English Language Learner

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English Language Learner
Valeria Silva ELL Director St. Paul Public Schools
Collaboration A Model for Success for Literacy
Valeria Silva Director, ELL Programs Saint
Paul Public Schools
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Who are our students?
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Who are our students?
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District Overview
District Overview
Saint Paul Public Schools Saint Paul, Minnesota

• Diverse urban school district, largest in state
• 42,009 students more than 100 schools and
  programs
• 17,997 with home language other than English 43
  of students
• 103 home languages and dialects
• Largest Hmong, Spanish, Somali
• SPPS ELL population makes up 27 of state ELL
  population
• SPPS ELL population makes up 42 of the
  districts total student population
• Since 1990, the ELL population in SPPS has
  increased by more than 270
• 1,700 Hmong refugee students from Wat Tham Krabok
  enrolled in SPPS between 2004-2006

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Which Students are considered English Language
Learners in MN

• Students
• Whose home language is other than English

• Who lack the English language skills as
  determined by appropriate measures and practices
  (developmentally appropriate assessment
  instruments, observations, teacher judgment,
  parent recommendations and/or state tests )

• Those who score lower than 4 in the Writing
  section of the Test of Emerging Academic English
  (TEAE), and 5 in the Reading section

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SPPS Student Language Distribution 2005-2006
Top 8 Languages in SPPS
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Closing the Gap
In the Council of the Great City Schools Beating
the Odds VI report (2006), SPPS stands out as
having made among the best gains of the Great
City Schools districts in closing the achievement
gap between ELL and non-ELL students.
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Special Education ELL
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Special Education ELL
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Special Education ELL
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Factors in Managing Complex Change
Vision


Skills

Incentive
Resources
Change


Action Plan



Skills
Incentive
Resources
Action Plan

Confusion



Vision
Incentive
Resources
Action Plan
Anxiety




Vision
Skills
Resources
Action Plan
Resistance



Vision
Skills
Incentive
Action Plan
Frustration


Vision
Skills
Incentive
Resources
Treadmill



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ELL Vision

• Support staff to move from a pull-out model to a
  push-in model of ELL instruction by
• Aligning district and state ELL standards
• Expecting all staff to use ELL and mainstream
  standards during instruction
• Raising expectations of ELL teachers on what ELL
  students can accomplish
• Provide professional development to ELL and
  mainstream staff on collaboration
• Provide professional development to ELL on
  collaboration in district-wide Writers and
  Readers Workshop models (SPPS literacy reform
  model)
• Provide materials and resources to embed ELL
  instruction during Writers and Readers Workshop
• Provide on-site coaching support and study groups
  for ELL teachers

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Why Collaboration?
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Moving from Pull-out to Collaboration

• Collaboration is not just two or more individuals
  working together.
• It involves joint planning, delivery, and
  evaluation of instructional practices students
  results and performance.
• Teachers take risks and support each other in the
  process of ongoing learning and improvement of
  practice that is focused on student achievement.

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Overview of Clustering
In schools with a relatively low percentage of
ELL students, no more than 38-40, clustering is
the best method for providing more ELL support

• Developing consistent school-wide guidelines for
  student placement (according to language
  proficiency, home language, or academic needs)
  can strengthen instructional services.
• Clustering is not segregation. Students in
  clustered classrooms have equal access to all
  instructional resources and overall better
  support.
• All school staff must understand the rationale
  and system for student placement so that new
  students are placed appropriately.
• Academic needs of students, and NOT equality of
  class size or racial diversity should guide
  student placement decisions.
• The ELL cluster classroom(s) per grade level
  should not be the classes where the low academic
  performing students get placed. The English-
  speaking students that are in the ELL Cluster
  classroom should represent a range of academic
  abilities.
• Mainstream teacher and ELL teachers must have
  common prep times in order to work
  collaboratively.

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Students benefit from this clustering model
because

• Native language, culture and emotional support
  for students
• Clustering can be done by students' native
  language, to provide more bilingual support
  during instruction time
• More language learner role models
• More opportunities to interact with other
  newcomer peers outside of school due to the
  relationships developed in class
• Social and emotional support from peers who look
  the same and share the same language
• Students can
• Teachers provide more differentiation of the
  instruction to students (harder to ignore a large
  group of students)
• Access to additional materials that are
  appropriate for newcomers and ELLs
• More opportunities to interact with more than one
  adult (ELL Mainstream)
• More opportunities to hear more than one adult
  language model (ELL Mainstream)
• More instructional support and professional
  development opportunities for staff
• Mainstream teachers who have ELL licensure as
  well as elementary licensure are the best
  candidates to be the teacher in this model
• Instruction provided by a mainstream teacher that
  has more additional training on working with
  newcomers and ELL students

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SPPS ELL Instructional Model

• Philosophy
• Language through content (collaboration with ELL
  mainstream teachers)
• Supported by language acquisition strategies
• Grade-level content made comprehensible using
  scaffolding and sheltered English

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Old ELL Instructional Model
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New ELL Instructional Model
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Collaboration
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Basics of Co-Teaching

• Professionals working together (ELL and
  mainstream staff)
• Delivering substantive instruction in reading and
  writing
• A diverse group of students
• A single space
• Reduced student-teacher ratio
• Professional development during co-teaching

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Basics of Co-Teaching
Adapted from Friend, M. Barsack, W. (1990).
Including students with special needs A
practical guide for classroom teachers. Boston
Allyn and Bacon.
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Co-Teaching Models Working Form
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Professional Development for All Staff

• ELL department provides professional
  development on collaboration for ELL
  and mainstream staff
• Since 2001, more than 500 mainstream and ELL
  teachers have received this professional
  development
• 100 of ELL teachers have completed professional
  development on Writers Workshop.
• By fall 2006, 100 of ELL teachers will have
  completed professional development in Readers
  Workshop
• 100 of ELL bilingual paraprofessionals have
  received professional development in Readers and
  Writers Workshop

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Co-teaching Models
Key Language Academy ELL Non-ELL
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During Writers Workshop Model ELL Instruction
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During Writers Workshop Model ELL Instruction
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During Writers Workshop Model ELL Instruction
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During Writers Workshop Model ELL Instruction
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During Writers Workshop Model ELL Instruction
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During Writers Workshop Model ELL Instruction
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During Writers Workshop Model ELL Instruction
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During Writers Workshop Model ELL Instruction
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During Writers Workshop Model ELL Instruction
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Test scores

• They look fantastic!

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BST ReadingClosing the Gap
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BST MathClosing the Gap
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Test of Emerging Academic English (TEAE)
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Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA)State
test
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SAT10 Total Reading by Student Group, 2003-2005
Percent of students in average or above average
range
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SAT10 Total Math by Student Group, 2003-2005
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Closed Graduation Rate Achievement Gap
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Adequate Yearly Progress Title III

• 2004 SPPS as a district did not make
  AYP, and it did not meet AMAO requirements
• 2005 SPPS as a district did make AYP and
  met AMAO requirements

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Resources for Collaboration

• BOOKS
• Friend, M. Barsack, W. (1990). Including
  Students With Special Needs A Practical Guide
  For Classroom Teachers. Boston Allyn Bacon.
• Garmston, R. Wellman, B. (1999). The Adaptive
  School A Sourcebook for Developing
  Collaborative Teams. Norwood, MA
  Christopher-Gordon Publishers.
• Friend, M. Cook, L. (2003). Interactions
  Collaboration Skills for School Professionals,
  4th Ed. Boston Allyn Bacon.
• Risko, V.J. and Bromley, K., Editors. (2001).
  Collaboration for Diverse Learners Viewpoints
  and Practices. Newark, DE International
  Reading Association.
• VIDEO
• Burrello, L.C., Burrello, Jotham M., Friend,
  M., Producers. (1996). The Power of Two
  Making a Difference Through Co-Teaching.
  Available from The Forum on Education
  812-855-5090 (phone) or 812-855-8545 (fax).

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For more information
Visit our website at ell.spps.org

• Information about ELL programs in SPPS
• Data Center
• Fact sheets
• Professional development

Contact

• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• E-mail valeria.silva_at_spps.org