  Sentence fragments: Because I don’t usually do my homeworks.  Inappropriate register: Well actually; Man I was like Example #2 - Long-term Adolescent English Learner What do we notice about this student’s English language use?

These oral language proficiency errors…  Are not unusual among long-term ELs  Are not simply performance mistakes, but rather reflect a lack of linguistic knowledge  Are often fossilized errors resulting from years of benign instructional neglect  Can be addressed through explicit and sustained language instruction

In addition to literacy instruction, LTELs need Instructed ELD in order to…  Develop accurate fluency in oral and written English  Gain agility using vocabulary, syntax, grammatical features, and appropriate register  Move beyond current assessed proficiency level Instructed ELD may be taught within a dedicated course (Advanced ELD) or as an essential component of a Strategic English course or Literacy Intervention course.

The Goal for Instructed ELD: Accurate Oral Fluency  Oral Fluency Ease of target language production and listening comprehension  Accurate Oral Fluency Ease of producing accurate target language forms (vocabulary, syntax, grammar) and ability to comprehend while listening to more sophisticated language

What Does the Research Say? ELD Instruction should:  Explicitly teach elements of English  Be form-focused with meaningful applications  Include respectful and timely error-corrections  Emphasize oral language development, to support academic literacy and interactions  Infuse meaningful, accountable, and structured interactions with clear language targets (Saunders & Goldenberg, 2010)

Language instruction is essential, but… Where can it be integrated into an impacted secondary schedule?  Maximize existing placements for LTELs to include explicit language instruction  Most likely contexts for LTEL ELD:  Strategic English Language Arts (Tier 2)  Intensive Literacy Intervention (Tier 3)

Where is English language development for LTELs addressed in your school system? A dedicated advanced ELD course Incorporated within a double block of English Language Arts Incorporated within a single period of English Language Arts Incorporated within an intensive literacy intervention program After school program/tutorial Not explicitly addressed

Common ELA Placements for Adolescent Long-Term English Learners  Strategic English Language Arts  Placement: Basic & Below Basic, Tier Two (EL, EO)  Time: Double block  Curricula: Core program, ancillary materials  Intensive Intervention English Language Arts  Placement: Far Below Basic, Tier Three (EL, EO)  Time: Double block  Curricula: Intervention program; 2009 CA Intensive adoptions include some ELD support

Strategic English Far Outnumbers Intensive English In grades 6-11, approximately 40% of the students are assessed as Tier 2, candidates for Strategic English coursework, three to five times as many learners as those assessed as Tier 3 Intensive Intervention candidates.

Intensive Literacy Intervention Traditionally focused on:  Intensive literacy instruction for struggling readers (3+ years below)  Decoding, reading fluency, and basic reading comprehension skills

Intensive Literacy Intervention For LTELs, must also:  Develop English by proficiency level  Provide structured oral rehearsals to support written applications  Teach vocabulary, sentence patterns, and text structures for both narrative and expository text

Strategic English Language Arts Intended to:  Target instruction for students struggling with grade-level ELA competencies  Focus on text - comprehension of narrative (primarily) and expository (secondarily)  Focus on writing - response to literature and writing genres

Strategic English Language Arts For LTELs, must also:  Develop academic oral language proficiency  Teach high-leverage vocabulary, sentence patterns, and academic text structures  Teach distinctive linguistic features of genres  Frontload precise language students will need to read, discuss and write about lesson topics

Strategic English students commonly spend their tandem “support” hour:  Completing assignments from the first hour  Independently tackling a random array of reproducible worksheets (especially on the mechanics of writing: spelling, punctuation)  Engaging in limited or no explicit instruction and structured, accountable verbal rehearsals in the vocabulary, syntax and grammar required to read and write about assigned ELA topics

The grim ELD reality for many secondary LTELs?  Placement in a Strategic double block of English with a teacher lacking adequate or appropriate training, curricula, coaching and accountability for implementation of explicit language instruction to help students succeed on ELA assignments or advance on CELDT.

Video Clip 2 Grade 8 Strategic English How many students participated in the lesson task? How accountable were students for participating on some level? Does this appear to be an established instructional routine?

Vocabulary Knowledge Rating Chart WordRating What I Think This Word Means conflict peer resolve Rating Scale: 4 = I can teach the word. 3 = I have some understanding. 2 = I have seen or heard it before. 1 = I have never seen or hear it before. 3a fight

Video Clip 2 Observed Elements of Effective Instruction A posted agenda An established instructional routine A clearly communicated task A purposeful handout to scaffold the process Effective management and use of proximity Conscientious monitoring of written responses Recognition of whole-class focus on task

Video Clip 3 Grade 8 Strategic English What percentage of the students spoke during this phase of the lesson? What linguistic register did students use in their verbal responses? How accountable were students for participating on some level? What was the primary strategy for eliciting student responses?

Pervasive Evidence Missed Opportunities to Develop Language Competence  Only 4% of English Learners’ school day is spent engaging in student talk.  Only 2% of English Learners’ day is spent discussing focal lesson content, rarely speaking in complete sentences or applying relevant academic language. Arreaga-Mayer & Perdomo-Rivera (1996)

The Neglected “R” in Instruction for 21 st Century Learners Which “R” is frequently missing from lessons for long-term English Learners?  Rigor  Relevance  Relationships  Responses

Structured and Accountable Student Engagement To attract and maintain every student’s interest and active involvement in all lesson content and related tasks, by means of clearly communicated and observable physical, verbal and written accountable responses.

Examples of Structured, Accountable Student Responses  Physical Responses Point at the key word…  Verbal Responses Report using the sentence frame…  Written Responses Record 2 examples on the visual organizer…

Structured Accountable Responses: Feedback & Monitoring Tool

Indicators: Low Engagement  teacher talks too much  few/no accountable student responses  little/no visible structured peer interaction  a high percentage of passive students  lethargic pacing suggesting insufficient lesson preparation and random activities versus consistent instructional routines

Positive Outcomes of a Viable Instructional Routine  Efficient lesson delivery and use of time  Clear, dynamic student and teacher roles  Both students and teachers devote “cognitive capital” to the lesson content rather than the instructional process  Maximized engagement and learning 38

What would have made this lesson more productive?  A well-articulated task and modeled process  Structured peer collaboration/interaction  Individual accountability for participation  Language targets for the partner/group process  Explicit instruction of the target language  Modeled verbal and written responses  Conscientious monitoring of student responses

The Limitations of EL Student Interactions Lacking Structure and Language Targets Small group and partnering activities routinely fail to produce substantive L2 oral language growth. Merely increasing student interaction without explicit, coached language instruction and accountability for application leads to discussion with minimal cognitive or linguistic challenge and negligible academic content. Sources: Jimenez & Gersten (1999) Lee & Fradd (1996) Saunders & O’Brien (2006)

Vocabulary Knowledge Rating Group Process Number off at your table, 1-4. Number 1 asks the question about the first word. Everyone responds, going clockwise. Number 1 shares last. Decide together on what the word could mean and all write the agreed upon word meaning. Number 2 asks the question about the next word, etc. The lead student for each word prepares to report the group’s word knowledge.

Vocabulary Knowledge Rating Frames for Group Questions To elicit contributions from each group member:  Do you know what __ means?  Are you familiar with the word __?  Do you have any idea of what __ means? After everyone has contributed, lead student asks:  What should be our definition?  What shall we write for our definition?

Vocabulary Knowledge Rating Frames for Individual Contributions 4I am familiar with the word __. It means __. 3I am somewhat familiar with the word __. I think it means __. 2I recognize the word __, but I don’t remember what it means. 1I am not familiar with the word __. I am unfamiliar with the word __.

Vocabulary Knowledge Rating Frames for Group Reporting  We agreed that __ has something to do with __.  We decided that __ could mean __.  We determined that __ means __. Elbow Partner Task: What are other high-leverage, portable frames that could be used when students are expected to report a group decision or consensus?

A well-crafted sentence frame enables a teacher to effectively: Instructional Advantages of Sentence Frames Construct a model response Deconstruct the model response Reconstruct a response (with students)

How might an English Learner complete this sentence starter? A partner demonstrates active listening when _ Potential Grammatical Challenges:  ____________________________

A Sentence Frame with Embedded Grammatical targets A partner demonstrates active listening when she/he _ (verb + -s) pays attention to me. Embedded Grammatical Targets:  3 rd person singular, (habitual) present tense  correct subject pronoun reference  correct subject-verb agreement

What are the language objectives for this instructional routine? Students will ask present tense questions using do or are. Students will qualify their word knowledge using precise vocabulary: recognize, familiar, somewhat familiar, unfamiliar. Students will report their group’s word knowledge using past tense citation verbs + that: agreed that, decided that, determined that.

Structured, Accountable Instruction Engages ALL Students Nor Just the “Professional Participants”

Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches Available at

Contact Information  Kate Kinsella, Ed.D. San Francisco State University, Center for Teacher Efficacy (707)