Educating English Language Learners

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Educating English Language Learners

• Methuen Public Schools

Prepared by Jane Sigillo April 2006
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Methuens English Language Programs

• The Language Acquisition Department provides two
  levels of support for ELLs
• The SEI (Sheltered English Immersion) Program.
  Taught by teachers certified in ESL/ELL/ELD or
  bilingual education, the SEI program provides
  both English language development and sheltered
  content instruction to beginner and early
  intermediate ELLs. The CGS houses our K 8 SEI
  Program, while Methuen High School provides this
  program for 9th 12th graders.
• 2) The ESL (English as a Second Language)
  Program. Taught by teachers certified in ESL/ELL
  or ELD, the ESL program provides English language
  development instruction in the four language
  domains (listening, speaking, reading, and
  writing) in grades K 8 in each of the grammar
  schools. This is done mainly through a pull-out
  delivery model, meaning that the ELL students
  leave their regular classrooms to attend ESL
  class. In some cases, the ESL teacher co-teaches
  in a regular classroom with the regular education
  teacher.

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How LEPs Are Identified

• When a new family registers its child for MPS, if
  they indicate that a language other than English
  is spoken at home, the child is given an English
  assessment. In this assessment, for students in
  grades K 12, the childs listening and speaking
  skills are evaluated in grades 2 12, reading
  and writing skills are also assessed.
• Based on the students performance on these
  tests, the students level of English proficiency
  is determined, and a placement recommendation is
  made. The various English proficiency levels are
• Beginner
• Early Intermediate
• Intermediate
• Transitioning
• We generally recommend the SEI program for
  Beginners and Early Intermediates.
• Intermediate students are generally recommended
  for a mainstream placement with ESL instruction.
• Transitioning students are generally recommended
  for a mainstream placement.
• Parents have the right to decline our
  recommendation for placement in the SEI or ESL
  program.

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LEPs by School

• CGS 156
• Marsh 49
• Tenney 94
• Timony 88
• Methuen High School 85
• Of the 156 LEP students at the CGS, 132 are in
  the SEI program,
• and 24 are in the ESL program only.
• Information accurate as of 4/24/06

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DOE Guidelines for ESL Instruction

• In June of 2005, the DOE issued ESL/ELD
  programming guidelines. Districts must be working
  towards meeting these guidelines.
• For Beginners and Early Intermediates in grades K
  12
• - ELD (ESL) instruction 2.5 hours day to full
  day, delivered by a
• teacher with an ESL or ELL license.
• - Content instruction provided in the hours
  available outside of ELD,
• delivered by a teacher qualified to teach LEP
  students.
• Many content area teachers need to take the
  required professional development training to
  teach LEP students.

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• For Intermediate proficiency levels in grades K
  12
• ELD (ESL) instruction 1 to 2 hours per day,
  delivered by a teacher with an ESL or ELL
  license.
• Content instruction provided in the hours
  available outside of ELD, delivered by a teacher
  qualified to teach LEP students.
• Currently, in Methuens SEI Program at the CGS,
  these guidelines are being met.
• Given the large numbers of LEP students in our K
  8 schools, our ESL teachers met with their LEP
  students - at most - for 40 minutes each day in
  some cases they meet for 40 minutes 3x a week.
• Many content area teachers need to take the
  required professional development training
  regarding teaching LEP students.

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• For transitioning proficiency levels in grades K
  12
• Assign these students to a teacher who is
  qualified to teach LEP students. This will
  enhance the likelihood of continued growth in
  their English language proficiency and content
  learning.
• Provide additional opportunities for small group
  instruction and learning during the school day,
  after school, and during the summer.
• Design and implement a regular process for
  monitoring these students academic progress.
• Design and provide additional learning support
  and opportunities.
• Monitor the academic progress of former LEP
  (FLEP) students for two years after reclassifying
  them.
• Many content area teachers need to take the
  required professional development ELL training.

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Educating ELLs - Background

• In November of 2002, the voters in the
  Commonwealth of Massachusetts passed a ballot
  initiative commonly known as Question 2. This
  legislation changed the way in which English
  Language Learners were educated in Massachusetts
  public schools, making Sheltered English
  Immersion the program model for most ELLs in the
  state. MA DOE 2006

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• Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) has two
  components
• 1) English language development instruction
  (ELD), often called English as a Second Language
  (ESL). This must be taught by a teacher who holds
  a license in ESL or ELL (English Language Learner
  instruction).
• 2) Sheltered content instruction. This should
  be taught by a teacher holding an appropriate
  teaching license and possessing the additional
  skills and knowledge required to effectively
  teach content to ELLs. The state of Massachusetts
  has determined that any content-area classroom in
  which even 1 LEP (Limited English Proficiency)
  student is present is an SEI classroom.
  Therefore, any teacher who has even 1 LEP student
  in his/her content-area classroom must present
  sheltered instruction.

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Professional Development in the Area of ELL
Instruction Required of Classroom Teachers of
ELLs

• As a result of the passing of Question 2 in
  November of 2002, any general education classroom
  with even just one English language learner is
  considered an SEI (Sheltered English Immersion)
  classroom. This means that the teacher in that
  classroom must be or must become qualified in
  four areas, or categories, of competency in
  working with ELLs.
• Category 1 Second Language Learning and Teaching
• Category 2 Sheltering Content Instruction
• Category 3 Assessing Speaking and Listening
• Category 4 Teaching Reading and Writing to
  Limited English Proficient
• Students
• The DOE would like to see general education
  teachers of ELLs taking at least 1 of these
  courses per year.
• Categories 1 3 are currently offered by trained
  staff within the MPS MPS professional
  development providers should be able to offer
  Category 4 PD for school year 2006 2007 and
  beyond.

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Glossary of Terms

• ELL - English Language Learner
• A student who is learning English while learning
  the various subject matters.
• LEP - Limited English Proficient
• A student who is learning English while learning
  the various the subject matters. The DOE defines
  an LEP student as one whose first language is not
  English and who cannot perform ordinary classwork
  in English.

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• SEI Sheltered English Immersion
• The model for instructing ELLs in Massachusetts.
  Also the name of Methuens program for beginner
  and early intermediate ELLs. This program is
  housed at the CGS (Comprehensive Grammar School)
  for grades K 8, and at Methuen High School for
  grades 9 12.
• Sheltered Instruction
• - where teachers use specific strategies to
  teach a specific content area (e.g., social
  studies or math) in ways comprehensible to the
  students while promoting their English language
  development. Some of these strategies include the
  use of language and content objectives, grouping,
  vocabulary development, comprehension strategies,
  and lesson pacing.

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• ELD English language development,
• - also known as ESL (English as a Second
• Language).
• ESL English as a Second Language,
• - also known as ELD (English language
  development).
• ESL instruction is essential if LEP students
  are to
• catch up to their classmates in academic
  content
• areas. Each of Methuens four grammar schools
  has
• an ESL program taught by certified ESL/ELD
• teachers the high schools SEI department is
  taught
• by teachers certified in ESL/ELL.

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• MELA-O Massachusetts English Language
  Assessment Oral
• - the standardized assessment of ELLs listening
  and
• speaking skills in English, given yearly
• MEPA Massachusetts English Proficiency
  Assessment
• - Massachusetts mandated annual assessment of
• ELLs proficiency in the 4 language domains
  listening,
• speaking, reading, and writing. The MELA-O
  assesses
• the first 2 domains, while the MEPA R/W
  assesses
• reading and writing.

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• FLEP Formerly Limited English Proficient
• - A student is FLEP when he/she has
  demonstrated proficiency in the 4 language
  domains. This determination is made based upon a
  combination of MEPA scores, classroom
  performance, and teacher input. When a student is
  FLEP, he/she is exited from the SEI or ESL
  program, and monitored for a period of two
  years.

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• AMAOs Annual Measurable Achievement
• Objectives
• - These are 4 categories of achievement
  objectives for LEP students 1) progress towards
  acquiring English language proficiency 2)
  attainment of English language proficiency 3)
  adequate yearly progress (AYP) of the LEP
  subgroup on the MCAS in English Language Arts 4)
  adequate yearly progress (AYP) of the LEP
  subgroup on the MCAS in mathematics.