Title: How RTI can Serve English Language Learners Sylvia Linan-Thompson Alba A. Ortiz The University of Texas at Austin
1How RTI can Serve English Language
LearnersSylvia Linan-ThompsonAlba A.
OrtizThe University of Texas at Austin
- RTI Summit
- December 6, 2007
2Issues Associated with the Education of ELLs
- Low academic achievement
- Lower expectations for performance
- Low level ability groups/tracks
- High rates of social promotion and/or retention
- High drop out rates
- Disproportionate special education representation
3ELLs with Reading-related LD
- An IQ-achievement discrepancy was the basis for
classifying ELLs as having learning disabilities,
even when - The discrepancy was barely significant in one
area and all other scores were at/above grade
level or consistent with IQ - Assessment results were inconsistent with the
concerns reported by the referring teacher. - (Wilkinson, Ortiz, Robertson, Kushner, 2006)
4ELLs with LD
- Multidisciplinary teams failed to provide
assurances under the exclusionary clause that
problems could not be attributed to such factors
as lack of access to effective reading
instruction . - There was limited or no documentation of early
intervention efforts to address reading
difficulties or of the results of these efforts. - Interventions reported were often not specific
to identified difficulties. - .(Wilkinson, Ortiz, Robertson, Kushner, 2006)
5ELLs with LD
- How can RTI help address these issues?
6Overview-RTI
- Response to intervention (RTI) is the degree to
which a student who has been identified as
at-risk for academic or behavior problems by
screening measures has benefited from
intervention designed to reduce risk. - Determining RTI requires
- Assessing students to determine risk
- Providing intervention
- On-going progress monitoring to ascertain response
7Multi-tiered Model
- Tier 1 High quality instructional and behavioral
supports to prevent the development of difficulty - Tier 2 Specialized intervention for students
behind peers to minimize problems early - Tier 3 Comprehensive evaluation and specialized
services with intensive intervention to treat
problems aggressively and constrain negative
effects.
NJCLD (2005) DLD (2007)
8A Model for Multi-tiered Academic Intervention
Tier 1
Core Reading Instruction
Supplemental Reading Instruction
Tier 2
Tier 3
Intensive Reading Instruction
9Multi-tier Model
- Uses instructional procedures that are responsive
to students needs - Collects data on student performance
- Establishes procedures and criteria for providing
Tier 2 and Tier 3 instruction
10Why are tiered models used for academic
interventions?
- Allow for use of a range of programs
- Allow for integration of services (e.g., Title I,
general education, special education) - Allow for early intervention
- Allow for practices related to Response to
Intervention
11- Prerequisites to the Success
- of RTI for ELLs
12PREVENTION Create an environment that reflects
a philosophy that all students can learn and
that educators are responsible for seeing to it
that they do.
- Strong leadership by the principal
- High expectations for all students
- A safe and orderly school environment
- Collegiality among school personnel
- Shared decision-making
- A shared knowledge base related to the education
of ELLs - Linguistic and cultural pluralism
- Well-implemented bilingual education and/or
English as a Second Language programs - Ongoing, systematic evaluation of student
progress - Effective responses to student difficulty
- Collaborative school, home, and community
relationships - Mechanisms in place for mentoring new faculty
13Leadership
- Principals have a total and unwavering commitment
to their students achievement and to an
excellent bilingual education and/or English as a
second language program that is fully integrated
into their school. -
- (Montecel Cortez, 2002)
14A Program Model
- Teachers and community members participate in the
selection and design of a bilingual/ESL program
model - The program model is grounded in sound theory and
best practices associated with an enriched, not
remedial, instructional models. - (Montecel Cortez, 2002)
15Program Articulation
- The program of instruction is properly scoped,
sequenced, and articulated across grade levels
and aligned with developmentally appropriate
practices and student language proficiency levels
in the native language and/or in English. - (Montecel Cortez, 2002)
16Teachers use instructional strategies known to be
effective for ELLs.
- Academically rich programs
- Native language instruction
- English language development
- Meaningful language use across the curriculum
- Culturally relevant curriculum
- Build on prior knowledge
- Higher-order skills
- Direct, explicit skill instruction
- Thematic instruction
- Collaborative learning
- Scaffolding
- Individual guidance and support
- Continuous monitoring of student progress
- Meaningful, continuous family involvement
17A Transition Plan
- Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that students
have the skills to access to the same curriculum
presented to native English speaking students. - It is understood that transition is a process,
not an event. - Recognizing that, there is a clear plan and
process for transitions - -from native language to English instruction
- -from ESL to English instruction
-
-
18A Transition Plan
- For students receiving native language
instruction, the plan reflects an understanding
of - the bi-directional influence of instruction in
each language. - skills that transfer (positive and negative),
and - skills that must be explicitly taught in each
language -
-
19An Exit Plan
Exit is distinguished from transition and refers
to the termination of special language program
supports for ELLs. The re-classification of an
ELL as English proficient indicates that the
student is able to participate successfully in
mainstream, all-English instructional
programs.
20- Both transition and exit decisions are based on
students language proficiencies and achievement
status, not simply on the basis of their age or
grade.
21Professional Development
- Fully credentialed bilingual education and ESL
teachers are continuously acquiring new knowledge
regarding best practices in bilingual education
and ESL. - General education teachers regularly participate
in professional development focused on meeting
the needs of ELLs (e.g., information about
bilingual education, ESL strategies, and about
the cultural and linguistic characteristics that
serve as assets to the academic success of ELLs). - (Montecel Cortez, 2002)
22A Shared Knowledge Base
- Philosophy, purpose, and rationale for bilingual
education and ESL programs - Language acquisition and development
- Assessment of conversational and academic
language proficiency. - Other influences on student learning
- -Culture (that of students and of educators)
- -Socioeconomic status
23A Shared Knowledge Base
- Effective instructional approaches
- Linguistically and culturally responsive
assessment and progress monitoring (within and
across grades) - Partnerships with ELL families and communities
- Recognizing and overcoming deficit perspectives
toward ELLs and their families
24Focus on Tier 1
- Assessment
- Core curriculum
- Academic language
- Transition
25Assessment
- Screening
- Progress monitoring
- Benchmark
26Assessment
- Research on effective reading instruction for EL
learners has documented the importance of
assessing students progress in reading (Chamot
OMalley, 1994). - This includes not only teacher documentation of
daily and periodic progress but also students
self-evaluation of their own progress according
to pre-determined goals and objectives (Chamot
OMalley, 1994).
27Screening
- Reading measures to identify first grade students
who need intensive early intervention are valid - Consistently strong measures of future reading
growth are measures of phonemic awareness and
fluency in naming letters of the alphabet - True in both English and Spanish
28Screening
- Students oral language proficiency alone is not
a valid predictor of reading success or failure.
29Screening
- Conduct screening assessments 2 times per year in
kindergarten (middle and end of the year) - Conduct screening assessments 3 times per year in
first grade and above (beginning, middle, and end
of the year) - Assess all students on appropriate measures
- Examine students scores in relationship to
established goals and language program - Use results to inform both whole group and small
group instruction
30Language of Screening Measures
- English Immersion with ELD support
- Use grade appropriate measures in English
- Kindergarten phonemic awareness, letter naming,
alphabetic principle - First grade phonemic awareness, letter naming,
alphabetic principle, oral reading fluency - Second grade alphabetic principle, oral reading
fluency - Third grade oral reading fluency
31Language of Screening Measures
- Bilingual Education Program
- Use grade appropriate measures
- That match the language of reading instruction,
often native language, initially - In both the native language and English during
the transition process - English when students are ready to exit and are
no longer receiving reading instruction in the
native language
32Instructional Implications
33Progress Monitoring
- Provide a means to
- Monitor student learning
- Determine efficacy of instruction
- Timeline will vary with level of students
- In Tier 1, minimum 3 times a year but, may want
to consider once a grading period - Language will match language of instruction
34Benchmarks
- Benchmarks are necessary to set a goals for
students. - ELLs can meet benchmarks when provided
appropriate instruction that supports language
and literacy development.
35Tier 1
- Components of effective Tier 1 instruction for
ELLs - 90 minutes
- Comprehensive instruction
- Reading
- Math
- Flexible grouping
36A comprehensive approach to literacy
development
Reflects a balanced approach--a focus on both
skills and meaning Provides for differentiated
instruction based on student characteristics (Fra
ncis, 2005 Snow Burns, 1998 Goldenberg,
1998)
37A comprehensive approach to literacy development
Incorporates components shown to be determinants
of literacy achievement for both monolingual
students and ELLs -Phonemic Awareness -Phonics
-Fluency -Vocabulary -Comprehension Incorporate
s study skills and strategies (Francis, 2005
Snow Burns, 1998 Goldenberg, 1998)
38A comprehensive approach to literacy development
- Provides opportunities for students to develop
full and productive proficiencies in the native
language and/or English in listening, speaking,
reading, and writing, consistent with high
expectations for all students. - (Center for Equity Excellence in Education,
1996 August Hakuta, 1997 Goldenberg, 1998).
39Other Important Components
- Dedicated ELD block
- Focus on academic language in all content areas
40ELD
- Dedicated block during the day
- Focus on instructional components of literacy and
language - Explicit and systematic instruction in the
structure of English - Preview and review
41Academic Language
- Each content area has a particular way of using
language that children need to learn to use. - Students must use linguistic skills to interpret
and infer meaning from oral and written language - and
- discern precise meaning and information from
text.
42To develop higher level cognitive skills as well
as mastering the language associated with it.
- Students need language models that are
comprehensible, and opportunities to use language
in the context of specific instructional
activities.
43Flexible Grouping
- Whole group
- To introduce new information
- Small homogenous groups
- For focused instruction
- Structured pairs
- To provide additional practice
- To provide language models
44Benefits of RTI
- Preventive approach
- Assessment is used to inform instruction
- Instruction is focused on critical components
- Serves as a means for gauging efficacy of
instruction