K-5 Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Update Alameda Unified School District Presentation to the Board of Education December 9, 2008

Why Does AUSD Need SIOP? Our K-5 SDAIE (Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English) classroom teachers need support for English Learner instruction that goes “Beyond CLAD.” Many districts around the country have found that the SIOP Model clearly delineates the strategies for improving EL academic achievement. Since many of our ELs are struggling toward proficiency (e.g., Spanish speakers, our second-largest language group), teachers need to constantly be adding tools to their toolkits for instruction in all core curricular areas, including English Language Development.

Research on the SIOP Model A research-based approach to sheltered lesson planning and implementation developed in a 7-year national research project (1996-2003) sponsored by the Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE) Was refined over multiple years of field testing and consists of 8 components and 30 features that are explained in the book, Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model (Echevarria, Vogt & Short, 2004) Has been shown to be a valid and reliable measure of sheltered instruction (Guarino, Echevarria, Short, Schick, Forbes, & Rueda, 2001) Research indicates the SIOP Model approach is effective for learners at all grade levels across subject areas. The Center for Applied Linguistics is currently conducting further research.

Rationale for SIOP SIOP can be viewed as an umbrella under which other programs developed for improving instruction can reside. Often what is lacking in schools is coherence, or a plan for pulling together sound practices (Goldenberg, 2004). The SIOP Model is a framework that can bring together a school's instructional program by organizing methods and techniques, and ensuring that effective practices are implemented — and can be quantified. Instruction guided by the SIOP Model attends to the distinct academic needs of students learning English. Teachers using the instructional strategies embodied in the SIOP Model help English Learners to develop their academic English skills while learning grade-level content. Educators trained in the SIOP Model learn to plan and deliver lessons that incorporate these strategies consistently.

The Eight SIOP Components Lesson Preparation Building Background Comprehensible Input Strategies Interaction Practice and Application Lesson Delivery Review and Assessment

SIOP/SDAIE in AUSD--2007-2008 K-5 Administrators’ Overview—Dec. 12, 2007 15 K-5 teachers @ ACOE’s SIOP Training— April 10, 11, & 22, 2008 30 K-5 teachers @ AUSD’s SIOP Training— June 17, 18, & 19, 2008

SIOP/SDAIE in AUSD--2008-2009 27 K-5 teachers @ AUSD’s SIOP Training--Aug. 19, 20, & 21, 2008 (This gave AUSD a total of 79 educators fully-trained in the SIOP Model by the first day of school in September 2008.) 7 K-5 teachers @ SIOP I in Milpitas—December 4, 5, & 6, 2008 A professional trainer will provide SDAIE/ELD consulting and coaching to K-5 Principals, ELD Resource Teachers, and Title I Literacy Coaches on the following dates: Dec. 16-17, 2008; Feb. 24-25, 2009; and April 28-29, 2009. ELD Resource Teachers are holding regular collaborative meetings (approx. 1 hour/month) at each of the 10 elementary sites with K-5 teachers who have received training. 30 elementary teachers @ AUSD’s SIOP Training— June 16, 17, & 18, 2009

Things to Consider A great part of the success of the implementation of SIOP depends upon building the capacity of our elementary principals to lead, support, and monitor this ongoing work at their sites. That is what will build sustainability for the long-run at our schools. Ongoing SIOP/SDAIE professional development for administrators and teachers is crucial to our work.

Addendum