September 21, 2011 Compiled by the MPS Multilingual Department and Office of Communications

Multilingual MPS. Three-year strategic plan for the Multilingual Department.

Minneapolis Public Schools Special School District No. 1

Board of Education Jill Davis, Chair

Alberto Monserrate, Vice Chair Carla Bates, Treasurer Jenny Arneson, Clerk

Rebecca Gagnon, Director Lydia Lee, Director

Richard Mammen, Director Hussein Samatar, Director

Superintendent of Schools

Bernadeia H. Johnson, Ed.D. www.mpls.k12.mn.us

Table of Contents

Letter from the Superintendent ..................................................................................................... 1 Letter from the Executive Director of the Multilingual Department ................................................ 2 A Day in the Life of an English Learner at MPS .......................................................................... 3-4 Background ................................................................................................................................. 5 Mission ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Values ......................................................................................................................................... 7 English Learner Commission ......................................................................................................... 8 Strategic Goals ............................................................................................................................. 9 Details: Strategic Plan ............................................................................................................ 10-13 Focus Groups ............................................................................................................................. 14 Metrics ...................................................................................................................................... 15 Bibliography .......................................................................................................................... 16-17

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September 2011 To be developed.

Sincerely,

Bernadeia H. Johnson Superintendent of Schools

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September 2011

To be developed.

Respectfully,

Jana Hilleren Executive Director, Multilingual Department English Learners

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A day in the life of an English Learner at MPS Abdiaziz Farah arrived in the United States in 2006. As an English Learner (EL) in the Minneapolis Public Schools, he was faced with challenges in and out of school. One of these challenges was the lack of ability to speak and understand the English language. Teachers could not always understand what he was saying. Some students laughed at his accent. He felt sad but told himself that one day he would overcome this obstacle.

Abdiaziz made learning the English language his number one goal. He listened to the advice of his teachers, especially his Somali math teacher. Abdiaziz took English language courses throughout the school year and over the summer months. He spent much of his free time reading books and writing short essays. He strove to increase his participation in class discussions and ignored the students who laughed at his accent. He stayed after school to receive additional support in all subject areas. After spending only five months in the United States and enrolled in the Minneapolis Public Schools’ English Learner program, Abdiaziz was proud to learn that he had passed the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) writing exam.

With focus, a strong sense of purpose and the support of several teachers, Abdiaziz graduated from Washburn High School with the class of 2010 – and he was named valedictorian of his class of 151 students.

Abdiaziz feels that the bilingual support he received from MPS contributed to his success. His bilingual teachers provided him with instructional support to assist with challenging concepts while understanding his cultural and linguistic background and holding high expectations for him.

Abdiaziz now attends the University of Minnesota and is pursuing a major in biology. He continues to work hard to master academic language in English, realizing that he often spends twice as much time on his studies as his native English-speaking peers. He is focused on becoming a pediatrician and feels a strong responsibility to help and support his community and fellow citizens of the United States.

Did you know… Twenty-seven percent of MPS students call a language other than English their home language. Twenty-three percent of our students are eligible for English Language Learner (ELL) services. Statewide, eight percent of students are eligible for ELL services.

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A Call to Action While we celebrate the success of Abdiaziz, most English Learners are not this successful. We have not yet delivered on the promise of our vision – Every child college ready – for our English Learners. Currently, only six percent of high school English Learners met the college-ready benchmark, with a composite score of 17 on the ACT PLAN exam.

Even more alarming:

• The rate of English Learners who do not complete high school sits at 42 percent. • The dropout rate is highest for Latino English Learners, at 67 percent. • XXX MPS English Learners from the class of 2011 did not graduate with their classmates.

These young adults represent a lost generation, and the social and economic costs to our community are staggering. It is time to deliver on our vision: Every child college ready.

Each of our more than 7,000 English Learners has a personal story that often includes an incredible journey. A student immersed in two or more cultures, a sense of duty and family, the challenges and possibilities inherent in learning a new language and a willingness to sacrifice and work tirelessly. Their experiences and resilience mark them as leaders who must be supported and developed. In the case of Abdiaziz, key people – his mentors – reached out to support him. As leaders and educators, we must design a system that supports all English Learners. We must affirm and develop their unique assets.

By delivering on the promise of our vision to all English Learners, we would transform the lives of these students and the trajectory of our community’s future. A strong investment in their development will yield leaders who are ready to succeed in a global economy.

Did you know… Our diverse community is one of our biggest assets. MPS offers elective courses to students in a variety of languages including Arabic, Chinese, Dakota, French, German, Latin, Ojibwe and Spanish.

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Background Minneapolis Public Schools is a major urban school district with a diverse and complex body of students. Our diverse community is one of our greatest assets. We work to support over 33,000 students and their families from around the world who call Minneapolis home. We believe that our urban educational experience prepares students to become active, continuously learning and contributing global citizens.

Minneapolis Public Schools Brand Promise: The Minneapolis Public Schools promises an inspirational education experience in a safe, welcoming environment for all diverse learners to acquire the tools and skills necessary to confidently engage in the global community.

We must stand behind that promise. The MPS Multilingual Department has worked to identify a mission, values, philosophy and goals that align with the strategic plan of the Minneapolis Public School district.

Did you know… MPS staff members are experts at helping students with unique challenges. Over 240 staff members are bilingual and work to help our students and families communicate each day. Over 160 staff members are dedicated to serving our English Language Learners.

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Mission

Minneapolis Public Schools:

We exist to ensure all students learn. We support their growth into knowledgeable, skilled, and confident citizens capable of succeeding in their work, personal and family lives into the 21st century.

MPS Multilingual Department:

The Multilingual Department empowers educators and leaders to develop language-rich learning environments that raise the achievement of English Learners through:

• Consistent, high quality programming • Research-based instructional strategies • Shared accountability for student learning • Affirmation and development of student, family and community assets

Did you know… Approximately twenty percent of MPS students are eligible for English Learner (EL) services, totaling 7,366 students.

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Our Values: Children First

Values will help establish goals and priorities in our efforts to support all English Language Learners as they study, grow and work to achieve academic success.

•English learners deserve high challenge and high support learning environments.

•All students benefit from a learning environment that affirms their linguistic and cultural identity.

•All students benefit from a strong foundation in their home language. A strong home language will accelerate academic learning and English acquisition.

Did you know… Urban Education. Global Citizens. Approximately 94 languages are spoken in the Minneapolis Public Schools.

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Minneapolis Public Schools’ English Learner Commission

The Minneapolis Public Schools’ English Learner Commission will partner with the executive director of the Multilingual Department to guide the implementation of a strategic plan designed to dramatically improve academic outcomes for English Learners.

The English Learner Commission will affirm and promote the assets of English Learners, seek to infuse accountability for English Learners across the Minneapolis Public Schools and advocate for higher levels of engagement with English Learners and their families.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing input on the strategic plan and performance metrics • Monitoring performance metrics bi-annually • Reviewing progress and suggesting revisions for the strategic plan and performance metrics annually • Suggesting innovative approaches to accelerate student learning

Proposed Timeline for MPS English Learner Commission Year One May – July 2011 Multilingual Department will conduct a comprehensive review of research, audits,

data and focus group feedback Multilingual Department will develop a draft strategic plan and performance metrics

September 2011 Supt. Bernadeia Johnson and Multilingual Department will develop a draft strategic plan and performance metrics

October 29, 2011 EL Commission: Launch meeting to review draft strategic plan of EL Commission December 2011 Presentation of final strategic plan to Supt. Johnson and Minneapolis Board of

Education in work session April 2012 EL Commission: Meeting to report on strategic plan implementation October 2012 EL Commission: Meeting to report on strategic plan performance metrics; propose

revisions to plan as necessary

Members of the Minneapolis Public Schools’ English Learner Commission Names to be released October 2011

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Strategic Goals: At-A-Glance Goals will help us guide the work that we do each day and in the next three years to meet the expectations outlined in the Minneapolis Public Schools strategic plan.

Goal 1: Quality Programming and Instruction

Develop high support, high challenge programming to enable English Learners to achieve high levels of academic language proficiency.

Goal 2: Professional Learning

Develop a comprehensive professional learning program to advance the capacities of teachers and leaders serving English Learners.

Goal 3: Data and Assessment

Have systems and procedures in place to plan, assess and monitor educational activities and practices to continuously improve services to English Learners.

Goal 4: Community Engagement

Strengthen the engagement of students’ families and communities to support and advocate for the academic achievement of English Learner students.

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Details: Strategic Goals Learn more about the details in place to move the work of the English Learners strategic plan forward.

Goal 1: Quality Programming and Instruction Strategic Direction: Develop high support, high challenge programming to enable English Learners to achieve high levels of academic language proficiency.

What it looks like:

Year One • Implement research-based programming framework to shift sites to inclusive and

collaborative models of service delivery • Integrate academic language into the focused instruction model through language learning

targets, structured student interaction strategies and use of formative assessment of academic language acquisition

• Redesign a newcomer program for secondary students building on strength of current model and modeled after high-performing international high schools in other school districts

• Partner with Literacy Department to continue emphasis on role of academic language, oral production, student interaction and writing in literacy development

• Clarify outcomes and& designs of bilingual programming • Pilot college-credit online technology course for secondary ELs • Conduct analysis of all current resources used by schools for ELs and learning supports to

identify redundancies and high priority gaps in the support system

Year Two • Refine programming framework • Design a scope and sequence of language learning targets for bilingual programs • Partner with Literacy and Social Studies departments to develop units of study for all students

kindergarten through grade five to develop greater language awareness and appreciation for linguistic diversity

• Strengthen sheltered instruction high school courses • Partner with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) departments to

articulate scope and sequence of language functions and concepts • Develop and implement a world language strategic plan to develop a clear continuum of

world language options from pre-kindergarten through grade twelve Year Three

• Develop differentiated pathways to graduation to meet individual student needs • Partner with Talent Development and Gifted Education to design a Young Scholars program

to increase number of ELs succeeding in rigorous high school courses

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Goal 2: Professional Learning Strategic Direction: Develop a comprehensive professional learning program to advance the capacities of teachers and leaders serving English Learners.

What it looks like:

Year One

• Continue and expand professional learning for lead ESL teachers in strategies and approaches that support language development and grade level learning

• Design a long-term professional development plan to enhance the capacity of all teachers to support the grade-level learning of English Learners.

• Develop in-person and online training modules on basic principles of language acquisition and effective practices for supporting ELs

• Induct new ESL teachers through an enhanced new teacher support program • Analyze results of teacher evaluation to design additional support for teacher development

Year Two • Implement a Professional Learning Community for principals to explore current research and

promising practices for ELs. • Develop protocols for Professional Learning Communities to examine EL student work and

data with a focus on academic language development • Develop a collection of student work that demonstrates rigor at various proficiency levels. • Develop professional development for Special Ed, ESL and all teachers on serving dual eligible

students Year Three

• Implement Japanese Lesson Study as student-focused model for improving instruction of English learners

• Advocate for policy changes at the school district and state level that support mandatory professional coursework in language acquisition and teaching in multilingual settings

• Expand the use of technology to support language education

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Goal 3: Data and Assessment Strategic Direction: Have systems and procedures in place to plan, assess and monitor educational activities and practices to continuously improve services to English Learners.

What it looks like:

Year One

• Develop a standardized site profile to inform program evaluation and continuous improvement

• Incorporate EL academic growth targets into School Improvement Plans and thoroughly review to ensure strategies are capable of attaining desired goals.

• Identify schools and programs making greatest progress with English Learners and develop annual report and forum for sharing.

• Pilot an electronic portfolio as a method for assessing student language learning. Year Two

• Articulate EL and bilingual assessment protocols, including benchmark assessments • Identify promising literacy interventions for ELs and create web resource to disseminate

information • Organize data teams and conduct data retreats using state accountability data for ELs • Incorporate the interpretation and use of EL data into school district professional

development and coaching models • Expand use of electronic portfolio as a method for assessing student language learning to

immersion site Year Three

• Develop formal electronic reporting mechanism on data on incoming ELs, including demographic and assessment data

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Goal 4: Community Engagement Strategic Direction: Strengthen the engagement of students’ families and communities to support and advocate for the academic achievement of English Learner students. What it looks like:

Year One

• Continue and expand ongoing efforts to forge bonds with students’ home and language communities.

• Celebrate students, schools and community partners making significant progress in improving outcomes for English Learners through annual recognition programs.

• Establish a structure for ongoing focus groups with students, parents and community members to gather information regarding their needs and their short- and long-term goals.

Year Two • Establish greater access to MPS ombudsperson • Develop a transparent policy and procedure for how ELs are placed in school and programs • Create “Grow Our Own” bilingual teacher program to support licensure of bilingual

paraprofessionals • Co-plan with Communications & Family Engagement departments to improve outreach to EL

communities Year Three

• Assist dual-language, bilingual and EL programs to incorporate ongoing parent education designed to help parents understand, support and advocate for the quality education of the growing linguistically- and culturally-diverse student population

• Partner with community agencies to provide for EL afterschool programs (heritage language classes, English language classes, homework help)

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Focus Groups MPS staff members, teachers, educational assistants, students and families were asked to provide the Multilingual Department with feedback on the current program to help develop strategic goals and a detailed work plan to help guide the work and accelerate student achievement for English Learners.

Take a look at the diverse group of stakeholders whose input helped to shape this plan:

……….TO BE INSERTED……………….

Did you know… Minneapolis Public Schools are proud to offer the International Baccalaureate program. Colleges and universities award college credit for IB coursework and exam scores. MPS has the most authorized IB diploma programs of any mid-to-large school district in the country.

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Metrics Below is an explanation of the performance metrics that will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategic plan.

……….TO BE INSERTED……………….

Did you know… The top five languages spoken at MPS are English, Spanish, Somali, Hmong and Oromo.

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Bibliography

The Multilingual Department researched and gathered information for the English Learners strategic plan.

A Curriculum Management Audit of the Minneapolis Public Schools Special District No. 1. International Curriculum Management Audit Center. Phi Delta Kappa International. (January 2009)

Allen, J., (2007). Inside Words Tools for Teaching Academic Vocabulary Grades 4-12. Stenhouse Publishers. USA

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; Recommendations for Addressing the Needs of English Language Learners. (March 20, 2009)

Council of Great City Schools Research Brief. (Fall 2007). Improving Teaching and Learning for English Language Learners in Urban Schools. Snipes, J, Soga, K, Uro, G

Council of Great City Schools. Succeeding with English Language Learners Lessons Learned from the Great City Schools. (October 2009)

Council of the Great City Schools. (Winter 2009-10). Raising the Achievement of English Language Learners in the Buffalo Public Schools. Report of the Strategic Support Team of the Council of the Great City Schools. Submitted to the Buffalo Public Schools. (Retrieved from Council of the Great City Schools Website: http://www.cgcs.org/ publications/Buffalo_ELL.pdf, last retrieved September 15, 2011)

Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., Short, D., (2008). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners The SIOP Model. Third Edition. Pearson. Boston USA

Fortuny, K., Hernandez, D., Chaudry, A. (August 2010). Young Children of Immigrants The Leading Edge of America’s Future. Brief No. 3. The Urban Institute

Francis, D., Rivera, M. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. Researched-Based Recommendations for Serving Adolescent Newcomers. Center on Instruction (2006)

Genesee, F. (Ed.) (1999). Program alternatives for linguistically diverse students. Santa Cruz, CA: Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE).

Gottlieb, M., Cranley, M., Cammilleri, A., (2007). Understanding the WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards A Resource Guide. Wisconsin Center for Education Research. USA

Guide to Co-Teaching with Paraeducators: Practical Tips for K-12 Educators (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2008)

Hamline University. Graduate School Of Education. Center For Second Language Teaching And Learning, (2008) Minneapolis Public School Area B ELL Site Assessment. St. Paul, Minnesota.

Hill, J., Flynn, K., (2006). Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Virginia USA

Himmele, P., Himmele, W., (2009). The Language Rich Classroom A Researched-Based Framework for Teaching English Language Learners. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Virginia USA

Jackson, A., Kolb, C.E.M, Wilson, J. January 25, 2011. Education Week. The National Imperative for Language Learning

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Kane, M., Cruver, A., (2011). Montgomery County school district’s targeted approach raises the bar and reduces the gap. Growth & Justice, St. Paul, MN.

Killion, J., (2009). Becoming a Learning School. National Staff Development Council and MetLife Foundation. USA

Minnesota Paraprofessional Consortium: (Online at http://ici.umn.edu/para/default.html, last Accessed, September 29, 2010)

Minneapolis Public Schools, (2011). Focused Instruction Update, ver. 3 (20110823). Unpublished internal document. Minneapolis, MN.

National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Institute of Education Sciences (2007) Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades. US Department of Education

National Clearinghouse for Paraeducator Resources (Online at http://www.usc.edu/dept/education/ CMMR/Clearinghouse.html, last accessed September 29, 2010)

Rojas, Virginia P., (2011). Audit of Minneapolis Public Schools' Dual- Language, Bilingual & ESL Programs. Virginia P. Rojas Language Education Consultant. North Brunswick, NJ.

San Francisco Unified School District Lau Action Plan

Seattle Public Schools. (2010). Excellence for All: A Two-Year Perspective. (Retrieved from Seattle Public Schools District Website, http://www.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1583136/File/ Departmental%20Content/communications/strategic%20plan/20100827_EFA_Two_Year_Perspective.pdf?sessionid=0cd901197f2db3028fc39714044f27c5, last retrieved September 15, 2011).

Thomas, W., Collier, V. School Effectiveness for Language Minority Students. National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education. (December 1997)

United States Department of Education. (March 2010) A Blueprint for Reform The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

Walqui, A. (2010) Scaffolding Success Five Principals for Succeeding with Adolescent English Learners: An Interview with Aida Walqui. http://www.languagemagazine.com