English Language Development for English Language Learners

1
English Language Development for English
Language Learners

• Kathryn Riley Katherine Earley, Office of
  English Language Acquisition
• with
• Bonnie Baer-Simahk Patricia Aube, Fitchburg
  Public Schools
• First Annual Summit on Curriculum, Instruction,
  and Assessment
• December 10, 2008
• Marlborough, MA

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Objectives

• Understand Sheltered English Immersion (SEI)
• Legal Background
• Implementation
• Implications for English Language Learner
  Instruction
• Understand the Need for an English as a Second
  Language Curriculum
• Understand Content-Based English as a Second
  Language
• Become Familiar with the Guide for Developing a
  Content-based
• English as a Second Language Curriculum

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Why Sheltered English Immersion (SEI)?Legal
Background

• No Child Left Behind (NCLB) January 2002
• Accountability for Subgroups
• Accountability for LEP Subgroup
• - English Language Learning
  Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment
  (MEPA) Annual Measurable Achievement
  Objectives) (AMAO) Reports
• - Content Learning MCAS
• Question 2 Sheltered English Immersion (SEI)
  November 2002, took effect September 2003

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What is Sheltered English Immersion?Implementatio
n

• Program Model for Most English Language Learners
• Two Components
• 1. English as a Second Language (ESL)
  Instruction
• explicit, direct instruction about the
  English language intended to
• promote English language acquisition by LEP
  students and to help them
• catch up to their student peers who are
  proficient in English. It
• includes learning outcomes in speaking,
  listening comprehension,
• reading and writing.  
•    
• 2. Sheltered Content Instruction
• instruction that includes approaches,
  strategies, and methodology that
• makes the content of the lesson more
  comprehensible to students who
• are not yet proficient in English.

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Instruction within an SEI Program Model
Implications
6
Instruction within an SEI Program Model
Implications (continued)
Addressed by the SEI Professional Development
Category Training
Addressed by the ESL Curriculum Development
Project
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Why a Guide for Developing a Content-based ESL
Curriculum? Background

• 2005 Needs Assessment Summary Findings
• High Ratio of LEP Students to ESL Teachers
• Role/Function of ESL Teachers Lacked Clarity
• Many Districts Reported Having Neither an ESL
  Curriculum nor a Clear Understanding of the
  Content of ESL
• 2005 State Assessments Showed a Large Number of
  ELLs were not Making Progress in Learning English

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What is the Guide for Developing a Content-based
ESL Curriculum?

• New Resource Developed by
• Office of English Language Acquisition
• Massachusetts Educators
• External Partner Center for Applied Linguistics
• Guided by Four Foundational Premises
• The English Language Proficiency Benchmarks
  Outcomes (ELPBO) Defines Learning Outcomes for
  ESL instruction
• ESL Curriculum A Plan to Ensure Districts ESL
  Instructional Program Addresses ELPBO
  Consistently Comprehensively
• Instruction ELLs need Comprehensive, High
  Quality English Language Instruction
• Content-Based ESL Topics Materials ELLs
  Encounter Daily in Content Classrooms Can and
  Should be Used During ESL Instruction

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Developing the Guide Assumptions Beliefs

• Curriculum, in General,
• Organizes the Content Contained in State
  Standards
• Sequences the Content Contained in State
  Standards
• Defines the Learning Outcomes for which a Teacher
  of that Content is Responsible

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Developing the Guide Assumptions Beliefs
(continued)

• 2. Roles in Curriculum Development
• - The development of a content-based ESL
  curriculum, based on state standards, is the
  responsibility of, and is best done by the
  district
• - The role of the Department is to provide the
  tools for curriculum development
• - The learning outcomes for which an ESL teacher
  is responsible will be clearly articulated and
• - The content of ESL is the language (the ELPBO
  framework) and the subject matter content is
  the vehicle for learning English.

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Brief Online OverviewGuide to Content-based ESL
Curriculum Development

• Massachusetts Department of Elementary and
  Secondary Education, English Language Learners
  website
• http//www.doe.mass.edu/ell/
• Go to Curriculum Instruction Sidebar

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Fitchburg Public SchoolsBonnie Baer-Simahk
Patricia Aube Looking at our Strengths

• Curriculum Mapping
• Coaches
• Expert Providers
• Category 1 through 4 Training

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Fitchburg Public Schools Bonnie Baer-Simahk
Patricia Aube Year One, 2007-2008 A Year of
Learning

• 3 ESL Teachers and 1 Math Coach
• Conducted District Inventory Materials Analysis
  Evaluation Template
• Mapped ESL Curriculum Student Profiles Scope
  and Sequence (refer to Sample Map Word
  document)
• Wrote Traditional ESL Unit, Embedded Math
  (refer to Sample Unit Word document)
• 7th Grade ESL Teacher Math Coach
• Used the Guide to
• Design and implement a content-based mini unit
• Math to teach targeted ELPBOfocus English
  Language Acquisition

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Fitchburg Public Schools Bonnie Baer-Simahk
Patricia Aube Year Two, 2008-2009 A Year of
Implementation

• Recruited Math Teachers to Partner with ESL
  teachers
• Teachers Mapped ESL Curriculum
• Summer 2008 Teachers Used Tools from the Guide
  to collaboratively write Content-Based ESL
  Lessons
• Current School Year 2008-2009
• Teachers Coach Meet Monthly Share Write
  Additional Lessons
• Lessons Implemented Weekly, Job Embedded Support
  from ELL Support Specialist
• LEP Student Preliminary Data
• Improved Classroom Interaction
• Improved Academic Performance

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Fitchburg Public Schools Bonnie Baer-Simahk
Patricia Aube Preliminary DataNo Content-Based
ESL Lesson
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Fitchburg Public Schools Bonnie Baer-Simahk
Patricia Aube Preliminary DataContent-Based ESL
Lesson
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Fitchburg Public Schools Bonnie Baer-Simahk
Patricia Aube Year Three, 2009-2010 Future Plans

• Continue Curriculum Development for Content-Based
  ESL
• Roll Out at Other Schools in the Fitchburg School
  District
• Follow the Districts Lead on Mapping Other
  Content Areas

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English Language Development for English
Language Learners

• Questions
• Contact Information
• Massachusetts Department of Elementary
  Secondary Education
• Kathryn Riley, 781-338-3522, kriley_at_doe.mass.edu
  
• Katherine Earley, 781-338-3569,
  kearley_at_doe.mass.edu
• Fitchburg Public Schools
• Bonnie Baer-Simahk, baer-simahkb_at_fitchburg.k12.m
  a.us
• Patricia Aube, aubep_at_fitchburg.k12.ma.us