Honoring Biliteracy and Our Students

1
Honoring Biliteracy and Our Students

• The Seal of Biliteracy

California Department of Education EL
Accountability Institute December 2009 Shelly
Spiegel-Coleman
2

• You can tell the values of a society by what it
  counts. We count what matters to us.
• Albert Schweitzer
• Are our schools measuring the outcomes that are
  important to us?

3
Every era has to ask
Are our schools preparing our students for the
world they are entering? Are we teaching and
valuing the skills and type of knowledge students
will need in order to function, thrive and lead
in this era?
4
Mastery of two or more languages.

• Cognitive benefits (brain research)
• Economic benefits (skills needed in corporate and
  service sectors and international trade)
• Societal need (people who can bridge communities,
  defense and international understanding)
• Family strengthening and cohesion
• Educational benefits

5
Strong research evidence

• National Literacy Panel for Language Minority
  Children and Youth (mandated by Congress,
  released in 2008)
• CDE Professional Papers Improving Education for
  English Learners Research-Based Approaches -
  forthcoming Fall 09
• Collier and Thomas study of 360,000 English
  Learners across five well-implemented models
• Proposition 227 evaluation

6
And yet..

• Fastest ever rates of language loss
• Less instruction for biliteracy than a decade ago
  - fewer students taking World Language courses
• Persistent achievement gap between English
  Learners and others
• A schooling system that produces monolingualism

7
There are efforts to reach for a vision of
biliteracy

• Dual language immersion schools (aka Two Way
  Immersion)
• Heritage language programs and FLES
• Districts establishing multilingualism as a goal
  for all students
• and a move to recognize and celebrate
  attainment of biliteracy

8
California School Boards Association

• Sample board policy
• Sample administrative regulations

9
School Districts with Seals

• Albuquerque Public School District
• Eastside Union High School District
• Glendale Unified School District
• Rowland Unified School District
• Sweetwater Union High School District
• Ventura Unified School District

10
(No Transcript)
11
Step One

• Decide the levels at which the awards will be
  given
• Preschool
• Elementary
• Middle School
• High school
• Creation of Pathway Awards and Seals

12
Step 2

• Purpose of Awards
• To encourage students to pursue bilingualism
• To certify attainment of biliteracy
• To recognize and value the biliteracy skills in
  all students
• To provide universities with a method to
  recognize and give credit to applicants with
  biliteracy skills
• To prepare students for the 21st Century

13
Step 2 (cont)

• Rationale and Frame for the Award
• Strengthening intergroup relations
• Affirming the value of diversity
• Strengthening skills of literacy and problem
  solving

14
Step ThreeDetermine the Criteria

• Preschoolers
• Age appropriate oral language skills and
  vocabulary in their home language
• Demonstrate active engagement in books/text
• Age appropriate comprehension in home language
• Measure of exposure to second language

15
Elementary School

• Elementary School
• Service/Participation Award and Biliteracy Award
• Both based upon a portfolio system plus language
  proficiency and academic indicators

16
Portfolio

• Completing hours of community service using
  primary language skills
• Ability to translate for specific purposes
• Written essays on the value of bilingualism
• Reading logs of books read in English and another
  language

17

• Service Award focuses on language proficiency and
  attitude toward bilingualism
• Biliteracy Award focuses on academic achievement
  in English and another language

18
Middle School

• Pathway Award Pursuit of Bilingualism Award
• Participation in at least two years of Foreign
  Language class or Native Speakers class with
  passing grades
• Standards test in English at proficient or better
  level
• Oral presentation about 5 careers where
  bilingualism is important
• Personal response essay to having attended two
  cultural events from second language/culture
  being studied

19

• Biliteracy Attainment Award
• Proficient or above in Standards Test in Spanish
  or district assessment in languages other then
  English
• Oral proficiency in a language other than English
• English Standards Test at proficient or above
• Average grade of B or above in English classes
  and World languages/Native language classes
• Written and oral presentations about bilingualism
  or cultural experiences
• For English learners redesignation to RFEP

20
High School-Seal of Biliteracy

• Successful completion of required language
  courses
• Bilingual Seal application process
• Written and Oral Assessment in both languages
  with rubric
• Reading Assessment with rubric in both languages
• Passage of language proficiency test
• District developed performance criteria
• Proficient or above on standards test in both
  languages

21
Design the Award
22
(No Transcript)
23
(No Transcript)
24
The world is richer than it is possible to
express in any one language. Ilya
Prigogine Nobel Prize winning scientist
25
Be Part of the Statewide Movement

• Notify Californians Together to include your
  district in any media or outreach to others
• Use media in your local area
• Attend a regional orientation on the Seal of
  Biliteracy next year and bring a district team
• Share the CSBA policy and regulations with your
  board members and administrators
• Get sponsors and community partners to support
  your Seal Program
• Complete Seal of Biliteracy Interest Survey
• Complete the Rapid Response Network form

26
(No Transcript)
27
Californians Together

• 23 Statewide parent, professional and civil
  rights organizations
• Focus on improving policy and practice for the
  education of English learners
• Bilingual Reading First Funds
• Reauthorization of BCLAD
• Legislation vetoed to include Spanish Standards
  Test in API and AYP etc.
• Monitoring State and Federal Funds Lawsuit