Separating Difference & Disability

The Nuts & Bolts for SAT

Research & Process by Dr. Catherine Collier

Presented to & Adopted by the Sioux Falls School District May 2008/2009

SPECIAL EDUCATION HANDBOOK SIOUX FALLS PUBLIC SCHOOLS Pages 21-45

Difference or DisabilityThe Nuts and Bolts for

SAT In 2008 the Sioux Falls Special Education Department adopted the Collier process for separating difference from disability.

The Collier process is now a required pre-referral document.

Bottom line: If ELL student brought to SAT there needs to be an ELL Teacher present.

Sioux Falls School District ELL Flowchart For Collier Difference or Disability Process

* to determine if an ELL student has a Disability or an ELL Learning Issue

Teacher Goes to SAT Team with Concern about ELL student (Buildings without ELL services will have access to consultation with ELL staff)

ELL teacher does the Acculturation Quick Screen (AQS) (Buildings without ELL services will have access to consultation with ELL staff)

ELL teacher does a Sociocultural Checklist (Buildings without ELL services will have access to consultation with ELL staff)

Based on assessment results, ELL teacher chooses a minimum of three interventions and implements them along with the mainstream

teacher(s) for three to four weeks.

After three to four weeks the Mainstream teacher and ELL teacher find interventions are working positively. Attend SAT meeting and Share assessment information, interventions, and positive results. Continue interventions as needed.

After three to four weeks the mainstream teacher and the ELL teacher find the interventions are not helping to show adequate improvement in the student’s learning. Attend SAT meeting and share assessment information; interventions and negative results.

Why an increase in ELL SPED referrals?

Level 4,5, & 6 ELL

Regular Content & Classrooms

Level 2 & 3 ELL

Regular Classrooms & Content

Level 1 ELL

Immersion

Centers

Elem – Pull-out/Push-in

MS,HS - Sheltered

SFSD Serving 1800+ ELLs

270 Level 1 Immersion Programs

1300 + 2s & 3s

Students born in the US so Level 1s in Center Base Schools

Students refusing ELL now in neighborhood Schools

Sociolinguistic DevelopmentLevel 6

Advanced Fluency Abstract language more accessible May need help with college essays

Level 5

Advanced Fluency 5 – 7 years Decontextualized, abstract vocab

SD Exits ELs

Level 4 4.8 Composite

Intermediate Fluency 3 - 5 years 12,000 receptive words 4.0 Read/Write

3 - 5 years to attain

Level 3 Often quiet, don’t

Speech Emergence: 1 - 3 years 7,000 receptive words ask questions

2-3 years to attain

Level 2 1,000 receptive words

Early Production: 6 months to 1 year

Level 1

Pre-Production: 0-6 months 1-2 receptive words

Note: In America 6 year olds in English speaking homes have 10,000 to 24,000 words of English in 1st grade when learning to read.

Updates to the Collier BinderSection 1 – we have added a checklist of documents in a completed Collier Process. Each process should include seven documents.

Last Section: Sample of the Collier Process – updated version includes the seven documents, including a sample cover letter. The seventh document is a copy of the ELL Blue Card from the CUM Folder.

Why an increase in ELL SPED referrals?

It is very difficult for a classroom teacher to deal with all the levels of learning in their differentiated classroom, accounting for all the different student learning styles, and then meet the needs of students who have different levels of English language proficiency.

When we don’t know what to do, well intended and dedicated educators might mistake language non-proficiency with a learning disability.

Dr. Collier’s process is a way for educators to begin to sort out the language proficiency and acculturation issues from learning and other disabilities.

Dr. Catherine Collier’s answeras used in the Sioux Falls School District

Step 1: A teacher is concerned about an ELL student with a learning issue.

Step 2: Options: The teacher may talk to the ELL teacher assigned to his/her building. The teacher brings the student to the Student Assistance Team:

Where the ELL teacher and Home School Liaison are present to assist with the process.

Step 3: The ELL teacher fills out an AQS form and does the calculations to determine if there is a statistical indication of a difference or disability.

Dr. Catherine Collier’s answeras used in the Sioux Falls School District

Step 4: The teacher and ELL teacher do a Sociocultural checklist to determine which interventions to try with the student for 3 to 6 weeks.

Step 5: After 3 to 6 weeks of interventions the ELL teacher prepares a Prioritization of Intervention report to present to the Student Assistance Team in his/her building.

Step 6: If the student has responded to the interventions, the interventions

are continued.

Step 7: If the interventions did not resolve the learning issues and the AQS calculations determined a disability may be indicated, a Special Education referral for an evaluation is indicated. The AQS process provides a researched based, data based indicator of disability.

Nurture Ways we are less like people

IndividualUnique

Experiences,

Insights, reflections

ACCULTURATION

The adaptation to a new

Culture: language, etc.

ENCULTURATIONHow we learn to interpret the world-culture of caregivers:

language, beliefs, tastes, humor, behavior, etc.

THE BASICS OF BEING HUMANThings all are born with: Sensory abilities, linguistic wiring, genetic &

biological heritage, innate abilities, etc.

Ways we are less like people.

Ways we are more like people.

The ELL Teacher the classroom teacher or SAT teams calls on…

Knows the Collier AQS process to assess if the problem could be a language and sociocultural problem or a disability.

One AQS if filled out for every student when they first arrive in the district. A 2nd AQS is filled out if/when there is a question about a learning difficulty being a difference or disability.

Acculturation Quick Screen for Sioux Falls School District ELL NAME: _________________ID#_________________ SCHOOL: ____________________ DATE OF BIRTH: ____ SEX: GRADE: AGE AT ARRIVAL IN U.S.: _________ LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN AT HOME: ___________________________________ Date of First AQS__________ Date of Current AQS_____________Person Completing____________________

CULTURAL/ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS Information Scores 1. Number of years in United States/Canada ELL Registration form

2. Number of years in School/District ELL Blue Card

3. Time in ESL/Bilingual Education ELL Blue Card plus current time

4. Home Language Proficiency Teacher – Ask student

5. English Language Proficiency WIDA W-APT or ACCESS Score

6. Bilingual Proficiency Teacher – Ask Student

7. Ethnicity/Nation of Origin ELL Registration sheet

8. % in School Speaking Student’s Language/dialect Calculate, use approximates AQS Score Total:

1. NUMBER of YEARS IN US/Canada: Under one year = 1

Between one to two years = 2 Between two to four years = 3

Between four to five years = 4

Between five to six years = 5 Over six years = 6

2. NUMBER of YEARS IN School/District: Under 2 year = 1

Between one to two years = 2 Between two to four years = 3

Between four to five years = 4

Between five to six years = 5 Over six years = 6

3. TIME IN ESL/BILINGUAL PROGRAM Less than 360 hours of direct instruction = 1

Between 360 and 500 hours of direct inst. = 2 Between 500 and 800 hours of direct inst. = 3

Between 800 and 1080 hours of direct instruction = 4

Between 1090 and 1440 hours of direct instruction = 5 More than 1450 hours of direct instruction = 6

4. HOME LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY Does not speak language, pre-production = 1

Early production to low speech emergence = 2 Speech emergence to intermediate fluency = 3

Intermediate fluency with some academic fluency = 4 Advanced intermediate social & academic fluency = 5

Advanced social & academic fluency = 6 5. ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Does not speak language, pre-production = 1 Early production to low speech emergence = 2 Speech emergence to intermediate fluency = 3

Intermediate fluency with some academic fluency = 4 Advanced intermediate social & academic fluency = 5

Advanced social & academic fluency = 6 6. BILINGUAL PROFICIENCY

Essentially monolingual = 1 Primarily one, some social in other = 2

Limited academic either language, social both =3

Basic academic one, intermediate academic other = 4

Most academic in one, intermediate academic in other = 5 Bilingual in social and academic language = 6

7. ETHNICITY/NATIONAL ORIGIN American Indian, Native American, AK. Native,

Indigenous Populations or First People = 1 Hispanic/Latino/Chicano or Caribbean = 2

AfroAmer., African, East Asian, Pacific Islander = 3

West Asian or Middle Eastern = 4

Eastern European = 5 Western European = 6

8. PERCENT IN SCHOOL SPEAKING STUDENT’S LANGUAGE or DIALECT 81% - 100% of enrollment = 1

66% - 80% of enrollment = 2 50% - 65% of enrollment = 3

30% -49% of enrollment = 4 15% - 29% of enrollment = 5 0% - 16% of enrollment = 6

**The ELL teacher is responsible to fill out an AQS for each new student as they arrive in their school. The place to find the information needed is listed at the top under, “Information.” Time in ESL program under #3 does not have to be precise; it is an estimate – formula on back.

In the Sioux Falls School District the first AQS is filled out for each student as they

enter the district.

If a concern is raised about a student, the first AQS if found in the student’s ELL Working File.

The ELL teacher fills out a second AQS and calculates the difference in the scores to determine if there is an indicator of a difference or a disability.

Calculating Rate of Acculturation

Look at this chart to find Minimum Gain

Example of Calculating the Rate of

Acculturation 1 X 3.5 = 3.5Years between AQS Minimum Gain = Normal Gain Expected

18 - 15 = 3 Current AQS Baseline Score Point Gain Achieved

Achieved _3Expected 3.5

If the student is acculturating at a normal rate, Achieved divided by Expected should equal 1 ( the numbers should be the same).

What does the score mean?

If the achieved score is less than the expected score, then something is depressing the rate of acculturation.– This could be inadequate or inappropriate

instruction or the presence of an unidentified disability and needs further evaluation.

If the achieved score is greater than the expected score, then the student is making better than average progress in acculturating.

What is the next step?

Do a Sociocultural Checklist – This will help determine the sociocultural

factors in need of intervention.

– It is also helpful to have both the teacher who brought the concern do a Sociocultural checklist and the ELL teacher.

Sociocultural checklist

Sociocultural Checklist

5 areas to check for Intervention:

•Acculturation Level

•Cognitive Learning Style

•Culture & Language

•Experimental Background

•Sociolinguist Development

Sociocultural Checklist Student: Date: Age: Teacher:

Sociocultural Factors

Selected Cross-Cultural Adaptation Risk Factors

Recent immigrant, refugee, migrant, or resides on reservation.

AAAcculturation Level Does not interact much with majority culture peers or majority culture group.

Displays confusion in locus of control.

Displays heightened stress or anxiety in cross-cultural interactions.

Oral expression contains considerable code switching.

Expresses or displays sense of isolation or alienation in cross-cultural interactions.

Out of 6 Total

Few cognitive learning strategies appropriate to classroom/school.

Cognitive learning style different or inappropriate in relation to teacher’s instructional style.

Easily frustrated or low perseverance in completing tasks.

Retains learning strategies that are no longer appropriate.

Displays difficulty with task analysis.

Displays difficulty with understanding and applying cause and effect.

Out of 6 Total

Comes from non-English speaking home.

Comes from a culture or ethnic group different from mainstream America.

Family emphasis support of family or community /group over individual effort.

Comes from non-English speaking geographic area.

Has culturally appropriate behaviors that are different from expectations of mainstream.

There is no support in the home for bilingual and bicultural development.

Out of 6 Total

High family mobility

Limited or sporadic school attendance.

Low socioeconomic status.

Little exposure to subject or content or not familiar with material.

Disrupted early childhood development.

Few readiness skills.

Does not know how to behave in classroom

Different term/concepts for subject areas or materials and content

Uses survival strategies that are not appropriate in the classroom.

Out of 9 Total

Does not speak English.

Limited academic language in native language.

Limited social language in English.

Rarely speaks in class.

Speaks only to cultural peers.

Limited academic language in English.

Asks a peer for assistance in understanding.

Appears to know English but cannot follow English directions in class.

Out of 8 Total *Anything more than 40% needs attention. The higher the percentage, the greater the problem. **Choose three interventions from the biggest problem area. © Copyright 2008 Catherine Collier, Ph.D. Used by permission, as agreed during Dr. Collier’s visit to SFSD on May 21, 2008 and prior purchase of materials from Crosscultured.com.

Acculturation Level

%Checked:

Experiential Background

% Checked:

Culture & Language

% Checked:

Cognitive Learning Style

% Checked:

Sociolinguistic Development

% Checked:

The Sociocultural checklist

The teachers filling out the Sociocultural checklist check the areas based on their observations of the student. The checkmarks are added up in each category..

To calculate the percentage divide the number of checks by the total number in the category to get the percentage checked. Example: 3 checks divided by 6 total = 50%

How to Prioritize Interventions

Anything greater than 40% needs attention.

The higher the percentage the greater the problem.

Three interventions from the area of greatest need are selected.

Separating Difference from Disability

Prioritization & Documentation Form Sociocultural Area

Order of Concern

Intervention Selected

Duration of Intervention

Outcomes of Intervention

Acculturation

Cognitive Learning

Culture & Language

Experiential Background

Sociolinguistic Development

Interventions

Based on Sociocultural Checklist results, ELL teacher chooses a minimum of three interventions and implements them along with the mainstream teacher(s) for three to four weeks.

After three to four weeks the ELL teacher and mainstream teacher return to SAT with results.

Instructional Intervention & Planning Review

After three to four weeks the ELL teacher reports to the SAT – if progress has been made, the

interventions should continue in place.– If progress has not been made and the

AQS indicates below expected acculturation on the AQS then it is appropriate to proceed to a formal referral.

Instructional Intervention & Planning Review

The next step is for the ELL teacher to complete the Prioritization & Documentation Form

The ELL teacher writes a brief summary of the findings and attaches it to:– 1. AQS 1 & 2– 2. The Rate of Acculturation Calculation form– 3. Aculturation Checklist – 4. Prioritization & Documentation Form

Common Side Effects of Acculturation Process

Heightened Anxiety

Confusion in Locus of Control

Withdrawal

Silence/unresponsiveness

Response Fatigue

Code-switching

Distractibility

Resistance to Change

Disorientation

Stress Related Behaviors

Remember: Students need to feel safe for their brain to fully engage.

Difference or DisabilityThe Nuts and Bolts for SAT

The Collier process is now a required pre-referral document. The ELL teachers are trained to complete this process.

Bottom line: If an ELL student is brought to SAT there needs to be an

• ELL Teacher present.

Difference or DisabilityThe Nuts and Bolts for SAT

This power point and handouts can be found on the SFSD Website:Click on: Staff

» Instructional Resources Wikki, » ELL

http://www.sfinstructionalresources.wikispaces.net/