Advancing the language and literacy of English Learners in an

era of the Common Core Standards

Laurie Olsen, Ph.D.Alameda County Office of Education English

Learner InstituteJanuary 26, 2013

lolaurieo@gmail.com

English Learners

“There is no equality of treatment merely by providing students with the same facilities, textbooks, teachers and curriculum…for students who do not understand English are effectively foreclosed from any meaningful education…”

Lau v. Nichols, Supreme Court

The task: To get them to English proficiency

To ensure access to curriculum while learning English

_______________________________________________________________________

No English

Proficient for Academic work

A moving target under the Common Core Standards

State & FederalAccountability

Reforms

Research on EL

Civil Rights

CapacityProf. development, teacher placement,

credentialling,

Politics

Families, Community

• Growing Gap• Declining progress towards English proficiency• New barriers to access• Persistent Long Term English Learner challenge

District Initiatives

District Initiatives

Entering era of converging forces

Long Term English Learner Research

The Common Core Standards

English Learner Research

Long Term English Learner Research

Long Term English Learners are created……..

K/1 gr.5 gr.8 gr. 10 HS grad

Long Term EL

Struggling Students

English Learner Typologies

• Newly arrived with adequate schooling (including literacy in L1)

• Newly arrived with interrupted formal schooling - “Underschooled” - “SIFE”

• English Learners developing normatively (1-5 years)

• Long Term English Learner

Reparable Harm research:Californians Together Survey (2010)

• Data from 40 school districts• Data on 175,734 English Learners in

grades 6 - 12• This is 31% of California’s English

Learners in grades 6 – 12• Districts vary in EL enrollment, size

and context

Data collected on English Learners 6 - 12

• # of years since date of entry• Secondary ELs who enrolled in K/1• 6+ by CELDT level• 6+ by academic failure (Ds, Fs)• Definition • Placement

Across all districts59% of secondary school ELs are long term

(103,635 in sample)

Differs significantly from district to district (21% - 96%)

Definitions vary

• Nine of 40 have a formal definition• Length of time (years) is part of every

definition• The number of years used in the definitions

vary from 5 years to 7+• Six districts include “lack of progress” or

evidence of academic failure along with the number of years

Their double challenge – our legal responsibility

“English learners cannot be permitted to incur irreparable academic deficits during the time in which they are mastering English”“School districts are obligated to address deficits as soon as possible, and to ensure that their schooling does not become a permanent deadend.”

Definition (AB 2193):

An English Learner in secondary schools who…..

Has been continuously or cumulatively enrolled in US schools for 6+ years

Not met reclassification criteria

Evidence of inadequate progress (e.g., slow, inadequate or stalled progress in English language development

Is struggling academically (e.g., GPA of 2.0 or below; grades of D or F in two or more core classes)

Building Block#1:

Know who your English

Learners are --the extent and magnitude of the LTEL issue in your schools

Annual Expectations for English Learners

Years in US

1 year

2 years

3 years

4 years

5 years

6 years

CELDT BEG EI INT INT EA ADV

CST ELA

FBB FBB BB BB+ Basic+ Prof+

CST

Math

FBB FBB BB Basic+ Prof+ Prof+

Recent survey

• Data from 35 school districts (mix of suburban, rural and urban; geographic diversity; small to very large; vary in concentration of English Learners)

• Data on 108,609 ELLs in grades 3 - 5

Indicators of Risk

• After 5 years – haven’t reached CELDT proficiency

• After 5 years – stalled at Intermediate Level III on CELDT for more than two years

• After 5 years – scoring at FBB or BB on CST-ELA

By fifth grade

• Almost half of students who enrolled in Kindergarten as English Learners are redesignated

• 52% of those who enrolled as an ELL in Kindergarten are still English Learners

• Half of those have not yet reached CELDT proficiency

• 1/3 have been stalled at Intermediate level for MORE than two years

• ½ are scoring at FBB or BB on CST-ELA

Action Items • Adopt a clear definition• Develop expectations for progress based on

number of years of enrollment• Use those expectations to identify students at

risk of becoming Long Term English Learners• Disaggregate achievement data by number of

years in U.S. schoolsSee BB#1 Checklist and data template

A school – by the numbers# years Beg (I) Early Int

(II)Interm

(III)Early Adv

(IV)Adv. (V)

1 yr. or less

45 30 21 1 0

2 years 9 46 28 1 0

Three years

6 28 45 3 1

Four years 3 17 57 12 3

Five Years 12 59 17 6

Six years + 1 13 51 20 12

Roster by ExpectationsName CELDT # years CELDT Expectation

CST Expectation

ELD Benchmark Expectation

Almanzar, L.

III 5 No No No

Barajas, J. IV 5 ✔ No ✔

Cruz, D. IV 6 No ✔ No

Escobedo, M.

III 6 No No No

A STUDENT ROSTER

BUILDING BLOCK #2:KNOW WHAT TO WATCH FOR!

Typical behavioral profile

• Learned passivity, non-engagement, underlying discomfort in classes

• Don’t ask questions or ask for help• Tend not to complete homework or understand

the steps needed to complete assignments• Not readers• Typically desire to go to college – high hopes and

dreams but unaware of pathway to those dreams• Do not know they are doing poorly academically

– think they are English fluent

By 6th grade, they have distinct language issues

• High functioning in social situations in both languages – but limited vocabulary in both

• Prefer English – are increasingly weak in their home language

• Weak academic language – with gaps in reading and writing skills

• Are stuck in progressing towards English proficiency

The continuum: learning English as a second language

_______________________________________________________________________

No EnglishOral, social English

CELDT Proficient

CST Basic

Proficient for Academic work

1 – 3 years 7 – 10 years

I II III IV V

Big discrepancy between CELDT Proficiency and Basic on CST/ELA

Percent English Learners attaining these benchmarks statewide

What is an AMAO?Annual Measurable Achievement Objective

• AMAO #1 – progress towards English proficiency measured by CELDT levels (target 54.6%)

• AMAO #2 – attainment of English proficiency which is defined as “CELDT proficient” (overall Early Advanced, no domain less than Intermediate) - (target: 43.2% those <5yrs)

• AMAO #3 – academic performance in English measured by scoring proficient on CST in ELA and Math (target: 67%)

Which levels on CELDT are meeting growth target AMAO #1 (Alameda County)?

% meeting growth target of 1 level

Beginning (I) 70.5

Early Intermediate (II) 68.5

Intermediate (III) 46.2

Early Advanced (IV) 21.6

Advanced (V) 56.1

To get this data for your site….

• www.cde.ca.gov• Dataquest• Level (county)• Subject: English Language Development Test

(CELDT)• Select county and submit• Click: CELDT results by prior proficiency• Select the district; and then the site

Alameda Co. selected districts

AMAO #1 AMAO #2B (5+ yrs)District A met 66.0% met 45.6%

District B met 58.2% Not met 36.5%

District C met 58.5% Not met 43.8%

District D met 65.2% met 52.7%

State target 56% 45.1%

Action Items • Examine AMAOs for adequate growth and

patterns• Conduct walkthroughs and observations, shadow

students to monitor active participation and engagement

• Build staff understanding of CELDT and data and normative expectations

• Celebrate progress

See BB#2 Checklist and data template

Understand what practices contribute towards the creation of LTELs – and what may need to change

Building Block #3:

No services - mainstream

• Three out of four spent at least two years in “no services” or mainstream

• This trend has increased in California schools in past decade

Trend: Towards the weakest EL Program Models

Other contributing factors

• Inconsistent program placements• Inconsistent implementation within programs• Social segregation and linguistic isolation• Transnational moves – transnational schooling

Unintended consequences• Narrowed curriculum academic gaps & lack

of academic language• Professional development and monitoring are

tied to fidelity in implementation of core curriculum packages that aren’t adequate for the language development strategies English Learners need

• Interventions as solution schedule filled with inadequate and inappropriate support classes, interventions that aren’t designed for English Learners

CONFUSION

English Language Arts• Universal Access• Preview/Review

English Language Development (ELD)

Reading Support, English Intervention Classes

???

The National Literacy Panel

“Instructional strategies effective with native English speakers do not have as positive a learning impact on language minority students….. Instruction in the key components of reading is necessary but not sufficient for teaching language minority students to read and write proficiently in English.”

On the issue of interventions• CAL (“Double the Work”) - reading interventions

designed for native speakers aren’t appropriate for ELLs

• National Literacy Panel - good literacy and reading interventions work for both ELL and proficient students - but they work BETTER for English proficient students (gap grows) and do not address some key needs of LTELs

• From the 1.5 generation research on college students, and linguistics research - appears that WRITING may be a more powerful emphasis than READING strategies for LTELs

In secondary schools….. (from the Californians Together survey)

• 3 of 4 districts have no approach to serving Long Term English Learners

• Majority of CA districts place their Long Term English Learners into mainstream

• Three CA districts place Long Term English Learners by English proficiency level with other English Learners (in NYC, this is the common placement)

Typical program placementsfor English Learners

_______________________________________________________________________

No English Oral, social English

CELDT Proficient

CST Basic

Proficient for Academic work

1 – 3 years

I II III IV V

Intensive or strategic interventions!

Still English Learner, but in MainstreamSDAIE

• Placed/kept in classes with newcomer and normatively developing English Learners – by CELDT level

• Unprepared teachers• No electives – and limited access to the full

curriculum• Over-assigned and inadequately served in

intervention and reading support classes

Placements NOT designed for them…..

Secondary school version…..• An EL is an EL is an EL a struggling student is a

struggling student is a …..• “Mainstream” curriculum and classes• Perhaps ELD by CELDT level• Support classes, intervention classes (based on CST

scores) that are designed for native English speakers and focused primarily on reading

• CAHSEE prep• No electives• Difficulty fitting in A-G

So far…from the LTEL research• Clearly defined EL program models (ELD plus

access), consistently implemented• Consistency in placement and EL language

approach (no ping-pong)• Importance of full academic curriculum• Strategies that promote student engagement as

active learners• Importance of scaffolding instruction• No more “Interventions = EL Program” –

especially interventions designed for native English speakers

• No more “Mainstream = EL Program”

Three converging forces

Long-term English Learner Research

The Common Core Standards

English Learner Research

X

High leverage Instructional Strategies

Building Block #4:Know the research, undo

misconceptions that lead to harmful practices,

New generation of research

• National Literacy Panel on Language Minority Children and Youth

• California Department of Education: Research-based Practices for English Language Learners (commissioned papers)

#1: Early childhood education makes a difference

• Early years of development (cognitive, linguistic, social) are crucial

• Quality preschool lays the foundation for better outcomes for children once they enter kindergarten

• Preschool reduces disparities and longstanding achievement gaps between groups

• Most powerful language policy/approach for preschool is primary focus on home language development

So…..

• Begin with preschool programs• Active outreach/recruitment to English

Learner communities• Attention to supporting the transition from

preschool into kindergarten• Articulation, alignment between the two

systems (preschool and K-12)

#2: Importance of rich oral language development

• There are four domains to language development – oral language is key

• Producing language encourages learners to process language more deeply than when just listening or receptive.

• Verbal interaction is essential in the construction of knowledge

• Oral language is the bridge to academic language associated with school and the development of literacy --

National Literacy Panel finding

• Oral language development and proficiency is critical to literacy… and is often (and increasingly) overlooked in instruction

• It is not enough to teach reading skills alone to language minority students; extensive oral English development must be incorporated into successful literacy instruction

• Oral proficiency and literacy in the first language facilitates literacy development in English

So……• Multiple and frequent structured

opportunities for students to be engaged in producing oral language should be features of classroom instruction

• The amount, type and quality of student talk that is generated is a mark of good instruction

• Emphasize complex vocabulary development• Model rich, expressive, amplified oral

language

#3:

Academic Language is essential – complex, precise language is

essential

• Social, oral fluency (BICS) takes less time to develop than academic proficiency (CALP)

• Academic language and literacy for ELs develop most powerfully where background knowledge is also being built – and in the context of engaging with academic content

• Learning a second language for academic success requires explicit language development across the curriculum - ELD alone is not sufficient

SOCIAL CONTEXTS

ACADEMIC CONTEXTS

SIMPLE, BASIC, FUNCTIONAL LANGUAGE

RICH, COMPLEX, PRECISE LANGUAGE

X X

So…….

• Identify key academic vocabulary and discourse patterns – and explicitly teach them

• Monitor the rigor and complexity of the language used in text and instruction

• Set a high bar for sophisticated, complex, precise language in both social and academic domains

#4: Language develops in contextSo……

• Intentional language development across the curriculum

• Full curriculum – including rich science and social studies

#5.

To access the curriculum, English Learners need specially designed

instruction

SDAIE works when……

• Materials are designed for maximum contextual cues, etc.

• Teachers understand which strategies are meant for which levels of proficiency

• Students are grouped by level• Instruction is paced appropriately - and key

power standards focused upon• L1 is used as a support

So……• Language objectives for content lessons based on

analyzing the linguistic demands of the content• Identify key academic vocabulary and discourse

patterns and explicitly teach them• Professional development related to making

content accessible to English Learners• Home language support• Home language instruction when possible• “Generic” approaches must be differentiated

(e.g., Balanced Literacy)

#6:

ELD instruction can advance knowledge and use of English – and they need ELD through high levels of

proficiency

Daily dedicated timeLeveled by proficiency

These are related – but not the same

ELD

English Language Arts

Academic language across

curriculum

#7:

Development of the home language is important

The home language plays a significant role in development

• The best foundation for literacy is a rich foundation in language - not necessarily in English, but in the language strongest for the child and his or her family.

• Children have more extended and complex vocabulary and language skills if their home language is developed

• Bilingual children perform better than monolinguals on select cognitive tasks

• English Learners make more academic progress when they have the opportunity to learn in both their home language and English

• Systematic, deliberate exposure to English + ongoing development of L1 = highest achievement in both languages by end of 3rd grade and beyond.

“The research indicates that instructional programs work when they provide opportunities for students to develop proficiency in their first language. Studies that compare bilingual instruction with English only instruction demonstrate that language minority students instructed in their native language as well as in English perform better, on average, on measures of English reading proficiency than language-minority students instructed only in English.”

National Literacy Panel on Language Minority Children and Youth

Wayne Thomas and Virginia Collier

“A national study of school effectiveness for Language Minority Students’ Long

term academic achievement”

2001

“The astounding effectiveness of dual language education for all”

2004

www.crede.ucsc.edu/research/llaa/1.1_final

And, there are benefits to bilingualism…… so…..

• Home language instruction and development whenever possible to high levels of proficiency

• Transfer focus and contrastive analysis• Native speakers classes through to Advanced

Placement• Create a climate that honors and affirms the

value of bilingualism

Common belief system

• Sooner and more fully immersed in English, the better

• Good teaching and standards-based curriculum work for all students and are sufficient for ELLs

• English is the most important subject for ELLs – the more hours, the better

• Home language holds students back

Action Steps • Know the research• Determine which aspects of the research are

most important to make known at this point in to order to clarify myths/misconceptions that may be in the way of delivering a strong EL research-based program

Three converging forces

Long Term English Learner Research

The Common Core Standards

English Learner Research

What are the Common Core Standards (CCS)?

• College and career readiness standards developed by National Governor’s Association and CCSSO in 2009

• Adopted in 2010 by California SBE, along with 47 other states

• To be implemented in 2014-15 school year• Internationally benchmarked “so all students

prepared to succeed in global economy and society”

Increased Rigor so Students are College and Career Ready

The new standards are the result of a state-led effort to increase rigor and build consensus on what students should know as they advance from kindergarten through high school, so they will graduate better prepared for college and the modern workplace.

College and Career Readiness Standards

Preparation for• University• Community College• Technical Programs• Vocational Programs

Rationale• By 2018, 61% of jobs in

California will require post secondary education.

• This is 2 percentage points below the national average of 63%.

• California ranks 29th in post secondary intensity for 2018.

Structure and OrganizationCCS Anchor Standards

• Define what a college and career ready person can do in the 21st century at the end of high school

• Backwards map from 12th grade to kindergarten

• Show progression for each standard from kindergarten to 12th grade

• Have a consistent numbering system across the K-12 ELA standards

Four Shifts

• Language development across the curriculum• Increased focus on oral language and multiple

opportunities for developing speaking and listening skills

• Use of more informational, rigorous and complex texts

• Emphasis on collaboration, inquiry and teamwork

Major Shift #1:From Old Paradigm

OR

Learn EnglishAcademic content

then

Language Academic Content

Academic vocabulary as overlap

To new CCS Paradigm: language is central to all academic areas

MATH SCIENCE

LANGUAGE ARTS

Language*

*• instructional discourse• expressing and understanding reasoning

Shift: Increased focus on Speaking and Listening

Comprehension and CollaborationDay to day, purposeful academic talk one to one, small group and large group setting

Presentation of Knowledge and IdeasFormal sharing of information and concepts, including through the use of technology

for all students, across the curriculum

Shift: Focus on more complex, rigorous text (+ incr. in informational)

• ELLs will need background knowledge to comprehend and critically engage with academic text and at the levels of CCCS.

• Practices of a narrowed curriculum and years spent in English and math interventions, support classes and instruction (little or no science, social studies, arts) have resulted in gaps in ELL students’ essential academic background knowledge.

Shift: Active engagement in collaboration

• The CCSs recognize that students need to develop skills to collaborate in academic work – skills for teamwork, active and skillful participation in discussions, and inquiry-based collaboration.

(Anchor standard: Speaking and Listening #1)

CCSs alone do not address a pathway towards English proficiency for ELLs

• New English Language Development standards aligned to the CCSs (adopted November 2012)

• Implementation of CCSs must be accompanied by full implementation of the new ELD standards

New ELD Standards aligned to CCS• Language development focused on making meaning,

collaboration, comprehension, communication – with content integral to language learning

• From traditional notion of grammar with syntax and discrete skills at center to language within context of discourse, text structure, syntax and vocabulary in meaningful contexts

• Descriptors of 3 proficiency levels: collaborative communication, interpretation, production of language, metalinguistic awareness, accuracy of production

• New adoption of materials in 2016; new ELD assessment for 2015-16

CALIFORNIA NEXT GENERATION ELD STANDARDSaligned to the Common Core ELA

LANGUAGE MODESInteracting in Meaningful Ways

LANGUAGE PROCESSESLearning How English Works

Emerging Expanding Bridging

The CCS as Opportunity for ELLs

• Many aspects of the CCS align with research-based best practices for English Learners

• Many aspects of the CCS align with what ELLs need to avoid becoming LTELs

• Yet the level of rigor and language expectations pose challenges for ELLs.

Need for explicit attention to ELLs• One in four California students are English

Learners.• English Learners face specific language barriers to

participation and access, and have special needs.• Most general school improvement efforts in the

past have inadequately addressed the achievement gap for English Learners.

• The California Common Core Standards (CCSS)are a major reform of public education that do not explicitly state how English Learners needs should be addressed.

Currently

• Persistent achievement gap• Large number of Long Term English Learners• Narrowed curriculum and lack of access• Disproportionately high drop out rates

Current statewide practices provide weak foundation

•Weak or non-existent ELD programs•Lack of use of research-based and consistent programs•Insufficient use of SDAIE strategies to assist comprehension and engagement•Inadequate curriculum materials to scaffold access to content

• Many ELLs fail to reach CELDT proficiency, a low-bar for academic access and participation.

• Many ELLs become Long Term English Learners stalled in progress towards proficiency and amassing academic gaps.

• CCCS calls for ramped up rigor.• CCCS implementation without attention to a

basic foundation of English Learner support will fail.

• Roll out initial implementation of CCCSs with focus on high leverage areas that overlap between ELL research, LTEL research and CCCS mandates

• Don’t forget the ELD standards• Continue to build the understanding, skills,

capacity and foundation for strong ELL programs

• Professional development for all teachers that focus on the intersect!

Three imperatives!

Long Term English Learner Research

The Common Core Standards

English Learner Research

Realize the Promise; Guard against new barriers!

Prevent the harm! End the creation of LTELs

Enact what we know works!