...Paul Herzog ESL-223N 10-26-2014 Professor Deborah Macias ELL Placement Assessments Essay A student’s education is a critical time in their lives to learn and comprehend as much as possible. It is an even more critical time for ELL student’s to learn and comprehend the complexity and variety of vocabulary and phrases that may come with a new language. Schools and educators need to make sure that the right tests and assessments are in place to help determine where ELL students may or will need the most help in learning and comprehending a new language. By having the right placement tests for ELL students to take schools and educators will ensure that the ELL students get most benefit and success from their education. Two ELL instructors that were interviewed stated that the STAR test is used to assess students’ skills and abilities and the test is computerized. STAR testing aligns with the state standards and tests students to see if they are below, at, or above the states standard. Those students below the standard are referred to receive extra instruction to help them reach the state standards. Fountas and Pinnell is another assessment that is used by the instructors to assess students abilities and determine what areas they extra instruction in advance their learning and comprehension. A formal version of the Fountas and Pinnell assessment is used at the start of the school year to assess which areas students may need to meet with specialized instructors to help...
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...According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2017) “Newly released figures from the U.S. Department of Education’s ED Fact data collection shed light on the population of ELLs who are also students with disabilities. In 2014-2015, some 665,000 ELL students were also identified as students with disabilities. ELL students with disabilities represented about 13.8 percent of the total ELL population enrolled in U.S. public elementary and secondary schools.” It is crucial to the student that they are learning at their maximum capacity and recognition or signs of a possible learning disability can help place students where they belong. As a teacher, observations of an ELL may include poor listening or reading comprehension, difficulty following directions or task completion, errors in grammar and syntax and low motivation. Due to the challenges of a new language and developing skills in order to become successful in a different academic course, as well as the social aspects that are involved, these assessments could be misidentified as special education needs. Delaying testing and assessment while allowing students to adjust to a new country or environment in...
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...for this class and saw that we were required to observe an English Language Learner (ELL) classroom I was very anxious, in both a good and bad way. I did not know of any locations that offered an ELL classroom but I also was looking forward to the experience of observing a classroom which was a totally new concept to me. I have never had the opportunity to be in a classroom with ELL students. I only spent two days observing these students but I was able to get an understanding of just how difficult this situation is for both the students as well a the teachers of these students. My observation took place in Dover High School. The ELL students consisted of ten Hispanics. Seven boys and three girls who were all between the ages of 14 and 17. Nine were originally from Guatemala and one from Mexico. Most of their academics took place in a pull out setting. Two of the girls lived with their parents. The rest were transients who were living with a relative. Most were in the legal process of obtaining legal status in the United States. Snow (1992) suggests that learning to read in the students native language is crucial to the success of the student being able to read in a second language The students were very cordial and enjoyed and enjoyed letting me follow them throughout the school day. I tried to use as much of the Spanish that I learned many years ago when I could. Much of the classroom time the teachers and students communicated with each other in Spanish. The teachers...
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...extra attention is required. The data collected will inform school administration the parts of improvement that both teachers and students needed and for the state and federal levels, as is important to determine if additional funding is necessary to assist students in their learning and achievement. To provide the suitable service and achieve optimal result, teachers and administrators must identify their ELL students and place them in classroom that best fit with their abilities. In an interview conducted with Miss Fabiaschi, an academic dean at a charter school in my district, she said that at her school parents are providing information on home language on the application. Then they use the CELDT (California English Language Development Test) to determine which level of English proficiency for their students. She added, there are two types of ELLs, the new enrollments, which are kindergartens who enroll in school for the first time or students of higher grade levels who transferred from different schools, districts, or states; and the second type are the returning ELL students. The CELDT is a requirement of the California Department of Education. Students from kindergarten to 12th grade whose speak a different language at home are required to take this test and the school using their scores to identify students who still need help in areas of listening, speaking, reading and...
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...Learner’s Assessment English Language Learners, (ELL), have specific tests and procedures that the ELL teacher must follow in order to properly assess each student’s level of proficiency in English. After interviewing the English Language Learner teacher at our school, assessing ELL students gives the both the home teacher and ELL teacher the information needed to develop a SIOP, (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol), for each student. First, all new students are given a home language survey for their parents to fill out. If any language other than English is recorded on the survey, the student is given the WAPT in which this test identifies students who are English Language Learners. Language proficiency levels are determined through the ACCESS test which is given once a year in the early spring, and when the correct levels of English proficiency is determined, then the English Language Learner teacher will devise a plan specially designed to help the ELL student progress in learning English. The students are assessed in listening, speaking, reading, and writing the English language. They are scored on a rubic: one-entering, two-beginning, three-developing, four-expanding, five-bridging, and six-reaching. Then, the results from this assessment are used to make a learning plan for the student. This is a formal assessment, while informal assessments are used and vary throughout the school year. Teachers, (both home and ELL) are given the ACCESS results at the beginning...
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...progress with our ELL students. Our ELL population scores have been detrimental to our annual yearly progress year after year. Not only have our ELL students have shown slow growth academically but also have shown very slow acquisition of the English language. It is fundamentally necessary that a school improvement plan is put place so that the administrator and the collaboration of all stakeholders can implement skills and strategies that will promote the academic achievement of our ELL students. Background: Cesar Chavez Elementary is located in the southwest corner of Arizona in the town of San Luis, Arizona. The community of San Luis a border city with its sister city of San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora. In this community is 97% Spanish speaking. Cesar Chavez Elementary services 789 students with a 42% ELL population. Our school like any other school in Arizona is under a mandate that all ELL students are required to have a four block of English instruction. This mandate might be beneficial in other schools. In our school we have ELL classrooms with an average of 33 students per classroom. Our school is a title I school which receives funds from the federal government. It also receives extra funding for every ELL students that is enrolled in our school. The concern is that even before we received budgetary cuts we are still facing the same trends of low academic achievement for our ELL population. Questions/Hypotheses What are the current academic scores for ELL students? What...
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...My observation took place at Wanda Hirsch Elementary school in Tracy Ca. I observed a kindergarten physical science lesson which focused on California science content standard “1. Properties of materials can be observed, measured, and predicted.” This was an ongoing lesson in this class and I was only able to observe the initial portion of the lesson. In addition ths lesson also covered Ca NGSS standard “K-PS3-1.Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth’s surface.” Students were encouraged to make predictions and observations about various materials in order to meet the standard. In addition The classroom teacher initiated the lesson by showing students various items including a lego block, ice cube, marble, chocolate, eraser, and water displayed on a tray. She showed these items to the class as a whole and then asked students to look and share observations they've made about the objects....
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...Qualitative Approaches to Classroom Research 1 Qualitative Approaches to Classroom Research with English Language Learners Patricia A. Duff University of British Columbia Address: Department of Language & Literacy Education University of British Columbia 2125 Main Mall Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 Canada Courier: 2034 Lower Mall Road University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2 Canada Qualitative Approaches to Classroom Research 2 ABSTRACT This chapter provides an overview of recent qualitative research in classrooms examining English language learners (ELLs). I first present common features of qualitative research and review debates regarding research paradigms in the social sciences and humanities. I also discuss the role of triangulation and capturing participants’ insider or emic perspectives in qualitative research and highlight various data collection methods and ways of combining macro-level and micro-level analyses, particularly in ethnographic research. Ethical issues, difficulties obtaining informed consent in classroom research, and criteria for evaluating qualitative research are then considered. Three qualitative studies that have been deemed exemplary and meritorious by scholars in English language education are then presented and some common themes in current qualitative classroom research with ELLs are identified. The chapter concludes with directions for future qualitative research. Introduction Over the past 2 decades, research...
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...for ELLs According the Echevarria, Vogt, and Short (2013), the 44 states that implemented the Common Core Standards these states are working “to ensure the required standards are included and the U.S. Department of Education (USED) is requiring participating states to revise their NCLB assessments” (p.8). While this alignment of standards promotes a unity between states and helps to promote college preparedness (p.8), it fails at considering the needs of English language learners. Some states, like Illinois and Arizona have created standards that help teachers to understand ELLs and consequently develop instruction that can be differentiated for their various proficiency levels. No two ELLs enter school at the same proficiency level or with the same experiences. This diversity makes it quite challenging for teachers to accommodate every learner. Consequently, teachers can use the Arizona English learner standards to supplement the Common Core Standards in an attempt to differentiate instruction for their ELLs. The standards address all proficiency levels, including pre-emergent, emergent, basic, low intermediate, high intermediate, and proficient. Obviously, the strategies that are adequate for general education students and proficient ELLs would not suffice for those at the pre-emergent or even the low intermediate stage. Therefore, differentiation is absolutely necessary. Differentiation would vary at the different stages as well as take into consideration ELL proficiency...
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...article “Bridging Two Worlds: Reading Comprehension, Figurative Language Instruction and the English-Language Learner” is about an ELL students progress to becoming successful with English figurative language and the strategies used by the teacher to support this student. The student was a “language broker” for his non-English speaking parents. The article explained six strategies that contributed to the student’s success. The strategies are described as interrelated meaning that they relate to and work with each other to achieve a common objective. These strategies while useful alone are more effective when combined together to scaffold learning. One of the strategies talked about was explicit instruction. This type of instruction is needed to assist with understanding figurative language expressions and the context that surrounds the expression. It is often helpful to students with no background with figurative language. This instruction is used in conjunction with three steps for figuring the meaning of a figurative language expression. In order to complete the task of figuring out the meaning, you must identify the figurative language expression, determine the literal meaning and then find intended meaning of expression. Connecting information and expressions to the real world is an important part of helping students, especially ELL students when it comes to learning things they may be unfamiliar with. “Qualls and Harris (1999) argued that figurative language...
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...Colorín Colorado, via Colorín Colorado. This particular article focused on vocabulary relating to English Language Learners. A variety of strategies were presented throughout the article that could help aide a regular ed classroom teacher. I can identify with this article because while I was student teaching, I had an ELL student in my classroom. As I was reading through the article I noticed several techniques that I had not tried in my past experience in working with an ELL student. I feel that the information that was presented in the article is very relevant to the needs of ELL’s and can be used in a variety of ways to help them succeed academically and socially in the classroom. Also, I think that this is a great tool for teachers because the article gives specific examples of strategies to implement, along with when they should be implemented. In many instances throughout my educational experience I have heard that the more repetition the better. However, I never stopped to think that the more a child can be engaged in conversation right from the beginning, the faster they will catch on. I know that it is true to master any language one must speak it repeatedly. In terms of learning academic language, I somehow thought that becoming familiar through observation may perhaps be more conducive to the student’s learning. This article presented many strong points that the more the student is “thrown” into social situations and asked to contribute the more they will benefit and...
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...B. How can ELL teachers assist schools or districts to design ELL instructional programs As a result of the Lau v. Nichols decision, English Language Learners are entitled to receive equal access or opportunity for education, which their local school districts must provide. Furthermore, English Language Learners currently represent the fastest growing segment of students in our public schools. During the period between the U.S. National Censuses of 1990 and 2000, data shows an increase of over 50% in the number of children, ages five through seventeen, speaking other languages. According to an article by Brown University regarding ELL policy, the general population of school-age children grew by 12% since 1990, but the ELL student population...
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...PLACEMENT OUTCOMES IN INSTRUCTIONAL CONSULTATION TEAMS SCHOOLS Arlene E. Silva, Master of Arts, 2005 Thesis Directed by: Professor Sylvia Rosenfield Department of Counseling and Personnel Services University of Maryland, College Park The present study serves as an examination and documentation of referral and placement outcomes of English Language Learner (ELL) cases in Instructional Consultation (IC) Teams schools. Archival data from 838 cases (12% of which were ELL cases) within five mid-Atlantic public school districts implementing IC Teams were analyzed for outcomes using logistic regression. Results included statistically significant differences in ELL versus non-ELL student initial team referral (IC or other prereferral intervention team) and ultimate IEP Team referrals. Initial referral concerns also differed significantly between ELL and non-ELL students. IC Teams were found to be more effective than existing prereferral intervention teams in decreasing the special education referrals of ELL and non-ELL students. The results of the present study serve as a foundation for future research in the areas of at-risk ELL students and their referrals to prereferral intervention teams and special education. ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER SPECIAL EDUCATION REFERRAL AND PLACEMENT OUTCOMES IN INSTRUCTIONAL CONSULTATION TEAMS SCHOOLS by Arlene E. Silva Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment of the requirements...
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...Culturally Responsive Teaching: Bridging the Gap Michael Warren University of Texas at El Paso Culturally Responsive Teaching: Bridging the Gap The changing demographics in classrooms are not often reflected in the pedagogies, curriculum and strategies used in represented grade levels and content areas by the education professionals that drive our education system. Recent research has considered the idea that culturally responsive or culturally pedagogical teaching may be the answer to closing the achievement gap created by the absence of cultural awareness. The concept of cultural awareness may be simply defined as an understanding and awareness of the diversity in the classroom (Villegas & Lucas, 2002); however, such a simplistic definition does not recognize the many dimensions involved in the pedagogy of culturally responsive teaching, which for students includes seeing germane links between subject matter and lessons and their experiences outside the context of the classroom and how those links influence what and how they learn. The purpose of this literature review is to examine the many facets that make up the term Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) and the impact and implications implementing such a broad concept may have on the education system. While the literature discusses several topics connected to CRT, I will confine this review to the following: (1) CRT Background/Definition (2) The methods of study, the participants involved and the significance...
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...The demographics of school classrooms have slowly, but progressively changing over the years as a variety of different cultures and ethnic groups enrolled in the nation’s school system. The original view that most educators had towards students being similar and therefore taught together as a single group of common individuals no longer works in today’s classroom. Therefore, school districts have begun to incorporate programs that provide assistance to English Language Learners into their systems, such as bilingual education programs or specialized teachers assigned to students with English as a second language. However, the adjustments don’t stop there, it can’t be assumed that only dealing with a difference in language will help students...
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