Transcript Program Models for English Learners

Program Delivery Models for
English Language Learners
Paul Matthews, Ph.D.
University of Georgia
Program Models– What &
Why?
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All students legally and morally deserve an
appropriate education.
Must provide adequate instruction for ELLs
(Lau v. Nichols, 1974). Violation of Title VI if
programs don’t teach English as soon as
possible/not a dead-end track; parents must
receive information in language they can
understand.
14th Amendment prohibits states from
denying public education to undocumented
children (Plyler v. Doe, 1982)
Program Models– What &
Why?
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Compliance with Equal Ed. Opp. Act criteria: (1)
“program informed by an educational theory
recognized as sound by some experts in the field or,
at least, deemed legitimate experimental strategy”;
(2) program and practice “reasonably calculated to
implement effectively the educational strategy
adopted”; (3) program succeeds in “producing
results indicating that the language barriers are
actually being overcome” (Castaneda v. Pickard,
1981)
Appropriate instruction with endorsed teacher,
meeting class size limits, placement into/out of
correctly, can receive federal $ via state DOE.
Class Size Limits (GA)
Grade Levels
K-3
4-8
9-12
Maximum Individual Class Size
No aide 9, with aide 11
No aide 11, with aide 14
No aide 13, with aide 18
A segment = one-sixth of the instructional day. This minimum time
varies by grade level as do minimum segment lengths:
Grades K-3 = 270 minutes a week; per day = 45 minute segments
Grades 4-5 = 300 minutes a week; per day = 50 minute segments
Grades 6-12 = 330 minutes a week; per day = 55 minute
segments. In addition, a segment consists of at least the minimum
number of minutes required to earn a Carnegie unit in Grades
9-12.
Submersion
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No support given: Sink or Swim
Teachers may assume ELLs are
“someone else’s problem”
Inappropriate or no modification of
instruction, assessment, activities
Likely a violation of students’ civil
rights
Newcomers Programs
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Sometimes a separate facility
Usually offer intensive, short-term
“survival” ESOL (e.g., 2 of 4 blocks are
English)
May be coupled with sheltered courses
May not have access to mainstream
activities/social groups
Pull-Out ESOL
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Teachers (should be) ESOL endorsed
Class size limited
Most common instructional
methodology
Not always integrated with “regular”
curriculum
May marginalize students when pulled
out of “fun” or helpful activities; ESOL
teachers, classrooms often underfunded
Sheltered Instruction
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Can be for full-day (elementary) or
separate classes
Teachers ideally trained in ESOL and
content area
Instruction is modified for ELLs
Can get grade-level academic credit
May create “segregated” setting with little
peer language interaction
www.siopinstitute.net/
Inclusion/Push-In
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ESOL teacher co-teaches in regular
classroom
Usually elementary-school; past this can do
a pre-teaching model
Can minimize segregation and disruption of
routines
Requires joint planning time
Personalities must work together and must
treat as equals
May need more teachers
“Bilingual” Programs:
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Legal in Georgia (state law)
Not everyone uses “bilingual” in same sense. Need
to differentiate based on:
– Goals: transitional or maintenance/developmental
– Early-exit or late-exit
– Models: by day, by class, by topic, by instructor, 50/50 or
90/10
– 1-way or 2-way “immersion”
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Difficult to implement in Georgia (infrastructure)
– Which languages?
– Which language variety?
– What teachers?
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Not always well done; can segregate students
Thomas & Collier’s
research
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http://www.crede.ucsc.edu/research/ll
aa/1.1es.html
Research from 1985-2001
Multi-site, multi-language, looked at
wide range of programs including
ESOL, bilingual, and others
Results support importance of L1 in
education
Thomas & Collier
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“…only ELLs with at least 4 years of
primary language schooling reach
grade-level performance in L2 in 4
years. As a group, students with no
primary language schooling… are not
able to reach grade-level performance
in L2.”
“The highest quality ESL Content
programs close about half of the total
achievement gap.”
Effective Programs
(Romo)
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High expectations for all students
Sufficient time in program to develop
bilingual skills
Rigorous academic content in the
curriculum
Quality language instruction
School climate that values bilingualism
Positive opportunities to interact
socially with speakers of L2
Things to watch out for:
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Pressure to lose/abandon L1
Pressure to take low-track classes; tracking
into courses which are not college-bound;
negative peer influence from low-achieving
students
Low expectations
Marginalization/lack of access to Englishusing peers
Teachers who don’t understand SLA or who
don’t take responsibility for students
What will your school do?
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Think about needs in present AND future
What programs will best serve ELLs?
What resources and training needed?
Who helps make the decisions about
program models? Do they have the
necessary information?
Who makes decisions about student
placements? Do they have the necessary
information?
Paul Matthews, [email protected]
Center for Latino Achievement and
Success in Education (CLASE),
www.coe.uga.edu/clase
706-542-3368