ELLs on the School Report Card

A bottom-up approach starts with ELL teachers, looking at the foundational piece of theoretical framework of Krashen, described previously in Part I, needed for secondary language acquisition. How do we look at language and tie it into English Language Arts standards? This supports a high quality of change because it is holding students to a higher standard of growth. This shifts the emphasis from a district to a school-level creating more viable opportunity to focus on specific school populations. When looking at what the change has brought about for the ELL Department, the hierarchical reporting structure shifted when the position was rewritten and filled.

Previously, the ELL Coordinator reported to Federal Programs, who reported to the Middle School Level Director, who reported to the Chief Academic Officer. That has shifted to the ELL Coordinator reporting to the Director of Teaching, Learning, & Innovation, who reports to the Chief Academic Officer.

This represents a shift of importance and priority in the initiative to support our ELL students.

In specific reference to the ELL teachers, the strategies have shifted but the focus remains the same; to teach students the skills they need to access the academic language and content to be successful in the general education population. The aforementioned focus on the WIDA standards and framework has shifted to a focus on English Language Arts (ELA) standards using texts that they see in the general education classroom from the Unit Frameworks provided by the Academic Coaches for the district. Teachers must examine the text in different ways to teach them how to better comprehend what they are learning.

Get quality help now

Doctor Jennifer

Verified

Proficient in: Middle School

5 (893)

“ Thank you so much for accepting my assignment the night before it was due. I look forward to working with you moving forward ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

What has changed is the students are constantly being exposed to grade level text and content, but in the ELL classroom, one must examine this more carefully and in depth to focus on the skills needed in order for them to be applied to all content areas. The ELL teachers used to only meet amongst themselves, but now there is a concerted effort for all EL teachers to attend Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings with Academic Coaches, RTI2 Specialists, and School Psychologists to gain a common understanding of how all play a combined part in supporting these students. After the effects of the change on the ELL Department, how is this affecting general education teachers? What has changed with the general education teachers is that the ELL Department has tried to incorporate them much more into the learning process of our students to create buy-in.

They have been given a login to the ELL database ELLevation, where they can access assessment data, ELL strategies, and lesson plans. Our district is also offering more professional development classes to show general education teachers how to apply strategies in such a way that they close gaps for all students. This illustrates it is not relearning as much as a shift towards the importance of choosing strategies that do not exclude any learners. The values involved in adding the ELLs to the state report card speaks to closing the achievement gaps with this high-risk group of students. The value our district has placed on this is in the initiative to meet all students where they are. In this way, our district stays student-centered. The CMCSS district is seen as very progressive in the way that it has successfully created more access to learning using various platforms for learning (i.e. traditional face-to-face, virtual learning, and homebound learning for those with medical difficulties that impede instruction), technical learning pathways, as well as college and career readiness.

As Stacy professes (personal communication, 2019), the primary value involved is the rigor in defining the levels of students (i.e. Special Education or English Language Learners) in order to provide the appropriate scaffolding and services to increase achievement. There is also value in accurate assessment of the progress that is possible for students from where they are and where they can go based on their abilities or limitations. Miller (personal communication, 2019), stated that in an attempt to get the community more involved our district is actively pursuing events, sponsors, and supplies for ELLs. For example, Naviance, an American college and career readiness software provider that partners with high schools and other K–12 institutions who provides students with college planning and career assessment tools, is the sponsor for the Senior Achievement Celebration for ELLs. Factors Considered in Planning

According to the CMCSS ELL Coordinator, this change affected the district and the schools because the ELL scores are now being counted. The examination of these scores has drastically brought attention to this subgroup and their success has shifted to the forefront. The ELL office is now being incorporated into the schools, and is in direct communication with the administration. The offices are in communication, and now, in collaboration for professional development. Impact from this change is being felt across the district for educational strategies in general education to be more inclusive of all learners, but especially reducing the exclusion of ELLs (Stacy, personal communication, 2019).