Launching WIDA with a Purpose: A Collaborative Approach Charlie Geier, Director of Early Learning and Intervention Nathan Williamson, English Learner Specialist Launching WIDA with a Purpose: A Collaborative Approach Charlie Geier, Director of Early Learning and Intervention Nathan Williamson, English Learner Specialist
Contact Information Vision: Imagining the possibilities. Making them happen Mission: To build an education system of high quality and equity that is focused on student centered accountability
Contact Information Morning Riddle What do you when you combine the following? 1) An SEA EL Department of non-practitioners with no EL experience 2) State legislature who provided 0% funding increase since 1999 for ELs despite a 512% increase in ELs 3) State law that bans ALL consortia, like WIDA 4) A required attorney general opinion because of said law
Contact Information 5) Secretary of state approval because WIDA and Wisconsin seemed like a foreign corporation 6) A new Superintendent who imagines the possibilities and makes them happen, and a new SEA team of practitioners and EL experience 7) Initially adopted the WIDA standards as a common core state, but then rewrote the academic standards which started WIDA alignment process over 8) Enough progress in 2 months that kept the feds happy for ESEA flexibility waiver and resolution of 50 federal findings in one year
Contact Information 9) Stress, frustration, tears, drinking, lots of paperwork, attorneys, meetings, meetings, meetings, and some more meetings, phone calls with Jesse, and some more phone calls with Jesse 10) Passionate stakeholders driven for real reform at the local and state level for 60,000 English learners
Contact Information Answer: Indiana as the 36 th state to join the WIDA consortium
Contact Information Essential Question: How did Indiana launch WIDA with a purpose and a collaborative approach?
Contact Information WIDA’s Premises 1) Understanding ELs means understanding the process of second language development (Fillmore & Snow, 2002) 2) Discussions about the learning of ELs must be based on the knowledge students bring to school rather than the knowledge that they lack (Gonzalez et al 2005) 3) ELs thrive in schools where their education is the responsibility of the whole staff and not only of language specialists (Coady et al 2008) 4) Professional development is effective when it is coherent (Garter et al 2001)
Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices If we focus on… then
Contact Information Indiana will successfully implement the WIDA standards to ensure equity and high quality for English learners
Contact Information Empowered Stakeholders - Local level - INTESOL EL Leadership Group - External Advisory Group - University Partnerships Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices - State level - Superintendent - Convergent Teams - Curriculum Department - Student Assessment - Special Education - Early Learning - Title I & Grants Management
Contact Information Empowered Stakeholders Indiana’s ESEA flexibility waiver directly includes all stakeholders in the WIDA implementation plan Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices
Contact Information Effective Communication - Right communication, right time, right way - Multiple modalities of two- way communications - Learning Connection Forums (IDOE platform) - DOE Dialogue from Superintendent - List Servs - Newsletters - Twitter/Facebook - Google+ Communities of Practice - Site Visits - Today’s Meet during live PD sessions - WebEx/Videos - Open Calls Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices
Contact Information Effective Communication Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices
Contact Information Effective Communication Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices
Contact Information High Quality Resources - One stop shop for Indiana educators Encourage LEAs to submit their locally created resources - Created state specific resources to fit individualized needs - Provided clarity on the process to adopt and why we have WIDA standards - Allow for local customization of documents to fit corporation level needs - Other states are welcome to use the resources too! Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices
Contact Information High Quality Resources Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices
Contact Information High Quality Resources WIDA Implementation Guide - Synopsis of WIDA Starter Packs with Indiana specific examples Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices
Contact Information High Quality Resources WIDA Videos - Consumable digital content for local level support Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices
Contact Information Targeted Professional Development Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices Individualized Corporation Invites Regional WIDA Trainings, Director Trainings, WIDA Training of Trainers, Alignment with IDOE Intiatives Ongoing Fresh Digital Content
Contact Information Targeted Professional Development -Alignment to Indiana Academic Standards trainings - Summer 2014: 7 WIDA trainings with over 1,000 people attend - Fall 2014: 10 Indiana Academic Standards trainings with over 1,500 people attend - Spring 2013 and Fall 2014: EL State Conferences with over 400 people attend - Fall 2014: INTESOL with Dr. Boals as keynote; expected 500 people attend Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices
Contact Information Sustainable Practices - Strategic implementation and monitoring - Title III plans require LEAs to provide sustainable plan of WIDA implementation; however, only about ½ of Indiana school corporations apply for Title III so - State grant (NESP) requires the same plan; an additional ¼ Indiana school corporations apply - The required state data collection for English learners (DOE-LM) will require LEAs to state the % of teachers trained on the WIDA standards. 100% LEAs must submit this collection. SEA will utilize data to provide further support - State guidance to think deeply about other funds which can support this work; i.e. Title I and English Learner technical assistance and Title I plans must account for effective Title I services for eligible English learners Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices
Contact Information Local Exemplars - Fort Wayne Community Schools - Nearly 3,000 LEP students - Comprehensive approach to train all educators of EL, not just EL educators Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices
Contact Information Local Exemplars - Lafayette School Corporation - 1,100 LEP students - Provided stages of WIDA professional development - Implementing peer coaching among EL teachers to support general education teachers - Monthly newsletter WIDA highlights Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices
Contact Information Local Exemplars - Greencastle Community School Corporation - 16 LEP students - Trained 5 building level teachers to act as WIDA coordinators - Implementation phases of year 1: E/LA and math, year 2 science, and so on - Administrators monitor evidence of WIDA implementation in daily teaching Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices
Contact Information Next Steps - Coordination with WIDA - Train the Trainers for - EL Leadership Group - Educational Service Centers - Admin, Content Teachers, and EL Teachers - Webinars/Videos - Creating an Equitable System of Continuous Improvement Empowered Stakeholders Effective Communication High Quality Resources Targeted Professional Development Sustainable Practices
Contact Information Contacts Charlie GeierNathan Williamson