Welcome to the Linguistic Instructional Alignment Guide Training Welcome to the Linguistic Instructional Alignment Guide Training. This training is designed to help you preview a new tool, the ELPS Linguistic Instructional Alignment Guide. This is a tool that you can use to effectively design and deliver instruction to better meet the needs of your ELL students. Each of you should have a copy of the ELPS Linguistic Instructional Alignment Guide (ELPS LIAG). Additionally, it would be helpful if you had access to your students’ Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) data (the Confidential Student Roster or student level data by language domain). The ELPS Linguistic Instructional Alignment Guides can be found in the ELPS Academy Project Share course via the ELPS Resource Supplement within the resources section. Let’s start by accessing some prior knowledge. Please use the Memo pad to jot down the answers to these questions: What are some challenges that you face in providing instruction for your students who are ELLs? What are some challenges that ELL students face?

The purpose of this instructional tool is to help teachers identify the essential components for providing K-12 instruction commensurate with ELLs’ linguistic needs. The consistent integration of these components is critical in lesson planning in order to meet the linguistic and academic needs of ELLs. This document is essentially a helpful planning guide where you will be able to easily locate the ELPS, or English Language Proficiency Standards. The ELPS include the cross curricular second language acquisition knowledge and skills, or student expectations for language, that all ELLs are expected to master within the language domains of listening, speaking, reading and writing. The ELPS also include a list of proficiency level descriptors that detail students stages of language proficiency in the different language domains. This document also contains corresponding Career and College Readiness Standards, or CCRS. Finally, the guide contains a list of suggested teacher behaviors, or linguistic accommodations, that will be of great use to you when you are designing instruction and assessments for your students who are ELLs. Now, we’ll engage in a Scavenger Hunt in order to identify the following components within this document: the ELPS, PLDs, Linguistic Accommodations (Suggested Teacher Behaviors), and CCRS. Search throughout the ELPS Linguistic Instructional Alignment Guide to find these components and get familiar with the format and the layout.

On the inside cover you will see a description of the instructional tool, as well as the four color-coded sections of the linguistic domains. Purple corresponds to listening; blue to speaking; green to reading; and yellow to writing. Please scan the arrangement of the aligned components. Notice the format of the PLDs, ELPS, CCRS and Suggested teacher behaviors (linguistic accommodations). This format will be the same for all language domains. Now let’s look at the K-1st grade-level clusters for Writing. Fold out your book and turn to the first and second yellow tabs. Take some time to scan the K-1st/2nd-12th Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs), located in the middle of the page, to become familiar with how they are both developmentally and grade level appropriate. Now, use the Memo pad to note the similarities and differences between the K-1st and 2nd-12th grade Writing PLDs you have identified. Now, turn to the K-1st and 2nd-12th grade level clusters for Reading. These are the two green tabs. Take a moment to study these descriptors. What are the similarities and differences between the K-1st and the 2nd-12th grade PLDs for Reading? Take notes on your memo pad.

The proficiency level descriptors, the same ones that are used to rate students in TELPAS, are replicated here in this planning guide. It is important to remember that the English language proficiency levels of Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced and Advanced High are not grade-specific. There are specific PLDs for each language domain. Now, let’s look at the PLDs for Speaking. Again, find the blue tab and notice the shaded area of PLDs on the left. Use the memo pad to record what you notice about these proficiency level descriptors. Next, let’s look at the remaining PLDs for listening, reading and writing. Use the memo pad to record what you notice or record any questions you have about these proficiency levels.

Linguistically accommodated instruction can take many forms and is used to communicate content and support language development across language proficiency levels. Use the memo pad to provide examples of supplementary materials, varied instructional delivery approaches and customized tasks based on student’s current level of language proficiency. Supplementary materials are used to promote comprehension and support students with acquiring new concepts. Some supplementary materials might include illustrations, charts, manipulatives and realia (real life objects). Instructional delivery is the way we choose to deliver the lesson. For example, before presenting new content a teacher might activate prior knowledge, identify misconceptions, or review previously taught content (i.e. pre-teach vocabulary, review word walls, identify cognates and modeling/demonstration). Being cognizant of students’ language proficiency levels and selecting appropriate tasks or activities will provide the linguistic accommodations needed to ensure success.

Suggested teacher behaviors are examples of recommended linguistic accommodations. These are located to the far right of each section of the linguistic guide. Let’s look at the “suggested teacher behaviors,” or linguistic accommodations listed for reading. Implementing these in the classroom will support ELLs at various language proficiency levels during Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing activities. Linguistic accommodations are changes to the instructional approach based upon the language proficiency levels of ELLs. The proficiency level descriptors, which describe the English that ELLs are able to understand and use at each language proficiency level, guide teachers in providing appropriate linguistic supports and accommodations. Use the Linguistic Instructional Alignment guide to review the suggested teacher behaviors for the remaining language domains. Chart your observations and ideas about implementing these linguistic accommodations in the memo pad.

Teachers must take into account their students’ level of language proficiency and grade level in order to select the appropriate ELPS for academic language development. One must be purposeful and selective when implementing the ELPS for delivery of instruction in order to meet needs of individual students. Let’s look at the ELPS Cross-Curricular Student Expectations for Speaking, located in the middle of the document between the PLDs and the CCRs. As we have discussed, the ELPS are not grade specific. For example, a secondary student at the Beginning level of proficiency may require different ELPS than those of an Advanced level elementary student. Now, let’s identify the ELPS Cross-Curricular Student Expectations for the remaining language domains. After you have reviewed the remaining language domains, identify an ELPS that would be appropriate for a Beginning and/or Intermediate ELL. Brainstorm a classroom activity that would promote language development while fulfilling that objective. Use the memo pad to record your responses.

The CCRS included in this tool represent what students are expected to know and be able to do, and are aligned to each linguistic domain. Review CCRS for the Speaking. Record your observations in the “memo pad.” Now, let’s examine the career and college readiness standards for the remaining domains. Again, use the “memo pad” to jot down any notes or observations you would like to make.

When planning instruction, teachers of ELLs must consider the language proficiency levels of their students as determined by the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS). The ELPS-TELPAS Student Proficiency Profile is a component of the ELPS Linguistic Instructional Alignment Guide that allows teachers to plot students’ TELPAS data by language domain.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) developed TELPAS to meet state and federal testing requirements. TELPAS assesses ELLs annually in Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Every student who participates in TELPAS receives test results in a report called the Confidential Student Report. TELPAS uses the four proficiency ratings (Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced and Advanced High) to show the progress students make in learning English from year to year. In order for students to reach their full academic potential, it is important for students to make steady progress in learning English in the four language domains (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing). Students who do not make steady progress may require additional assistance in the areas of both language and content learning.

Student 1 Student 1 For each language area assessed, teachers use the PLDs to determine whether the students are at the Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced or Advanced High stage of English language proficiency. Point out the language domain of Listening and demonstrate how to plot the language proficiency accordingly on the ELPS-TELPAS Proficiency Profile. Student 1

This ELPS-TELPAS Proficiency Profile allows teachers to gain a bird’s eye view of the proficiency levels of their students in each language domain. Please make note that a student may exhibit different proficiency levels of language proficiency in Listening, Speaking, Reading, or Writing. Plotting the proficiency levels of students drives instructional decisions to accommodate for language proficiency. Now, let’s look at your students’ TELPAS data. Consider this data and review the ELPS-TELPAS PLDs, identify the recommended linguistic accommodations (suggested teacher behaviors) for each student and identify activities that may support language development. Complete the ELPS/TELPAS Proficiency Profile on your Linguistic Instructional Alignment Guide using your student data.

The second page of your linguistic guide details Performance based activities that are recommended to teachers to implement in their instruction as a way to gather information on student progress throughout the school year. These activities should be incorporated throughout the year and not solely during the TELPAS Administration window. Teachers who are a part of the TELPAS Holistic Rating training may be familiar with the listed Performance-Based Activities. These Performance-Based Activities can also be found in each language domain individually. Now, take some time identify other activities you might use to gather information on your students’ language development progress in Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Record your responses in the memo pad.

Linguistic Instructional Alignment Guides Online courses provided monthly through ecampus For free!

NEED HELP WITH ELPS? Meredith Roddy Program Manager Meredith.Roddy@esc13.txed.net