This document outlines strategies for English language learner (ELL) educators to collaborate more effectively with classroom teachers to improve instruction for ELL students. It discusses the changing role of ELL educators and provides tools like conducting an equity audit, reviewing lesson plans for ELL support, developing talking points, and modeling instructional strategies. The goal is to help ELL and classroom educators work more closely together to implement Common Core standards and new ELD standards.
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Free Webinar for California Educators: Collaborating for Success
1. Indispensable Tools for Today’s ELL Professionals
Welcome! We’ll
begin in just a few
minutes.
Everyone is muted
upon arrival.
If you have
questions, use the
chat box.
We will be sharing
the slides and
recording
after the event.
Collaborating with Classroom Teachers
Diane Staehr Fenner: President, DSF Consulting
Jordan Meranus: Ellevation CEO
2. TODAY’S OBJECTIVE
Help all participants develop strategies and practical steps for
working closely with classroom teachers to improve instruction
for English Learners, in particular as Common Core State
Standards and CA’s new ELD standards are implemented.
2
3. AGENDA
I. Introduction
II. Context
III. The Changing Role of the ELL Educator
IV. Strategies for Collaboration
V. Practice: 2 Case Studies
VI. Tool for Planning
3
4. ELLEVATION
Ellevation is the only
software company
exclusively focused on ELL
educators and the English
Learners they serve.
5. THE ELLEVATION PLATFORM
• Individualized Learning Plans aligned to state, Common Core,
and new ELD standards
• Dashboard of student data helps group students for instruction
Instruction
Collaboration
• Collaborative goal setting and progress monitoring
• Communication tools for ELL and classroom teachers
Productivity
• ELL Data Collection and Demographics
• Required letters to families in 25+ languages
6. NATIONAL REACH
200+ School Districts: 26 States
Includes Napa, Mendota, Inglewood, South San Francisco,
Fowler and more
6
7. DIANE STAEHR FENNER
• Former ELL teacher; now President of
DSF Consulting
• PD and Technical assistance to districts,
states, and others
• Deep focus on CCSS and ELLs
• Popular blog on CCSS for Colorín
Colorado website
7
8. QUICK POLL
1. I meet consistently with classroom teachers/EL Specialists to co-
plan lessons and discuss strategies for ELLs.
8
Please “vote” for the statement below that
best describes you and your role, in
particular as CCSS are being rolled out.
3. I rarely meet with classroom teachers/EL Specialists to co-plan
lessons and discuss strategies for ELLs.
2. I occasionally meet with classroom teachers/EL Specialists to
co-plan lessons and discuss strategies for ELLs.
9. AGENDA
I. Introduction
II. Context
III. The Changing Role of the ELL Educator
IV. Strategies for Collaboration
V. Practice: 2 Case Studies
VI. Tool for Planning
9
12. AGENDA
I. Introduction
II. Context
III. The Changing Role of the ELL Educator
IV. Strategies for Collaboration
V. Practice: 2 Case Studies
VI. Tool for Planning
12
13. FRAMING QUESTIONS
I. What role are ELL educators/specialists playing at the
district or classroom level in the implementation of CCSS?
II. How can districts better leverage the expertise and
experiences of ELL educators to plan and roll out CCSS?
13
14. III. THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE ELL EDUCATOR
14
Varying Roles
Greater recognition for
expertise and use of skills.
Uneven role in
leadership
Greater input on
programmatic/instructional
decisions with ELLs in mind
Language
instruction in
isolation
Deliberate, focused
collaboration with content
teachers
Current Preferred
Note: Adapted from TESOL International Association (2013). Implementing the Common Core State Standards for
English Learners
.
15. III. CHANGING ROLE: A VISION
15
Varying Roles
ELL Educator as expert,
consultant and advocate
Current Preferred
16. III. CHANGING ROLES OF ELL EDUCATOR
16
Levels
District
Classroom
School
Needs
A comprehensive effort
to ensure materials, PD,
and more take the
needs of ELLs into
consideration.
Strategies to ensure that
all educators understand
best practices with
ELLs.
Deliberate collaboration.
Strategies
Equity Audit
Evaluation of CCSS
instructional
strategies for ELLs
Talking Points;
Modeling
17. AGENDA
I. Introduction
II. Context
III. The Changing Role of the ELL Educator
IV. Strategies for Collaboration
V. Practice: 2 Case Studies
VI. Tool for Planning
17
18. IV. STRATEGIES
18
An Equity Audit enables educators to look holistically at a
school and district and assess whether steps are being taken to
prepare educators to meet the needs of ELLs during the
transition to CCSS.
1. Equity Audit
19. IV. STRATEGIES: EQUITY AUDIT
19
Consideration Questions to Ask: To What Degree…
Instructional materials Are CCSS instructional materials/curricula appropriate for ELLs?
Professional
development
Does PD prepare all teachers for shifts of the CCSS for ELLs?
Communication
Do ELL educators and classroom teachers spend time
communicating about the needs of ELLs?
Planning
Do ELL educators have input into how language instruction is
delivered in classrooms with ELLs?
Tool created by DSF Consulting.
20. IV. STRATEGIES
20
ELL educators and district leaders need to ensure that all
teachers understand the needs of ELLs and how ELLs learn
CCSS-based content best.
2. CCSS for ELLs: Lesson Planning Review
21. IV. STRATEGIES: LESSON PLAN REVIEW FOR ELLS
21
Criterion/CCSS ELA Shift Questions to Discuss
Alignment
• Is there clear alignment between the lessons, tasks, CCSS &
effective ELD practice?
• Is there an ELD focus integrated into instruction?
Regular practice with
complex text and its
academic language
• Is academic language instruction woven throughout the
lessons?
• Are there clear strategies to support ELL engagement and
participation?
Reading, writing and
speaking grounded in
evidence from text
• Are text-dependent questions used that are scaffolded for
ELLs?
• Are the four domains (speaking, listening, reading & writing)
integrated throughout instruction?
Building knowledge
through content-rich
nonfiction
• Is an appropriate amount of background knowledge concisely
taught for ELLs?
• Is native language support provided for ELLs who need it?
Tool created by DSF Consulting.
22. IV. STRATEGIES
22
A talking point is a succinct statement designed to persuade or
inform and a good tool for preparing for conversations. A set of
talking points will facilitate easier interaction and engagement
with content teachers.
3. Talking Points
23. IV. STRATEGIES: TALKING POINTS
23
CCSS ELA Shift How Can I Help You/I Can Help You:
Regular practice with
complex text and its
academic language
…analyze the academic language of the text you’re using and
provide scaffolding for ELLs at different levels of English
proficiency so they can access it.
Regular practice with
complex text and its
academic language
...integrate the four domains into instruction and write text-
dependent questions that are scaffolded for ELLs.
Building knowledge through
content-rich nonfiction
…determine an appropriate amount of concise background
knowledge to teach ELLs so they are better positioned to
access informational text.
Tool created by DSF Consulting.
24. IV. STRATEGIES
24
Modeling is a way to show or demonstrate instructional
strategies for ELLs in the classroom setting instead of
describing them.
4. Modeling
25. IV. STRATEGIES: ELL EDUCATORS MODELING
25
Meet with the
content teacher
prior to plan (review
lesson plan)
Choose one or two
strategies to model
Have content
teacher note what
worked well and
what did not
Observe ELLs as
they take part in co-
taught lessons
Note which ELLs
respond best to
which strategies
Debrief
1
2
3
4
5
6
26. AGENDA
I. Introduction
II. Context
III. The Changing Role of the ELL Educator
IV. Strategies for Collaboration
V. Practice: 2 Case Studies
VI. Tool for Planning
26
27. IV. CASE STUDY #1: MARILYN
27
The Facts
1. 6th Grade Teacher; 10 years at
the school; senior member of a 6
person ELL team
2. School and district leadership
are requiring greater
collaboration and less pull-out
3. Works most closely with 2nd
students and 5th grade students
Marilyn’s Mission
Significantly increase collaboration with 4 different classroom teachers
and take steps to begin planning lessons together.
Challenges
1. Has a close professional
relationship with only 1 of the 4
classroom teachers
2. In 2 classrooms is asked to work
separately with ELLs
3. In one classroom has had to play
a central role as the teacher has
been out
28. IV. CASE STUDY #1: APPLYING STRATEGIES
28
Conduct the Equity Audit
Consideration Questions to Ask: To What Degree…
Instructional
materials
Are CCSS instructional materials/curricula appropriate
for ELLs?
Professional
development
Does PD prepare all teachers for shifts of the CCSS for
ELLs?
Communication
Do ELL educators and classroom teachers spend time
communicating about the needs of ELLs?
Planning
Do ELL educators have input into how language
instruction is delivered in classrooms with ELLs?
Rating
?
?
1
1
Conduct the Equity Audit (1-3 Rating)
Conclusion: Focus on communication and planning.
29. IV. CASE STUDY #1: APPLYING STRATEGIES
29
Develop Talking Points: Some Examples
I. Communication. When can we sit down to review strategies
specific for ELLs? The implementation of new standards
requires a much greater emphasis on academic language now
than ever before, and I can help with language scaffolds.
II. Planning. When can I join you for content planning time?
Meeting together will help me understand your plans and gain
context for offering ideas for ELLs.
30. IV. CASE STUDY #2: MARIA
30
The Facts
1. Jack is a 9th grade teacher with
5 yrs experience.
2. Jack teaches Social Studies in
a mid-sized district and is
preparing to teach a unit on the
structure of government.
3. Maria is an ELL Specialist.
Maria’s Mission
Work collaboratively with Jack to plan for the upcoming lesson.
Challenges
1. Recently, many ELLs are having
difficulty keeping up with
instruction.
2. Jack and Maria look at data and
see that many of his ELLs have
had significant education
interruptions.
31. IV. JACK’S LESSON PLAN
31
Objective: SWBAT define government and describe the the basic powers the US
government has.
Do now: Think about your daily life – list 5 things the government provides for you.
Vocabulary: Government, Democracy, State, Public Body
Recall: The US Government is broken up into three branches – describe what each
branch does and who/what makes up the Branch: Executive/Legislative/Judicial
The Purpose of Government
“We the People of the of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, ….” – Preamble to the Constitution.
According to the Preamble, name three things that the Government is responsible
for (in your own words).
1.
2.
3.
32. IV. CASE STUDY #2: APPLYING STRATEGIES
32
Criterion/CCSS
ELA Shift
Questions to Discuss
Alignment
• Is there clear alignment between the lessons, tasks, CCSS &
effective ELD practice?
• Is there an ELD focus integrated into instruction?
Complex text and
its academic
language
• Is academic language instruction woven into the lessons?
• Are there clear strategies to support ELL engagement and
participation?
Reading, writing
and speaking
grounded…
• Are text-dependent questions used & scaffolded for ELLs?
• Are the four domains (speaking, listening, reading & writing)
integrated throughout instruction?
Building
knowledge
• Is an appropriate amount of background knowledge concisely
taught for ELLs?
• Is native language support provided for ELLs who need it?
✔
✔
✔
Where to
Focus
Review Lesson Plan (Identify areas for Focus)
✔
33. IV. CASE STUDY #2: APPLYING STRATEGIES
33
Objective Objective (with Language)
SWBAT describe the basic powers every
government holds and define the
purpose of government.
SWBAT describe the basic powers every government
holds in writing and define the purpose of government
orally and in writing with scaffolding.
Do Now Do Now (Supporting EL Engagement)
Think about your daily life – list at least
5 things the government provides for
you.
For ELLs: Think about your daily life either in the US or
in your home country. First discuss with a partner and
then list at least 5 things the government provides for
you. You may write in first language or in English.
Jack’s Lesson Maria’s Suggestion
34. IV. CASE STUDY #2: APPLYING STRATEGIES
34
Recall with a graphic organizer
& word bank
Name of Branch What each Does
Who/What Makes
up the Branch
Executive
Legislative
Judicial
Add concise background
knowledge
The United States Constitution is a document that describes the supreme
or top law of the United States.
The Preamble to the United States Constitution is an introduction of the
Constitution’s purposes and principles. It describes what the writers of the
Constitution hoped the Constitution would achieve or do.
35. IV. CASE STUDY #2: APPLYING STRATEGIES
35
Modeling Plan
Maria and Jack meet to
finalize the additions to
the lesson plan
Maria and Jack identify 2
strategies that Maria can
model (bullet a short
plan)
Jack notes what worked
well and what did not
Observe students as
Maria models the Do Now
and implements Graphic
Organizer
Jack notes which ELLs
respond best to which
strategies
Debrief & plan for future
collaboration
1
2
3
4
5
6
36. AGENDA
I. Introduction
II. Context
III. The Changing Role of the ELL Educator
IV. Strategies for Collaboration
V. Practice: 2 Case Studies
VI. Tool for Planning
36
37. IV. STRATEGIES RECAP
37
Strategy Steps to Be
Taken
Collaborators Resources
Needed
Equity Audit
Review Lesson
Plan
Talking Points
Modeling
JordanWelcome. Excited. # of districts. Walk through agenda.
Jordan
Jordan
Jordan
DianeDiane Staehr Fenner, Ph.D., is president of DSF Consulting, a small business specializing in English learner (EL) achievement. She provides professional development and technical assistance to districts, states, universities, and organizations. Much of her work focuses on ensuring ELs succeed with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), including supporting the collaboration between English as a Second Language and content teachers around implementing the CCSS for ELs. Prior to forming DSF Consulting, she gained research and policy expertise with the George Washington University’s Center for Equity and Excellence in Education. Formerly an ESOL teacher and assessment specialist in Fairfax County Public Schools, VA, Dr. Staehr Fenner writes a blog on the CCSS for ELs for the popular Colorín Colorado website. Her new book Advocating for English Learners: A Guide for Educators (2014) is available through Corwin Press. She is currently writing another book on teacher evaluation that is inclusive of ELs and students with disabilities.
Jordan
JordanWelcome. Excited. # of districts. Walk through agenda.
Jordan
Jordan
Jordan
Jordan with a customerJordan will ask Diane if he can’t find a teacher to ask. Jordan is changing these questions.
DianeBecause of the CCSS and other reasons, the Preferred column is where we want to go. The focus is on ELL educator on the slide
Diane
Diane Strategies will come in last
Jordan
Jordan.
DianeI use the equity audit in my book Advocating for English Learners and have since adapted it for the CCSS. There are more rows – ELL parent outreach, teacher evaluation & assessment, but we’ll focus on four areas for the purposes of our collaboration today. In Illinois, administrators I met with used the equity audit and determined they needed to make sure ELLs were included in teacher evaluation systems that used the Danielson framework.
Jordan
DianeMy company, DSF Consulting, is currently partnering with Diane August at the American Institutes of Research to scaffold NY State’s curriculum in English language arts and mathematics for ELLs. We’ve also been asked by a contractor working with NJ to evaluate their draft CCSS-aligned ESL curriculum. So we came up with a tool to evaluate the degree to which CCSS-curriculum provides support for ELLs but still addresses the “letter and spirit” of the CCSS. Our rubric is based around the three shifts of the ELA CCSS and asks questions that get at features of instruction that need to be present for ELLs to access the CCSS. I also blogged about this tool last week on Colorin Colorado.
Jordan
DianeHere I’m sharing some talking points that are mapped to the shifts of the CCSS for ELA and Literacy that allow ELL educators to verbalize their expertise, simultaneously reframing their role and sharing ways in which they can lend their skills to content teachers. The goal is for content teachers to be able to consistently scaffold instruction for ELLs on their own. It’s important for ELL educators to know what’s coming down the pike instructionally and come to planning meetings with strategies that are already prepared to save precious time and talking points that quickly explain what those strategies are. In an elementary school in Montgomery County, MD, I found that ELL educators had many effective strategies up their sleeves for scaffolding content for ELLs. However, they needed support in sharing these strategies with content teachers during the very short amount of time they had for planning. DSF Consulting helped the ELL educators develop their own talking points to help them prepare for conversations with content teachers so they could effectively develop a plan to collaborate with the content teachers.
Jordan
DianeHere are some strategies for ELL educators to model effective instruction for content teachers. This is an iterative process and should continue throughout the school year. ELL educators need to go beyond modeling a strategy once and moving on – they need to budget time to check in with content teachers at certain points in time. A veteran ELL educator I recently spoke with was doing these steps and kept track of which content teachers she’d been working with in her head. Other ELL educators will need a more systematic approach to keeping records on this. Review the lesson plan together with the content teacher – or preview it before you plan and come to planning time prepared with strategiesPrioritize one or two scaffolds or strategies for ELLs to model – don’t overwhelm the teacher with too many. I’ll show you how to use the equity audit and curriculum review rubric to help you prioritize where you should expend your energy and resources.As you observe, take informal notes or mental notes. The content teacher can list the strategies and how well each strategy worked overall. 5. The ELL educator can make a list of the ELLs and their ELP levels for the content teacher to use a way to take notes. Note which ELLs at which levels of ELP responded best to the strategies. For instance, which ELLs participated more? Less? Is there a pattern between ELP level and the effect of the strategies?6. Follow up with any questions for the ELL teacher.
Jordan
JordanMarilyn is an ESOL teacher at a K-5th grade elementary school with a highly diverse population. She is the senior member of a team of six ESOL teachers at the school and has been working at the school for over ten years. The school’s administration is encouraging a collaborative teaching approach that limits the amount of time ELLs are pulled out of their classrooms. Marilyn works primarily with second grade and fifth grade students. She spends most of her time in four classrooms, and is increasingly frustrated by her role at the school. Marilyn has a strong relationship with one of the classroom teachers with whom she works. They have been co-teaching together for four years, and they share in planning and teaching the language arts lessons. Marilyn feels that she has been able to model strategies for working with ELLs and this teacher has adopted many of these practices. However, Marilyn feels less positive about her role in the other three classrooms. In two of these rooms, she feels that she is not included in lesson planning, and is either expected to work with ELLs separately playing catch up or is asked to do a variety of tasks like pass out papers or correct student work. In the other classroom, the teacher has been out of school sick several times and Marilyn has had to take over the planning and teaching of the class. Marilyn feels that her role at the school is not clear to the teachers that she works with and that ultimately she is doing a disservice to the ELLs that she should be teaching.
DianeIn Illinois, administrators I met with used the equity audit and determined they needed to make sure ELLs were included in teacher evaluation systems that used the Danielson framework.
DianeStrategies – equity audit with teachers to determine action items, using her own talking points in meeting with content teachers to display her strengths, using her talking points and instructional strategies checklist to support content teachers’ scaffolding of CCSS content for ELLs
JordanJack is a ninth grade social studies teacher in a district that educates 10,000 students overall. He has been teaching for five years. Recently, he has been teaching more and more ELLs. At first his Spanish speaking ELLs were able to grasp the content he teaches, but he’s noticed that many of the ELLs in his class are having a tough time keeping up with his instruction. He consults with Maria, the ELL specialist and finds out that many of the ELLs he teaches have experienced significant interruptions to their education. He’s about to teach a unit on the structure and functions of government and politics in the United States but doesn’t know how to reach his ELLs. So, Jack reaches out again to Maria to ask her for some help planning for his upcoming lesson. Maria offers to not only help him plan but to model some of the strategies she suggests for him. She first gives him the checklist (next slide) to have him start thinking of supports ELLs will need to access instruction.Strategies – Maria uses talking points to tell him how she can help him, she uses the instructional checklist to determine strengths and weaknesses in his lessons, then they both use modeling strategies
DianeThis is what Jack hopes to accomplish with his lesson on the US government. Can you think of any areas in which ELLs at low to intermediate levels of ELP might have difficulties with this lesson? What strategies would you suggest?
DianeReading, writing & speaking grounded in evidence from textMaria used the lesson review rubric and decided she’d need to focus on all four areas when co-teaching with Jack’s class.
DianeFirst, she looked at the alignment of the lesson and suggested a way to integrate academic language objective with Jack’s content objective.She also found a way to build upon students’ background knowledge for the Do Now activity and also integrate students’ speaking and listening skills
DianeThese strategies are also helpful for non-ELLs.
Diane
Jordan.
DianeConsider the four strategies we discussed today. Which ones would you like to implement? Think about what steps you’d need to take, who you’d collaborate with, and the resources you’d need. Type in your comments in the chat box!