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Scaffolds for English Language Learners in the NYS ELA and Mathematics

Curriculum ModulesFebruary 4th, 2014

Agenda Overview Of English Language

Learners in New York State Identify Scaffolds for ELLs Understand the approach NYSED is

taking with scaffolding the ELA and Mathematics modules to support ELLs

Examine curricular scaffolds in the modules

Discuss the classroom implementation strategies for ELLs

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Buffalo (4103)

Rochester (3478)

Syracuse (2809)

Brentwood (5139)

Hempstead (1853)Yonkers

(3085)New York City (151,558)

Utica (1543)

Central Islip (1790)

Newburgh (1555)

Spring Valley (East Ramapo) (2125)

New York State Demographics

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NYC, 70%

Long Island, 13%

Big 4, 6%

ROS, 11% Large geographic distribution, with ELLs concentrated in a handful of large urban districts (NYC, Brentwood, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Yonkers), but many small rural and suburban districts that also have ELLs and have many LOTE programs.

Top ELL Districts

# of ELLs

New York City 151,558

Brentwood 5,139

Buffalo 4,103

Rochester 3,478

Yonkers 3,085

Syracuse 2,809

Spring Valley 2,125

Hempstead 1,853

Newburgh 1,555

Central Islip 1,790

Utica 1,543

Source: Public School LEP Counts as of May 31, 2013

New York State Demographics

Spanish, 64.5%

Chinese, 10.7%

Arabic, 3.9%

Bengali, 3.0%

Haitian Creole, 1.9%

Russian, 1.7%Urdu, 1.7%

French, 1.3%Karen, 0.9%

Nepali, 0.7% Other, 9.7%

Spanish

Chinese

Arabic

Bengali

Haitian Creole

Russian

Urdu

French

Karen

Nepali

Other

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Linguistically diverse state with over 140 languages spoken by our students.

2012-13 Top 10 ELL Home Languages

Who are our ELLs Subgroups?

SUBGROUPS DEFINITION CHARACTERISTICS

Newcomers

ELLs with 4 to 6 Years of Service

Long-term ELLs

Special Education ELLs

Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE)

Former ELLs

FORMERELL

2 Years

ELL Subgroups

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0-3 years 7 + years4-6 years

Newcomers Long-term

Students with Interrupted Formal Education

Students with Disabilities

EVER ELLs

3+ Years

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Students with Interrupted Formal Education

ELLs with Disabilities

ELLs served by an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). An IEP team determines a student’s eligibility for special education services and the language in which special education services are delivered.

Immigrant students who come from a home in which a language other than English is spoken and: • enter a United States school

after the second grade;• have had at least two years

less schooling than their peers; • function at least two years

below expected grade level in reading and mathematics;

• and may be pre-literate in their home language

Language ProgramsProgram Type GOAL STUDENTSTRANSITIONAL BILINGUAL

• Providing grade-level academic work in the student’s native language so that the student maintains academic progress while developing English proficiency.

• Providing instruction in two languages: the language spoken at home and English.

ELLs of a shared home language

MAINTENANCE BILINGUAL

(Two-Way Bilingual/Dual Language; One-Way Bilingual/Developmental)

Students in both language groups are expected to comprehend, speak, read and write in English and the other language. The students are expected to:

• Meet or exceed New York State Common Core Standards;

• Develop proficiency in their second language;

• Attain a higher level of self-esteem; and• Develop an appreciation for cultural

diversity.

ELLs and English proficient students

FOREIGN LANGUAGE Students are expected to comprehend, speak, read and write in a Language Other Than English.

All students

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

Students are expected to comprehend, speak, read and write in English.

ELLs

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Our ChallengeJune 2012-2013 ELL Graduation Rates

2012 2013

ELA Outcomes ELLs vs. Non-ELLs 2009-2013

14.3%

55.9%

12.6%

55.7%

11.7%

58.2%

3.2%

33.0%

English Language Learners Non-English Language Learners

2010

2011

2012

2013

3.2 percent of English Language Learners met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard (NYS Levels 3 or 4) in grades 3-8

*Note: 2013 performance is measured against the more rigorous NYS Common Core Learning Standards.

Math Outcomes ELLs vs Non-ELLs 2009-2013

9.8 percent of English language learners met or exceeded the math proficiency standard (NYS Levels 3 or 4) in grades 3-8

*Note: 2013 performance is measured against the more rigorous NYS Common Core Learning Standards.

New Data CollectionEver ELLs and Former ELLs

• Ever ELLs: students who at some point in the New York State public school system were ELLs.

Beginning in 2014-15 the Department will begin to report data on Ever ELLs. This data will allow for longitudinal studies to track how students do over time after existing from ELL status.

• Former ELLs: students who were ELLs at some point in the past two academic school years.

The Department began to report data on Former ELLs in 2012-13 for the first time. Once 2013-14 data is reported, the Department can begin to track how well students who recently exited ELL status do as they transition out of ELL services.

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What is scaffolding?

• Both a structure and a process, scaffolding refers to dynamic and responsive supports that enable learners to develop their full potential and eventually become autonomous learners. With appropriate scaffolding for academic practices, students are able to simultaneously build conceptual understandings, academic skills, and the language needed to enact them.

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Scaffolding is both structure and process

Scaffolding has two elements:

• The structure of scaffolding refers to the constant, but flexible, supports that teachers build into lessons.

• These structures enable the process of scaffolding,

which unfolds in moment-to-moment classroom interactions as teachers support students’ participation and construction of understanding. Constant evaluation of the in-the-moment process of scaffolding helps teachers assess and modify their built-in scaffolding structures to move as students progress.

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Types of scaffoldsModeling: finished products of prior students’ work, teacher-created samples, sentence starters, writing frameworks, shared writing.

Activating and bridging prior knowledge and/or experiences: using graphic organizers, such as anticipatory guides, extended anticipatory guide, semantic maps, interviews, picture walk discussion protocols, think-pair-share, KWL.

Text representation: transforming a piece of writing into a pictorial representation, changing one genre into another.

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Types of scaffoldsMetacognitive development: self assessment, think aloud, asking clarifying questions, using a rubric for self evaluation. Contextualization: metaphors, realia, pictures, audio and video clips, newspapers, magazines.

Building Schema: bridging prior knowledge and experience to new concepts and ideas.

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Native Language Support

Full proficiency in the native language leads to higher academic gains in English. Because general structural and functional characteristics of language transfer, allowing second language learners access to content in the native language provides them with a way to construct meaning in English.

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Native Language Support

In order to assist ELLs, the strategic use of the native language can be incorporated into:

• English instruction as a support structure to clarify, • build prior knowledge• extend comprehension• bridge experiences

This can be integrated into a teacher’s instructional practice through the following: technology, human resources (e.g., paraprofessionals, peers, and parents), native language materials, and flexible grouping.

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Example from ELA Curriculum

• St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves• Making lessons accessible

As you read, think about the challenges that the students and teachers face with a successful implementation of this lesson. Think about a specific subgroup, and the potential scaffolds that would support learning.

What Scaffolds can look like in the ELA curriculum: Schema Development and Background

Knowledge Contextual Vocabulary Close Reading, Guiding and

Comprehension Questions Structured Organization around writing

(Graphic Organizers, models, prompts, sentence starters)

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Background KnowledgeWhat the Common Core State

Standards Say • "ELLs with high levels of schooling can often bring

to bear conceptual knowledge developed in their first language when reading in English. However, ELLs with limited or interrupted schooling will need to acquire background knowledge prerequisite to educational tasks at hand." (CCSS)

• Activating prior knowledge and building background knowledge are critical to the success of ELLs

Background Knowledge: Questions to Consider Before

Providing it…Q Do non-ELLs have background knowledge on

the topic?A If non-ELLs are approaching a text with a certain background

knowledge, ELLs should be provided with the same information

Q Is the background knowledge about big issues that will help students make sense of the text?

A Teachers only need to focus instruction on the background knowledge that is critical to ELLs comprehending the text. This includes key vocabulary.

Determining How Much Background Knowledge to Provide for ELLs, Diane Staehr Fenner, December 12, 2013

Contextual VocabularyELL students may need additional structures to support their understanding and acquisition vocabulary. This may include:

•Explicit instruction, including preteaching•Meaningful context•Oral pronunciation•Use of visuals http://pics.tech4learning.com/ and http://freestockphotos.com•Review and repetition

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Sample Graphic Organizer: Hamlet

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Vocabulary

Scaffolded Questions

Excerpted Text Selection

Reviewing Scaffolds in St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by

Wolves • In Table groups, review the scaffolds provided in

the lesson for ELLs

• Consider how the scaffolds compare to those your group discussed earlier

• Recommend additional scaffolds and discuss opportunities for improvement

• Elect a group member to share with the seminar additional options for differentiation

Scaffolding EngageNY

Mathematics for English Learners

Anita Bright, Ph.D.Portland State University

Portland, OregonFebruary 4, 2014

Visit http://goo.gl/Ua0fcf to access the electronic version of this document.

Classroom Support for Scaffolds

• Know the student’s strength and weakness based on high quality assessments, not just apparent oral proficiency

• Be clear about objectives and understandings for the lesson, and then adjust the linguistic demands of the materials ELLs should produce. The objective can be reached in different ways

• Set common lesson objectives for all students and figure out ways to make it manageable for all students

• Avoid\ pairing high and low proficiency students

• Use flexible, not fixed, groups, and let students do some differentiating by offering a choice of activities

• Allow the same time period for a set of differentiated tasks

In Closing • Applying this to the Modules• Applying this to the Classroom• The Home-School Connection at all

Ages• Questions

• Commissioner’s Regulation Part 154

• Blueprint for ELL Success• Seal of Biliteracy• ELL Curriculum

• Students with Interrupted Formal Education

• Native Language Arts (NLA)• ELL Scaffolds• Math Translations (5 languages)\

• Bilingual Common Core Progressions

• ELL Leadership Council• Students with Interrupted

Formal Education Initiatives

• Bridges• Identification material• Resources

• Assessments• NLA assessment• NYSITELL• NYSESLAT

• Videos EngageNY.org 29

New York State Education Department Initiatives for English

Language Learners