Create a successful ESL model by matching the program to the language needs of the students - Diversity

 
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Create a successful ESL model by matching the program to the language needs of the students - Diversity
Diversity
        in the classroom

           Create a successful ESL
           model by matching the
          program to the language
           needs of the students.

20   Principal n November/December 2009
Create a successful ESL model by matching the program to the language needs of the students - Diversity
Kelly simpson reider and susan Zimmerman-orozco

                                         a
                                                  s the population of English-language learners grows
                                                  exponentially across the nation, districts not tradition-
                                                  ally considered immigration magnets suddenly find
                                         themselves with a need to come up to speed on implementing
                                         the most effective English as a Second Language (ESL) pro-
                                         gram model. As a principal in one of these districts, you may
                                         find yourself with the sobering task of developing an action
                                         plan to raise the achievement of second-language learners.
                                         Fortunately, the library of information and resources on edu-
                                         cating English-language learners has grown along with the
                                         population, readily answering the obvious first question: What
                                         knowledge do we need to help these students be successful?
                                         Once our knowledge base of approaches and best practices
                                         for serving English-language learners has been established,
                                         the question then becomes: Where do we go from here?
                                            Experiences at a variety of elemen-    prising classroom and ESL teachers, con-
                                         tary schools have shown us that the       tent specialists, and administrators. Each
                                         key to implementing a successful ESL      subsequent step leads to an informed
                                         model is to match the program to the      decision about the best delivery model
                                         language needs of the students—not to     to select.
                                         the needs of a stand-alone ESL curricu-
                                         lum. The process of matching student      Five-step Process
                                         needs begins with conversations about       Look at data on language acquisition, not
                                         student data, conversations that are      just at conventional standardized read-
                                         informed by a schoolwide team com-        ing/language arts and math assessment

JlP/Jose lUis PelaeZ/PhotoliBrarY                                                        Principal n November/December 2009      21
Create a successful ESL model by matching the program to the language needs of the students - Diversity
data. Use traditional ESL assessments of                                                                              integrating ESL language outcomes
     listening, speaking, reading, and writ-                      “An effective ESL                                        with mainstream content outcomes.
     ing skills, as well as teacher observations                                                                           For effective English-language learner
     about mainstream performance. Step
                                                                  program model is                                         instruction, the master schedule must
     outside the box of grouping students                         never going to be                                        include joint planning time between
     by ESL level and make decisions based                                                                                 ESL and grade-level teams. ESL teach-
     on what language objectives are needed                       one-size-fits-all.”                                      ers should collaborate with classroom
     to succeed in the regular classroom.                                                                                  teachers to create a short-term ESL
     The heart of effective ESL instruction                                                                                planner that supports mainstream cur-
     should be on acquiring the language                       tionally being used? Are ESL teachers                       riculum with vocabulary development,
     focus that will help students to access                   valued as language acquisition special-                     content-specific language structures,
     regular classroom instruction, not on                     ists or do they lose valuable time mov-                     and the linguistic skills that support
     covering an independent timeline of                       ing students between classrooms or                          balanced literacy. Mainstream teach-
     discrete English proficiency skills. ESL                  plugging into traditional classrooms as                     ers must support the ESL instructional
     instruction is about building the whole                   glorified teacher’s aides?                                  focus as well. A classroom teacher can
     student and making the student’s transi-                      Consider the ESL instructional schedule.                integrate an ESL language objective
     tion from ESL to mainstream classes                       Is it an integrated part of the school’s                    into his or her guided reading instruc-
     as seamless as possible. Today’s climate                  master schedule or is ESL an after-                         tion, while the ESL teacher uses the
     of accountability simply doesn’t give                     thought, a patchwork of times and                           same mainstream text but with a differ-
     us the luxury of building two separate                    places that has more to do with fitting                     ent focus.
     educational pathways—ESL and main-                        into an existing master schedule than                          Select the delivery model. Only now,
     stream—one at a time.                                     with targeting students’ academic lan-                      after grouping your students according
        Look at the resources already available                guage needs?                                                to their needs, can you select the most
     in the building to support second-language                   Commit to regular ESL and classroom                      effective instructional delivery model.
     learners. How is ESL teacher time tradi-                  teacher planning time that focuses on                       ESL students spend only a small percent-

         Professional Development
         in Assessment for Learning
         The Keeping Learning on Track® (KLT™) program helps teachers use
         evidence of learning to adapt instruction in real time to meet students’
         immediate learning needs. This research-based, job-embedded professional
         development program continually energizes the classroom experience.
         With the KLT program, educators collaborate in teacher learning
         communities to learn formative assessment techniques that have an
         immediate impact on classroom assessment practice.

            To learn more or to schedule a KLT workshop, contact us today.
                             1-800-480-3060                     ets-ati@ets.org
                   Request a free KLT overview DVD at www.ets.org/klt.

         Copyright © 2009 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING. and KEEPING
         LEARNING ON TRACK are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). KLT is a trademark of ETS. 12272

22   Principal n November/December 2009                                                                                                             www.naesp.org
Create a successful ESL model by matching the program to the language needs of the students - Diversity
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age of the day with the ESL teacher,          It should always be a flexible, mixed          underscored the importance of school-
     but are classroom teachers equipped to        model resulting in ESL students being          wide collaboration. When every person
     integrate language acquisition into their     taught by teachers with demonstrated           who has a stake in the academic perfor-
     daily instruction? It may be that an influx   excellence in teaching second-language         mance of second-language students par-
     of newcomers requires the expertise of        learners. Further, an effective ESL pro-       ticipates, then the efficient implementa-
     a skilled ESL teacher to build basic com-     gram model is never static. ESL instruc-       tion of any program model improves.
     municative English. Or it could be that a     tional groupings in September will look        The message we learned from our
     small group of third graders, both native     very different in January and again in         experiences in developing effective ESL
     and second-language speakers, needs           June. Language develops at different           program models was this: The more
     English-language learner strategies—          rates in different individuals. The key        of a schoolwide effort it becomes, the
     building background information and           is to stay the course on addressing stu-       more successful it will be. And, thus, the
     vocabulary, extensive modeling, and oral      dents’ ever-evolving language focus, and       answer to the difficult question, “Where
     practice—before they can master the           not just on getting through a prescribed       do we go from here?” becomes, simply,
     concept of making inferences from a           scope and sequence of language devel-          “We all will go wherever the students
     literary passage. Could they be grouped       opment skills.                                 need us to.” P
     with a talented reading/arts instructor          Yes, it’s a challenge to periodically
     or team-taught by the classroom and           juggle students, teachers, and groups;         Kelly Simpson Reider is an ESL specialist
     ESL teacher? Consider everything that         even the most strategically designed           for Onslow County Schools in Jacksonville,
     gets to the needs of the student beyond       master schedule has limited flexibility.       North Carolina. Her e-mail address is
     the question: ESL—Yes or No? Frame            This is why, before selecting a successful     reiderkelly@aol.com.
     the discussion around a shared under-         ESL model, principals must include as
     standing that every adult is responsible      many staff as possible in conversations        Susan Zimmerman-Orozco is assistant
     for the success of every child.               about the needs of English-language            principal at Daly Elementary School in
        An effective ESL program model             learners and how to address them. Our          Germantown, Maryland. Her e-mail address
     is never going to be one-size-fits-all.       experience in working with schools has         is susan_zimmerman@mcpsmd.org.

                                Teaching
          Diverse Groups of Students
         is a Challenge
         Are you faced with teaching mathematics to
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         with mathematical concepts, and building on
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24   Principal n November/December 2009                                        bksdiv909_prncpl          Principal magazine 11-12/09
                                                                                                                             www.naesp.org
The National Elementary Honor Society

                                                                 In the tradition of the National Honor
                                                                 Societies, the National Elementary Honor
                                                                 Society (NEHS) is a student recognition
                                                                 program designed to recognize outstanding
                                                                 elementary school students. The program
                                                                 focuses on grades 4, 5, and 6 and promotes
                                                                 Scholarship, Responsibility, Service, and
                                                                 Leadership.

                                                                 An NEHS chapter at your school:
                                                                 • Promotes a culture of achievement
                                                                 • Focuses on the whole child
                                                                 • Recognizes academic excellence
                                                                 • Engages and involves all students
                                                                 • Brings new networks and resources
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                                                                 For an application to establish
                                                                 a chapter of NEHS at your school,
                                                                 visit www.nehs.org/newchapter or
                                                                 call 866-599-6347.

The National Elementary Honor Society is a program of NASSP
in cooperation with NAESP. © 2009, NASSP. All rights reserved.

                                                    www.nehs.org
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