What Should A World Language Teacher Know and Be Able to Do?

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Ensuring Educator Excellence

What Should A World Language Teacher Know and Be Able to

Do?

Dr. Phyllis Jacobson

July 2012

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Presentation Overview

Language Proficiency is Not Enough: Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Needed by Language Teachers– Assessing the Content Knowledge of

Language Teachers– Assessing the Pedagogical

Performance of Language Teachers A National Model for Supporting and

Assessing Induction and the Career Professional Growth of World Language Teachers

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Two Key Competencies for Qualifying for a World Language

Credential

Content Knowledge of the subject to be taught to K-12 students

Pedagogical competence to be effective in teaching the subject to K-12 students

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What Should World Language Teachers

Know?

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Content Knowledge for All World Language Teachers

General Linguistics Linguistics of the Target Language Literary and Cultural Texts and

Traditions Cultural Analysis and Comparisons Language Skills: Listening, Speaking,

Reading, Writing

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Defining the Content

Content is organized into Domains and Competencies within Domains (“Subject Matter Requirements”)

The Subject Matter Requirements define the content that is covered within a subject major program at a college or university, or that is eligible to be covered on the subject matter examination

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A Closer Look at the Content

See Handout on Subject Matter Requirements for Languages Other Than English

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Assessing the Content Knowledge of World Language Teachers

Two NCLB-Compliant Routes to Demonstrating Subject Matter Competence in California:

–College/University Coursework

–Examination

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Complete College/University Coursework that Covers All of

the Domains

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Pass a Subject-Matter Examination that Covers All of

the Domains

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California’s Standardized Exams for World Languages (CSET)

Based on the five content domains Combination of multiple choice items and

constructed response items (including listening, speaking, reading, and writing)

Passing Score Standard based on ACTFL Proficiency levels (Advanced-Low for Western languages and Intermediate-High for non-Western languages)

Available now for twenty languages

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CSET World Languages Subject Matter Examinations

American Sign Arabic Armenian Cantonese Farsi Filipino French German Hebrew Hmong Italian

Japanese Khmer Korean Mandarin Portuguese Punjabi Russian Spanish Vietnamese

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Where to Find Information on the Standardized Assessments

for These Languages http://www.cset.nesinc.com/CS_testg

uide_opener.asp

–Provides subject matter requirements, test guides, and sample questions

http://www.cset.nesinc.com/CS_testguide_opener.asp

http://www.cset.nesinc.com/CS_testguide_opener.asp

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CSET Example for More Commonly

Taught Languages

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A Closer Look at the Chinese Examination

Three Major Subtests:–General Linguistics and Linguistics

of the Target Language–Literary and Cultural Texts and

Traditions–Cultural Analysis and Comparisons–Language and Communication

(Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing)

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CSET for Less Commonly Taught

Languages

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A Closer Look at the Farsi (Persian) Language Examination

Two Subtests:–General Linguistics, Linguistics of

the Target Language, Literary and Cultural Texts and Traditions, Cultural Analysis and Comparisons

–Language and Communication (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing)

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Alternative Assessment for Less Commonly Taught Languages

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How Can We Credential Teachers for All World Languages?

Two-Pronged “Alternative Assessment” Approach

Part One: Standardized assessment common to all World Languages

Part Two: Local Target Language Skills Assessment

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Standardized Part of the World Languages Alternative Credentialing Examination

Covers standards-based subject matter requirements of:– General Linguistics– Linguistics of the Target Language– Literary and Cultural Texts and Traditions– Cultural Analysis and Comparisons

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Exam developed by California’s external testing contractor, Pearson, based on California’s CSET subject matter examinations in other more commonly taught world languages

Candidates register with Pearson to take this part of the examination

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Part Two: Local Language Skills Assessment

Measures the four integrated language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing

Performance levels pegged to ACTFL standards (minimal acceptable level is ACTFL Intermediate-High for non-Western languages and Advanced-Low for Western languages)

Assessment is conducted by a qualified local assessor agency approved by the Commission

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Candidates register for the local language assessment with the local approved assessor agency

The local approved assessor agency provides candidate passing information to the Commission

The Commission matches the standardized score with the local language skills assessment score to determine candidate passing status

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How Do You Get to Be an Approved Alternative Language Assessor

Agency?

Formal application to the Commission includes:– Organizational capacity– Description of assessor qualifications– Description of the integrated

assessment of language skills– Description of the passing standard

related to ACTFL performance standards

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So, From the Candidate Perspective

Candidates who pass both the Standardized part of the assessment AND the local language skills assessment are deemed to have met the subject matter requirement for the particular World Language

The cost for the alternative language assessment process is similar to those for all other world languages

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Languages Currently Offered Through the Alternative

Language Assessment Process

Hebrew Portuguese Italian

----and counting

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Want To See A Sample?

http://www.cset.nesinc.com/CS_testguide_Hebrewopener.asp

– Provides test guides and sample test questions for the standardized part of the alternative languages assessment



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Want More Information?

Contacts:Phyllis Jacobson

[email protected]

Donna Anderson [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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World Languages and Bilingual Teachers

Easy transition from World Language certification to Bilingual Certification, and vice versa

World Language teachers take two additional subtests for Bilingual Certification– Bilingual Education and Bilingualism;

Intercultural Communication; Instruction and Assessment

– Geographic ,Historical, Sociopolitical and Sociocultural Contexts

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Bilingual teachers take two additional subtests for World Language certification:– General Linguistics and Linguistics of

the Target Language– Literary and Cultural Texts and

Traditions, and Cultural Analysis and Comparisons

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Both World Language and Bilingual teachers take the same language skills examination (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing) and must meet the same passing standard of proficiency

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What Should World Language Teachers Be Able to Do?

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Teaching Performance Expectations

California defines performance standards specifically for beginning teachers, known as the “Teaching Performance Expectations”

All beginning teachers, including world language teachers, must meet these standards for certification

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What are the Teaching Performance Expectations?

The integrated set of knowledge, skills, and abilities California expects each beginning teacher, including new World Language teachers, to have

Based on California’s Standards for the Teaching Profession as adapted for beginning practice rather than veteran practice

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How do the TPEs Define Pedagogical Competence?

Making subject matter comprehensible to students

Assessing student learning Engaging and supporting students in

learning Planning instruction and designing

learning experiences for students Creating and maintaining effective

environments for student learning Developing as a professional

educator

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What Are the Benefits of the TPEs?

Allow for common definition and common understanding of our expectations for teachers, including world language teachers

Provide a legally defensible basis for evaluation of the performance of teacher candidates

Can be used across, and has the same meaning in, all teacher preparation programs in the state

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Where to Find the Full Set of California’s Teaching

Performance Expectations

http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/TPA-files/CandidateHandbook-AppendixA-TPEs.pdf




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How Do We Assess the Classroom Performance of World Language Teacher

Candidates? California requires ALL beginning

elementary and secondary teachers to demonstrate by actual classroom performance with K-12 students that they have mastered the integrated set of knowledge, skills, and abilities required by the Teaching Performance Expectations

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CALIFORNIA IS A NATIONAL LEADER!

We are the first and only state in the nation to require a teaching performance assessment of all candidates as a credentialing requirement

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What is a Teaching Performance Assessment?

An assessment that requires candidates to demonstrate with their performance with K-12 students that they have mastered

the knowledge, skills and abilities required of a beginning teacher, as exemplified in the Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs).

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Common Features of the Three Approved TPA Models

Based on the Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs)

Require candidates to perform specified tasks/activities with K-12 students

Require candidate orientation and practice in the TPA tasks/activities

Embed tasks within the teacher preparation program sequence

Provide assessor training, calibration and recalibration

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Common Features of Approved TPA Models (continued)

Use a rubric-based score of 1-4 (different models may require different minimum score levels)

Require double scoring to maintain scoring reliability

Provide feedback to candidates Provide opportunities for candidates to

retake a task if needed Provide candidate information useful for

induction Provide information for program

improvement

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What Does the Teaching Performance Assessment Look

Like?

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We ask candidates to:

– Learn about their students– Plan standards-based world language lessons

for the whole class based on what they know about the students and their progress

– Indicate lesson adaptations for English learner students and for special education students

– Develop student assessments, including adaptations, to determine student learning based on the lessons

– Teach the lesson– Give the assessment(s)– Reflect on the lesson and the assessment

results

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– Make a video of a 20 minute lesson segment

– Review the video, the student work and the assessment outcomes

– Reflect on the success and outcomes of the lesson and the assessment

– Use the analysis to plan the next set of lessons for these students

– Explain the process and what has been learned to the supervisor or mentor

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Overview of the CalTPA Model

Four Candidate Tasks:Subject-Specific Pedagogy

– Does the candidate understand current methods of teaching and assessing the content area?

Designing Instruction– Can the candidate learn about students

and use that information to plan appropriate standards-based lessons?

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CalTPA Tasks Overview, cont.

Assessing Learning– Can the candidate learn about students’

prior knowledge, plan appropriate instruction and then assess the outcomes of that instruction? Can the candidate reflect on and use student work, the assessment responses and other information to plan further standards-based instruction and assessment?

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CalTPA Tasks Overview, Cont. Culminating Teaching Experience

– Can the candidate put it all together: learning about students, planning and delivering instruction, assessing student learning, reflecting on student work and lesson outcomes, reflecting on the candidate’s own performance, and using all of that information for future planning, instruction and assessment.

Note: This task requires a 20 minute unedited video of the lesson.

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Important Information for School/District Administrators

English Learner Experiences– Candidates must have experience with

English learners sufficient to allow them to complete the TPA tasks

– EL experiences may be within the student teaching assignment and/or within field experiences

– EL student experience is required for CalTPA tasks 2, 3 and 4

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Who Assesses the Candidate’s Performance?

• University teaching faculty, field supervisors, master teachers• K-12 teachers, supervisors, support providers, administrators• Retired faculty, teachers, administrators• Other qualified education

professionals

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Performance Scoring• Each task has a specific scoring rubric describing the characteristics of a candidate’s performance relative to that task and the TPEs• Each rubric has four score levels, ranging from a low of 1 to a high of 4• Scorers (assessors) are trained and calibrated to apply each rubric to candidate performance

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What About Assessor Quality and Training?

Assessors receive extensive training in understanding and applying scoring rubrics

Assessor performance over time is reviewed to avoid scoring “drift” and assure fairness to candidates

Assessors must recalibrate at least once per year if they are continuously scoring

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How Do We Use TPA Results?

• Formative information for use by the candidate• Summative information as one basis for the recommendation of a candidate for a credential• Evidence of program effectiveness• Formative information for use in an induction program

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How Do We Inform the Larger Community about the TPA?

Informational brochures about the TPA are available for– Teacher Candidates– Teacher Preparation Programs– Policy Makers– School Board Members– Parentshttp://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/TPA.html

http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/TPA.html

http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/TPA.html

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CalTPA ContactsWayne [email protected]

Phyllis Jacobson [email protected]

To register for training:Phi Phi [email protected]




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Induction and the Learning To Teach Continuum

Learning to Teach is a continuum of practice with defined sets of competencies at each level of practice

An initial credential is only the beginning of the licensing and teacher development processes

Induction into the profession comes next

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What ’s Induction About? Induction during the first two years of

teaching provides targeted, focused practice for to improve knowledge, skills, and abilities

Induction activities are based on standards reflecting high quality professional practice

Induction is tailored to the individual professional growth needs of beginning teachers

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USE OF TPA RESULTS IN INDUCTION

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What do Induction Standards Look Like?

California’s Induction Program Standards address:– Providing individualized ongoing support from

mentors and others– Advanced development of pedagogical skills– Ongoing formative assessment cycle of teacher

reflection on practice– Teaching English learners and students with

special needs– Deepening subject matter knowledge as

appropriate to the teaching assignment

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How Are Beginning Teachers Assessed During Induction?

Formative assessment based on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP)

The CSTP include:– Engaging and supporting all students in

learning– Creating and maintaining effective

environments for student learning– Understanding and organizing subject matter

for student learning– Planning instruction and designing learning

experiences for all students– Assessing student learning– Developing as a professional educator

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What Are the Performance Levels?

The practice of the beginning teacher during induction is described by a competency level of practice:– Not consistent with standard expectations– Developing beginning practice– Maturing beginning practice– Experienced practice that exemplifies the

standard Induction success is defined as meeting

the criterion of “Experienced practice that exemplifies the standard.”

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Where to Find the Full Descriptions of Practice for Induction Standards

http://www.btsa.ca.gov/FACT/assessment-files/E 1DescriptionsofPracticeShortVersion.pdf

http://www.btsa.ca.gov/FACT/assessment-files/E-1DescriptionsofPracticeShortVersion.pdf

http://www.btsa.ca.gov/FACT/assessment-files/E-1DescriptionsofPracticeShortVersion.pdf

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Tying the Pieces Together There is a certification continuum that

leads from input to output and from entry-level practice to accomplished practice

The entirety of this continuum may be viewed as a “Learning to Teach” continuum with many standards-based entry points all heading in a similar direction and towards a similar goal

What “success” looks like at each step of the continuum needs to be transparent, clearly defined and defensibly measured

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What’s critically important is that each step of the way makes sense to teacher candidates, provides enough focused input to help them grow and improve, provides sensible, measurable and defensible standards for them to achieve, and helps them ultimately be more effective teachers with students

Documents

What Should A World Language Teacher Know and Be Able to Do?