TESL Ontario Conference , Oct. 27, 2011 Jennifer McKay, Senior Program Manager

1. Support Kit on the Revised CLB TESL Ontario Conference, Oct. 27, 2011 Jennifer McKay, Senior Program Manager

2. PresentationOutline • Project Overview • Background: Consultation, Revision and Validation • Support Kit Contents • Training and Implementation • GlimpseatExemplars and Benchmarking Practice

3. CLB Revision Timelines Phases 1-2: Funded by CIC Phase 3: Funded by ON, AB, BC, SK, MB Funded by CIC, ON, AB, BC, SK Funded by CIC

4. Key Recommendations • Establish greater clarity and differentiation between levels. Use more specific language to describe differences between benchmarks. • Ensure outcomes and tasks are consistent and flow throughout levels as appropriate or are introduced as new at the appropriate level. • Use plain language throughout the CLB document to make it more accessible. • Include some more tasks or exemplars in the core document. Provide additional exemplars through supplementary resources for particular applications as needed. • Update tasks to reflect current communication practices. • Include critical information in the CLB document that requires a common understanding amongst the majority of stakeholders. Address unique needs of stakeholders through supplementary resources. • As changes are made to enhance the integrity and comprehensiveness of the CLB, ensure changes are appropriate to support academic and employment application. • Change the order of the skills to listening, speaking, reading and writing. Retain the four levels of each skill together and introduce a colour coding for skills. • Consider changes to the layout that will make the document more user-friendly for the wide range of stakeholders.

5. The Results (Overview) • Plainer languagethroughout • More user-friendlylayout • New templates • New SpirallingCharts • New Introduction • Glossary • Additionaltasks

9. Validation In order for the CLB and NCLC to beaccepted for a variety of uses in a variety of contexts, includinghigh-stakes uses, theseframeworksneeded to undergo a thorough validation. In 2010 CCLB invited a team of validation experts fromacross the country to meet and propose a detailed validation process.

10. ConstructValidity Establishing the theoryunderpinning the CLB and NCLC frameworks • Reviewing the CLB 2000 Theoretical Framework and the NCLC theoreticalframework • Developing a commontheoreticalframeworkexplaining the commonunderlyingtheory • Submitting the commontheoreticalframework to independent experts for review and feedback

11. Congruent Validity Establishing the congruence between the CLB/NCLC theoreticalframework and the CLB and NCLC scales • Examiningeachdescriptor of the 12-levelscales • Determiningwhether the scalesreflect the theorythatunderliesthem

12. Validating the CTF AgainstOtherFrameworks • CCLB and the joint projectleadsrecruitedindependentacademicswith expertise in each of the followingscales: • Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) • Guidelines of the American Council for the Teaching of ForeignLanguages (ACTFL) • Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français pour les personnes immigrantes adultes

13. Results • The CLB/NCLC commontheoreticalframeworkdrawsupon up-to-date and widelyacceptedresearch in the ESL and FSL fields. • The revised CLB document isgenerally congruent with the theoreticalframework. • The principlesunderlying the CLB and itscommontheoreticalframeworkconformwith the principlesunderlyingotherframeworkswidelyused in second language training and testing.

14. Content Validity • Collecting and developingat least 80 exemplars and scenarios to test the validity of the descriptors • Having experts benchmark the exemplars • Field-testing the exemplars • Havingpractitioners benchmark the exemplars, tasks and scenarios

15. Supporting Practitioners

16. CLB Resource Kit • Support Kit for ESL instructors for orientation to the revised standard • Will include information on revised document and other resources • Funded by CIC Ontario • Two year project ends March 2013

17. CLB Resource Kit To include the following: • How to sections • Templates • Exemplars of performance and sample tasks • DVD samples of learners • Lesson planning • Evaluation support • Tips for those working with clients with special needs

18. CLB Resource Kit • Linked with e-learning modules • Kit will be modular allowing for addition of new sections • Online bookshelf including information and research on using CLB by subject matter experts • Guidelines on addressing pronunciation and grammar • Academic Theory behind the CLB

19. Development to date (Apr-Oct) • Exemplar model developed for each skill • Specifications set for Listening Scripts, Reading Texts, Writing and Speaking prompts • Reading Texts and Listening scripts created • Speaking and Writing prompts created • Training of interviewers and proctors (for speaking and writing gathering) • Listening (videos and audios) clips recorded • Speaking samples gathered (video) • Writing samples gathered

20. Development (Oct-Mar) • Edit and produce exemplars gathered (October) • Expert review panel to benchmark exemplars and sample tasks to ensure they correspond to the revised benchmarks (November) • Field testing of CLB document, exemplars and tasks by field practitioners (November)

21. Development (Oct-Mar) • Meeting of Working Group including subject matter experts, writers (November) • Development of Kit Contents (Dec-Mar) including: • Orientation to revised CLB including with exemplars at CLB 1 – 12 for all four skills • How To Guides on pronunciation, grammar and Theory Behind CLB • Sections on Assessment, Lesson Planning and Curriculum (Dec-March) • Tips/Best Practices to support special needs

22. Development (March - October) • Produce / Print final support kit contents including DVD of samples/exemplars • Develop webinars on various practitioner related topics (May-December 2012)

23. Roll out (Jan. – Oct. 2012) • Outreach to program administrators regarding roll out / registration for “lead teachers” to attend train-the-trainer sessions (Jan. – Sept. 2012) • Call for master trainers for Ontario (March 2012) • Train master trainers (April 2012) • Roll out train-the-trainer sessions and distribute Support Kits to programs (May – Oct 2012) • Evaluation / feedback (Throughout)

24. Field Testing? Interested in participating in practitionerfieldtesting? CCLB iscurrentlylooking for instructorswithexperience in CLB aligned programs fromworkplace or academiccontexts. Contact dbcarbonneau@language.ca (613) 230-7729, Ext. 175

25. Exercise and Discussion • Watch videos ofListeningSamples • Look at the Listening task descriptions on the handout for each sample and the Listening Profiles of Proficiency pages • Estimate the lowest benchmark level that a listener would need to have achieved (or be “at”) in order to successfully accomplish the tasks.

26. Exercise and Discussion • Watch videos of Speaking Samples • Using the revised CLB Profiles of Proficiencies (Speaking), estimate the Benchmark level of the learner in the video.

27. Exercise and Discussion • Look at the Reading Texts provided • Look at the task descriptions on the handout for each sample and the Reading Profiles of Proficiency pages • Estimate the lowest benchmark level that a reader would need to have achieved (or be “at”) in order to successfully accomplish the tasks.

28. Contact jmckay@language.ca (613) 230-7729, Ext. 176 Questions?