Improving Achievement for English Learners through Capacity Building

1. Improving Achievement for English Learners through Capacity Building Title III Accountability Institute December 2011 • Patty Dineen, Sonoma COE • Jan Mayer, Sacramento COE • Tony Mora, San Diego COE • Magdalena Ruz Gonzalez, Los Angeles COE

2. Purpose • Facilitate an understanding of: • Regional COE Leads’ Impact • Emerging Achievement Issues • Successful Improvement Efforts • Developing District Capacity for Improvement

3. Think-Pair-Report • THINK: What are the two goals for ELs? • PARTNER: Share ideas • One goal for English Learners is ______. • A second goal for English Learners is ______. • PARTNER: Share a challenge or strategy for how the EL goals are met in your school/district. • (A specific program, curriculum, or strategy) • Report out / Reflect

4. Title III Accountability: 3 Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives • AMAO 1 – (CELDT) Annual Progress in Learning English • AMAO 2 – (CELDT) Attaining English Proficiency on CELDT • AMAO 3 – (CST, CAPA, CAHSEE) Meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the EL subgroup at the LEA and Consortia level

5. Regional County Lead Technical Assistance • Participate in Title III webinars & CDE meetings • Provide guidance during development of Year 2 and Year 4 Plan Writing • Assist LEAs with ELSSA and other survey tools • Review Plan and provide feedback • Evaluate Plan with CDE rubric • Monitor implementation for 18 months • Coordinate efforts of TIII regional work

6. Regional County Lead Technical Assistance • Contact district representatives • Provideinformation of upcoming forums and orientations, as well as resources online at CDE & Comprehensive Center at West Ed • Provideguidance or facilitate during development of Needs Assessment • Assist LEAs with ELSSA and other survey tools • Develop local district capacity for improvement of EL Achievement

7. Regional County Lead Technical Assistance • Review local Title III plans and provide feedback • Evaluate Title III plans with CDE rubric as part of the state reviews in February/March • Monitor implementation for 18 months • Coordinate efforts of TIII regional work • Develop local district capacity for improvement of EL Achievement

8. Map of Regions with COE Leads Holly Ahmadi Rindy DeVoll Patty Dineen-Wehn Stephanie Wayment Nancy Rogers-Zegarra Jan Mayer Olivia Sosa Charlotte Ford Denise Giacomini Guadalupe Solis Cynthia Medina Laura A. Gonzalez Yee Wan Nancy San Jose Maritza Rodriguez Elva Hennessee Magdalena Ruz-González Antonio Mora Silvina Rubinstein Karla Groth

9. Timeline and Process for Title III Status 1. Assess Needs • Review Title III Accountability Reports (over time) • ELSSA at LEA level • Determine need for APS, DAS or ISS • Review current LEA plan 2. Identify Strengths and Challenges • With appropriate staff leadership, review Achievement Data & LEA plan • Identify strengths & challenges • Determine contributing factors (Complete and discuss survey questions of ELSSA, APS, DAS, and/or observations)

10. Timeline and Process for Title III Status 3. Identify Solutions • Must be research-based, high-leverage actions • Organized under LEA Plan measurable goals 4. Write IPA / Online Plan • Specify strategies, actions, and tasks for each Goal • Establish district-wide system to monitor implementation 5. Implement and Monitor • District self monitors, COE quarterly reports

11. ELSSA: Oak Tree USD • Table Talk: Questions to consider • At which level do most students score? • How well did students progress from one level to the next? • Which groups of students merit further review?

12. Common Issues & Emerging Practices Table Talk: • Read and discuss the Common Issues identified in left column (handout pg. 2). • Which common issues or others not listed, reflect student achievement results for you district? • What steps are being or were taken to support EL achievement?

13. “CELDT Chats” • Prior to the CELDT administration, hold a CELDT assembly and discuss the following points: • The purpose of the CELDT • Why they have to take it each year • How each section is scored • The benefits to performing their best on the CELDT (e.g. reclassification)

14. “CELDT Chats” • Prior to the CELDT administration, meet with selected English learners and discuss the following points: • Review past CELDT performance • Identify areas needing focus • Set goals for making progress toward English proficiency • Individual Learning Profile • Link to support classes or other school resources • Communicate with parents

15. Implementing a Best Practice Table Talk: • Read the Improvement efforts listed on ELSSA handout page 3. • Discuss how to modify or begin implementation of an emerging best practice in your district. • Report out ideas

16. Oak Tree USD ELSSA Table 5a • Table Talk: Questions to consider • What percentage of students 5+ years are not proficient? • What is preventing the proficient students from RDES?

17. Common Issues & Emerging Practices Table Talk: • Read and discuss the Common Issues identified in left column (handout pg. 6). • Which common issues or others not listed, reflect student achievement results for you district? • What steps are being or were taken to support EL achievement?

18. Collaborative Data Inquiry • Develop protocols to review data • Customize reports for local use in analyzing group and individual performance • Implement processes to review student performance and inform instruction • Use benchmark assessments to collect information about student progress • Use student samples in collaborative discussions to inform instruction

20. Questions to consider: • Which students declined in performance?(red) • Which students maintained the same performance level? (yellow) • Which students advanced 1 level ? (green) 2 levels? (purple)? Adapted from Bill Saunders (UCLA)

22. Linguistic areas that need work: • Imprecise vocabulary use stuff • Inconsistent and inaccurate use of present progressive tense: workin, they helping • Mechanics use of commas.

23. Sample Language Objective • Standards-Based Assignment: • Write a descriptive paragraph including supporting details. • Language Objectives: • - Students will write a paragraph on a given topic using the correct form of present progressive tense verbs • is/are + verb + ing: They are working, I am helping • Students will write a paragraph including details using precise nouns and adjectives: • (no use of words such as “stuff, things, cool, and good.”

24. Implementing a Best Practice Table Talk: • Read the Improvement efforts listed on ELSSA handout page 7. • Discuss how to modify or begin implementation of an emerging best practice in your district. • Report out ideas.

25. ELSSA Table 6a (ELA) Oak Tree USD ELSSA Table 6a Focus: Performance of intermediate level ELs

26. Common Issues & Emerging Practices Table Talk: • Read and discuss the Common Issues identified in left column (handout pg. 9). • Which common issues or others not listed, reflect student achievement results for you district? • What steps are being or were taken to support EL achievement?

27. Success from Site-Level Focused Instructional Monitoring • Site-Level Administrators • Trained as instructional leaders • Understanding of ELD instruction and SDAIE strategies • Actively engaged in supporting the implementation of effective instruction • Monitor use of effective instructional strategies • Implement routinely scheduled observations • Use a structured protocol • Included a targeted focus

28. Implementing a Best Practice Table Talk: • Read the Improvement efforts listed on ELSSA handout page 9. • Discuss how to modify or begin implementation of an emerging best practice in your district. • Report out ideas.

29. Building Capacity (wrap up) Big Hitters! • On site monitoring of instructional practices • Professional support for site administrators in instructional researched-based practices, and instructional monitoring • Collaborative instructional planning models, Data teams, Local Accountability Systems • Parent Education and Partnerships, with student achievement results communicated and transparent as the value of their students doing well and what doors open for them

30. Building Capacity (wrap up) Self Quick Write • For your district, write down two or three instructional program improvement efforts that are potentially “doable.” • Write the next steps necessary to build capacity to make this happen? • Share you idea with the other staff from your district (or a table partner).

31. Resources • Title III: Language instruction for limited-English-proficient and immigrant students (CDE website http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/t3/). • California Comprehensive Center at WestEd http://www.cacompcenter.org/cs/cacc/print/htdocs/cacc/esea-requirements.htm • Schools Moving Up, West Ed http://www.schoolsmovingup.net/cs/smu/print/htdocs/smu/webinars/upcoming.htm • California Department of Education, 2010, Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches (available at CDE website http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/pn/rc/ap/pubdisplay.aspx?ID=001702 ) • Laurie Olsen, Ph.D., 2001, Reparable Harm Fulfilling the Unkept Promise of Educational Opportunity for Californian’s Long Term English Learners (available at California’s Together website http://www.californianstogether.org/ )

32. Resources (Continued) www.cacompcenter/t3ta

33. Questions, Answers, and Discussion • Patty Dineen, Sonoma COE pdineen@scoe.org and website http://www.scoe.org/pub/htdocs/ell-services.html • Jan Mayer, Sacramento COE jmayer@scoe.net • Tony Mora, San Diego COE amora@sdcoe.net • Magdalena Ruz Gonzalez, Los Angeles COE Ruz-Gonzalez_Magda@lacoe.edu