Assembly Education Committee English Learners Working Group Wednesday, March 1, 2006

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Assembly Education Committee English Learners
Working GroupWednesday, March 1, 2006

• Joe Coto
• Mark Wyland
• Jackie Goldberg
• Tom Umberg

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Working group has studied the following issues

• Teacher Training

• Prop 227 Parental Waiver Notification

• Reclassification/Redesignation

• Curriculum/Instructional Materials

Yet to Consider

• Assessment

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Have heard from researchers, including

• Julie Maxwell Jolly (PACE)
• Robert Lindquanti (West Ed)
• Patricia de Coss (CRB)
• Paul Warren (LAO)
• Doug Cordiner, (Bureau of State Audits)
• Amy Merickel (AIR)
• Jill Kerper Mora (San Diego State University)

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Findings on Teacher Training

• The majority of California teachers have little
  training in serving English learners.
• Induction piece does not provide professional
  development for EL teachers.
• Schools with the highest percentages of ELs have
  fewer certificated teachers (87 vs 93).
• Teachers with CLAD and BCLAD credentials now
  teach in schools with lower percentages of ELs.

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Recommendations

• Give professional development for teachers
  working with EL students a higher priority.
• Develop databases of effective teachers and
  programs providing EL professional development.
• Develop a clearinghouse of existing materials and
  resources to aid teachers of English learners
• Encourage districts to provide job-embedded
  training at the local level for those who teach
  English learners.

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Findings on Prop 227 Parental Waivers

• Significant variations exist in how school
  administrators implement waiver policies (forms
  and procedures).
• Significant differences exist in Districts about
  whether and how parents are notified and the
  guidance and support schools and community
  receive .

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Recommendations

• Provide notice of waiver rights, process and
  opportunities at time of the Home Language
  Survey, then twice yearly.
• Require the notice to include options available
  for alternative classroom settings.
• Monitor waiver processes and filing.
• Collect state-wide data about the numbers of
  waivers filed, approved and denied.

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Findings on Reclassification/Redesignation

• Redesignation dilemma
• Premature redesignation may result in lost
  instructional services placing ELs at greater
  risk.
• Long-term ELs may result in tracked placement,
  reduced access to grade-level curriculum.
• A growing proportion of ELs proficient on CELDT
  cannot redesignate due to unmet academic criteria

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Recommendations

• Require the development of more consistent
  redesignation criteria related to statewide
  tests.
• Work to revise the Economic Impact Aid formula to
  provide more resources for EL.
• Revise AMO 1 to measure gains on CELDT.
• Establish performance targets based on CELDT.
• Monitor progress of those redesignated. Develop
  transition plan to continue needed support.

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Findings on Curriculum/Instructional Materials

• Prop 227 Five year Evaluation Report found no
  evidence that immersion superior to bilingual in
  outcomes for ELs.
• Key elements in successful EL programs include
• Teachers have knowledge and skills needed for ELs
  to master English and academic content.
• Systematic, data-driven plans for EL
  instructional services.
• School-wide, standards based instructional focus
  on ELD in all subjects.
• Shared priorities and expectations in educating
  ELs
• Monitoring student progress to guide teaching.

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Findings Continued

• K-3 English Learners given the same Language
  Arts/Reading curriculum as native-English
  speakers.
• It is up to the schools to provide teachers with
  expertise and materials to make modifications for
  EL and supplement the regular curriculum.
• Instructional materials do not provide sufficient
  guidance or support for a coherent ELD
  curriculum.
• ELD materials must be aligned to research based
  ELD standards and address both language
  acquisition and academic content.

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Recommendations

• Include ELD standards in in ELA curriculum
  framework and ensure that standards-based EL
  curriculum materials are produced and adopted.
• Continue identifying successful EL programs. Use
  best practices to assist struggling programs.
• Consider option of K-8 Basic Language Arts
  Reading for EL Textbook Adoption

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Recommendations Continued . . .

• Require textbooks to address the ELD Standards in
  Language Arts Reading and in the Content Areas
• Provide core curriculum materials and teacher
  materials for diffentiating instruction in the
  content areas in grades 6-12
• Provide Newcomers Programs in Grades 5-12

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Key Recommendations for EL Bill

• Require inclusion in ELA curriculum framework of
  the ELD standards and ensure that standards-based
  instructional materials are produced serving EL
  students.
• Require the identification of best practices for
  teaching EL language acquisition and content.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive EL
  professional development plan for California.

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Recommendations Continued . . .

• Monitor the performance of EL and develop a
  transition plan/program for EL's when
  reclassified fluent.
• Provide notice of Prop 227 parental waiver
  rights, process and opportunities at time of the
  Home Language Survey, then twice yearly.

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• Questions?
• Discussion . . .