Supporting ESL Learners

Supporting ESL Learners

ESL ELEMENTARY REFERENCE MANUAL

2008

The Elementary ESL Reference Manual (2008) has been adapted to include the updated information from the 2006-07 and 2007-08 Elementary ESL Reference Manuals. Current contact information, student statistics, and current Ministry of Education documents will now be available on the VSB portal: www.myvsb.vsb.bc.ca. The Elementary ESL Reference Manual (2008) was compiled and edited collaboratively by Verena Foxx, VSB ESL Consultant (2005-09) and Sylvia Helmer, VSB ESL Consultant (2003-07), and Manager, DRPC (since 2007). Many thanks to VSB office support staffs Susan Aballini, Pat Dymond and Diane Den Otter, for their excellent computer support and ongoing patience during the process of updating this complex document. The Elementary ESL Reference Manual (2008) has been distributed to every Vancouver Elementary Principal, Vice-Principal and ESL Resource Teacher. Please recycle any earlier publications.

Table of Contents Section 1: Contact Information • The ESL (Support) Teacher’s Network ................................................................... 1-1

• Contact Information................................................................................................. 1-2

Section 2: District ESL Student Data Section 3: ESL – BC Ministry of Education 1701 Criteria • ESL Language Programs..............................................................................3-1 to 3-2

• About ESD ....................................................................................................3-3 to 3-4 Section 4: Role of the (Elementary) ESL Support Teacher • General ................................................................................................................... 4-1

• Specific ................................................................................................................... 4-2 Section 5: Professional Development • VSB ESL Support Teacher Pro-D........................................................................... 5-1

• VESTA ESL Section ............................................................................................... 5-2

• ESL PSA................................................................................................................. 5-3 Section 6: ESL Files & Documents • ESL File Ingredients - Elementary ................................................................6-1 to 6-2

• Annual Instructional Plan (AIP) – New Format........................................................ 6-3

• ESL Matrices (K-1) .......................................................................................6-4 to 6-5

• ESL Matrices (2-7) .......................................................................................6-6 to 6-7

• ESL Indirect Support Log (sample) ......................................................................... 6-8

• ESL Additional Support/Consultation Log (sample) ................................................ 6-9

• Suspension of Service: Sample Letter .................................................................. 6-10

• Mock Audit Checklist............................................................................................. 6-11

Section 7: Reporting and Annual Assessment • Reporting Guidelines for Students Designated as ESL (Elementary) ...........7-1 to 7-3

• Report Card Inserts (samples) ......................................................................7-4 to 7-5

• Assignment of Letter Grades ........................................................................7-6 to 7-7

• Checklist Report Samples........................................................................... 7-8 to 7-11

• Sample Comments ............................................................................................... 7-12

• Annual Assessment: Sample Letter ...................................................................... 7-13

• Annual Assessment .................................................................................. 7-14 to 7-22

• Assessment Overview .............................................................................. 7-23 to 7-27

• About Standardized Assessment .......................................................................... 7-28 Section 8: Supporting our ESL/ELL Learners • Reception Level/Beginners ..........................................................................8-1 to 8-6

• Welcome Kits for Newcomers................................................................................. 8-7

• Supporting Refugee Learners..................................................................... 8-8 to 8-12

• Making Curricular Content Comprehensible ............................................. 8-13 to 8-16

Section 9: Resources • ESL Resources on the VSB Portal ......................................................................... 9-1

• VSB ESL Webpage................................................................................................. 9-2

• VSB Portal ............................................................................................................. 9-3

• ESL Toolkit (Cover and Table of Contents)......................................................................9-4 to 9-6

• Strengthening ESL Learners (Cover and Table of Contents)....................................................................9-7 to 9-10

• Reading and Writing Reference Kits (Cover and Table of Contents)..................................................................9-11 to 9-13

• Reading and Writing Reference Kits Order Form.................................................. 9-14

• Software & The Rosetta Stone Language Library................................................. 9-15

Section 1

Contact Information

1-1

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B.C. Ministry of Education

• Funding (1701) • Learning resources • K-12 Integrated Resource • Packages (include ESL info) • ESL Policy & Guidelines: A Guide

for Classroom Teachers & A Guide for ESL Specialist (2008)

• ESL Standards (2001) http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/esl/

Provincial Coordinator, ESL

Other ESL Organizations

• BC TEAL (provincial) • TESL (Canadian) • TESOL (International) • Metro ESL (Lower Mainland

School Districts incl. Vancouver) Check the VSB ESL website for contact information: www.vsb.bc.ca/vsbprograms/kto12/ESL

Contact Person at school to receive district-based information

Resource Team member (elementary) ESL Teacher-Leader (secondary) & liaison with classroom teacher/content teacher

ESL(Support) Teacher

School Administration • Principal • Vice Principal (where applicable)

BCTF (provincial)

• Union ESL PSA

VESTA (local - elementary)

• Union ESL Section

VSTA (local – secondary)

Vancouver School Board (Employer) District Support

ESL Consultants (Learning Services)

DRPC • Manager • Placement Admin • Assessment Teacher • SWIS Coordinator

Multicultural Liaison Workers For the following language groupings: Chinese languages, Filipino, Indian languages, Khmer (Cambodian) Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

SWIS (Settlement Workers in Schools)

District Administration (VSB) • Associate Superintendent of

Learning Services • Director of Instruction-

Learning Services (incl. ESL)

1-2

Contact Information

For current contact names, please log on to either

• VSB portal: www.myvsb.vsb.bc.ca, or

• VSB website : www.vsb.bc.ca/vsbprograms/kto12/ESL

A. ESL Consultants (Learning Services), 1580 W. Broadway, 4th Floor

VSB ESL Consultants are available to assist you with questions, concerns, inquiries and professional development plans.

B. District Reception and Placement Centre, 2530 East 43 Avenue

Two of the main functions of the DRPC are:

1. To receive newly arriving students from around the world, to review their documents to ensure they are eligible to attend a Vancouver school, &

2. To provide an initial assessment of these students for whom English is

not the home language and to determine whether English Language Learning support is needed.

C. Multicultural Liaison Workers (MCLW)

Please note that a current list of Multicultural Liaison Workers for your school is sent to your administrator and office staff every fall. An online list is available on the VSB Portal.

D. Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS)

SWIS brochure and online list of SWIS workers is available on the VSB portal.

Section 2

District ESL Student Data

Current district ESL Student enrolment by country and annual registration is now

available on the VSB Portal

www.myvsb.vsb.bc.ca

Section 3

ESL/ESD

BC Ministry of Education 1701 Criteria

3 - 1

Ministry Guidelines for English as a Second Language (ESL) or (FSL) Funding Support The following guidelines, based on the 2007 and earlier Ministry guidelines form the basis for ESL student funding. The VSB documents (AIPS, Matrices, ESL Reports, ESL File guidelines, etc) were created to support the Ministry funding criteria. 1. Documentation of a current annual English (French*) language proficiency

assessment, dated after September 30, [2006], confirming that the student’s use of English (French*) is sufficiently different from standard English (French*)that he or she is identified as requiring specialized ESL (FSL*) services to develop intellectually, to develop as a citizen and to achieve the expected learning outcomes of the provincial curriculum;

The annually (term three) updated Matrices in the ESL files meet this requirement. 2. Evidence that a current annual instructional plan is in place, dated after

September 30, [2006]. The instructional plan must be designed to meet the needs of the student indentified by the English (French*) language proficiency assessment;

The AIP (Annual Instructional Plan), completed annually [in term three], meets this requirement. 3. Evidence that an ESL (FSL*) specialist teacher is involved in the

development of the instructional plan and participates in a regular review of that plan during the school year (at a minimum, at each student reporting period);

The ESL designated teacher signs off on the AIPs and Matrices to meet this requirement.

The Ministry of Education has 6 criteria in place for a Board of Education to qualify for Supplemental Funding for ESL (or FSL) support services.

Please see the Ministry of Education website for the current document:

www.bced.gov.bc.ca/datacollections/september/

Click on “Public Schools” and open “Instructions for Form 1701” Criteria are on page 9.

3 - 2

4. Evidence that additional ESL (FSL*) services are being provided. These

services might include direct instruction in reception classes, pull-out services, ESL (FSL*) specialist support to a classroom teacher or teachers’ assistant, and/or additional ESL (FSL*) services provided in a regular classroom environment. When students receive adaptations within mainstream classrooms, there must be documentation that these adaptations specifically address the ESL (FSL*) needs identified in the student’s English Language (French Language*) proficiency assessment;

Checking the appropriate categories of support on the AIP and being able to speak to the language support that the ESL-funded student is receiving in addition to the classroom support, meets this requirement. 5. A schedule detailing the nature and amount of the direct support provided

by an ESL (FSL*) specialist teacher or teachers; assistant and/or a list of specialized ESL (FSL*) services being provided to the student;

The timetable of support in the student’s ESL file meets the “amount” of direct support required; the AIP and Report Cards reflect the “nature” of support provided. 6. Documentation of the student’s progress in the acquisition of English

(French*) proficiency in all Student Progress Reports An ESL Report (or embedded comment in the classroom teacher’s report*) at the three reporting periods, meets this requirement.

*see Section 7 (Reporting Guidelines) of this Manual for clarification of “embedded comments”

3-3

Supporting English as a Second Dialect (ESD) Learners

Many Vancouver schools are supporting the unique needs of Aboriginal* Learners. The following outline offers some useful information to support your thinking and planning with regard to this special group of students.

First Nations children in Canada are growing up in a variety of contexts (50% urban, 10% rural off-reserve, 40% rural/remote on-reserve) within a variety of cultural ecologies and languages. Some children, though not all, are exposed to a non-standard English dialect as the primary language of their family or community. In order to provide First Nations children with effective and respectful programs of child care, education and support, practitioners need to be aware of First Nations English grammars and community-based norms of language use.i

The linguistic differences exhibited by ESD learners are differences, not deficits. No one variation of English is more standard than any other-except by political (in-group/out-group) agreement. Instead, differences may be rooted in a number of other factors. These include: Grammar Each dialect of English has a slightly different grammar. In addition, learners may be using the grammar of a different home language. Some examples:

Verb form is invariable (also true of several Asian languages) • I go, you go, he go • I goes, you goes, he goes

Pronouns may be optional (also happens in Japanese) • You hear about the accident? Was on my way to town…

Speech sounds Many languages have sounds that we cannot hear, and we give meaning to sounds that those of other languages have learned to ignore. The difficulty with 'l' vs 'r' for many Asian languages speakers is a case in point. The same is true with some ESD speakers.

e.g. 'd' used in place the 'th' so that 'this' becomes 'dis' and 'mother' becomes 'mudder' Discourse structures

Narrative may not be chronological but thematic Connections between/among ideas may not be explicit "brevity" is valued over "elaboration"

*Aboriginal people is the inclusive term for all peoples of indigenous ancestry in Canada.

3-4

Interaction Styles In addition to issues of grammar and discourse structures, the style of classroom interaction may appear at odds with what we have come to expect in BC classrooms. Some examples of different ways to view interaction include:

Hesitation and silence can mean thought rather than lack of comprehension Listening and observing may be considered more valuable than talking One-to-one may be preferred to group or class work Trial and error learning may not be considered "normal" Listening behaviour may not include looking at the speaker nor include "listening

support" (nodding, uh huh, really?, etc.) Lack of response to "display questions" does not necessarily mean lack of listening.

What to Avoid/What to Do Changing the way a learner interacts with her/his own community is not what we wish for ESL/immigrant learners. For ESD learners, as well, it is important to recognize the value and validity of the home language system. Intervention should therefore be aimed at helping these learners become 'bi-dialectical', namely to learn the dialect that we call 'school English' in addition to the dialect of English they already use in their daily lives. ESD learners need support via a specialized ESD programme that includes some of the same techniques and strategies that are used with ESL learners. However, since they are already English speakers, it is important to stress language development techniques that:

Draw the learner's attention to the differences between the dialect they speak in the home community and the dialect used at school and in books.

Help the learner recognize situations where it is appropriate to use each of their two dialects - home dialect and school dialect.

Provide many opportunities for learners to practice and use the grammar and phonology of "school English".

i Ball, J., Bernhart, B. & Deby, J. Implications of First Nations English Dialects for Supporting Children's Language Development. Paper presented at WIPC, Nov/Dec. 2005. Adaptation by Sylvia Helmer, VSB

Section 4

Role of the (Elementary) ESL Support Teacher

4-1

Role of the Elementary ESL Support Teacher

GENERAL

• Support ESL learners in the following ways

o Assess student language levels and readiness for academic learning

o Provide an appropriate language-adapted program that parallels grade-level curriculum as much as possible

o Monitor individual progress at regular intervals (minimum three times a year at reporting times)

o Develop/adapt curricular materials

o Advocate for cross-cultural understanding in the school and community

• Collaboration with CT (Classroom Teacher) in

o Curriculum adaptation in-class (i.e. language arts, socials, science)

o Collaborative teaching

o Record-keeping

o ESL Annual Assessment (AIPs and matrices) during third term

o Student social and cultural adjustment

• Liaison with home

o Home contact as appropriate

o With support of MCLW (Multicultural Liaison Workers) and/or SWIS (Settlement Workers in Schools) as needed

o Advocate for continuing growth in students’ home languages

4-2

SPECIFIC

• September

o Assist with the ESL 1701 count for September 30th

o Consult with classroom teachers to decide on appropriate ESL support, including collaborative in-class support

o Create ESL support schedule (timetable); put in ESL files and begin ESL support by mid September

• Each term

o Writing sample (marked for ESL errors) See pages 7-24

o ESL Report (see Section 7 for Reporting Guidelines)

• Annual Assessment (recommended during third reporting term)

o ESL Assessment (AIP & Matrices) in collaboration with the classroom teacher (see Section 6)

Please note that ESL Report Card inserts, however, are the responsibility of the ESL Resource Teacher.

• Ongoing

o Support ESL students by adapting and collaborating in the delivery of the curriculum in class, in pull-out groups (reception level learners).or a combination of the two.

o Implement second language (L2) learning strategies. ( see Section 8)

o Support ongoing development in home languages (L1).

o Participate in parent information meetings (with multicultural home/school worker), as needed.

o Write Report Card comments to indicate level of ESL (use matrices as guideline). See sample, page 7-3 to 7-5.

o Keep ESL files current (see ESL File Ingredients List – pages 6-1 to 6-2), ideally, after each reporting period.

o Collaborate with classroom teacher(s) to monitor and adjust support as needed, and to deliver curricular content.

Section 5

Professional Development

5-1

Professional Development for Elementary ESL Resource Teachers

Want to know about current ESL Professional Development

opportunities?

Here’s how to find them:

• The VSB Professional Development website: http://www.vsb.bc.ca/vsbprograms/Prod/default.htm

• Pro D CONNECTIONS (yellow)

Sent to all schools monthly (September-June)

• Pro D School Flyers: Check Pro-D bulletin board at schools.

• The VSB ESL website:

http://www.vsb.bc.ca/vsbprograms/kto12/ESL/default.htm

• The ESL Info Sheet Watch for the following VSB workshops as well: September ESL Resource Teacher Orientation Half-day sessions at the VSB November ESL Focus Day for school staffs Arranged annually as requested by schools October – May After-school workshops which include some of the following

topics:

Oral communication strategies with ESL learners Supporting ESL students in the classroom Assessment and ESL Learners Reporting & ESL learners Ready, Audit or Not? Spring into Annual Assessment Singing English (with Fleurette Sweeney) other sessions, as requested.

July ESL Summer Institute: 3-4 half-day sessions VSB Certificate issued on completion

5-2

VESTA ESL Section

The VESTA ESL Section provides VESTA members with an opportunity to discuss items and issues

in their specific interest areas.

Watch for the first fall meeting date of the VESTA ESL Section:

• in the VESTA Staff Rep Weekly, the VESTA news, • on the VESTA website, and in the ESL Info Sheet.

Location of meetings

VESTA Office Commercial Drive @ 13th Avenue

Meeting Times

4 – 5:30 (sharp)

Refreshments served

Agenda items

Watch for interesting agenda items, speakers and discussion items. Add your own agenda items

Plan to attend at least one ESL Section meeting and provide your valuable input.

5 - 3

Check it out!

The new, updated ESL PSA webpage

http://www.bctf.ca/eslpsa

What you’ll find…

• ESL PSA Newsletters • Annual ESL PSA Conference

Information • Latest News: Mini conferences • How to be a Workshop Presenter for

ESL PSA Conferences • How to join the ESL PSA and how to

run for an Executive position • Links to other related websites • What is an ESL Specialist

It’s all on the new ESL PSA website!

Section 6

ESL Files & Documents

AIP’s & Matrices are available on-line at

www.myvsb.vsb.bc.ca

6-1

ESL File Ingredients - Elementary

An ESL Folder for each identified ESL student includes:

1. School generated label 2. AIP (Annual Instructional Plan) & ESL Matrices 3. Additional Documentation for ESL files 4. Report to Parents (optional, but must be in student PR file)

1. School Generated Label on the file folder.

1 AIP* (Annual Instruction Plan) & ESL Matrices AIP and Matrices stapled together, “float” to top of the ESL file. Print current AIPs (one-sided) and matrices from the website:

www.vsb.bc.ca; log in to VSB Staff; scroll down to ESL documents on left hand side.

a. School label on top left-hand corner of AIP to reflect information required.

b. Complete relevant parts: • Service Year (0-5); Grade, Current Level overall • Current level for Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing. • Language development goals for the year in each area

(L/S/R/W) • September - Specify type of service provided and

frequency of service (timetable is sufficient evidence). • Annual Assessment - (recommended during third term).

Complete all the categories above to prepare for the upcoming school year.

• ESL Matrices (2-sided). Complete these with classroom teacher input during annual assessment time. Indicate proficiency in each area, initial and date. Please note that students can be at different levels in L/S/R/W.

c. AIP signed by both support teacher and classroom teacher.

* The AIP needs to be completed only once a year, during the annual assessment (third term).

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

6-2

3. Additional Documentation for ESL Files a. Fall Term

By September 30: Include a schedule of support service provided (e.g. timetable). By end of Term One: Writing sample (with ESL errors noted, dated and initialled by ESL support teacher).

b. Annual Assessment (Recommended during third term) Assessment(s) marked and dated: e.g., writing sample with errors noted (such as Three-Step Write or unscripted journal entry) and/or a reading assessment (DRA, RAD, Woodcock, etc.)

c. Each reporting period At least one (dated) sample of work done that demonstrates need for ESL support (such as a writing sample with ESL errors noted, and/or reading assessments) Report card copy (optional) – see #4 below.

d. Ongoing - ESL Indirect Support Log - kept by the support teacher and filed in ESL files in third term (or sooner if audited). See sample, page 6-5.

e. Ongoing - ESL Additional Support/Consultative Log - kept by the support teacher for each student receiving additional support services beyond the classroom (e.g. ESL Special Needs, counsellor, etc.) and filed in third term. See sample, page 6-6.

4. Reporting to Parents ** See 2006 “Reporting on Students Designated as ESL - Elementary” VSB Guidelines, page 7-1 to 7-6.

a. Report Card (classroom teacher) with ESL status and details, as noted in the VSB Reporting Guidelines.

b. Supplemental Report: Report Insert - ESL Learners (checklist) or English as a Second Language (ESL) - Insert Report (one-page blank template).

ESL reports are official documents and are sent home together with the classroom teacher report. Each term a copy of the ESL report needs to be filed in the student’s PR file, along with the classroom teacher’s report. Additional copies of ESL reports can be kept in ESL files for accessibility and reference.

For detailed information on Ministry requirements for documentation see the ESL Policy Guidelines (pp. 6-9) in ESL Policy Guidelines, and Resources for Teachers (binder) or online at http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/esl/.

6-3

(School Label)

Name: ________________________ Student #:_______________________ Birthdate: ______________________ Country of Origin (optional): _________

VANCOUVER SCHOOL BOARD ANNUAL INSTRUCTION PLAN (Elementary) (revised 2008)

School: ________________________

ESL Annual Instruction Plan THIS IS AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT!

Please ensure that a copy is included in the student's permanent record file should the student move to another school and/or another district.

School Yr: _________ Grade: ____________ Service Yr: ________

(0*-5) Current Level Overall: ___________

(1-4) Yr 0 = new to VSB after Sep 30

School Yr: ________ Grade: ___________ Service Yr:________



School Yr: _______ Grade: ___________ Service Yr:_________



School Yr:_________ Grade: ___________ Service Yr:_________



School Yr:_________ Grade: ___________ Service Yr:_________



School Yr________ Grade___________ Service Yr:_______

(0*-5) Current Level Overall: _________


Speaking/ Listening See attached matrices.

Reading Comprehension: Assessment Score or see attached matrices.

Written Language See attached matrices and writing sample(s).

Language Development/ Acquisition Goals: indicate next level for each area

Listen/Speak: ______ Reading: __________ Writing: ___________

Listen/Speak: ______ Reading: _________ Writing: __________


Listen/Speak:______ Reading: _________ Writing: __________


Listen/Speak: _____ Reading: ________ Writing: _________

PROGRAM / SUPPORT PROVIDED Indicate with a check mark (√).

ESL Class (full time / part time – see timetable)

Pull-out / Small Groups (see timetable)

Push-in / In-class (see timetable)

Indirect / Consultative (see ESL Indirect Support Log or other details attached separately)

Other (see details attached separately)

Classroom Teacher:

DELISTED: (circle as appropriate) D Y X Codes: D - delisted by Ministry after 5 years of funding Y - delisted after 5 years, still requires support, receiving it X - delisted after 5 years, still requires support, not receiving it

Support Teacher:

ESL SERVICE/SUPPORT SUSPENDED (Interrupted) N – service suspended/interrupted; can be re-instated at a

later date, up to five years in total of Ministry-funded ESL support.

Delisting/Suspending service: If suspending/interrupting service, put letter in Student PR file to indicate how many years of funded support the student has completed.

Date of Suspension: ____________________ Assessor’s Name: ___________________________________ Signature: ___________________________________ Please Note: This document is only one page. If you are currently working on an older version of the AIP, including the two-page version, please continue to do so. For new students, we recommend starting with this updated version. It is available online as noted on page 6-1

6-4

ESL Matrices (Kindergarten – Grade 1) Name: _______________________ School: _______________ SIS: ________________________ Date: _________________ (if applicable)

LEVEL 1 (Emerging / Beginning) LEVEL 2 (Developing) LEVEL 3 (Expanding) LEVEL 4 (Consolidating) Listening 1. understands little English

2. understanding requires repetition, visual cues, and processing time

3. begins to follow other students in class routines

1. has difficulty understanding classroom lessons

2. understands simple words and phrases with repetition, wait times and/or visual cues

3. follows one direction at a time if given slowly and with gestures/cues

1. understands classroom lessons and discussions with support

2. understands several simple sentences in a conversation with repetition and some wait time

3. understands simple directions with repetition and visual cues

1. understands academic lessons with visual cues and vocabulary support

2. understands peers’ social conversation with minimal wait time

3. follows a series of directions in a familiar context

Speaking 1. may be silent

2. begins to follow established daily routine with guidance

3. speaks mostly in home language

4. relies on body language and visual cues to communicate

5. responds to repeated/cued questions with gestures or other body language

6. frequently repeats what others say

7. requires significant wit time to formulate a minimal response

8. may not be able to pronounce many English sounds

1. responds to routine, common greetings

2. actively participates in established daily routine

3. participates in choral speaking

4. uses a limited vocabulary of functional and concrete words

5. responds to questions with a few words, after an extended wait time

6. expresses basic needs

7. has fragmented speech

8. pronunciation often interferes with being understood

1. starts to take part in social conversations

2. begins to participate in structured oral lessons with teacher support, and begins to contribute in discussions

3. begins to retell stories and recount events, with support

4. uses a limited vocabulary of functional and commonly used words

5. asks questions, but has problems with word order

6. begins to express basic feelings

7. speaks hesitantly, rephrasing or searching for words

8. pronunciation sometimes interferes with being understood

9. speech contains many grammatical errors

1. engages in social conversation with peers and teachers

2. participates in class discussion, with teacher guidance

3. retells stories, recounts events, and composes own stories

4. begins to use a wider range of vocabulary

5. begins to ask questions for clarification and understanding

6. begins to express opinions and ideas

7. speech hesitations do not interfere with communication

8. pronunciation rarely interferes with being understood

9. grammar errors rarely interfere with communication

School Year CT / RT Initials Code

6-5

LEVEL 1 (Emerging / Beginning) LEVEL 2 (Developing) LEVEL 3 (Expanding) LEVEL 4 (Consolidating)

Reading 1. shows awareness of how books work: front to back sequence, left to right direction of print

2. - recognizes some alphabet letters and numbers

- sings/says the alphabet

3. relates oral language to print (knows that print language represents meaning)

4. shows awareness of environmental symbols and signs

5. actively listens to stories read aloud

1. recites familiar pattern books from memory

2. – recognizes all alphabet letters

- □ upper case □ lower case

- (K) recognizes numbers from 1-__

- (Gr 1) recognizes numbers from 1-__

3. - matches initial consonant sounds and letters in familiar words

- begins to recognize high frequency words

4. uses picture cues to retell story events

5. participates in choral reading

1. independently reads and understands very simple pattern books

2. recognizes some sound/letter relationships

3. - begins to sound out words

- recognizes some high frequency words

4. begins to develop some strategies to assist comprehension

5. begins to read aloud

1. reads and understands a variety of easy books at/near grade level

2. uses phonics to sound out words

3. - recognizes and sounds out a growing number of words

- recognizes many high frequency words

4. uses some strategies to read independently

5. reads aloud with near grade level fluency

Writing 1. attempts to make letters or letter-like forms

2. copies from a model

3. relies on drawings or other visuals to convey meaning

4. demonstrates awareness of left to right convention when copying

5. has few vocabulary words

1. begins to write a letter to represent a word based on letter sounds

2. copies letters, numbers, words or phrases independently

3. begins to label own drawings

4. combines drawing and printing to create a story; the drawing conveys most of the meaning

5. uses limited or repetitious vocabulary

6. - begins to be aware of writing conventions (capitalization, punctuation)

- begins to put spaces between words

1. begins to spell words phonetically using more letters to represent each word

2. spells some high frequency words

3. begins to write simple sentences, may have difficulty with word order, omits words or word endings; run-on sentences are common

4. combines drawing and printing; both support the meaning

5. may use some specialized vocabulary

6. usually uses sequence to organize writing; frequent use of “and”, “but”, “then”

7. begins to develop story elements (plot, character, setting)

1. uses phonetic spelling

2. spells word families (e.g., cat, hat)

3. begins to use a limited variety of sentences with some errors

4. combines drawing and printing; the printing conveys most of the meaning

5. uses vocabulary that is appropriate to purpose but is sometimes awkward (meaning, style)

6. ideas are related, logically connected and sequenced; is generally able to present a main idea with supporting detail

7. able to complete writing frames (e.g., letter, story, journal)

8. demonstrates some editing and proof-reading skills (writing checklist)

9. makes fewer mechanical errors; the errors seldom detract from meaning


6-6

ESL Matrices (Grades 2 - 7) Name: _______________________ School: _______________ SIS: ________________________ Date: _________________ (if applicable) LEVEL 1 (Emerging / Beginning) LEVEL 2 (Developing) LEVEL 3 (Expanding) LEVEL 4 (Consolidating) Listening 1. understands little English

2. understanding requires repetition, visual cues, and processing time


4. comprehends parts of lessons that include extensive visual and oral support

1. understands simple sentences in a conversation, but requires repetition

2. requires less wait time and repetition before responding

3. follows simple directions with prompts and repetition

4. understands short oral lessons that include visual support

1. understands more complex sentences with repetition and rephrasing

2. takes little wait time to respond

3. follows a series of directions with prompts

4. understands grade level lessons with visual, oral, and written support

1. understands more complex sentences, with minimal support

2. rarely takes wait time to respond

3. successfully follows directions at grade level, most of the time

4. understands content of grade level academic lessons with minimal teacher guidance

5. understands some idiomatic language and colloquial expressions

Speaking 1. begins to name concrete and functional objects


3. begins to respond to questions with yes/no, or with one or two words

4. speaks little or no English

9. pronunciation interferes with being understood

1. vocabulary of functional words is growing

2. begins to take part in social conversations and some class lessons

3. asks and answers simple questions

4. speaks hesitantly, rephrasing and searching for words

5. pronunciation can interfere with being understood

6. compensates for limited vocabulary by using known vocabulary and/or awkward wording

7. grammar errors frequently interfere with communication

1. uses growing vocabulary with some errors in usage

2. participates hesitantly in classroom discussions, with teacher guidance

3. is usually able to ask questions for clarification

4. speaks with some hesitations

5. pronunciation sometimes interferes with meaning

6. sometimes uses awkward wording

7. grammar errors sometimes interfere with communication

1. uses social and content specific vocabulary, with support, at grade level

2. participates hesitantly in social conversations and small group discussions

3. is able to ask questions for clarification

4. rarely hesitates when speaking

5. occasionally makes pronunciation errors, but they do not interfere with meaning

6. rarely uses awkward wording

7.rammar errors do not interfere with communication

8. is able to use some idiomatic language and colloquial expressions correctly


6-7


Reading 1. recognizes letters and numbers

2. begins to use phonics to sound out simple words

3. begins to recognize a few high-frequency sight words

4. attempts to read by using pictures to support meaning

5. participates in choral reading but has little understanding

1. ---------

2. oral reading demonstrates use of some decoding skills

3. has a growing vocabulary of sight words

4. is beginning to use reading strategies to assist comprehension

5. reads familiar and patterned material

1. ---------

2. uses decoding skills and a variety of reading strategies, with teacher guidance

3. has acquired basic sight vocabulary for grade level

4. reads and understands easy fiction

5. reads and understands simple content-area material

1. ---------

2. with assistance, uses varied reading strategies to aid understanding

3. has acquired most grade level sight vocabulary

4. reads and understands most fiction at/near grade level, with support

5. reads and understands non-fiction near grade level, with support

6. requires support to read, interpret and evaluate a variety of reading material

7. is increasingly able to find details in texts at/near grade level

Writing 1. relies on drawings and labels to convey meaning

2. – can copy alphabet letters or words

- can copy pattern sentences

3. begins to use invented spelling based on letter sounds

4. uses repetitious and limited vocabulary

5. produces limited output

6. intended meaning of unsupported writing is often unclear

1. ----------

2. writes simple sentences with limited variation in verb tense

3. uses conventional spelling for commonly used words

4. compensates for limited vocabulary by using circumlocutions

5. writing exercises require extra time

6. – begins to apply rules of writing and grammar, with many errors

- writing contains sentence fragments, run-ons

7. begins to organize and sequence ideas, with teacher guidance

1. ------------

2. begins to use a variety of sentence structures appropriate for grade level, with some errors

3. is learning to use rules of spelling

4. uses more varied vocabulary

5. often needs extra time to write tests and assignments

6. – applies rules of writing and grammar taught in class, with fewer errors

- sometimes uses awkward wording

7. can organize and develop ideas with teacher guidance

1. ---------

2. uses a variety of sentence structures, with some errors

3. has learned most of the rules of spelling at/near grade level

4. vocabulary is at/near grade level expectation

5. rarely needs extended time for written assignments

6. – applies rules of writing and grammar; errors do not detract from meaning

- seldom uses awkward wording

7. begins to write more clearly with some organization

8. makes connections between background knowledge, experiences and new information

School

Year CT / RT Initials Code

6-8

ESL INDIRECT SUPPORT LOG FOR SCHOOL YEAR 20______to 20______ STUDENT: _________________________ GRADE: ______ CURRENT ESL YEAR [0-5] _______ For students receiving primarily indirect/in-class support, this log (or equivalent) can be completed, dated and signed for each term. This is the responsibility of the ESL Support Teacher but needs to be completed with assistance and input from the classroom teacher. Highlight or mark the support that is being given. NB: A sample of student work (e.g. writing sample) per reporting period should also be placed in each student's ESL file.

REPORTING PERIODS TERM ONE TERM TWO TERM THREE

Classroom Support Co-planning Co-teaching “Strategies” teaching (other)___________ Student Support within class grouping “Homework Club” incidental help topic-specific help editing/proofing mini-lessons pre-teaching/re-teaching core content concepts (other)_________ Curriculum Support adapting text materials supplementing content materials (other)____________ Collaboration/Consultation preparing /reviewing AIP collaborative planning discussing student progress ESL teaching strategies adapting content and/or instruction (other)_____________

Classroom Support Co-planning Co-teaching “Strategies” teaching (other)_________ Student Support within class grouping “Homework Club” incidental help topic-specific help editing/proofing mini-lessons pre-teaching/re-teaching core content concepts (other)_________ Curriculum Support adapting text materials supplementing content materials (other)____________ Collaboration/Consultation preparing /reviewing AIP collaborative planning discussing student progress ESL teaching strategies adapting content and/or instruction (other)_____________

Classroom Support Co-planning Co-teaching “Strategies” teaching (other)_________ Student Support within class grouping “Homework Club” incidental help topic-specific help editing/proofing mini-lessons pre-teaching/re-teaching core content concepts (other)_________ Curriculum Support adapting text materials supplementing content materials (other)____________ Collaboration/Consultation preparing /reviewing AIP collaborative planning discussing student progress ESL teaching strategies adapting content and/or instruction (other)_____________

ESL Support Teacher _____________________ ESL Support Teacher _____________________ ESL Support Teacher ________________ Classroom Teacher _______________________ Classroom Teacher ______________________ Classroom Teacher __________________

6-9

ESL ADDITIONAL SUPPORT/ CONSULTATION LOG This document is to be used when support is required in addition to the ESL Support the student is already receiving.

School Year: 20______ to 20______ Student Name ______________________________ Grade _____ Division ______ ESL Support Year [0-5] _____ Current Overall ESL proficiency: Level _________ ESL Support Teacher _______________ Classroom Teacher _________________

Date:

Discussion

Participants:

___ Administrator ___ ESL Resource Teacher ___ Classroom Teacher ___ Counsellor ___ Psychologist ___ Multicultural Worker ___ Speech/Language Pathologist ___ other [please specify]

ACTION PLAN: [who, what, when, etc.]

Please tick [√] and amend as needed:

___ adjustment concerns ___ progress concerns ___ behaviour concerns ___ preparation for SBT ___ preparation of PRISS ___ other [please note below]

Date:

Discussion

Participants:

___ Administrator ___ ESL Resource Teacher ___ Classroom Teacher ___ Counsellor ___ Psychologist ___ Multicultural Worker ___ Speech/Language Pathologist ___ other [please specify]

ACTION PLAN: [who, what, when, etc.]

Please tick [√]and amend as needed:

___ adjustment concerns ___ progress concerns ___ behaviour concerns ___ preparation for SBT ___ preparation of PRISS ___ other [please note below]

6-10

Suspending ESL Support – Sample letter for student Permanent Record (PR) files

`

District Suggestion Use a bright colour (such as hot pink) so that this document is visible in the student’s PR file.

_______________________ (Name of School)

____________________________________

(School address & phone number)

Date: _______________ Please note that ESL service for ____________________ has been suspended (category ‘N’) after _________ years of ESL support. This student is eligible for reinstatement of ESL services for ___________ year(s) at a later date, under the five (5) year maximum funding provided by the B.C. Ministry of Education. ________________________ Resource Teacher signature

______________________ _________________________ Administrator’s signature Classroom teacher’s signature

6-11

MOCK AUDIT FOR ___________________________ DATE _________

PRACTICAL DETAILS √ or make notes

1. Files easily accessible to office [e.g. in separate filing cabinet or behind student PR files]

2. Files in alpha order [by all students at audit time] 3. AIPs & Matrices on top [when opening files] 4. Prior years in same folder [stapled by years] 5. Everything in one place for year of service

[timetable, writing samples,, other assessments, etc.]

MINISTRY REQUIREMENTS [as listed on current 1701 form]

1. Record of current annual English language proficiency assessment, dated after Sep. 30 of prior school year. a. data recorded b. signed by assessor(s) c. marked with ESL-specific errors noted [writing]

2. Evidence that a current AIP is in place and a. completed b. signed as needed c. goals noted and dated d. appropriate to needs

3. Evidence that a specialist teacher is involved in a. AIP development b. notes/dates of regular reviews [min. 3/year]

4. Evidence that additional support is being provided that is specific to language needs, such as: a. direct instruction [e.g. "reception" classes] b. pull-out c. in-class d. additional support [log]

5. Schedule of amount and nature of support [e.g. timetable] - Program description/justification may be

requested by auditors. [can be given orally]

6. Documentation of student progress in acquisition of English proficiency in all student progress reports.

Section 7

Reporting & Annual Assessment

Reporting Documents are available online at

www.myvsb.vsb.bc.ca

7-1

REPORTING ON STUDENTS DESIGNATED

AS ESL - ELEMENTARY

PLEASE NOTE: This document replaces all previous versions and complements the new Ministry reporting procedures as adapted for VSB purposes

Fundamental principles in reporting to parents apply to parents of ESL students as well. However, effective reporting should recognize language and cultural differences. [BC Ministry of Education ESL Policy Framework, p.8: 1999]

Formal Reporting Responsibilities for Students Designated as ESL The “VSB – ESL Reporting Guidelines 2006” outline the formal responsibilities of reporting on the educational development of ESL learners in our schools. Student progress reports for all learners contain core elements that allow for efficient documentation of learner progress. The document provides an overview of the responsibilities of ESL Support teachers when reporting on ESL designated learners, including formats and examples.

Teachers have the professional obligation to report progress only for students whom they have personally instructed and evaluated. When an ESL specialist is responsible for providing some portion of a student’s educational program, the specialist should provide written information on the student’s progress in reaching learning goals set by the specialist for that student. This report should be included with the report of the classroom teacher.

[BC Ministry of Education ESL Policy Framework, 1999, page 11: emphasis added] Based on the assessed needs of each student designated as ESL, both the classroom teacher and the ESL support teacher determine the instructional goals1 that can reasonably be met in the current school year. These goals are recorded on an Annual Instruction Plan [AIP]. The AIP also includes details of current status [year of service], program options and schedules. This documentation must meet all the criteria as set out by the BC Ministry of Education’s Fall Data Collection form 1701. It is the progress towards the language development goals noted on the AIP that is the focus of the ESL supplemental reports. 1 The goal for a student is usually to proceed to the next level on the ESL Standards. For example, if a student is at Level 1 for writing, the goal for the student would be to progress to Level 2. If a student is at Level 4, the goal would be to master that level so as to access grade level curriculum.

7-2

REPORTING ON THE PROGRESS OF DESIGNATED ESL LEARNERS AN OUTLINE FOR ESL SUPPORT TEACHERS

PLEASE NOTE: This document replaces all previous versions and complements the new B.C. Ministry of Education reporting procedures as adapted for VSB purposes.

Overview of Reporting Requirements Every teacher who works with designated ESL learners is required to report on that student’s progress. Generally this means the classroom teacher and the ESL support teacher. Both reporting documents become part of that student’s permanent record [PR] file. Student progress reports for ESL designated learners:

must include: - information about what the student is able to do relative to the goals set out in

the AIP - areas which require further development - ways of supporting learning

must be referenced to:

- goals identified in the AIP [may be referenced to the learning outcomes of the grade level IF the learner is approaching “grade level expectations”]

are available in two formats:

FORMAT I: “Report Insert – ESL Learners”

This is a checklist available in several languages. The insert includes some space for written comments on the second page. [See page 2 of this document for more details.]

OR

FORMAT II: “English As A Second Language (ESL) – Insert Report” This is a one-page blank template for a written supplemental report that outlines the progress of the learner. [See pages 3-5 of this document for examples.]

NB: If you have been using embedded comments in the classroom teacher’s report, you may continue to do so, provided all other conditions for reporting are met.

7-3

Reporting Details FORMAT I: “Report Insert - ESL Learners” [checklist: K-1 & Grade 2-7] This format is most often used with lower level ESL learners, and is particularly helpful for parents whose English fluency is limited. The report insert is available in translation in the nine languages most commonly spoken by Vancouver’s ESL population: Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Tagalog, Tamil, Spanish, and Vietnamese. These elementary report inserts for ESL learners [revised June 2003] are available in two grade groupings: one for students in kindergarten or grade 1 [K-1] and another for students in grades 2-7. [Japanese and Russian inserts are still available, but use five, not four, language acquisition/learning levels.] Each two-page insert is a checklist of language learning descriptors categorized relative to the four levels of language acquisition outlined in the Ministry ESL Standards.

• Level 1 (Emerging/Beginning) FOR TURBO PURPOSES ONLY • Level 2 (Developing) Level 1 – [R] = Reception • Level 3 (Expanding) Level 2-3 – [T] = Transition • Level 4 (Consolidating) Level 4 – [I] = Integration

At the bottom of the second page of the Report Insert there is space for written comments. Here teachers can make additional comments, as appropriate, about the following: • student progress [ for example: ________ is making ________* progress in

____________** English]. • student work habits, effort, and behaviour, particularly IF the learner is being

supported in an ESL Pull-out setting. • areas requiring further attention (using language from the matrices is helpful

here). • ways the student may work and/or receive help at home to reach the goal(s)

indicated.

* excellent/very good/good/satisfactory/minimal ** understanding/spoken/written/reading

7-4

FORMAT II: “English as a Second Language (ESL) – Insert Report” [one page template] This form is optimal for reporting to parents who have an appropriate level of English language proficiency as it outlines the details of student progress in writing in English only. The Insert Report outlines the program and states the main language learning objectives of that term, with specific activities noted. These objectives should reflect the goals recorded on the student’s Annual Instruction Plan [AIP]. Three examples are provided to demonstrate the outlining of core elements regardless of the type of support being offered.

PULL-OUT SUPPORT

Statement about “student’s progress in the acquisition of English proficiency” [as per BC Ministry of Education requirements] _______________ is receiving ESL/English language development support and is making progress in/towards the ______________________stage of language acquisition.

[emerging/beginning, developing, expanding, consolidating] What the group has been working on This term we have been working on: (for example)

• [writing & editing skills] • [reading comprehension of information text] • [oral language development] • [note-taking strategies]

What student is able to do ________________has actively participated in these activities and is learning to:

• ________________________ • ________________________

Goal & Support Plan ________________ is encouraged to ___________________________

7-5

IN-CLASS SUPPORT

Statement about “student’s progress in the acquisition of English proficiency” [ as per BC Ministry of Education requirements] _______________ benefits from ESL/English language development support in the area of ________________ and is making progress in/towards the ______________________stage of language acquisition.

[emerging/beginning, developing, expanding, consolidating] What the student has been working on This term we have been working on: (for example)

• [writing & editing skills] • [reading comprehension of information text] • [oral language development] • [note-taking strategies]

What student is able to do ________________has actively participated in these activities and is learning to:

• ________________________ • ________________________

Goal & Support Plan ________________ is encouraged to ___________________________

CONSULTATIVE SUPPORT **

Statement about “student’s progress in the acquisition of English proficiency” [ as per BC Ministry of Education requirements] _______________ is at the [expanding/consolidating] level of/English language development support and is receiving support in _____________________ [ name specific areas such as grammar, writing skills, reading comprehension, etc.] What the student has been working on Name specific aspects of the topic: e.g. using the conditional; descriptive language; text-busting strategies, etc.] What student is able to do ________________has actively participated in these activities and is learning to:

• ________________________ • ________________________

Goal & Support Plan ________________ is encouraged to ___________________________ ** usually only learners at the expanding/consolidating level should be receiving this type of support.

7-6

Reporting on Achievement & the Assignment of Letter Grades for ESL Designated Students:

Information for Classroom and ESL Support Teachers

Letter grades are not appropriate where ESL students are not yet able, due to their level of language proficiency, to follow the provincial curriculum or a course in a locally developed program. In that case, the student progress report must contain information describing what the students can do, areas in which they require further attention or development, and ways of supporting them in their learning.

[BC Ministry of Education ESL Policy Framework, 1999:11]

The Use of an Asterisk [*] Until an ESL student is able to demonstrate her or his learning in relation to the expected learning outcomes set out in the curriculum for the course/subject and grade, the student’s report card contains written comments only. In place of a letter grade on the report card, an asterisk [ * ] is used. Suspending Service If a student is able to meet expectations fairly independently, it may be appropriate to consider “suspending” their ESL designation and support, with the option of reinstating service at a later date. This means that a change of designation to “N” must be made both on the school computer system and on the Ministry 1701 form. Note this change on the AIP as well and add a letter to the student’s PR file, indicating that the Ministry ESL funding has been suspended for the present but could resume at a later date/grade when further support may be needed. [ESL learners are entitled to 5 years of Ministry-funded support but do not have to access these consecutively.] The Use of Letter Grades for English Language Arts and Social Studies Giving a letter grade in Language Arts or other language-dense subjects such as Social Studies, must be considered with great care. A letter grade indicates that the student is close to being able to independently demonstrate his or her learning in relation to the learning outcomes for her or his age peers, and in terms of the appropriate content and grade level. It is suggested, therefore, that the letter grade for English Language Arts or Social Studies may be:

• replaced by an * [asterisk]. This indicates that the student’s program in general, or in this subject area in particular, is adapted to meet ESL needs and some form of a supplemental report is included,

OR • C- [approaching] • C [satisfactory] and, occasionally, • C+ [good] NB: The Level 4 reading and writing descriptors on the ESL Matrices can help to clarify where a learner is currently located in terms of language acquisition.

7-7

“Meeting Expectations” or “C+” for ESL-funded students? When an ESL-funded student can negotiate the curriculum at a “Meeting Expectations” or “C+” level with ESL-funded support, it must be clearly stated on the student’s report card that the student is achieving this level because of the additional language development support. The assumption is that the student is not yet able to reach these levels independently. “Fully Meeting” or “B” ? If an ESL-funded student is “Fully Meeting” or is at the “B” level of meeting the curricular goals with ESL-funded support, the assumption is that the students could independently “Meet Expectations” or achieve a “C+” without support. In this case, the ESL funding support should be suspended (see page 6-16 for the VSB recommended form letter for the student permanent record file). The assumption is that the student could independently achieve a “Meeting” or “C+”. Remaining years of ESL service can be reinstated at a later date, up to a five-year maximum.

Re-instating ESL Support? The best time to re-instate ESL support is prior to the September 30th ESL funding count so that there is Ministry funded support for the school year.

7-8

REPORT INSERT – ESL Learners (Kindergarten – Grade 1): Levels of Progress Toward English Language Acquisition (English Version)

Student’s Name: ___________________________________________ School Year: ___________ ESL / Resource Teacher: _________________ Grade: _____ Division: _____ 1st 2nd 3rd Report

Support Times per Week ESL Reception ______________ ELC Centre ______________ In-Class ______________

Emerging/Beginning: Student is starting to learn English ( receives extensive help) Developing: Student is beginning to communicate in simple English with frequent grammatical errors ( receives a lot of help) Expanding: Student can communicate ideas in English with errors in grammar ( receives some help) Consolidating: Student is approaching grade-level proficiency in English ( receives some help)


Listening

*Students for whom none of the descriptors apply are at pre-emergent level. This progress report is not applicable

pre-emergent

1. understands little English 2. understanding requires

repetition, visual cues, and processing time


1. has difficulty understanding classroom lessons

2. understands simple words and phrases with repetition, wait time and / or visual cues

3. follows one direction at a time if given slowly and with gestures/cues

1. understands classroom lessons and discussions with support

2. understands several simple sentences in a conversation with repetition and some wait time

3. understands simple directions with repetition and visual cues

1. understands academic lessons with visual cues and vocabulary support

2. understands peers’ social conversation with minimal wait time

3. follows a series of directions in a familiar context

Speaking

pre-emergent

1. may be silent 2. begins to follow established

daily routine with guidance 3. speaks mostly in home

language 4. relies on body language and

visual cues to communicate 5. responds to repeated / cued

questions with gestures or other body language

6. frequently repeats what others say

7. requires significant wait time to formulate a minimal response

8. may not be able to pronounce many English sounds

1. responds to routine, common greetings

2. actively participates in established daily routine

3. participates in choral speaking 4. uses a limited vocabulary of

functional and concrete words 5. responds to questions with a

few words, after an extended wait time

6. expresses basic needs 7. has fragmented speech 8. pronunciation often interferes

with being understood

1. starts to take part in social conversations

2. begins to participate in structured oral lessons with teacher support, and begins to contribute in discussions

3. begins to retell stories and recount events, with support

4. uses a limited vocabulary of functional and commonly used words

5. asks questions, but has problems with word order

6. begins to express basic feelings

7. speaks hesitantly, rephrasing or searching for words

8. pronunciation sometimes interferes with being understood

1. engages in social conversation with peers and teachers

2. participates in class discussion, with teacher guidance

3. retells stories, recounts events, and composes own stories

4. begins to use a wider range of vocabulary

5. begins to ask questions for clarification and understanding

6. begins to express opinions and ideas

7. speech hesitations do not interfere with communication

8. pronunciation rarely interferes with being understood

7-9


Reading

pre-emergent

1. shows awareness of how books work: front to back sequence, left to right direction of print

2. - recognizes some alphabet letters and numbers

- says / sings the alphabet 3. relates oral language to

print (knows that print language represents meaning)

4. shows awareness of environmental symbols and signs

5. actively listens to stories read aloud

1. recites familiar pattern books from memory

2. - recognizes all alphabet letters

upper case lower case

- (K) recognizes numbers from 1 - ___

- (Gr.1) recognizes numbers from 1 - ___

3. - matches initial consonant sounds and letters in familiar words

- begins to recognize high frequency words

4. uses picture cues to retell story events

5. participates in choral reading

1. independently reads and understands very simple pattern books

2. recognizes some sound/letter relationships

3. - begins to sound out words - recognizes some high

frequency words 4. begins to develop some

strategies to assist comprehension

5. begins to read aloud

1. reads and understands a variety of easy books at / near grade level

2. uses phonics to sound out words

3. - recognizes and sounds out a growing number of words

- recognizes many high frequency words

4. uses some strategies to read independently

5. reads aloud with near grade level fluency

Writing

pre-emergent

1. attempts to make letters or letter-like forms

2. copies from a model 3. relies on drawings or other

visuals to convey meaning 4. demonstrates awareness of

left to right convention when copying

5. has few vocabulary words

1. begins to write a letter to represent a word based on letter sounds

2. copies letters, numbers, words or phrases independently

3. begins to label own drawings 4. combines drawing and

printing to create a story; the drawing conveys most of the meaning

5. uses limited or repetitious vocabulary

6. - begins to be aware of writing conventions (capitalization, punctuation)

- begins to put spaces between words

1. begins to spell words phonetically using more letters to represent each word

2. spells some high frequency words

3. begins to write simple sentences

4. combines drawing and printing; both support the meaning

5. may use some specialized vocabulary

6. usually uses sequence to organize writing

7. begins to develop story elements (plot, character, setting)

1. uses phonetic spelling 2. spells word families (e.g. cat,

hat) 3. begins to use a limited variety

of sentences with some errors 4. combines drawing and

printing; the printing conveys most of the meaning

5. uses vocabulary that is appropriate to purpose but is sometimes awkward (meaning, style)

6. ideas are related, logically connected and sequenced

7. able to complete writing frames (e.g. letter, story, journal)

Signature: ________________________________________________________________________ (Teacher / Administrator) Additional comments_______________________________________________________________________

7-10

REPORT INSERT – ESL Learners (Grades 2-7): Levels of Progress Toward English Language Acquisition (English Version)

Student’s Name: _____________________________________________________ School Year: ___________ ESL / Resource Teacher: _________________ Grade: _____ Division: _____ 1st 2nd 3rd Report

Support Times per Week ESL Reception ______________ ELC Centre ______________ In-Class ______________

Emerging/Beginning: Student is starting to learn English ( receives extensive help) Developing: Student is beginning to communicate in simple English with frequent grammatical errors ( receives a lot of help) Expanding: Student can communicate ideas in English with errors in grammar ( receives some help) Consolidating: Student is approaching grade-level proficiency in English ( receives some help)


Listening

*Students for whom none of the descriptors apply are at pre-emergent level. This progress report is not applicable

pre-emergent

1. understands little English 2. understanding requires

repetition, visual cues, and extensive processing time


4. comprehends parts of lessons

1. understands simple sentences in a conversation, but requires repetition

2. requires less wait time and repetition before responding

3. follows simple directions with prompts and repetition

4. understands short oral lessons

1. understands more complex sentences with repetition and rephrasing

2. takes little wait time to respond

3. follows a series of directions with prompts

4. understands grade level lessons with support

1. understands more complex sentences, with minimal support

2. rarely takes wait time to respond 3. successfully follows directions at

grade level, most of the time 4. understands content of grade level

academic lessons with minimal teacher guidance

Speaking

pre-emergent

1. begins to name concrete and functional objects


3. begins to respond to questions with yes/no, or with one or two words

4. speaks little or no English

5. pronunciation interferes with being understood

1. vocabulary of functional words is growing

2. begins to take part in social conversations and some class lessons

3. asks and answers simple questions

4. speaks hesitantly, rephrasing and searching for words

5. pronunciation can interfere with being understood

6. compensates for limited vocabulary

7. by using known vocabulary and/or awkward wording

8. grammar errors frequently interfere with communication

1. uses growing vocabulary with some errors in usage

2. participates hesitantly in classroom discussions, with teacher guidance

3. is usually able to ask questions for clarification

4. speaks with some hesitations

5. pronunciation sometimes interferes with meaning

6. sometimes uses awkward wording

7. grammar errors sometimes interfere with communication

1. uses social and content specific vocabulary, with support, at grade level

2. participates hesitantly in social conversations and small group discussions

3. is able to ask questions for clarification

4. rarely hesitates when speaking

5. occasionally makes pronunciation errors, but they do not interfere with meaning

6. rarely uses awkward wording

7. grammar errors do not interfere with communication

7-11


Reading

pre-emergent

1. recognizes letters and numbers

2. begins to use phonics to sound out simple words

3. begins to recognize a few high-frequency sight words

4. attempts to read by using pictures to support meaning

5. participates in choral reading but has little understanding

1. ----------

2. oral reading demonstrates use of some decoding skills

3. has a growing vocabulary of sight words

4. is beginning to use reading strategies to assist comprehension

5. reads familiar and patterned material

1. ----------

2. uses decoding skills and a variety of reading strategies, with teacher guidance

3. has acquired basic sight vocabulary for grade level

4. reads and understands easy fiction

5. reads and understands simple content-area material

1. ----------

2. with assistance, uses varied reading strategies to aid understanding

3. has acquired most grade level sight vocabulary

4. reads and understands most fiction at/near grade level, with support

5. reads and understand non-fiction near grade level, with support

6. requires support to read, interpret and evaluate a variety of reading materials

7. is increasingly able to find details in texts at/near grade level

Writing

pre-emergent

1. relies on drawings and labels to convey meaning

2. - can copy alphabet letters or words - can copy pattern sentences

3. begins to use invented spelling based on letter sounds

4. uses repetitious and limited vocabulary

5. produces limited output 6. intended meaning of

unsupported writing is often unclear

1. ---------- 2. writes simple sentences with

limited variation in verb tense 3. uses conventional spelling for

commonly used words 4. compensates for limited

vocabulary 5. writing exercises require extra time 6. -begins to apply rules of writing

and grammar, with many errors -writing contains sentence fragments, run-ons

7. begins to organize and sequence ideas, with teacher guidance

1. ---------- 2. begins to use a variety of

sentence structures appropriate for grade level, with some errors

3. is learning to use rules of spelling

4. uses more varied vocabulary 5. often needs extra time to write

tests and assignments 6. - applies rules of writing and

grammar taught in class, with fewer errors

- sometimes uses awkward wording

7. can organize and develop ideas with teacher guidance

1. ---------- 2. uses a variety of sentence

structures, with some errors 3. has learned most of the rules of

spelling at/near grade level 4. vocabulary is at/near grade level

expectation 5. rarely needs extended time for

written assignments 6. applies rules of writing and grammar 7. begins to write more clearly with

some organization

Signature: ______________________________________________________________________ (Teacher / Administrator) Additional comments: __________________________________________________________________________________

7-12

Sample Comments

These comments can be added to the “Goals & Support Plan” Section

of the classroom teacher report For ESL Pull out students • ESL Support _______________ is receiving English language development pull-out support from ______________. (ESL/Resource teacher) Please see attached report (Attach either the checklist ESL Report Insert or the one-page ESL supplemental report) For ESL students receiving in-class support • ESL Support ________________ benefits from English language development in-class support from _______________. (ESL/Resource teacher) Please see attached report (Attach either the checklist ESL Report Insert or the one-page ESL supplemental report). For ESL Consultative support • ESL Support _______________________ is receiving consultative language development support from ________________. (ESL/Resource teacher) (Can be integrated into main report in the Language Arts section)

7-13

DATE: March 2007 TO: Elementary Schools FROM: Valerie Overgaard, Associate Superintendent

Learning Services Re: ESL Annual Assessment Attached are suggestions and materials for the annual assessment of ESL students, a BC Ministry of Education requirement for ESL designation and funding. Funding is allotted for a maximum of five years whether the learner has achieved age-appropriate language proficiency or not. Guidelines for the annual assessment:

• Assessment of English Language Development, in terms of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing is required and must be fully documented (see attached guidelines).Whenever possible, use existing assessment* information gathered for reporting to parents.

• For example, if evaluation of “unassisted writing” and reading comprehension

has been completed for the second report card, as is the case in Literacy Project schools, use this information for the annual ESL assessment. Supplement this information when necessary (e.g., an oral language assessment).

*An important goal is a streamlined process that avoids duplication of efforts. In all cases, suggestions for the use of materials are provided. School-based decisions about testing will need to be made. There is no requirement for using standardized assessment instruments. Please note: A copy of relevant recent assessment results for Grade 7 students on the 1701 list needs to be forwarded to the ESL contact (appended) at the appropriate secondary school as early as possible to facilitate timetabling for the next school year. In many cases, timetabling takes place as early as February. VO/pd Attachments (Sample Letter)

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ESL Annual Assessment - Primary and Intermediate

The following package of materials has been created to serve as a guide to schools in their annual assessment of ESL students. Each school will make decisions regarding the type and amount of assessment needed to meet the needs of their programs and record keeping, but an annual assessment must take place to meet Ministry of Education requirements. Annual assessment is necessary but schools should spend the least amount of time possible to collect the information required. The recommended time of year for the Annual Assessment is during third term (final reporting period).

However, Grade 7 is an exception, because some indication of potential placement for Grade 7 students must be forwarded to the ESL contact at the appropriate secondary school, to facilitate time tabling options for these learners. Most secondary schools start the time tabling process in February.

The assessment procedure serves several purposes. It is: a. the annual assessment of all aspects of ESL student language, as is required by the

Ministry of Education for 1701 funding designation; b. ongoing record keeping to document student progress and to support school

planning for service to ESL students; c. placement information for program planning for the next school year; d. goal setting for program development.

Annual assessment measures are not intended to be used as summative evaluation of student performance which would be more appropriately done using curriculum-based testing and student portfolios. Some schools conducted assessments early in the fall. However, the Ministry requires an annual assessment to have taken place after September 30th of the previous school year. The results will be recorded on the VSB ESL Annual Instruction Plan (AIP) and on the ESL Matrices. Resource Teacher(s) work in conjunction with classroom teachers to complete the annual assessment. Both teachers are required to sign the AIP (see page 6-4 in the “green” book: Supporting ESL Learners).

As directed by the Ministry of Education ESL Policy Framework (1999), “Essential elements which require attention in the assessment process include language proficiency (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) . . .” (p. 5). Therefore this package contains directions for assessment in these four areas. Use of standardized instruments is not required, but may be undertaken as part of the assessment process.

Please note the difference between the AIP (ESL) and the IEP (Special Ed; LAC) documents: AIP – Annual Instruction Plan for ESL Ministry of Education funded ESL students IEP – Individual Education Plan for Ministry designated Special Needs students and for any LAC students receiving additional support for 25+ hours/year

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Please note: If you have started using an earlier version of the ESL Matrices (with five levels versus the current four), please continue to use it. If, however, you are beginning a file for a new student, please use the revised (2005) version of the matrices, which can be downloaded from the VSB website: www.vsb.bc.ca; click on VSB staff and log in; scroll down on the left to “ESL Documents”. Oral language can be captured in a variety of ways, both formally and informally. For example: • Structure a variety of opportunities, appropriate to age/linguistic level, for students to

speak or listen at greater lengths, or observe a student during class activities. Examples of possible oral assessment activities include:

student tells a story, narrative student listens to and retells a story student debates a topic pertinent to her/his interests student gives an oral presentation and answers questions student explains/describes a piece of work produced teacher observes students in a cooperative activity which involves

listening, asking questions, giving instructions, following instructions, participation.

• Give newer students a picture (or two) and ask them to: describe it (describe the differences between them) tell a story or make predictions about it make up questions related to it.

• Use a tape recorder to capture discussions. • Get a small sample of speech on a tape recorder • Focus on one aspect of language at a time when you listen to students. USING THE LISTENING/SPEAKING MATRIX

• Observe the student’s speaking and listening behaviour. • On the ESL Matrices, highlight or put an X beside the characteristics observed.

Date and initial each item that has an X, or colour code and note the date (month and year) of the colour on the bottom of the matrix.

• Based on the greatest number of applicable characteristics, assign an ESL level.

• Keep the ESL Matrices with the AIP (in the student’s ESL file). Use both documents for ongoing assessment.

LISTENING/SPEAKING ASSESSMENT: SUGGESTED PROCEDURES

Please note: On the ESL Matrices, students may be at various levels of Listening, Speaking Reading & Writing, depending on their age and the content of materials they are using.

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Listening / Speaking Assessment (use this sample template if appropriate)

Students Name: ______________________ Date: _______________________________

Recorded by: _________________ Assessed by: _________________

Read/ tell a story to student and transcribe her/his retelling word for word. Retelling of __________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Key Errors/Areas for Improvement Key Errors/Areas for Improvement

art use/omission of article _____ pron pronunciation _____

clar clarity of meaning _____ sing/pl singulars and plurals _____

inc incomplete sentences _____ sva subject verb agreement

_____

omis. omission of words _____ tenses tenses _____

… pausing, searching for words

_____ verb fm verb formation _____

prep prepositions _____ vocab vocabulary _____

pro pronoun usuage _____ w.o. word order _____

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• Use a FIRST DRAFT writing sample for evaluation. • Discussion or brainstorming is acceptable to ensure students are familiar with the

topic. • Students should not use dictionaries (electronic or otherwise). • Students can have 20-30 minutes to complete the writing. • A template for students to record their composition is included in the package, or you

may use the composition form or double space on looseleaf/ foolscap. • Please have students write in ink if possible. • Note “ESL Errors” on the writing sample, using the Written Language Checklist or

equivalent (See attached). • Ensure that the student’s name and date are on the writing sample. (A date stamp

may be helpful). SUGGESTED EXAMPLES FOR WRITING ASSESSMENT

Kindergarten/Grade One A. Select a story to read to the class/group. Read part of the story and ask the

students to complete the story. It is best to choose a genre and theme familiar to the students. Ask students to draw a picture that completes the story and use written language to describe the picture.

OR B. K-1 Teachers may select “authentic assessment” pieces of work. In this case,

teachers would choose a week during the Annual Assessment timeframe and select a sample of each student’s daily writing that is representative of what the child produces independently and spontaneously on an ongoing basis. This could be work to be produced during the “Three Day Write” for those schools who have used this format to assess writing.

Grade Two - Grade Seven Sample Writing Tasks for Grades 2-7 A. Literacy Project “Three Day Write” B. Here are some other suggested topics for the writing sample.

• A place I want to visit (and why) • School in Vancouver is the same as/ different from school in • Students my age should have these rights (also say why) • The computer has many uses • To be a good student, here is what you need to do • What I like best about my school (and why) • When I finish school I want to

WRITING ASSESSMENT: SUGGESTED PROCEDURES

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If you have other topics that are of current relevance and interest to the learners at your school, feel free to substitute them as appropriate. The objective of the task is to generate as much writing as is reasonable for the age of the learner within the given time frame. Hence, a topic that appeals is ideal. NB: Some schools have chosen to use the same writing prompt for all writers instead of giving students a choice. This has advantages in terms of seeing how well each student writes in relation to her/his age peers. The disadvantage is that some topics simply do not appeal to some learners, and therefore less writing may be produced. USING THE ESL WRITING MATRICES

• For the first impression of the students’ writing level, read through the whole piece of writing. Are thoughts expressed only in words or in phrases, or are they in complete sentences?

Is the meaning clear?

• Put an X beside each characteristic that the student has demonstrated. Date and initial each item that has an X, or colour code and note the date of colour on the bottom of the matrices.

• Look at characteristics on the matrices for more specific details.

• Based on the greatest number of applicable characteristics, assign an ESL Level.

• Teachers should indicate ESL errors on the writing sample before placing it in the student’s 1701 file (see optional Written Language Checklist). This is particularly recommended for those working with Grade Seven students.

• Keep the matrices with the AIP and use them for ongoing assessment.


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READING ASSESSMENT: SUGGESTED PROCEDURES

• Conduct an informal assessment of the student’s reading proficiency in one of the

following ways: o Ask the student to read a passage from an appropriate age/grade level

from a picture book, novel, and/or a subject-specific text (e.g., social studies, science) and answer questions orally about the content.

o Schools involved in the Literacy Projects have more formal tools that are acceptable alternatives,

OR

• If you choose to administer a standardized reading test, some that are generally

available in our schools include: Gates McGinitie Canadian Achievement Tests M.A.S.T. (Multilevel Academic Survey Test) I.P.T. (Idea Proficiency Test)

Please note that while the VSB has a site licence for use of the Woodcock reading test, it is used as an intake assessment at the District Reception & Placement Center (DRPC), and therefore we recommend that it not be over-used. Please be very cautious in the use of standardized tests that were normed for native English-speaking learners, and not for ESL learners.

USING THE ESL READING MATRICES • Following the reading assessment, complete the reading section on the ESL

Matrices. • Highlight or put an X beside each characteristic the student has demonstrated. Date

and initial each item that has an X, or colour code and note the month/day/year of colour on the bottom of the matrices.

• Based on the greatest number of applicable characteristics, assign an ESL

level.


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Student Name:

School: Date:

* Note: This should be the first draft of the writing sample, not a rewrite of a corrected

composition. ESL errors should be noted.

K-1 COMPOSITION FORM

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Student Name:

School: Date:

* Note: This should be the first draft of the writing sample, not a rewrite of a corrected

composition. ESL errors should be noted.

GRADE 2-7 COMPOSITION FORM

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Assessment for Learning and Assessment of

Learners Assessment for learning is not the same as assessment of learning. Assessment of learning is assessment for accountability purposes, to determine a student's level of performance on a specific task or at the conclusion of a unit of teaching and learning. The information gained from this kind of assessment is often used in reporting. Assessment for learning, on the other hand, acknowledges that assessment should occur as a regular part of teaching and learning and that the information gained from assessment activities can be used to shape the teaching and learning process. http://cms.curriculum.edu.au./assessment/whatis.asp

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Authentic Assessment

What is it? A way of assessing students which demonstrates their knowledge of content, even if their language is limited An emphasis on what students know, instead of on what they don’t know Based on setting clear criteria for the student (and parents) Based on samples of various forms of student work over time Relates closely to classroom learning Teaches students to self-evaluate Requires students to respond in different ways to show their understanding Supports students in becoming independent thinkers and empowers them to take control of their own learning Allows for different learning styles, language proficiencies, cultural and educational backgrounds, and grade levels Is not uniform or standardized Challenges Time-intensive Curricular validity (meeting IRP goals) Evaluator bias (minimizing) Source: Authentic Assessment for English Language Learners: Practical Approaches for Teachers: J. Michael O’Malley and Lorraine Valdez Pierce

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Formal Assessment Tools we have known/ known about and loved/hated

Elementary Both Secondary

- Alberta Diagnostic - Brigance

(Inventory of Early Development/Essential Skills)

- Dolch Words - DRA

(Developmental Reading Assessment)

- IPT 1 / IPT 2 (oral, reading, writing)

- Jerry Johns Basic Reading Inventory

- RAD (Reading Assessment District 36 Surrey)

- Slossen

- Bader Reading

and Language Inventory

- CAT-3 (Canadian Achievement Tests: Gr. 1-12)

- CTBS - GAP / New GAP - Gates MacGinitie - MAST (Multilevel

Academic Survey Test) [Gr. 3 - 12)

- RIA (reading for Information- N.Van.)

- SOLOM (Student Oral Language Observation Matrix)

- Woodcock Reading Comprehension

-

- CELT

(Comprehensive English Language Test)

- GAPADOL - IPT 3 (oral,

reading, writing) - LPI - SLEP (Secondary

Level English Proficiency)

Informal, teacher –created tools abound:

- math tests created by grade-level teaching teams – pri. int. sec. DRPC - Oral Language Expression (based on Silvaroli et al) K-12 [SH] - RIF (Reading for Information [YVR - Gr. 1,3,5,7] - Informal surveys – primary, intermediate [DRPC] - Pre-K screening tools [SH] [ also, Newcomer Program Gr. 3-6] - Writing prompts K-12 [various] - Cloze stories [various]

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Assessment Measures used in the Early and Late Literacy Projects

ASSESSMENT

MEASURE GRADE LEVEL

FOCUS (what information does it

give)

TIME (to give and when it is administered)

Phonemic Awareness (VSB Tool from Literacy in K)

K-1 Student ability to rhyme, segment and blend sounds

Administered first in January of K year but can be done anytime; takes about 10 minutes

Letter-Sound Identification (Subtest of Observation Survey by Marie Clay)

K-1 - Student awareness of sound/symbol correspondence -inventory of letters and sounds known


Concepts of Print Survey (VSB tool adapted from Observation Survey subtest)

K-1 -student understanding of basic functions of text (eg – title, direction of print, sense of ‘word’, text vs picture info, etc)


DRA [directed reading] K-3 used in Early Literacy project 4-8 used in some schools by individual teachers

K-3 4-8

-tells you the strategies and cueing systems student is using when reading -with the addition of the VSB’s comprehension questions it also gives you the student’s comprehension level

Approx 10-20 minutes per child depending on your skill with the tool

It not only gives us reliable information on the child’s reading level but also what we need to teach them next

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ASSESSMENT MEASURE

GRADE LEVEL

FOCUS (what information does it

give)

TIME (to give and when

administered)

RAD [Reading Assessment District 36]

3-8 -gives information on what students are thinking when they are reading -informs of what reading strategies students are able to use -tells you if they are able to monitor their understanding -the fluency component informs you if the grade level material is at an independent, instruction or frustration level

1-1 ½ hours per class to administer and another 1-2 hours to mark

-Encouraged to mark with colleagues including the resource team to determine the strategies that need to be taught -Gives a clear picture of what strategies students are using when they read

School Wide Write

K-8 -information based on the Performance Standards about what components (meaning, style, form, and conventions) a student is using when they write

3 sessions of 30-50 minutes each -additional time is needed to evaluate

-Gives a concrete example of how students can express themselves in written form -Teachers are encouraged to mark with their colleagues -the information informs teachers of areas on which they need to focus

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STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENT [ notes based on email from Steve Naylor, retired teacher]

The division into subjects and periods encourages a segmented rather than an integrated view of knowledge. Consequently, what students are asked to relate to in schooling becomes increasingly artificial, cut off from the human experiences subject matter is supposed to reflect.

John I. Goodlad, A Place Called School p. 266 [ McGraw-Hill]

Standardized tests:

are culturally biased – despite best efforts to minimize this are disproportionately costly [ cost vs benefit analysis] are subject to serious errors in processing attach labels to problems rather than contributing to their solution bypass random sampling techniques – which are far less intrusive and far less costly cannot measure higher order thinking create counterproductive levels of stress discourage creative and non-standard thinking do not reflect any overarching societal aim/goal do nothing to “solve” the “problems” they are supposed to identify emphasize minimum achievement rather than maximum performance hand over the direction of education to a handful of statisticians who may or may not

understand anything about education in today’s schools have significant margins for error – not supportable given the high stakes attached to

them ignore differences in access to “test preparation” materials ignore different learning styles – or different teaching styles lead to neglect of important but non-tested school subjects offer no new insights to the teacher or the student [ or the parent] predict nothing of genuine significance for future learning – or teaching unfairly penalize poor test takers yield scores meaningless to most stakeholders.

WHAT ARE THE RESULTS? As educators are forced to continue to do “the wrong thing” but with even greater diligence, a 19th century curriculum - the Industrial Revolution shaped our fragmented curriculum - continues to freeze more rigidly in place. The direct and indirect consequences are visible:

alienates and unfairly targets our most vulnerable learners helps to create a population unprepared to move to an unknown future high dropout rates problems with classroom discipline rapid loss of what is supposedly “learned” student apathy teacher recruitment problems undue reliance on extrinsic motivators.

Section 8

Supporting our ESL/ELL Learners

• Reception-level/Beginners • Refugee Learners • Making Curricular Content

Comprehensible

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Including Reception/Beginner Learners

Who are they? • Reception learners are newly-arrived students who are at Level 1 in English

language learning (as defined by the Ministry of Education and the VSB matrices) • They understand little or no English • They may be silent, speak mostly in their home language, require significant wait

time to formulate a response, and may not be able to pronounce many English sounds

• They may recognize letters and numbers, begin to use phonics to sound out simple words, participate in choral reading with little understanding, rely on drawings and labels to convey meaning, and produce limited output.

The goal is for English Language Learners to be involved to the fullest extent possible in grade-level classroom activities, as soon as possible. Modified Schedule New arrivals can work with a modified schedule for the first few months, keeping in mind that they will make more language learning progress if they are involved in meaningful activities in the classroom with their peers. One early stage of language learning is/can be the “silent period” during which time newcomers are observing and absorbing. Listening to a new language all day can be tiring and strenuous, so it is important to try to create a low affective filter (comfort zone) for newcomers in the class! Peer Mentors One recommendation is to set up a peer mentor relationship for the first few months. The role of the peer mentor is to introduce the new student to the school, to routines, and to the class. Peer Mentors can support the student in socialization (turn-taking, participation rules, and established school and classroom routines) aspects of their new experience. Home-School Connection (Teacher, MCLW) Attempt to establish a home-school connection, with the support of the MCLW, to engage the parents in the students’ learning. Language Learning The initial stage of language learning, developing BICS: Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills, or Social Language, can take several months, while the more complex stage, CALP – Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency, or Academic Language, can take up to seven years, depending on the age of the student and on their prior education/literacy.

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Scaffolded Instruction of thematic studies is one way for our language learners to begin to access content in the curricular areas, while building vocabulary necessary to negotiate text and meaning. Students who have had prior schooling already have content knowledge in their home language and need support in developing vocabulary and grammatical constructs to support them in making connections between prior knowledge in their home language and their new language. Strategies to make curricular content comprehensible include:

o Visual aids – lots of pictures! o Modelling with TPR (total physical response, using hand gestures, etc.) o Demonstrations o Graphic organizers to organize information o Vocabulary previews including an understanding of word roots o Prediction based on prior knowledge o Adapted text o Cooperative/team learning o Peer tutoring/mentoring o Multicultural content to support other world views o Home language support and acknowledgement

Sample Daily Integrated Schedule for Newcomer/Reception Students with some previous schooling

am

Opening with the whole class (or Reception pull-out class) Work with English-speaking peer mentor: Reading/storytelling Silent reading (in home language, a "living" book on the computer in

English, www.starfall.com, or an appropriate English book) Whole class math instruction (peer mentor translates)

Recess

am

Welcome Kit or Listening Center Computer activity supporting language acquisition (e.g. Rosetta Stone) Team task/group work with other students in class in content area Pre-lunch whole group activity with class (Music, PE, Art)

12-1 pm Lunch

pm

Participate in whole-class sheltered lesson related to science, social studies, or other academic content (as applicable)

Independent study center: math study, language-building activities (ie reading through previously taught chants, patterned text, student-authored text, etc.), computer work, or peer activities such as math or language games/sequencing activities, math games, etc.

2:45 pm Whole class activity and closure

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Peer Mentor Tips Tips to help support newcomer/reception students to the classroom and school:

Use short, simple sentences

Speak in a normal voice.

Your “buddy” just needs to understand the main idea of what you are trying to tell him/her. Use pictures when you can. If you can't find any…draw one. Or - act it out when you can (even if it's just with your hands). If your buddy still doesn't understand, try to explain in different words.

If you can't understand what your buddy is trying to say, ask him or her to act it out or to draw it.

Support your buddy to do his/her own work.

If you hear your buddy pronouncing something incorrectly, try to model the correct way to say it.

If your buddy can't think of the answer (word), give him/her the choice between two possible words.

Make suggestions to your teacher if you can see ways that your buddy could be included more in the classroom.

Think of ways to make your buddy feel welcome at recess, lunch, after school…any time!

Ask your buddy to teach you some things in his or her first language. It could be fun to learn how to say some things in another language.

Peer mentors are important people! Newcomer students can learn a lot from you when they first arrive. Thank you for choosing this very important job to make the first month

of a newcomer student easier.

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Peer Mentor Support Letter

(date) Dear _______________ (name of Peer Mentor) Thank you for your help with ___________________, a new student to our school. This student will remember you as the first friend and helper in this school and country. Please spend some time doing the following with our new student: Take the student around the school to show him/her the following places and

try to explain, in the best way possible (simple words, acting out, hand gestures) what students are expected to do, including some simple rules for each location

o Bathrooms o Office o Cafeteria/lunchroom o School library o Computer room (if applicable) o Gym o Playground

Please introduce the student to the following people; write down their names

for the student, and explain a bit about their jobs:

o Secretary _________________ o Principal ___________________ o Librarian ___________________ o Engineer ___________________ o Cafeteria Staff ______________ o School Counsellor _____________

Ask the student if he/she has any questions. If so, please write them down

and bring them to your teacher at the end of the tour. Please return to the class by ____________ today.

Thank you for your help! ______________________ (teacher’s name)

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Mini Reception Level Classes Initial Support (for the first 1-2 months): • Support new language learners at the reception level for a daily minimum of 20 – 45

minutes, preferably at the start of each day. Subsequent Support: • Offer a minimum of 3x/week (Mo/Wed/Fri, for example), remembering that frequency

is more important than number of minutes of support

Strategies to engage Reception/Beginner learners (in random order):

Create a low affective filter to support risk-taking in language learning. Use board games to teach simple rules, for social interaction, turn-taking, and to

have fun! Help students choose books whose content supports their curricular and personal

goals/interest, and whose vocabulary at their reading level (National Geographic books are very good for this, as are levelled Literacy books)

Set up a reading log, to help students track what they are reading.

Create a “buddy” system with a student in the same grade class, who is willing/able

to volunteer 15 min/morning to read with the Reception level students. (These volunteers can be recognised for their work at a year-end assembly, for example.). This strategy also helps build personal relationships for newcomers.

Use games and lots of pictures to build oral language and vocabulary in a

meaningful context that relates to the students’ curricular and/or personal interests. Build the rules of grammar and spelling into meaningful contexts.

Model interactive journal writing with the teacher.

Encourage a home-school connection; learn about students’ cultures, and support

students in continuing to read and learn in their home languages.

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Home School Connections (sample) Include a home-school assignment to enable parents to get involved in the students’ curricular content. Task: Interview your parents or any adult in your home For example, if the topic is: Games & Sports

Recommendation: Use only one of these ideas at a time, so that it is not overwhelming for the adults at home.

Ask them to tell you about “games” from your family’s culture

Ask them to give you an opinion about playing sports Person For Against Why

Mother Father Sister Brother Grandparent Friend You

Keep track of all the sports that you participate in this week. Record the information on a log.

Example Day Number of Minutes Type of Exercise

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“Welcome Kits” for Newcomers

Purpose • To support Reception level students through their initial adjustment period

with some “cognitively demanding” work o Preferably one per intermediate classroom o For grades 4-7 (elementary) and later-to-literacy (secondary) students

What are they? • Kits assembled to support Reception level learners through their initial

adjustment in the intermediate classrooms. • Suggestions to create a “Welcome Kit”

o Purchase a clear plastic storage box with a lid that closes o Fill with some or all of the materials suggested below o Cost is $45.00 ca (based on 2008 price, excluding the Newcomer Program book,

which all elementary schools were given in 2004). o Photocopy Work Booklets in topic and theme sections from the Newcomer

Program with Activity Copymasters & Teacher’s Guide (by Judy Haynes:K-2; Judie Haynes & Elizabeth Claire: 3-7); Prentice Hall. If you purchase this book, you can ask for free copies of the many “Canadianized” pages.

Additional Pieces

Construction paper to make a name card Tools for student to work with – scissors, felt pens, crayons, glue stick,

pencils, erasers, ruler Extra lined and unlined paper for drawing & writing Dictionaries – Bilingual Picture Dictionary; English Picture Dictionary Easy Fiction & Non-Fiction Books – at the students’ levels

(recommendation: National Geographic collection of high content/low vocabulary books)

Magazines Other reading materials Home language books Math computation work sheets Math language concept cards Language picture cards Manipulative games: Tangrams, origami, etc. English tape: Welcome to our school Home Language Greeting with overview of school, schedules, routines,

holidays, etc.

Peer Mentors can support their newcomer buddy by going over the Newcomer Program pages with them at specific times of the day.

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Supporting Refugee Learners Increasingly Vancouver schools are receiving ESL students who have minimal if any exposure to the English language or even the Roman alphabet system. Too often these learners are in a group with other learners who have some basics in English and already have learned our writing system. Trying to support these learners within the larger group creates a number of challenges. To support your efforts, this brief outline provides a few key pointers and provides a list of potential resources and materials to acquire/use. Some of these materials are easily available, some are part of the Newcomer Program [ all schools have the ESL Toolkit which uses that program as a core focus], some are available for loan from the ESL Resource Library, and others can be purchased. The BC Ministry of Education ESL Standards defines these learners as follows: “At any grade level [Primary, Intermediate or Secondary], there may be new students who can be characterized as preliterate (See Glossary) learners. The age and level of developmental maturity of these students make them part of a particular school population (whether Primary, Intermediate or Secondary), but they will have received limited formal schooling or pre-schooling. These students are generally recent arrivals to Canada, whose backgrounds differ significantly from the school environment they are entering. Some may have received schooling that was interrupted for various reasons, including war, poverty, or migration. Some may come from a remote rural setting with little prior opportunity for sequential schooling. Preliterate students may have

o little or no experience with print o semi literacy in a native language o minimal understandings of the function of literacy o limited awareness of school organization or culture o performance significantly below grade level o insufficient English to attempt tasks.”

Glossary definition: Pre-literate: having no ability to read or write in any language and very little awareness of the conventions of reading and writing (e.g. English text is read from left to right, letters indicate a sound, letters are combined to create words)

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Some Starting Points

• Be informed

o culture, language, values, education, history, social situations

• Provide age appropriate and relevant learning

o High interest/low vocabulary is more critical than ever

o basic building blocks of literacy are needed but not necessarily in

the same format as used with kindergarten learners

• Acknowledge and draw upon learners’ “different ways of knowing”

o both languages require validation and ideally both would support

ongoing development in English

• Acknowledge different ways of using/structuring language

o “once upon a time” means . . .

• Flexible schedules – what is the most appropriate for these learners?

• Visual and real-life experiences are key ways to build confidence and

learning – e.g. the Language Experience Approach [LEA]

• Remember that literacy is MUCH more than reading and writing! Your task

is also to help learners to use their sometimes vast “survival skills” to help

them access all aspects of life in this new land and new learning

environment.

8-10

Keys to Effectively Working with Later to Literacy Learners

• Safe learning community

• Literacy-rich environment

o print-rich o visual rich o story-rich o book-rich

• Predictable routines

• Heterogeneous groups

• Daily talk, reading, writing

• Lots of talk – one-to-one; pairs, groups, etc.

• Mini-lessons that are context-rich – LEA is ideal

• Frequent “breaks” - with optional intriguing activities to enrich cognitive

development

• Theme-based organization of learning

o allows for many layers of content integration

o capitalizes on students’ background knowledge/learning

o validates students’ prior learning/knowledge, etc.

o provides natural opportunities for spaced repetition, review,

reiteration in new contexts – across subject areas

• Carefully chosen materials that

o reflect students’ cultures and ways of knowing

o include repetition, patterns, rhyme, visuals, etc.

o address concept development in “manageable bytes”

• Learn to talk and talk to learn

• Learn to read and read to learn

• Learn to write and write to learn

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Online Print Resources for Working with Refugees

Refugee Children with Low Literacy Skills or Interrupted Education: Identifying Challenges and Strategies by Dina Birman

This 24-page booklet is an excellent summary of common elements and issues for schools and teachers. Available at: http://www.springinstitute.org/Files/refugeechildrenbehavior3.pdf

Bridging Refugee Youth and Children’s Services [BRYCS] www.brycs.org This organization’s website is a vast storehouse of information on all aspects of working with refugee youth and their families. Some of their web links include helpful booklets; others are good sources of information about cultural groups. Some examples: • Growing Up in a New Country: A Positive Youth Development Toolkit for

Working with Refugees and Immigrants by Susan Schmidt, Lyn Morland, and Jennifer Rose [June 2006: 54 pages] Available at: http://www.brycs.org/documents/growingupinanewcountry-web.pdf

• Cultural Awareness, cultural competency for service providers, and other

related topics Available at: http://brycs.andornot.com/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?bu=http://brycs.andornot.com/brycs_search.htm&qb0=and&qf0=administrative+notes&qi0=cannedjune&mr=30&tn=brycs_collection&df=full+record&rf=bibliography&dl=0&rl=0&np=1&ac=qbe_query

• Raising Children in a New Country: An Illustrated Handbook

Available at: http://www.brycs.org/documents/RaisingChildren-Handbook.pdf

• Burmese

http://www.brycs.org/documents/ResourcesBurmeseRefugees.pdf • Burundians

http://www.brycs.org/documents/ResourcesBurundianRefugees.pdf • Iraqi

http://www.brycs.org/documents/IraqiRefugees-HighlightedResources.pdf

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• Somali Bantu http://brycs.andornot.com/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?bu=http://brycs.andornot.com/brycs_search.htm&qb0=and&qf0=administrative%2Bnotes&qi0=cannedsearch+Somali&mr=30&tn=brycs_collection&df=full+record&rf=bibliography&dl=0&rl=0&np=1&ac=qbe_query

• Sudanese

http://brycs.andornot.com/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?bu=http://brycs.andornot.com/brycs_search.htm&qb0=and&qf0=administrative+notes&qi0=cannedsudan&mr=30&tn=brycs_collection&df=full+record&rf=bibliography&dl=0&rl=0&np=1&ac=qbe_query

Other

• Faces of Refugees [ISS Publication] http://www.issbc.org/newsletter.htm • Refugees from Sudan [from Cultural Orientation Resource Centre - COR]

http://www.cal.org/co/publications/cultures/sudan.html • The COR has a variety of ‘backgrounders’ on several refugee populations

in North America at present or in transition to this area. Some are free to download while others must be purchased. Check them out at: http://www.cal.org/co/publications/backgrounders.html

• No Sanctuary: Ongoing Threats to Indigenous Montagnards in Vietnam’s

Central Highlands [131 page, June 2006 report by Human Rights Watch] Available at: http://hrw.org/reports/2006/vietnam0606/vietnam0606webfullwcover.pdf

• Unwanted and Unprotected: Burmese Refugees in Thailand

An extensive report by Human Rights Watch. Information on various ethnic groups – see table of contents of report at: http://www.hrw.org/reports98/thai/index.htm#TopOfPage

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Scaffolding Instruction for ELLs

• Be culturally competent by attempting to make instruction sensitive to culturally different ways of learning and using language

• Create a low affective filter (a non-threatening environment) to support

students in taking risks in language learning

• Make expectations clear

• Help students make connections between content, their experience and prior knowledge

• Use lots of visual aides and pictorial representations

• Present vocabulary in a meaningful context

• Teach students to organize information using process grids and graphic

organizers

• Encourage students to sketch (pictorially represent) their information initially

• Support team and cooperative learning

• Support home language learning and home-school connections

Making Curricular Content Comprehensible

• Scaffolding Instruction for ELLs (English Language Learners)

• Project GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design)

• SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol)

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GUIDED LANGUAGE ACQUISTION DESIGN

(GLAD) www.projectglad.com

IDEA PAGE The “What Do I Teach” Page

UNIT THEME • Think across curriculum – science, social studies, literature • Think cross-cultural sensitivity • Think self-esteem, empowering students • Think frameworks

FOCUSING/MOTIVATION • Think metacognition • Think access, focus, value personal/cultural background • Think build background information • Think diagnosis

VOCABULARY • Think high, academic, from text • Think “in context” • Think complex sentence structure • Think comprehensible

CONCEPTS • Think essential understanding, universal

truths/enduring understanding • Think required curricular standards • Think across curriculum • Think English Language Learner

ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS SKILLS • Think listening, discussing, thinking,

reading and writing • Think standards • Think ”in context” direct teaching

MATH/SCIENCE/SCIAL STUDDIES SKILLS • Think integration • Think study skills

RESOURCES AND MATERIALS • Think core literature • Think non-fiction, poetry, realistic fiction • Think variety of media • Think community resources • Think parent resources • Think International Library; fiction and non-

fiction in may language • Think technology

CLOSURE • Think metacognition • Think personal choice (exploration) • Think alternative means of assessment • Think on-going assessment • Think match to outcomes/Standards • Think information for teachers and

students • Think personal choice/rubric

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Making Content Comprehensible for English Language Learners

SIOP Model SHELTERED INSRUCTION for Academic achievement

www.siopinstitute.net

Key Components – Teaching language and content effectively

Preparation • Clearly define content objectives

o Write on the board o State orally

• Clearly define language objectives o Write on the board o State orally

• Choose content concepts for age appropriateness and “fit” with educational background of students.

• Use supplementary materials to make lessons clear and meaningful • Adapt content to all levels of student proficiency - use graphic organizers,

study guides, taped texts, and jigsaw reading • Provide meaningful and authentic activities that integrate lesson concepts

with language practice opportunities – surveys, letter writing, making models, plays, games

Building Background • Explicitly link concepts to students’ background experience • Make clear links between students’ past learning and new concepts • Emphasize key vocabulary Comprehensible Input • Speak appropriately to accommodate students’ proficiency level • Clearly explain academic tasks • Use a variety of techniques to make content concepts clear (modeling, hands-

on materials, visuals, demos, gestures, film clips) Strategies • Provide ample opportunities for students to use strategies (GIST, SQP2R,

Reciprocal Teaching, mnemonics, 12 minute research paper, 2 column notes, repeated readings)

• Consistently use scaffolding techniques throughout lesson (think-alouds, paraphrasing, partnering)

• Employ a variety of question types (use Question Cube, Thinking Cube, Blooms’ Taxonomy)

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Interaction • Provide frequent opportunities for interaction and discussion (Supplies much

needed “oral rehearsal”) • Group students to support language and content objectives (use at least 2

different structures during a lesson - pairs, triads, teams, varied by language proficiency or interest)

• Consistently afford sufficient wait time (let other students w rite down answers while waiting for one student to respond)

• Give ample opportunities for clarification for concepts in L1 (use bilingual paraprofessionals, native language materials, notes by students)

Practice/Application • Supply lots of hands-on materials • Provide activities for students to apply content/language knowledge

(discussing and doing make abstract concepts concrete; allow students to work in partners before working alone

• Integrate all language skills into each lesson (listening, speaking, reading, writing)

Lesson Delivery • Clearly support content objectives (objectives apparent throughout lesson; no

“bird-walks”) • Clearly support language objectives (students given ample opportunities to

“show off” their language capabilities in speaking, reading, writing) • Engage students 90-100% of the lesson (less ”teacher talk”, no “down-time”,

students actively working in whole groups, small groups, individually) • Appropriately pace the lesson to students’ ability level Review/Assessment • Provide comprehensive review of key vocabulary (teach, review, assess,

teach: use word study books, Content Work Wall) • Supply Comprehensive review of key content concepts (review content

directly related to objectives thought-out lesson; use graphic organizers as review)

• Regularly give feedback to students on their output (clarify, discuss, correct responses)

• Conduct assessment of student comprehension and learning (use a variety of quick review; thumbs up-down, numbered wheels, small dry erase boards; include student self-assessment)

Source taken from: “Making Content Comprehensible for English Language Learners” Echeverria, Vogt, Short Compiled by the Bilingual and Compensatory Education Resource Team, Dearborn Public Schools, Michigan 2002

Section 9

Resources

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ESL Resources

The following resources are now posted on the

VSB portal

www.myvsb.vsb.bc.ca

• BC Ministry of Education ESL Policy, Guidelines & Resources for Teachers (2008)

• Welcome Kits for Newcomers

• VSB ESL Resource Library Information

• Website links for Teachers & Learners

• Teaching to Diversity link

• Fast Facts and Assumptions about ESL Learners

• Links to Current Research

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The VSB ESL Webpage

Check it out: www.vsb.bc.ca/vsbprograms/kto12/ESL

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The VSB portal home page

myVSB

BCeSIS The British Columbia enterprise Student Information System (BCeSIS) project. Check out what's new!

Collaboration Collaborate on with your peers on specific projects in the Projects workspace, or within a specific workgroup in the Workgroups workspace.

District Resources Your one-stop-shop for district manuals, administrative resources, curriculum resources, maps, directories and web reference material.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS - ESL TOOLKIT PART I

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ESL READING REFERENCE SETS TABLE OF CONTENTS

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ORDER FORM FOR: ESL Reading and Writing Reference Sets Name: ______________________ School: _____________________ Number of copies:_____ Price: $50.00 each Total Amount: ________ Payable to: BCSTA (BC School Trustees Association) Remit order form with payment to:

Manager, VSB District Reception & Placement Centre 2530 East 43rd Avenue Vancouver, BC V5R 2Y7

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SOFTWARE While Vancouver has a district license for Rosetta Stone (see below), there are many other software programmes available to support and enrich instruction. There is no substitute for what a trained specialist language teacher can do, but software programmess can provide motivating ways to help students gain some additional practice. Rosetta Stone Language Library

What is it? The Rosetta Stone Language Library is a programme for language learning that can be accessed using a CD-Rom, network, or On-line version. It‘s one of a wide range of resources that teachers choose from as they develop language programmes for their students. This instructional approach, which combines visuals, sounds and words, is versatile and applicable to a broad range of ages and language learners. Rosetta Stone is a language learning support resource, but should not replace a language learning programme. What does Rosetta Stone do?

• Uses the recorded voices of native speakers and thousands of real-life photographs to recreate the natural process of language learning

• Helps students make associations between words and objects/ideas in a meaningful context

• Gives immediate reinforcement • Uses multimedia technology to teach language • Offers supplementary workbooks and tests • Offers an easy and accurate tracking system of the students’ work

Why use it?

• It’s a fun and effective way to learn a second language. Students are motivated

• It can be used with whole class or with individuals • It’s easy to run and to monitor

Need additional Rosetta Stone manuals?

Contact your current ESL Consultant at the VSB

Supporting ESL Learners

Documents

Transcript of Supporting ESL Learners