USD 457 SECONDARY ESL PROGRAM GUIDE GARDEN CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Revised Spring 2004 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Transcription

1 USD 457 SECONDARY ESL PROGRAM GUIDE GARDEN CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 1996 Revised Spring 2004 TABLE OF CONTENTS

2 List of committee members 3 Introduction 4 Goals 5 Overview 6 Sheltered English Techniques 7 Second Language Acquisition 8 Staff Development 10 Counting ESL FTE s 11 Assessments 12 Initial Placement 13 Standardized Tests 14 Counting ESL minutes 15 Policy for Assessment 16 Exit Procedures 17 List of Forms 18 Student Information Folder 19 Home Language Survey (Eng., Span.,) 20 Home Language Assessment/Student Information Sheet (En,Sp,) 21 Chart of Assessment 22 Change of Placement 23 Parent ESL Notification Letter (Eng., Span.) 24 ESL Exit Letter/Exit Form (eng., Span.) 25 Oral Proficiency Rating Sheet 27 Language Proficiency Descriptions 28 Parents right to know Letter 30 Teacher Checklist for Parents 31 (i)

3 Mere oral proficiency in English has little to do with sustained academic achievement of English language learners. Of greater importance is primary language literacy, previous schooling, cognitive development and general background knowledge. Russell, Sharon, Guest Author Sheltered Content Instruction for Second Language Learners Reading TODAY October/November 1995 (ii) SECONDARY ESL PROGRAM

4 This secondary ESL guide is written in standards and benchmarks format, as recommended by the Kansas State Board of Education. Student benchmarks are clearly defined and include suggested assessment procedures. ESL CURRICULUM REVISION COMMITTEE: Linda Trujillo Martha McKeehan Traci Romero Juana Perkins With input from: Margaret Quint Garden City Senior High School Peggy Serry Garden City Senior High School Glenard McKeehan Kenneth Henderson Middle School Socorro Herrera Kansas State University 3 INTRODUCTION

5 Many students from different language backgrounds enter USD 457, Garden City, Kansas, Public Schools every year, and it is anticipated that this number will continue to increase. English/Spanish, native language and/or English as a Second Language (ESL) education programs are offered to students in grades K-12 to provide an equal educational opportunity to all Non-and Limited English Proficient students in USD 457 schools. This program guide is designed to provide administrators, Board of Education members and parents with concise information regarding policies, practices and procedures for implementing appropriate LEP and ESL education programs for Nonand Limited English Proficient students in USD 457 schools. Many of the students in USD 457 who qualify for enrollment in the LEP and ESL programs speak Spanish as their primary language. The district makes every effort to employ teachers in those programs who are fluent in both English and Spanish. When that cannot be accomplished or the language is something other than Spanish, such as Vietnamese or Laotian, the district attempts to hire paraprofessionals who are fluent in the other language to facilitate classroom instruction. The USD 457 Sustained Native Language Programs at Alta Brown, Garfield, and Buffalo Jones elementary schools make use of two languages as the media of instruction for students grades K-3 as part of the school curriculum. Instruction is provided in Spanish for native Spanish speakers in the content disciplines in grades K- 3. These native Spanish speakers participate in English language acquisition activities. The USD 457 English-as-a -Second program is focused on second-language acquisition in grades K-Prep through grade 12. Garfield, Gertrude Walker, Edith Scheuerman, Victor Ornelas, Jennie Wilson, Florence Wilson, and Georgia Matthews Elementary Schools, Bernadine Sitts and Charles Stones Intermediate Centers, Abe Hubert and Kenneth Henderson Middle Schools, and Garden City High School s programs provide instruction and other educational assistance primarily in English with supplemental instruction in other languages. English as a Second Language (ESL) involves specialized instruction using methodologies designed to assist students whose native language is other than English in attaining English language proficiency. Theoretically, when the Limited English Proficient student successfully acquires needed reading skills, receives intensive instruction in the English language, and adequately develops proficiency in English, the student then joins native speakers of English in the English instructional program. 4 GOALS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

6 1. TO DEVELOP ENGLISH COMMUNICATION 2. TO PROMOTE CROSS-CULTURAL AWARENESS, UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE 5 SECONDARY ESL PROGRAM OVERVIEW The secondary ESL program is considered to be transitional placement for students who would have a difficult time succeeding in the English only instructional

7 program. A goal of the ESL program is to provide students with the academic and English language skills necessary for students to move into the English only instructional program when they are able to work successfully in the English instructional program. Teachers in the ESL program teach the same Standards and Benchmarks in the content areas as do teachers in the English instructional program. They make every effort to keep students at grade level, addressing grade level benchmarks. When this is not possible because of the student s English proficiency, the teachers may address benchmarks and use learning materials from another grade level. The district purchases equivalent Spanish versions of English textbooks as they are available to facilitate learning content in the student s native language. ESL teachers make certain curricular accommodations and modifications to adequately meet student s needs. Foremost the teacher must instruct students in survival and conversational English to help the student become acclimated to their new country. Teachers may employ any or all of the following instructional strategies to better meet the needs of limited English proficient students: Help students build card files on needed vocabulary Show the same information through a variety of visual aids Encourage student to underline key words or important passage in written student assignments Pair students for team learning Teach prefixes and suffixes specific to the English language Write shorter and less complex sentences Emphasize accuracy of reading Help students organize their materials, set realistic goals and develop independent study habits 6 SHELTERED ENGLISH TECHNIQUES Sheltered English is a two-for-one program; students get both content and language. Here are some trusted techniques:

8 Preview the lesson in the students first language. This preview may be done working in pairs or in small groups by a para-professional, a parent, or an older student. If students come from a variety of language backgrounds, the preview may be given in small groups Use visuals and real objects. Pictures, charts, graphs, and objects help students understand the concepts being presented. This allows learning to proceed from the concrete to the abstract. Use written language. Even for your students being able to both see and hear language makes learning easier. In many cases, writing, which is fixed, is more comprehensible than speech, which is transitory. Use gestures and body language. These help students understand the words, it is for this reason that face-toface conversation is easier to understand than a telephone conversation in a second language. Use clear speech with frequent natural pauses. This is more effective than trying to slow down the pronunciation of individual words, which often distract students. Say the same thing in different ways. When teachers paraphrase, students are given more chances to comprehend the message. Make frequent comprehension checks. Rather than asking comprehension questions, watch your students to be sure that they are following the ideas being presented. Students will generally show you if they groups. Students can do this in their first language and then report back to the class. This also serves as a comprehension check. Connect the concepts being presented to events in the students own lives. When students see the relation between what is being taught and their own experiences, they understand the academic concepts more fully and also are more apt to see their relevance. Keep oral presentations or reading assignments short. Lectures and reading are difficult for second language students. Cooperative activities in which students explore key concepts in small groups are more effective than lectures Whenever possible, review the content by allowing students to ask questions and talk about the concepts in their first language. Conclusion The goal of sheltered teaching is to help students develop both content and language proficiency. The instruction includes a variety of techniques to help classroom teachers make instruction comprehensible for second language students. 7 understand or not with non-verbal cues. Have students explain concepts to one another, working in pairs or small

9 SECOND LANGUAGE AQUISITION FOR SCHOOL Kris Anstrom The following is a synthesis of the NCBE Directions in Language and Education monograph, Acquiring a second language for school, by Virginia P. Collier. Over the last ten years, researchers Virginia Collier and Wayne Thomas have been studying the question, How long does it take for language minority students to acquire the level of second language academic proficiency needed to achieve academically on par with their native speaking peers? In her forthcoming publication, Collier answers this question based on her research on the academic achievement of language minority students. She makes clear that acquiring a second language for school is neither fast nor simple, and she used a model to explain the various and complex processes influencing second language acquisition in school. Throughout, Collier reiterates the importance of continued first language development and role high-quality bilingual education programs play in the linguistic, academic, and cognitive development of language minority students. Given the complex and time-consuming nature of first language acquisition (most researchers conclude that the process continues at least through age 12), it is not surprising that second language acquisition takes as long as it does. The good news is that, in wellconstructed bilingual education programs where students develop academically and cognitively in their first language, the time needed to acquire the second language for academic purposes is less than what it might be if first language support is not provided. Collier and Thomas tracked language minority students academic progress over time by examining the academic achievement measures used by school systems to monitor student progress. In brief, they found that at least 7-10 years are needed for non-native English speakers with no schooling in their first language to reach age- and grade-level performance if instruction is given only in English. Students with 2-3 years of first language schooling in their home country take at least 5-7 years, and students schooled in high-quality bilingual programs in the United States require 4-7 years to reach native-speaker performance levels. These findings hold true regardless of other background variables such as socioeconomic status and home language. Collier and Thomas conclude that the most important factor in determining success in second language acquisition for school is the amount of schooling students receive in their native language. To explain the complex, time-consuming nature of second language learning for school, Collier has developed a model that highlights the processes of second language learning for academic purposes. The four major processes - sociocultural, linguistic, academic, and cognitive - are interactive and interdependent: the lack of development in any one area may adversely influence the student s overall development and success. Sociocultural processes. Social and cultural processes that influence acquisition of a second language evolve from all facets of a student s life, including home, school, community, and society. These include individual factors such as self-esteem or anxiety, 8

10 Also, poor school environment, prejudicial community attitudes toward minorities, and sociocultural processes that instill negative attitudes toward the second language and/or culture detract from second language learning. Language development. Linguistic processes involve both the subconscious acquisition of language as well as conscious, more formal language learning, such as occurs in school. Of particular importance to the linguistic development of language minority students is the continued acquisition of the first language, both oral and written, to a high cognitive level throughout, at the very best, the elementary years. Such development is crucial for successful cognitive and academic development in the second language. Academic development. Academic learning in grades k-12 in all subject areas is as important for language minority students as it is for native English speakers. Yet, in the past, a student s academic development was often delayed while English language skills were being acquired. This deprivation in academic development has led to academic failure on the part of these students. Because academic knowledge and skills learned in the first language transfer to the second, the more effective means of ensuring sustained academic development for language minority students is to provide academic programming in the first language. Meanwhile, the second language can be developed during other class periods. Cognitive development. Until recent years, cognitive development had not been emphasized in second language instruction. Language and content were simplified to the point that was often cognitively unchallenging for language minority students. Research has shown that, along with academic and linguistic growth, students must be given opportunities to develop in this domain as well if they are to flourish academically. Interdependence of the four components. Sociocultural processes and linguistic, academic, and cognitive development are interdependent. Neglect in one area adversely affects development in the other areas and has negative ramifications for student growth and achievement. Equally important is the notion of simultaneous development; no longer can programming decisions be made that call for development in one area at the expense of the others. Furthermore, simultaneous development should occur in both the first and second language. Collier concludes by emphasizing the importance of uninterrupted cognitive development, which occurs best through continued first language learning. Additionally, recent research conducted with co-researcher Thomas (1995) shows that active learning environments provide the best stimulus for the simultaneous development of language, academic, and cognitive abilities. Programming recommendations include, where possible, two-way bilingual education at the elementary level. At the secondary level, when first language support cannot be given, programs should involve the integration of language learning with academic content, the provision of instruction in problem solving and learning strategies, and the inclusion of the home culture. Thomas, W.P., and Collier, V.P. (forthcoming) Language minority student achievement and program effectiveness. 9

11 STAFF DEVELOPMENT Staff development will be necessary for all ESL staff. Types of staff development proposed include the following: 1. Training on administration of tests (each elementary building have at least one or two certified staff members trained, along with the building administrator, to administer the oral proficiency, reading, and writing assessments as well as the MAT-8/ Aprenda, and/or SABE battery of tests and Kansas assessments in math, reading, science, social studies, and writing.) 2. Training on completing forms (each certified staff member receive training on correctly completing the following forms: home language assessment survey and student information sheet, student folder checklist, chart of assessments, writing sample with scoring rubric, change of placement, exit and individual learning plan.) 3. Training on native language/esl instructional methods. 4. Training to help staff understand the length of time it takes for native language speakers to develop English skills. 5. All staff will receive training on enrollment procedures. 10

12 COUNTING ESL FTE s In the past we have been able to count the ESL paras contact time if they are working with ELL students if the para is working in a classroom in which the teacher is not ESL endorsed or does not have an endorsement plan on file. Does this still apply? According to the guidelines published in 1993, the following is the rule: ESL or Bilingual Education paraprofessionals will be approved if they have a training plan on file with the district. Training plans must be linked with QPA outcome 9 and include the key competencies identified by the State Board of Education s training focus group. Paraprofessional must be supervised by an ESL or bilingual endorsed teacher or a teacher with an endorsement plan on file. Bilingual education paraprofessionals who provide first language or support will be proficient speakers, readers, and writers of the child s language. Staff is responsible for buildings serving LEP students and should understand the educational needs of these students. Districts must have on file an ongoing training plan for staff linked with QPA outcome 9 including key competencies identified by the State Board of Education. - pgs. 38/39, Handbook for implementing Kansas State Bilingual Education Guidelines: Assessing Students and Evaluation Programs, May So, paraprofessionals contact time that is carried out under the supervision of a non-endorsed teacher CAN NOT be applied to FTE counts. Paraprofessionals; contact time carried out under the supervision of an endorsed teacher, or a teacher who has an ESOL endorsement plan on file with the district CAN be counted towards FTE s. N.B. *** Since the writing of the above guidelines, QPA has written its outcomes. Currently QPA has three Process Outcomes: 1. Process Outcome Related to the Process of Continuous Improvement, 2) Community-Based Programs/The Learning Community Concept, and 3) Human Resource Development/Staff Training and Retaining. See appendix page 33, Guidelines for District, School, and Individual Staff Development Training and Reporting for: Quality Performance Accreditation and the Kansas In-service Program (Revised 9/1/98), Quality Performance Accreditation Manual (November 2000 Revised Edition) for guidance on developing a training plan for Paraprofessionals. 9/11/01 11

13 ASSESSMENTS By law, all students are required to participate in state assessments. Kansas assessments are given in science, social studies, math, reading, and writing. All ESL students are required to take the state assessments. Kansas assessments may not be modified for these students, however, state approved accommodations are available. Local assessments include performance assessments, formative online assessments, and classroom assessments. They assess student s proficiency on district indicators. Testing window is from September 8 through May 14. USD 457 has Performance assessments that measure application of knowledge. Teachers are encouraged to make assessments part of instruction. All assessments should be graded. Non self-contained ESL students (those in class within a class settings) learn Grade Level indicators and do Grade Level assessment tasks, but there may be accommodations made. Self-contained ESL students (those not included at all in regular classrooms) complete indicators and assessments at their functional level Recommendations for testing of ESL students change often due to federal interpretation. Please refer to memos and/or s from Office of Learning Services for the latest updates. CHANGE OF PLACEMENT Change of placement procedures from a native language classroom to a transitional classroom are to be carried out when there is evidence that a particular student has developed the English language skills necessary to succeed in the transitional classroom. Change of placement may be based on the following criteria: teacher evaluation of English language proficiency, including mastery of curriculum taught; English writing skills; and an objective assessment of reading, language arts, and mathematics. Time in the program and motivation can be additional factors included in the teacher recommendations. A Change of Placement form must be filled out and filed in the student s ESL folder. 12

14 INITIAL ENROLLMENT The first time a student enrolls in USD 457, the child s parents or legal guardians must indicate the language spoken by the child and the language spoken in the home. If the enrollment form indicates the child speaks a language other than English, the parents must fill out the Home Language Assessment Survey and Student Information Sheet. The child should then be screened for possible bilingual or ESL services. IDEA Oral Language Proficiency Test (IPT) (Grades K-12) The IDEA Oral Language Proficiency Test Evaluates four basic areas of English oral proficiency: Vocabulary, Comprehension, Syntax, and Verbal Expression, which include Articulation. There are six levels of difficulty: A-F, with a Mastery Level beyond Level F. All students are tested individually. The students either advance by levels until the test is completed or stop at a proficiency level as indicated by information provided in the Score Box found at the end of each level. At the completion of the test, the student could score on any of the six levels or could show mastery of the test. The testing teacher or para must be thoroughly familiar with the testing procedures outlined in the Examiner s Manual and must closely follow the procedures outlined in the Manuel. QUICK INFORMAL ASSESSMENTS (QIA) The QIA instrument provides teachers and paraprofessionals with an easy way to informally assess a student s stage of language acquisition accurately and quickly. The test results assist the examiner in an appropriate pupil placement in a language development program or for an informal analysis of language dominance. This instrument is not meant to replace a formal assessment. 13 STANDARDIZED TESTS

15 MAT- 8/Explore/PLAN/Aprenda Standardized testing (formal assessment) provides another perspective in the assessment process for ESL students. Each fall the Metropolitan Achievement Test is to be given to students district wide in grades 3 and 5. Each spring students in grade 6 are given the MAT-8. In the fall, ACT-developed tests, the Explore and PLAN are given to students in grades 8 and 10. The Aprenda is given to the Spanish-speaking students in grades 3, 5, and 6 who score at 25 or below on the IPT reading test. ESL students, particularly those who test at a level 3 or 4 on the LAS and are being considered for program exit, may be required to take the battery of tests with their peers. These scores are not included as part of a school s total score. On-level testing provides an estimate of the student s performance in the regular curriculum. Teachers are responsible for analyzing and recording all the assessment information on the Chart of Assessment Form in the students cumulative folders. 14

16 Policy for Assessing English Language Learners All English Language Learners must be tested. There are no exceptions, regardless of (1) student s date of entry into the district or (2) language proficiency scores. All students must be assessed and counted for participation; however, scores are not accounted for either QPA or AYP unless a student has been in the district since September 20, of the current school year. English Language Learners may not be assessed with MODIFICATIONS; however, they may have ACCOMMODATIONS. Accommodations allowed for English Language Learners: Must be used in daily instruction and assessment Must be administered individually 1. Accommodations listed in Examiner s Manual, including reading the math, science, and social studies assessments to students 2. Translation dictionaries. 3. Plain English math assessment. 4. Listening Assessment in place of Reading Assessment (Available only to ELL). Students must score 40 or below on the IPT reading assessment and may take this assessment off-grade level. 15 How to count minutes for students who are identified as ELL:

17 1. Check all files for green folders and for evidence of previous testing 2. Check SASI - our office staff has input data from the schools if students have been tested previously; that data includes scores for oral assessments as well as reading/writing scores 3. For students who are KP or Kgn and test FES, there is no qualifying assessment they are fluent English speakers. These students do not take the reading/writing test in the spring for our office s purposes (some of you use this info for NCA or QPA) 4. Students who have tested CER (competent English reader), CEW (competent English Writer), and FES (fluent English speaker) qualify for exit from the program. As per the ESL guide, these teachers need to complete an exit form and secure a parent signature if at all possible on that form. The completed exit form should be sent to the Office of Learning Services for the director s signature. We then make a file copy and return the original to the teacher to put into the child s cumulative folder 5. Our office enters information onto SASI indicating that the child has been exited from the program 6. Teachers are required to monitor ELL s for two years after they ve been exited from an ESL/Bilingual program. These students are not counted for ESL minutes during those monitoring years 16

18 EXIT PROCEDURES To recommend a student for program exit, an ESL team, including regular education core representatives, will review the student s English assessments of oral, reading, and writing skills and compare them with the exit requirements of the ESL Proficiency Level Charts. A review of any other psychological/social factors of the student, the grade level the student will be entering, and the change of schools (if any) would also be taken into consideration. If the student meets the exit criteria and other criteria mentioned above to support a recommendation for program exit, the ESL team must complete the exit forms for the student and put them in the lime green ESL Student Folder. Send an exit letter to parents notifying them that their child has completed the ESL criteria and is exited from the program. MONITORING AND FOLLOW-UP SERVICES While students are in the ESL Program and after they have exited the program, various types of support and follow-up services are available should the student experience any difficulties. In some schools peer tutoring has been established to provide extra support for students in need of additional assistance. Content area and classroom teachers provide additional support to students in need of assistance in their classes, and work together with ESL teachers to monitor and ensure that current and former ESL students experience challenging and rewarding educational careers. 17 FORMS

19 a. Information to be maintained in folder b. Home Language Assessment Survey (English, Spanish, Vietnamese) c. Home Language Assessment Survey Student Information Sheet (Eng./Span./Viet.) d. Chart of Assessments (Spanish/English) e. Change of Placement f. ESL Parent Notification Letter g. Parent ESL Exit Letter/ESL Exit Form h. Proficiency Rating Form i. Parent right to know letter j. Teacher Checklist 18 GARDEN CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS USD #457 English as a Second Language Student Folder

20 The information contained in this folder indicates this student s progress in the ESL Program. This folder is to be placed in the student s cumulative file at the end of each school year or in the event that he/she moves to another school. The following is a list of items that must be maintained in this folder: 1 Home language Assessment Survey/Student Information Sheet 1 Chart of Assessments (to be kept current by the classroom teacher) (assessments are to be filed in this folder) 1 Selected samples of student work completed in English/Portfolio 1 Parent Notification/Parent withdrawal from the ESL Program (the form must be filled out in the Bilingual Office) 1 ESL Student Exit Form 1 Summer School 19

21 HOME LANGUAGE SURVEY Date USD #457 school district is designing programs for students who are developing their English communication ability. The following survey will be used to plan classes for students who come from families that do not speak English, or who speak a language in addition to English. It is very important that you return this survey to your student s teacher or school principal as soon as possible. If you are the parent of more than one student, please complete one for each child who attends school in your family. Student s Name Birth date Student s Address City Zip Code Student s phone number Teacher s Name Grade School 1. What is the first language of the student? 1. What language is most often spoken in the student s home? 2. In what language would you prefer to communicate with the school? How long has your child attended schools in the US? years Less than three years More than three Please list the names of any other children aged 3-6 or who do NOT attend school. Thank you for helping us plan for your children! Signature of Father, Mother, or other responsible Person 20

22 ENCUESTA DE IDIOMA EN EL HOGAR [fecha) El distrito escolar # 457 está diseñando programas para los estudiantes que están desarrollando su habilidad de comunicación en inglés. La siguiente encuesta será usada para planificar clases para los estudiantes que vienen de familias que no hablan inglés, o que hablan otro idioma además del inglés. Es muy importante que ustedes devuelvan esta encuesta al maestro de su hijo o al director de la escuela tan pronto como sea posible. Si ustedes son padres de más de un estudiante, por favor llenen una forma por cada estudiante de su familia que asiste a la escuela. Nombre del estudiante Fecha de Nacimiento Dirección del estudiante Ciudad Código Postal Número de teléfono del estudiante Nombre del maestro Grado Escuela 1. Cuál es el primer idioma del estudiante? 2. Qué idioma es el que se habla más en la casa del estudiante? 3. Qué idioma prefieren ustedes para comunicarse con la escuela? Por cuánto tiempo su hijo ha asistido a la escuela en los Estados Unidos? menos de 3 años más de 3 años Por favor anoten los nombres de los otros niños de 3-6 años o de que NO asisten a la escuela. Muchas gracias por ayudarnos a planear las clases para sus hijos!