building a better birth-3rd grade system for dual-language
TRANSCRIPT
1
Breakout Session 2C
Building a Better Birth-3rd Grade System for Dual-Language Learners
DLLs: A Lightning-Fast Primer
Dr. Conor P. Williams
Founding Director
—
Dual Language Learners National Work Group
New America
The Dual Language Learners National
Work Group
•New America’s Dual Language Learners National Work
Group provides a policy-driven focus on language
learners in the early and elementary years. The Work
Group conducts research, develops recommendations,
and disseminates new ideas to policymakers,
practitioners, and the public to improve outcomes for
dual language learners (DLLs), children from birth
through age eight who are learning English in addition to
their native languages.
•https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/dual-
language-learners/
• Dr. Conor P. Williams: [email protected]
What’s in a name?
• Limited English Proficient (LEP): No Child Left Behind’s
term
• English Learners (ELs): the Every Student Succeeds Act’s
term
• English Language Learners (ELLs): common variation of
ELs
• Dual Language Learners (DLLs): Head Start’s usual term.
(Sometimes used to distinguish young language learners from
older language learners, since younger kids are still learning
the basics of their native languages while beginning English.)
• Multilingual Language Learners, Emergent Bilingual
Learners, Simultaneous Bilinguals…all currently in use.
Demographics (and Data Limits)
•Around 50 million PreK–12 students.
•Around 1 in 10 U.S. K–12 students is officially
considered to be an “English Learner.” (~5 million
students)
–Note: this does NOT count former English Learners
•Between 1 in 5 and 1 in 4 U.S. children between 5 and
17 years old speaks a non-English language at home.
(~12 million or 22% of all kids)
•Nearly 1 in 3 Head Start students speaks a non-English
language at home.
ELs are disproportionately young!
•Around 1 in 2 ELs in US schools are enrolled in the K–3
grades.
EL growth, 2002–2014
• South Carolina (437%)
• North Dakota (211%)
• Kentucky (209%)
• Mississippi (192%)
• Kansas (154%)
• Arkansas (136%)
• Delaware (111%)
• Maine (102%)
• Maryland (105%)
• Over 50% growth in
Alabama, Virginia, North
Carolina, Wisconsin, and
Iowa.
• Growth above national
rates in Michigan, Indiana,
Ohio, Texas, Florida,
Pennsylvania, Colorado,
Georgia, and
Massachusetts.
U.S.: ~8% growth
Pwy ydyn nhw? (Who are they?)
•Around ¾ of ELs are native Spanish speakers. (3.8
million students in 2013–14.
•~1 million ELs speak a different, non-Spanish
language as their native tongues. Arabic, Chinese, and
Vietnamese are the next most prevalent native
languages.
•Between 75% and 90% of ELs are second- or third-
generation Americans. (i.e. native-born U.S. citizens.)
•28% of families that speak English “less than very
well” live under the poverty line.
•Comparison: 19% child poverty rate in English-only
households.
Upshot
•Children of immigrants constitute all U.S. population
growth in the 0–8 cohort since 1990.
•Future workers! Future citizens! Future taxpayers! Future
servicemen and servicewomen! Future friends,
colleagues, neighbors, and in-laws!
To be successful, every public PreK–12
system needs to serve English Learners
well.
ALIGNING TO SUPPORT
MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS
SARAH BARAY, PH.D.
The Dilemma
Jennifer Ramirez is a bilingual Pre-K teacher. All of her students have a home language survey indicating Spanish is a primary home language. The majority of her students qualify for bilingual services based on their individual language assessments. Jennifer knows research supports teaching her students in their home language, but she also know the importance of children having a consistent approach to language instruction in the early school years. Next year Jennifer’s students will go to several different schools for kindergarten, each using a slightly different approach. Knowing all of this, Jennifer wonders what approach to language instruction she should use in her classroom.
How would you approach this situation?
What advice do you have for Jennifer?
CONTEXT OF SAN ANTONIO
• 500,000 children live in Bexar County• 27% live in poverty• 73% of public school students are Latino• 55,000 (11%) are multilingual learners• 20 public school districts serve the
county• Districts use a variety of approaches to
language instruction within and across districts
PRE-K 4 SA
• Community investment in high quality Pre-K• Funded through sales tax (1/8 cent)• Prioritizes serving lowest income students• Four-pronged approach:
• 4 Education Centers serving 2,000• Professional learning Pre-K–3rd educators• $4.2 million awarded through competitive
grants to increase quality and access• Family outreach and engagement
MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS
AT PRE-K 4 SA
• Approximately 20% qualify as EL• Need ranges by center:
• North – 30% of students; dozens of languages
• East—13%; almost exclusively Spanish• West—10%; primarily Spanish• South--<10%; many non-qualifying students in need of
support
• Most students will go to public kinder• State supports early exit (3rd grade); ESL
only beyond elementary grades
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Pre-K 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade Middle School High School
Early Exit Dual Language Late Transition
HOME LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION BY
GRADE AND PROGRAM
PRE-K 4 SA APPROACH
Classroom:• Base instruction on interests of student—focus
on current needs more than future situation• Engage parents in the discussion
School:• Equip parents with knowledge of the system
and advocacy skills• Share information with receiving school
System:• Work across organizations to align policy and
practice• Advocate for multilingualism
TAKE-AWAY:LEAD FROM WHERE YOU ARE
Classroom• Know the research• Keep interests of students at center; track
success• Inform parents
School• Establish undergirding approach• Align across classrooms/grade levels• Engage parents in the conversation
System• Make the context visible• Present research and data• Lead stakeholders in discussion• Advocate for supportive policies
THANK YOU
West Chicago District 33
PreK-3 Dual Language ProgramBuilding a Continuum of Services
Dr. Charles Johns, P.h.D
@D33Supt
Objectives
➢To share our journey in moving to a Birth to 3rd grade continuum of services
➢To share lessons learned for a smooth transition
TakeOff – TouchDownStand up if it applies to you / sit down if it does not
➢TBE, Dual, Gen Ed, Sped, other?➢Lead a birth to 3rd program➢Teach in a prek dual program➢Can explain the difference between
One-Way and Two-Way dual language➢Are leading changes in your prek
programs
D33 Demographic Information
D33 District Highlights
➢ Pre-K-8 District➢ 6 Elementary, 1 MS, 1 Pre-K➢ 2001-2015 dual program (Gary School)➢ 80.2% Hispanic➢ 55% Limited English Proficient➢ 65% Low Income*➢ 42 different languages spoken➢ D33 is surrounded by the most affluent communities
in Illinois (Dupage County)
Early Childhood Programs in West Chicago
• Prevention Initiative - Home Visiting
• Parents as Teachers Model, 170 familiesB - 3
• Educare, 102 Preschool, 48 B-3
• Additive model in 13-14B - 5
• Half Day – 366 Students
• Full Day - 120 Students
• Additive model in 13-144 - 5
• Added Full-Day at Two-Way Dual 2013
• Full-Day whole district in 2014Kinder
B-3 Continuity ProjectFamily Engagement
Joint Professional Development
Aligned Curriculum and Instruction
Aligned Assessments
Data-Driven Improvements
Supported Transitions
Community Partnerships
Comprehensive Services
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Establish
Urgency
Build the
Guiding Team
Get the Right
Vision
Communicate
For Buy-in
Empower
Action
Create Short-
term Wins
Don’t Let
Up
Make it
Stick
Creating a climate
for change
Engaging and
enabling
the whole
organization
Implementing
and
sustaining
change
JOHN KOTTER’S “8 Steps of Change”
Step 1- Leading Change
Establish Urgency
Family Engagement
➢Pre-K parent education led to parent advocacy- they learned what the superior program was.
➢Pre-K parents petitioned the board for change
➢Board of Ed directed a study to determine the need for program expansion
2014 English Data: Achievement Gap Between Non-LEP vs. LEP students:
Kindergarten, 1st Grade & 2nd Grade
Proficient
Non-LEP
Proficient
LEP
Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Legal Background Office of Civil Rights
OCR is responsible for enforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
School districts must take steps to overcome language barriers and ensure students can participate meaningfully in
the district’s educational program.
Step 2 – Leading Change
Build the Team
D33 SLL Committee Program Review Objectives
2014 - 2015
• To respond to PreK Hispanic parents request for dual language opportunities for all children
• To provide dual language continuity from Prek-5th grade
• To close the achievement gap
• To comply with federal law
Step 3 – Leading Change
Get the Right Vision
District 33 Vision and Mission forDual Language
The vision of West Chicago Elementary District 33's Dual Language program is to become a state leader in closing the achievement gap and educating Prek-
8th students to become bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural.
Our mission is for all District 33 students to have the opportunity to achieve academic excellence in
two languages and attain multicultural understanding and appreciation for the different
cultures represented in the Dual Language program.
Step 4- Leading Change
Communicate
Communication PlanBOE/Parents/Community
1. Press Release2. Newsbites3. Town Hall4. District Website5. Dual Video6. Information Nights7. Letters to Parents8. Mexican Independence
Day Parade
Teachers/Administration
1. Talking Points2. District Newsletter3. Building Presentations4. District Website5. Dual Video6. Coffee Talks7. Professional Dev Plan8. Long Range Planning
Step 5 – Leading ChangeEmpower Action
Joint Professional DevelopmentEducare and D33 Joint PD
➢ Teaching for Biliteracy PD was provided to prek- 2nd
grade and rolling up each year
➢ Play-based training and coaching PD from prek-
kinder and rolling up each year to 3rd
➢ Cooperative learning PD prek-8th
➢ Instructional coaches added for preschool and
elementary school to support the ongoing PD and to
ensure sustainability
Articulated Curriculum & Assessments➢ Dual Language for all - English earlier/Spanish longer
➢ Language Allocation consistent across all grades starting with prek-3rd
➢ Articulated curriculum across grades and programs
➢ Kinder Play-based rubrics aligned to KIDS assessment/report card
➢ Prek Gold curriculum aligned to play-based rubrics
Language Allocation in Dual Language
Grade % Spanish % English
Preschool & K 80 20
1 70 30
2 60 40
3 50 50
4 50 50
5 50 50
Play Based Learning
Kagan
Step 6 – Leading ChangeCreate Short Term Wins
Step 7 – Leading ChangeDon’t Give Up
Program Supports
•COFI
•Fathers Read Everyday (FRED)
•Discovery Night
•Parent Cafe
•Breakfast and a Book
•Parent Workshop
•International Book Fair
•Community Partners
Program Supports
Supported Transitions
➢ Pilot Summer Program Services for P5’s
➢ Expanded Transition Meeting Process
w/Kinder
➢ Aligned and Consistent Documentation
Step 8 – Leading ChangeMake It Stick
Community PartnershipsComprehensive Services
Lessons Learned
•Engage your parents in advocacy
•Go slow to go fast
• EDUCATE YOUR BOARD!
• Embed your goals in strategic planning
• Pre-plan your communication
Lessons Learned
● Form partnerships to gain momentum and support
● Don’t underestimate your audience when communicating
● Be aware of the research against bilingual education
Lessons Learned
● Engage your allies
● Engage those that are not your allies
● Reassure your monolingual staff
● Keep smiling and make friends with those
who don’t get it.
Next Steps
• Roll Up Two-Way Dual Language
• Pre-K Summer Program
• Mindfulness Training
Questions?
62
Please complete the session evaluation.
THANK YOU!