Cobb County ESOL High School Programs

1. Cobb County ESOLHigh School Programs Katherine Stocking Lead ESOL Teacher Campbell High School March 13th, 2009

2. Cobb County ESOL • Approximately 8,000 ESOL students Roughly… • 1,000 High School • 1,000 Middle School • 6,000 Elementary School • Over 130 countries represented

3. Challenges Facing ESOL Students in High Schools • English language learners have some of the highest dropout rates in the country and in Georgia • Research indicates that drop out rates for ELLs are up to four times higher than that of their native English speaking peers -McKenon, 2005, NEA

4. Challenges Facing ESOL Students in High Schools “Underachievement is not caused by a lack of fluency in English… [it] is the result of particular kinds of interactions in school that lead minority students to mentally withdraw from academic effort.”- Cummins, 2000 * See presentation by Dr. Bernadette Musetti on drop-out prevention; posted on ESOL blog

5. Challenges Facing ESOL Students in High Schools • Access… • to information • to counseling services • to curriculum • Knowledge ofhow school is structured is cultural. Many ESOL students fail to recognize academic tracking, course placement errors, and to utilize available guidance resources. - Harklau, 2008

6. Transitioning from Middle School to High School • Increasing academic challenges • Decreasing scholastic support • Because of the increased pressure placed on students in the high school environment, we highly caution against exiting students from ESOL services in transitioning grades (kindergarten, 5th grade, & 8th grade) • This also applies for Special Ed ELLs (most students can continue to receive appropriate SpEd support while simultaneously receiving ESOL services)

7. High Stakes testing EOCTs (End of Course Tests) 15% of a student’s course grade Algebra, American Literature, Biology, Economics, Geometry, 9th grade Lit, Math 1, Physical Science, U.S. History Challenges Facing ESOL Students in High Schools

8. Challenges Facing ESOL Students in High Schools • GHSGTs • Georgia High School Graduation Tests • Students must pass in order to graduate • Tests are taken junior year • Writing, Social Studies, Science, Math, Language Arts • Newcomers may defer the math and science tests for up to one year • Many ELLs fall into three distinct subgroups for AYP • Free and Reduced Lunch • ELL • Hispanic

9. Instructional AccommodationsSee Handout • Accommodation: an alteration in the administration of an assessment that allows students to participate for attaining the greatest measure of success • ESOL students do not receive modifications to instruction

10. Test Administration Accommodations Guidelines from the State: • Accommodations provide access for demonstration of achievement • Allow participation • Do not guarantee proficiency • and therefore should not be selected solely as means to help ensure proficiency • Must be required by the student in order to participate in the assessment • Must be provided during routine instruction and assessment in the classroom (both before and after the state tests are administered)

11. Key Considerations for Determining Accommodations for ELLs: • the student’s level of English proficiency • the student’s level of literacy in English • the student’s level of native language proficiency • the student’s level of literacy in native language

12. ESOL Instruction in High School • Who teaches ESOL classes? • Teachers certified in ESOL • Teachers certified in a content area who hold an ESOL endorsement • Multicultural Education • Applied Linguistics • Methods and Materials

13. ESOL Instruction in High School • Who teaches ESOL students? • Nationwide, “approximately 2.5 percent of teachers who instruct English language learners possess a degree in ESL or bilingual education.” - National Center for Education Statistics, 1997 • “Of the 41 percent of teachers nationwide with ELLs in their classrooms, only 12.5 percent participated in eight or more hours of professional development related to ELLs in the past three years.” - McKenon, 2005, NEA

14. State Supported Delivery Models (HS)See Handout • Push-in/Inclusion • Students remain in the general ed classroom where they receive content instruction from a content teacher and language assistance from an ESOL teacher. • Requires time to collaborate • Cluster Center • Students are transported to another school that offers an Intensive English Language program for newly arrived students. • Scheduled Class Period (Sheltered) • Students receive language instruction or content instruction (or both) in a class comprised of ELLs only. • Teacher must be highly qualified

15. Additional ESOL Support (HS)See Handout • ESOL Tutor • Schools with low ESOL student populations are assigned ESOL tutors who work under the direction of District Lead ESOL Teachers. Tutors provide language support to ESOL students. • Tutors and general ed teachers consult regularly • Consultative ESOL • ESOL teacher consults with general ed teachers to ensure ESOL student success and monitors ESOL student academic progress. • Used mainly for ELLs who are ready to transition to the mainstream environment

16. ESOL Support CoursesSee Handout PICASSO  Teacher Resources  Course Catalogs  ESOL Support

17. The International Welcome Centerhttp://www.cobbk12.org/esol/esol/iwc.htm • Facilitates registration & transcript evaluation for international students • Language Assessment (W-APT) • Translation & Interpretation services (official documents, IEPs, parent meetings, etc.)

18. Outreach for ESOL StudentsParent Resource Centershttp://flesolcobbcentral.typepad.com/iwcparents/ • Increase student achievement through parent involvement • Provide educational workshops for parents • Encourage parents to take leadership roles • Facilitate the welcoming and orientation of international students • Develop community partnerships with educational organizations, colleges and universities

19. Outreach for ESOL StudentsPlaza Comunitariahttp://flesolcobbcentral.typepad.com/esol/plaza_comunitaria/ • Developed by the Mexican Ministry of Education to provide Mexicans and Latinos living abroad continuing education, online, in Spanish • Courses offered include elementary, middle, and high school level, as well as literacy courses • Programs are free • Sprayberry HS, Campbell HS, and Adult Education • Benefits: • Heritage Language Education and Literacy • Students with interrupted schooling • Community education and outreach • Flexible and online

20. Other ESOL Outreach • Graduation coaches • School social workers • Local school tutoring programs

21. Response to Intervention • ESOL services start at a tier 4 intervention • The goal is to move students towards tier 1 as they become more proficient in the English language • RTI process for Special Ed is separate and distinct from the RTI process for ESOL • Language difference is distinct from language disorder • ESOL teacher MUST BE present at RTI meetings for ELLs, including any Special Ed ELL

22. Additional ConsiderationsSpecial Ed ELLs • Opportunities for collaboration between Special Education and ESOL teachers • Information sharing • Legal Implications • IEPs • Classroom interventions • Translation & Interpretation

23. Questions? Contact Information: Katherine Stocking Campbell High School katherine.stocking@cobbk12.org