1. Multilingual Education in the Buffalo Public Schools July 27, 2010 Multilingual Education Community Meeting International School #45 Tamara O. Alsace, Ph.D., Director

2. Buffalo Public SchoolsMultilingual Community Meeting July 27, 20106:00 - 8:00 p.m. International School #45

Agenda

Welcome - James A. Williams, Ed.D., Superintendent

Greetings - Mr. Ralph Hernndez, BOE President

Opening Remarks - Folasade Oladele, Ed.D., Deputy Superintendent

Presentation - Tamara Alsace, Ph.D.

• Multilingual Department Overview

• Data

• District ELL Policy

• Programs and services

• CGCS Report

• Committee composition and selection

• Q & A

Next meeting date

3. Multilingual Education Department

Director:Tamara Alsace, Ph.D.

Supervisors:

• Rose Coln, Bilingual/ESL

• Anne Henry, Bilngual/ESL

• Margaret Thompson, LOTE

Support Staff:

• Patrick Ferris, Title III Coordinator

• Wilda Ramos, Native Language Arts Support Teacher

• Ahmed Mohamood, SIFE Support Teacher

• TBD, ESL Support Teacher

• Joel Mercado, Language Assessment Specialist

• Ruth Casillas, Language Assessment Specialist

• Rocio Corts, Bilingual Guidance Counselor

• Linda Scinta, Social Worker

Clerical Staff:

• Daisy Hernndez

• Myrta Pomaranski

• Migdalia Castro

4. Who are the students?

Limited English Proficient (LEP)/English Language Learner: Student who comes from a home where a language other than English is spoken and who scores below the designated level of proficiency on the LAB-R or the NYSESLAT, as set forth in CR Part 154.

5. Total BPS LEP/ELL Population2004-2010 6. LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISHSPOKEN BY ELL/LEP STUDENTS IN THE BUFFALO PUBLIC SCHOOLS Total:73 Languages Total:73 Languages 7. 8. How are they identified?

Identify students with limited English proficiency and place in appropriate English as a Second Language and/or bilingual education programs in accordance with New York State Regulations (CR Part 117 and CR Part 154) and Federal Requirements (NCLB Title I and Title III).

• Home Language Questionnaire

• Oral Interview

• Language Assessment Battery-Revised (LAB-R)

• Language Assessment Scales (LAS-O)

9. What instructional programsdo we provide?

Provide access to appropriate instructional programs, across academic settings, that are grounded in an evidentiary base of scientific research in alignment with New York State Standards and that consider and/or include:

• English language proficiency/literacy skills

• Effective English as a Second Language (ESL) methodologies

• • Freestanding ESL

• Native language proficiency/literacy skills as required

• Effective bilingual instructional strategies, as appropriate

• • Bilingual education, NL support

10. What instructional programsdo we provide?

• Effective academic interventions and support services

• • Estrellita, Language! Trophies ELL

• Instructional materials that are culturally responsive and that support and facilitate language development

• • Moving into English, High Point, Visions

• • Trofeos, Estrellita, Santillana

• Inclusion in District specialized programs (e.g. vocational, gifted, etc.)

• • Olmsted, Vocational high schools

• Acculturation support for newly arrived students and their families

• • Saturday Academy, Parent Academy,

• • Jumpstart, Extended School Day

11. Bilingual Education Program Sites 2005 2010 School 3 K-5 K-6 School 30 PK-8 PK-8 School 33 PK-6 PK-8 School 64 PK-K PK-4 School 76 3-8 (PK-2 @36) PK-8 High School Grover

• Lafayette

12. Freestanding ESLProgram 2005 2010 # Elementary Schools 16 13 # High Schools 10 16 # ESL Teachers 65 83 # Teacher Aides 5 20 13. Commissioners RegulationsPart 154 EnglishProficiency Levels Based onNYSESLAT Grades:Kindergarten to 8Grades: Grades 9 - 12 Units ofESL Units of ELA Units of NLA Units of ESL Units of ELA Units of NLA Beginning 2 0 1 3 0 1 Intermediate 2 0 1 2 0 1 Advance 1 1 1 1 1 1 14. Dual Language Immersion Program Inclusion in District specialized programs (e.g. vocational, gifted, etc.)

Frederick Law Olmsted School

• Grades PK-4

Herman Badillo Bilingual Academy

• Grades PK-K

Native English speakers and native Spanish speakers learning together with the goal of becoming bilingual and biliterate.

Summer immersion program offered

15. SIFE/Newcomers

Newcomer Center at Lafayette High School.

Saturday Academies

(Grades 6-12)

Project JumpStart

Summer Extended

Learning Opportunity

Extended school day programs

Effective academic interventions and support servicesAcculturation support for newly arrived students and their families (Students with Interrupted Formal Education) 16. Assessment

Monitor progress of English Language Learners utilizing appropriate assessment instruments, as required by New York State regulations and as outlined in the Districts Three-Year Academic Plan, including:

• Yearly progress in English (NYSESLAT)

• Literacy development in English DIBELS, theme tests, ELA

• Literacy development in the native language (Bilingual Programs)-IDELS, theme tests

• Academic progress in the content areas

• Data collection that is timely and appropriate for program decision making

• Title III funding .25 data specialist in 2010-2011

17. NYS ELA at or above standard 4 Year Summary Formerly Limited EnglishProficient Students 18. BPS English Language Arts (ELA)Limited English Proficiency Students4 Year Summary Percent At or Above Proficiency (Levels 3 & 4) 2005-062006-072008-092009-10 19. BPS MathematicsLimited English Proficiency (LEP) Students4 Year Summary Percent At or Above Proficiency (Levels 3 & 4) 20. NYS Math at or above standard4 Year SummaryFormerly Limited EnglishProficient Students 21. Outreach

Communicate with parents/guardians and community members to promote understanding, support, and involvement by:

• Disseminating information in multiple languages

• Providing translators, whenever feasible, to facilitate face-to-face communication between families and the school

• • Contracts with Language Line, International Institute, Journeys End

• Providing informational sessions regarding programs, initiatives, and academic requirements

• • Parent academies (BPS), summer orientation sessions (JERS)

22. Outreach (cont.)

Communicate with parents/guardians and community members to promote understanding, support, and involvement by:

• Communicating with local agencies regarding refugee/immigrant issues

• Creating meaningful partnerships

• • BETAC

• • WNYRAC

• • Refugee Tutoring Project

• • BIREC

• • Colleges and universities

• • • Houghton, Buffalo Youth in Motion, Buffalo State Service Learning

• • New York State Association for Bilingual Education

• • Hispanics United

23. ProfessionalLearning Opportunities 2008-09 2009-10 Understanding ELLs 70 334 SIOP I 46 133 NYSESLAT 66 (ESL) 147 (all) Native Language Arts 9 20 Part 154 Regulations 35 51 Teacher Aides 120 53 24. Council of Great City Schools Report

2006

• Director of Multilingual Education appointed

• District Policy on ELLs approved by BOE

2008-2009 Superintendent and Board President requested review of ELL programs.

Review conducted April, 2009

Report received May, 2010

85 recommendations in 10 areas

25. Council of Great City Schools Report

Leadership & Strategic Direction (7)

Goals & Accountability (5)

Curriculum & Instruction (11)

Program Design & Delivery System (10)

Program Monitoring (1)

Program & Student Placement (14)

Data & Assessments (8)

Human Capital & Professional Development (21)

Parents & Community (5)

Funding & Compliance (3)

26. CGCS Positive Findings

ELLs benefitting from programs over time

Strong leadership team

Strong Academic Achievement Plan

Regular walkthroughs conducted

Documents outlining requirements developed

Improved registration and evaluation process

Extensive use of data to monitor progress

Investment in multilingual teacher aides

Extensive professional development in literacy

Parent Center program considered best practice

Contract for Excellence funding targeted for ELLs

Enrichment programs and extended learning opportunities

27. CGCS Areas of Concern

Parents dont get information about schools in way thats understandable

Newcomer services inadequate

Performance of ELLs in Buffalo lags behind state

There is not a clear pathway towards graduation

Programs not consistent from school to school

Teachers and administrators have not had enough training

Community concerned about district responsiveness to cultural and language differences

ELL community perceives that the district lacks mechanism to hear its concerns on a regular basis.

District-wide ELL advisory committee inactive

28. CGCS Recommendations (85)

Expand community outreach efforts to improve relations with various refugee, immigrant, and language groups

Renew and reactivate parent advisory groups

Articulate clear developmental sequence and pathway towards graduation for ELLs

Consolidate ELL enrollments into select number of elementary schools

Expand ELL programs in secondary schools

Name high level team to revamp newcomer program include refugee and community groups

Develop strategy for increasing graduation rates

Develop plan for translating and interpreting

29. Committee Composition

• Live in the City of Buffalo, or

• Have children in the Buffalo schools. or

• Have expertise in the field (5), or

• • University faculty

• • Refugee Resettlement Agency representatives (WNYRAC, Hope, etc.)

• • Retirees

• • Current BPS staff (principal, teacher, assistant)

• Represent our top 5 language groups (BIREC, HUB, other) (10)

• • 45% Spanish (4)

• • 13% Karen (2)

• • 11% Somali (2, inc.Bantu, Somali)

• • 7% Arabic (1)

• • 6% Burmese (1)

30. Scope of Work and Commitment

Group:

• Review work already done or in process

• Examine current conditions

• Prioritize recommendations

• Develop prioritized plan

• Assist in identifying and/or securing needed resources

Individual:

• Attend meetings regularly

• Complete subcommittee work between meetings

• Maintain confidentiality

• Comply with group norms

31. Interested?

Contact:

• Tamara Alsace, Director of Multilingual Education

• 76 Buffum Street

• Buffalo, NY14210

• e-mail:[email_address]

• Briefletter of interest, along with resume and/or qualifications by August 6, 2010

• First meeting:Tuesday, August 10 th

• 6:00-8:00 p.m.

• Location TBD

32.

Thank you for coming!