1. Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners in the Common Core Classroom
Rebekah McConnell, M.A.
Lancaster School District
Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

2. Objectives
Understand how ELs and their proficiency levels are identified.
Explore the new requirements for English Language Development, as outlined in the SBE-Adopted ELA/ELD Framework (2014).
Explore how to use the CCSS-aligned English Language Development Standards (2012) to design integrated and designated ELD lessons.

3. Initial Identification of English Learners
Home Language Survey
Filled out by the parent/guardian when they enroll a student
If any language other than English is indicated, we consider the student to be a possible English Language Learner (ELL)
Teachers will probably express concerns with the Home Language Survey, such as parents not being honest on the survey. Acknowledge these concerns and explain that is why it is so important to use our own data in the classroom to help determine what supports and services students need.

4. CELDT
English learners take the California English Language Development Test (CELDT)
Initial test based on Home Language Survey (First time they are tested)
Annual test given every fall to monitor progress
The CELDT covers 4 domains:
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
The CELDT is taken between August and October. We get scores back in January/February.

5. CELDT Proficiency Levels
Students’ English language proficiency levels are determined by their CELDT scores.
Students have a proficiency level in each of the 4 domains, as well as an overall proficiency level.
There are 5 proficiency levels:
1: Beginning
2: Early Intermediate
3: Intermediate
4: Early Advanced
5: Advanced
CELDT concerns: Explain that the state is in the process of rewriting the CELDT-the new CELDT will probably not be called the CELDT. The new test will align with common core and that new ELD standards. We do not yet have a timeline for when this will occur, but we know that they are starting with kinder and working their way up. The new test will be more rigorous and will be computer-based.
We expect growth of one proficiency level per year. Research tells us it takes 5-7 years to gain fluency in a second language.
Tell teachers that this year’s CELDT scores have just come in. Provide them with the Illuminate instructions on pulling CELDT scores for their students. Advise them to look at both the overall proficiency level and the proficiency levels in each of the 4 domains. By looking at the proficiency levels in each of the domains, they can focus on each student’s challenges and strengths. Once a students scores a CELDT 4 or CELDT 5, they are considered proficient on the CELDT. At this time, we consider them for reclassification, but they have to meet other criteria.

6. CELDT 1: Beginning Silent Phase Listen Attentively
Repeat words and phrases
Respond to visuals, gestures, and other forms of TPR (Total Physical Response)
Focus on listening comprehension and building receptive vocabulary
The silent phase is when a student just sits and listens, does not yet speak.

7. CELDT: 1 Beginning Cont. Yes/no and either/or questions
one or two word responses
Use pictures and realia to support learning
Provide listening activities
Focus on key vocabulary and concepts
Support learning with TPR, graphic organizers, charts, graphs., and sentence frames

8. CELDT 2: Early Intermediate
Sound out stories phonetically
Read short, modified texts in content area subjects
Complete graphic organizers with word banks
Understand and answer questions about charts and graphs
Match vocabulary words to definitions
Participate in duet, pair, and choral reading activities
Understand simple teacher explanations and two-step directions
Compose brief stories based on personal experience
Write in dialogue journals
Support learning with TPR, graphic organizers, charts, graphs., and sentence frames

9. CELDT 3: Intermediate
Use more complex sentences when speaking and writing
Express opinions and ideas
Ask clarifying questions
Increasing comprehension in content areas
Students sound like “they speak English just fine.”
Limited academic English
Support learning with TPR, graphic organizers, charts, graphs., and sentence frames

10. CELDT 4 & 5: Early Advanced & Advanced
Proficient on the CELDT
Near native fluency
Considered for Reclassification
Students are not reclassified based on their CELDT scores alone. There is other additional criteria and parent & teacher recommendation must be obtained.

11. Placement of ELLs SEI vs. ELM Classrooms
Sheltered English Immersion (SEI)
Teacher with classroom that contains a cluster of CELDT 1- 3 students.
Integrated ELD
Designated ELD
English Language Mainstream (ELM)
Teacher with a classroom that contains a cluster of CELDT 4-5 students.
Explain that these classes may start pure, but that after students receive updated CELDT scores, or we get new enrollment as the year progresses, you may end up with some CELDT 4s or 5s in an SEI class or vice versa. Explain that this is okay, because regardless of the CELDT level, ELLs are entitled to the same services.
Teachers do not yet know what “integrated ELD” and “designated ELD” mean. Tell them you will take a closer look at these terms today. These terms are the new language of English Language Development.

12. Discussion Point
Why is it important for teachers to be familiar with the CELDT levels of their students? How can teachers use CELDT levels to help inform instruction and assessment of English learners?
Allow participants to discuss in small groups, then share out.

13. Communication: Listening and Speaking the Language of Academics
“Ordinarily, language learning happens when learners come into close and frequent contact with speakers of the target language, and efforts are made both by the learners and target language speakers to communicate by use of that language.”
Fillmore & Fillmore, 2012, p. 2
Paper presented at the Understanding Language Conference, Stanford, CA. Available at
This quote emphasizes the importance of collaboration and communication in the classroom. We learn language when we are immerse in it. Therefore, students need to have frequent, structured opportunities for communication with peers. This is also why small-group instruction is so important for English learners. During small-group instruction, students have opportunities for structured communication with the teacher.
This work comes out of Stanford’s Understanding Language Department. They are leading the charge on the challenges English learners will be facing and what supports they will need with Common Core.

14. California English Language Development Standards (2012)
Scaffolding for the Needs of English Learners in the Common Core Classroom
California English Language Development Standards (2012)

15. Appendix A Foundational Literacy Skills for English Learners
Outline of the Document
Pages 1-4: Research, Overview, & References
Pages 5 – 18: Grade Level Specific Pages
How to read the Grade Level Specific Pages:
Column 1: Student Profile
Column 2: Considerations
Column 3: Applicable CCSS ELA Foundational Literacy Standards
Hand-out copies of Appendix A and walk teachers through the document. Direct the to look at their own grade level pages. This document does not contain a separate set of standards, it directs teachers to CCSS ELA foundational literacy standards that are applicable to the students specific needs as an ELL. Basically, students have differing needs when it comes to foundational skills, as a result of their level of native language proficiency. The CCSS standards indicated in the third column generally refer to a lower grade-level’s standards.
Talk about “Transference.” The theory of transference states that when students have a skill in their native language, they can more readily transfer that skill into their second language. For example, if I know what a possessive noun is in Spanish, I don’t have to learn what a possessive noun is in English, I just have to learn how to make a possessive noun in English. The more skills a student has in their native language, the quicker the will learn English.

16. Structure of CA ELD Standards
Handout Figure 1.12 and ELD standards. Go over Figure There are three parts (Interacting in Meaningful Ways, Learning about how Language Works, and Using Foundational Literacy Skills). There are total of 19 standards. Part I is generally more basic communication skills. Part II is generally more complex language skills. Part III is a place holder that basically says that ELs will also need support with foundational skills.
The ELD standards are a California Document. CA wrote the standards to align with the CCSS ELA standards.

17. LET’S LOOK AT ELD STANDARDS
Explain that Section I is just the overview of the ELD standards. The text in the left-hand column is the actually ELD standards. The right-hand column lists the corresponding CCSS ELA standards. The document does not show the text of the CCSS ELA standards. Teachers will have to look up their ELA standards. Make sure that teachers don’t get confused and think that the indicators listed in the right-hand column go with the text in the left-hand column. 17

18. CA ELD to CCSS ELA Correlation
2.ELD.I.A.1: Contribute to conversations and express ideas by asking and answering yes-no and wh- questions and responding using gestures, words, and learned phrases.
SL.2.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
SL.2.6: Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.
L.2.6: Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading, and being read to, and responding to tests, including using adjective and adverbs to describe.
SL.2.1, SL.2.3
This is an example of how one ELD standard (green) corresponds to several CCSS ELA standards. Point out that the ELD standards are more general than the CCSS ELA standards.

19. Collaborative Mode CELDT 1 & 2 CELDT 3 CELDT 4 & 5 19
Section 2 provides the detailed ELD standards.
This is the most useful part of the ELD standards document. The corresponding CCSS ELA standards are listed on the left-hand side. The three columns to list the ELD standards by proficiency level. Explain that the new standards use three proficiency levels (Emerging, Expanding, and Bridging). Remind teachers that the CELDT is still being rewritten and does not yet align to the new standards. Teachers can group students as indicated in the slide.
Show teachers how the standard is written according to the three proficiency levels. Walk teachers through how the expectations and needs of students change as the proficiency levels increase. The level of scaffolding decreases as the proficiency level increases. Talk to teachers about how they can use the ELD standards to modify how they instruct and assess ELs. 19

20. Activity
Take a moment to read through and examine the ELD Standards for your Grade Level and think About…
How would you correlate your current instruction to the ELD standards?
How would you determine which ELD standards to focus on?
How would you use the ELD standards in your classroom?
Allow teachers time to read through their standards and to discuss in small groups. Share out whole group.

21. BREAK
10 minute break

22. English Language Development and the Common Core

23. Activity Quick Write: What experience have you had with ELD?
Who gets ELD?
Why do we provide ELD?
Who teaches ELD?
When is ELD taught?
What is used to teach ELD?
Allow teachers to share their responses in small groups, then share-out whole group.

24. English Language Development
“…ELs face the unique challenge of learning English as an additional language as they are also learning grade-level content through English. This challenge creates a dual responsibility for all teachers who teach ELs. The first is to ensure that ELs have full access to grade-level curriculum in all content areas, and the second is to ensure that ELs simultaneously develop advanced levels of English necessary for success with academic tasks and texts in those content areas.”
-California Department of Education (2014), Chapter 2, page 75
Point out that our first responsibility is to ensure that ELs have access to ALL content area curriculum. We accommodate via SDAIE or GLAD strategies.

25. ELD Instruction
“All teachers should attend to the language learning needs of their ELs in strategic ways that promote the simultaneous development of content knowledge and advanced levels of English. In this section, ELD instruction will be described first generally and then in terms of using the CA ELD standards in two ways:
Integrated ELD; and
Designated ELD.”
California Department of Education (2014) adapted from English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework for California Public Schools: Transitional Kindergarten through Grade Twelve

26. Integrated + Designated
Both/And
“ELs at all English proficiency levels and at all ages require both integrated ELD and specialized attention to their particular language learning needs, or designated ELD.”
California Department of Education (2014) English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework for California Public Schools: Transitional Kindergarten through Grade Twelve
Integrated + Designated

27. Key Features of Integrated ELD Figure 2.21
Effective instructional experiences for ELs throughout the day and across the disciplines:
Are interactive and engaging, meaningful and relevant, and intellectually rich and challenging
Are appropriately scaffolded in order to provide strategic support that moves learners toward independence
Build both content knowledge and academic English
Value and build on primary language and culture and other forms of prior knowledge
California Department of Education (2014) English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework for California Public Schools: Transitional Kindergarten through Grade Twelve
Handout Figure 2.21 and go over the key features of both integrated and designated ELD.
Integrated ELD is done all day, in all lessons, with scaffolds and supports to ensure that ELs have access to the content and learn English through the content instruction. There should be a heavy reliance on oral language development through peer communication, sentence frames, explicit language usage instruction.

28. Designated ELD
“Teachers use the CA ELD Standards as the focal standards in ways that build into and from content instruction in order to develop critical English language skills, knowledge, and abilities needed for content learning in English.”
“During this protected time, ELs should be actively engaged in collaborative discussions where they build up their awareness about language and develop their skills and abilities to use language.”
California Department of Education (2014) English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework for California Public Schools: Transitional Kindergarten through Grade Twelve
Designated ELD is small-group instruction in which students are pulled and provided support based on their unique language needs. The ELD standards should be used as the primary instructional tool during this time.
Both integrated and designated ELD are built out of content instruction and are tied to core instruction. As a result, the timing for when this occurs will be flexible. Teachers will have to determine when the best time to pull a small group is. PLT is always there, but teachers can pull EL small-groups during other times as well.

29. Key Features of Designated ELD Figure 2.23
Intellectual Quality, Academic English Focus, Extended Language Interaction, Focus on Meaning, Focus on Forms, Planned and Sequenced Events, Scaffolding, Clear Lesson Objectives, Corrective Feedback

30. Integrated ELD in Action
Integrated ELD Science: Focus on Academic Language (Grade 4)

31. Designated ELD in Action
Integrated ELD Science: Focus on Science (Grade 4)
When you show this video, explain that this teacher switched kids with other teachers in her grade level. That is why she is provided designated ELD to a whole-class. Explain that teachers should pay attention to the content of her lesson, no the model. The model in our district would be small-group.

32. Additional Resources for Integrated and Designated ELD
Asking and Answering Questions About Soil (Grade 2) - Integrated and Designatedhttps:// questions-nea
Analyzing Texts: Putting Thoughts on Paper (Grade 5 ) – Designated ELDhttps:// writing
Preparing Learners: Ethos, Pathos, & Logos (Grades 6-8) – Integrated ELD
Show the Grade 2 video. The Grade 2 video shows both integrated and designated ELD.
After the videos allow teachers to discuss their observations. What do they see that they already do? What do they see that they can begin to implement?

33. Integrated & Designated ELD in Action (Vignettes)
What is the role of content, and how does this lesson build into and from the content students are learning the rest of the day?
What kind of Language are students using, and how are they developing it?
How does the teacher determine when students need additional support, and how is the support provided?
Handout Vignettes
Handout Compare & Contrast worksheet
Have teachers read through the two vignettes for their grade level and complete the compare and contrast worksheet.

34. Designated ELD in Action
What role does language play in Designated ELD?
Hand-out Designated ELD vignette with activity. Have teachers complete activity.

35. Review and Reflect
What is your responsibility to English learners in your classroom?
What services are English learners entitled to, and who is responsible for providing those services?
Who are the English learners in your classroom and what are their levels?
How will you use the ELD standards to help meet the needs of English learners in your classroom?
How will you provide integrated AND designated ELD for your students?