Best Practices for Adult ESL & LINC Programming In Alberta Sara Gnida

Best Practices for Adult ESL & LINC Programming

In AlbertaSara Gnida

Outline

Introduction

Orientation to the Best Practices

document

Using Best Practices

Acknowledgements ATESL would like to acknowledge the invaluable

contributions of the following in funding the project:

Alberta Employment and Immigration &

Introduction

1992 LINC -- increased funding

ATESL concern about quality

1994 Drafting of original Best Practice Guidelines, revised 2004.

Emerging standards and best practice documents in other jurisdictions

Time to renew the ATESL best practices.

IntroductionResearch of standards

documents, literature

Focus groups & electronic

questionnaire

Literature research & drafting

Feedback from experts in the

field

Best Practices for

Adult ESL and LINC

programming in Alberta

Click for More detail



Next


Researching the literature

•Best Practice Guidelines for Adult ESL/LINC Programming and Instruction in Alberta

Original ATESL document

•TESOL Standards for Adult Education ESL Programs (2003)

US

•NEAS: Standards and criteria for ELT centres; Standards and criteria for accreditation of providers of the adult migrant English program

Australia

•Languages Canada quality assurance scheme: Standards and specifications

Canada

•Manitoba Adult EAL Curriculum Framework Foundations

Manitoba

•Best practice features of quality LINC programs

Ontario

•CLB documents, standards for various states, research into second language acquisition, teaching, learning, program administration, etc.

And others

Back

Focus Groups Focus groups in Calgary, Edmonton, South and Central AB;

telephone interview for Northern AB

Electronic questionnaire on ATESL website

Participants represented programs of various sizes (1000+ students/semester to 25 students/semester) and focuses (from survival/settlement/literacy focuses to EAP classes with university credit)

Participants represented public, private, and non-profit providers.

Invited to provide input into what they considered to be best practice in each of 8 themes: Staff, Instruction, Curriculum, Canadian Language Benchmarks and Essential Skills, Assessment/Learner gains, Program structure/administration, Learner support, and ResourcesBack

Research & Drafting

In some cases, the focus groups identified an area that needed to be included but didn’t provide the content…

In some cases, the focus groups provided some of the substance of what is included…

In some cases, the input from the focus groups provided most of the substance of a section…

Focus group input

TESL/SLA

Literature

…In those cases, it was the TEFL and SLA literature that provided the substance of what is there.

…And the literature expanded on that input.

…In those cases, the literature validated the input gathered from ESL professionals across AB.

Back

Feedback from experts in the field

Once a draft of the document was completed, it was sent out to experts in the ESL field across Alberta, soliciting their feedback on particular sections depending on their areas of expertise.

The draft was reviewed by 15 people, with each theme being reviewed by at least 2 experts, and the instruction theme reviewed by 5.

Revisions made based on feedback.

Back

Orientation to the Document

Nine Themes

67 Best Practices

Orientation to the document: The 9 themes

The Program

Mission, philosophy, goals

Finances

Administration

Planning

Marketing

Scheduling & delivery

Etc.


Learner Support

Orientation

Support

Communication

Support services

Community participationTransition


The Staff

Qualifications

Hiring

Orientation

Professional development

Compensation

Ethical treatment

Evaluation


Canadian Language Benchmarks

Professional development

Standard frame of reference

Inform curriculum, materials, instruction

Resources


Curriculum

Articulated & flexible

Responsive to learner needs

Reflects program mission, SLA principles,

etc.

Regular renewal


Instruction

Learner oriented

Listening, speaking, reading, writing

Grammar, pronunciation,

vocabulary

Technology, culture, autonomous learning


Learner Assessment

Placement

Ongoing formative feedback

Summative assessment

High stakes

Documentation


Resources

Location & facilities

Classroom, materials, equipment

Teaching/learning

resources


ESL Literacy

Placement

Instructor qualifications and support

The literacy classroom

Enhanced support services

Orientation to the document

•67 statements of best practice organized according to the 9 themes.

Section 1: Best

Practice Statement

s

•Best practice statements

•Indicators for each BP

•References and further reading for each theme.

Section 2: Best

Practice Guidelines

Orientation to the document

•Self-reflection

•Program self-evaluation

•Identifying effective programs

Section 3: Putting

Best Practices

into Practice

•Report•Referen

ces•Evaluat

ion tool

Appendices

How might a list of Best Practice statements be of use to you in your practice?

Using the Best Practices

Collaboration

Self reflecti

on

Reference

End

Using the Best Practices as a Reference document

To compensate for an area of

weakness or gap in training

Toprovide an

overview to an unfamiliar area

To provide support for someone

taking on new responsibilities

As a resource for new ideas

Using the Best Practices as a Reference Document

Focus on your assigned scenario. What sections of the document should they turn to? What support could they find (i.e., what would they learn?).

Tami has TEFL training and experience teaching ESL overseas, but CLBs are completely new to her. She’s teaching LINC 2, and confused about CLBs.

Tyler has never used the CLB, but has been offered a contract to develop a curriculum based on the CLB.

Kim, in a rural setting, has just volunteered to teach an evening ESL class at the library. No TESL background.

Jake is on a committee which decides on PD opportunities for ESL instructors.

Neal’s organization is offering an ESL literacy class – and it looks like Neal is going to be teaching the class.

Val, with experience teaching ESL and a medical background, will be teaching medical terminology. She’s never taught a vocabulary course.

Kim, a TOEFL prep teacher, has a new job teaching listening and speaking. She’s finding the transition difficult.

Back

Using Best Practices for Self Reflection

Begin Broadly in Best Practice Statements

Definitely… I/we do this

Hmm…not sure about this

I’ve got to look into this

Choose a theme in Best Practice Statements to work through. Your Goal: to identify 1-2 best practices to explore further.

Using Best Practices for Self Reflection

.

Narrow your focus: Section 2: Best Practice Guidelines:

Select the best practice you wish to focus on and read through the indicators listed.

Definitely… I do this

Hmm…not sure about this

I’m going to work on thisBack

What did you learn? Explore more: References and Further Reading

Using the Best Practices to Focus Collaboration and Discussion

Talk through the indicators of a BP with a colleague . Identify what you are doing well, what you are not doing, and what needs to be improved. Together identify actions/steps to take.

Class Observations: Ask an observer (supervisor, colleague) to focus on and provide feedback on a particular BP when observing your class.

Staff meeting: divide into groups and have different groups work through the BPs in different themes to determine whether your program is meeting the BP.

Instructors of a particular level work together through the BPs from the Instruction section to identify strengths, weaknesses, gaps.

Which of the above collaborative activities would work for you? How else could you use this document in a collaborative way?

Back

Next

Collaboration/Discussion Activity

Find a partner/colleague who is teaching the same/similar course/level.

Choose ONE Best Practice to work through (perhaps in instruction theme).

Talk through the indicators of the BP with your partner. Ask Questions such as… So… do you do this? How do you do this? What other ways do you do this?

Identify what you are doing well, what you are not doing, and what needs to be improved. Together identify actions/steps to take.

If you have time, give yourself or your program a score based on the rubric on bottom of p.120.

Collaboration and discussion:

Scoring Best Practices (see Evaluation Tool p. 135)

No indicators checked; the BP is not at all in place.

Just one indicator or sub-indicator checked. Not fair to say there is nothing in place, but in reality, the BP isn’t being met.

A few indicators checked. An attempt is made, but room for much improvement; identifiable gaps.

A substantial number of indicators checked but still room for improvement. The program is “approaching best practice.”

All indicators have been checked and additional indicators may be in place; clearly and substantially meeting BP.

Collaboration/Discussion Activity

What did you learn? Would this be a valuable activity to do “for real”?

4-5?

•Talk through questions in #2, p.121

1-2?


3?


Back

Conclusion Purpose: to delineate a common set of

expectations regarding what constitutes best practice in adult ESL & LINC programs in Alberta.

NOT a straightjacket! Any statement of standard practice involves a

“construction of the teaching/learning process that will not be universally shared” (Crabbe, 2003, p.29). i.e., there is bound to be disagreement!

BUT a starting point for clarifying divergent beliefs and perspectives; a catalyst for reflective practice & collaboration.

Questions

Questions regarding the “Best Practices for Adult ESL and LINC Programming in Alberta” document?

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

ATESL thanks the following people who participated in focus group interviews, provided input on the

ATESL website, and/or provided feedback on drafts of the document:

Lorene AndersonCarol Aubee GirardSusan BadgerSumana BaruaPat BoehmeChrystal BlumeAnne CapuneAnna DeLucaLeni DeismanTracey DerwingCarolyn DielemanHailey GaleIsabel Gibbins

Myrna GlennDavid GrahamErma GuintoDiane HardyJenine HawrelykFiona HayesKatalin HegedusTara Holmes Ron HortonMimi HuiPenny HuiMelissa Hunt Hana Imai Elsie JohnsonRuth Jordan

Liz KarraCynthia Lambertson–PoonChristine LandRoberta LawlorPatti LefebvreLaura LindsayAmy MeckelborgCindy MessarosValerie MillarMandy NeilsenTodd OdgersSusan OguchiAudrey OlsonDonna Paskall

Heather PlaizierLeila RantaSheri RhodesIan RogersHetty RoesinghMarian RossiterVirginia SauveShalla ShaharyanJudy SilittoSkipp SymesGayle Taylor

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Best Practices for Adult ESL & LINC Programming In Alberta Sara Gnida