Transcript Secondary School Courses Designed to Address the Language Needs

Secondary School Courses Designed
to Address the Language Needs and
Academic Gaps of Long Term English
Learners
written by Laurie Olsen, Ph.D.
a new Californians Together publication
Background
• Emerging awareness of LTELs 1995-2010
• Reparable Harm report released 2010 (59% of
secondary school ELs were LTEL)
• LTEL needs: struggle academically
(accumulated gaps), distinct language needs,
stuck in progressing towards English
proficiency, habits of non-engagement –
needs unrecognized, unaddressed in
mainstream or interventions
• Reparable Harm program recommendations:
placement in clusters in regular mainstream
academic classes, plus a specialized, targeted
ELD course for LTELs
• Urgency and action throughout the state:
inquiries, working groups, creating array of
supports, designing and piloting courses
• Working in isolation to figure it out
• Facing challenges
• Revising, refining, learning lessons – but no
mechanism to share that emerging knowledge
• Professional development providers,
publishers, conferences, materials, etc.
targeting this need – but often repackaging
What is being learned?
• 38 districts have created/adopted some kind
course for LTELs in middle school and/or high
school
• June 22nd: “Culling the Knowledge” Forum co-sponsored by West Ed/Comprehensive
Assistance Center West and Californians
Together
• Interviews, focus groups and survey
Table of Contents
• Development of the courses (including four case
studies)
• Essential components of the courses
• Materials/Curriculum being used
• Structural considerations
• Impacts
• Challenges and Lessons Learned
• Recommendations
• A Planning Checklist
Development of the Courses
• Starts with looking at data and establishing a
working group
• Variety of “buckets” and intentions: ELD for
LTELs; English support classes; academic
language; academic intervention/support;
SDAIE English for LTELs
• Range of materials, programs, approaches
drawn upon – and diverse combinations of
components
Four case studies
• Tracy Unified School District: “ALAS” class
paired with regular English class
• Arroyo Valley High School (San Bernardino):
schoolwide approach
• Anaheim Union High School District: High
school special ELD IV class; middle school
support class
• Ventura Unified School District: Multiple
placement options
Essential components
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Oral language
Student Engagement
Academic Language
Expository text (reading and writing) plus other
genres
Consistent routines
Goal Setting
Empowering pedagogy
Rigor
Community and Relationships
Study Skills
Materials/Curriculum
• Major challenge
• Drawn from existing materials, added
supplementary and created additional materials
• Needs to be relevant, high interest, age
appropriate
• Needs to incorporate whole books
• Curriculum explicitly provides opportunities for
active engagement
• Curriculum should touch on all essential
components
• Materials should align and connect to core
academic courses
Structural Considerations
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Smaller class size
More fluid pacing guide
Dedicated LTEL class just for LTELs
Attention to maximizing graduation credits
and fulfillment of the A-G
• Same teacher for dedicated LTEL class as for
core English class (?)
• Careful teacher selection/assignment
Impacts
• No consistent data across sites or across years
• Intended outcomes: success in ELA
curriculum, active participation and success in
academic classes, redesignation, scoring
Proficient or above on CST, preparation for
college
• In general, reports are positive
• Piloting districts are proceeding with
refinements and course offerings, and
expanding to other sites
Challenges and Lessons Learned
• It’s complex, requires time, collaborative effort
and resources
• MUST address motivation and re-engaging
• Everyone has to understand purpose of class
• Begin with and keep data in forefront
• Provide professional development and support
for teachers
• Build leadership and infrastructure at the site and
district
Recommendations
• Adopt state definition and mechanism to identify
students at risk of becoming LTEL
• Articulate clear expectations of progress by
number of years
• All district college, analyze and report data – and
Corrective Action/PI Plans address this data
• Convene, disseminate info on best practices,
create PLCs
• State professional development initiative
• New ELD/ELA curriculum framework should
address needs of LTEL as one typology of EL
The Planning Checklist
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Laying the groundwork – getting started
Designing and planning the curriculum
Structuring the course
Professional development and support
Measuring Impacts
For you to do…..
• Identify who is piloting courses, who is
interested and planning to pilot courses
• Let them know of publication
(www.californianstogether.org)
• Convene or sponsor working groups across
sites planning and piloting LTEL courses
• Consider offering professional
development/technical assistance supports