Model Performance Indicators

Key Questions about Model Performance Indicators What are they? What do they look like? Why are they important? How do teachers use them in the classroom? How do teachers create them? Our goal is to answer all of these questions during the presentation today.

Before We Begin How comfortable are you with being able to communicate effectively with people in this room? How conscious do you need to be about the language you use to share information about what you know or what you have done? Let’s try an activity or two to get you outside your comfort zone.

Activity – Talk to Me Find a partner. Tell your partner what you did last weekend. Describe at least three activities. Speak in complete sentences. Finish your response within one minute. Do NOT use any words that contain . . . the letter “s.” Debrief with the group. How difficult was it? What made it difficult – the time limit, the constraints on the language, etc.? Discuss the parallel with our English Language Learners.

Activity – Write with Me Find a new partner. Work with your new partner to write a response to the question below, using complete sentences. Finish your response within two minutes. For this time, you may not use . . . any words that contain the letter “o.” Question – What are the three branches of the federal government, and what powers are associated with each of them? Ask for participant feedback. Discuss the difference in the speaking and the writing activity. How does this play into language development? Do our English Language Learners feel as if the obstacles of language keep them from sharing what they know? As we look at MPIs today, we will be looking at differentiating for these students as effective teachers.

Model Performance indicators Have you ever taken a computer apart?- example Model Performance indicators

WIDA Standards Framework Features of Academic Language Performance Definitions Standards Matrix Build background by refreshing previous modules.

What are Model Performance Indicators? WIDA’s standards framework shows examples of how language is processed or produced within a particular context through MODEL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (MPIs). MPIs are meant to be examples and not fixed guidelines of the language with which students may engage during instruction and assessment. Demonstrate with the following slides.

Important to Remember The focus is on differentiating for students and helping them with what they can do while moving them forward. Creating MPIs and MPI strands in your content area is important, but you are not expected to do this every single day for every single student. The process becomes more internalized with a little practice.

Organization of the 2007 Standards Matrix The standards matrix is the third component of WIDA’s Standards Framework, which provides a basic structure for representing the five English language development standards. 2012 standards do not replace 2007. They just become more specific. 10

STRAND MPI Organization of MPIs within the 2012 Standards GRADE 8 ELD STANDARD 4 - The Language of Science EXAMPLE TOPIC: Forms of energy The standards continue to be represented in a series of scaffolded steps within a linguistic progression across 5 levels of language proficiency. Each individual level of the progression is called a Model Performance Indicator or MPI. MPIs are meant to be examples and not fixed prescriptions of the language students may engage with during instruction and assessment. We refer to a series of 5 MPIs tied to one language domain as a strand. This strand of MPIs pertains to the language domain of Speaking. STRAND MPI

Turn and Talk – Discuss how the MPI changes from level to level Turn and Talk – Discuss how the MPI changes from level to level. What varies for the student and for the teacher across the strand? GRADE 8 ELD STANDARD 4 - The Language of Science EXAMPLE TOPIC: Forms of energy With this same strand from the previous slide, ask participants to Turn and Talk. Their guide is at the top of the slide. During the Turn and Talk, participants should discuss how the language function and supports change from level to level. Ideally, we want them to see that the teacher supports may be more substantial at the lower levels and the language demands on the student increase from level to level. Presenters should be careful to allow enough time for discussion here and then allow opportunities for multiple participants to share their thoughts from their discussions in order for them to get a clearer picture of how an MPI changes and why. STRAND MPI

Language Domains Listening Speaking Reading Writing Process, understand, interpret, and evaluate spoken language in a variety of situations Speaking Engage in oral communication in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences Process, understand, interpret, and evaluate written language, symbols, and text with understanding and fluency Reading Each standards matrix is organized around one of these four language domains. Writing Engage in written communication in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences

Receptive versus Expressive Language Review the difference in receptive and expressive language. Discuss how this affects language development and proficiency.

The Content Stem/Example Topic The Elements of the MPI The Language Function The Content Stem/Example Topic The Support Each MPI consists of three main elements: language function, content stem/example topic, and type of support. Let’s discuss each of the three elements in a little more detail.

Elements of Model Performance Indicators The Model Performance Indicator (MPI) consists of three elements: Language function: describes how students use language to demonstrate their proficiency Content stem/example topic: specifies context for language instruction; derived from state content standards Support: sensory, graphic, or interactive resources embedded in instruction and assessment that help students construct meaning from language and content 16

Content Stem/Example Topic Instructional Support Elements of MPIs Content Stem/Example Topic Language Function Follow oral directions to design area maps using manipulatives and illustrated examples in small groups An example MPI Grade: 3 Standard 3: The Language of Mathematics Proficiency Level: 3 Instructional Support

The Model Performance Indicator Language Function Another example

The Model Performance Indicator Content Stem/Example Topic Another example

The Model Performance Indicator Support or Strategy

Language Function WIDA does not provide lists of various language functions for teachers. These are the verbs that teachers use in identifying what they want students to do (i.e., Bloom’s). Language function focuses on how students share the content knowledge. The 2007 & 2012 booklets show examples from different grade levels and content areas.

Examples of Language Function Define Paraphrase Explain Describe Critique Discuss Give examples Distinguish Draw conclusions Summarize Compare Identify Categorize Locate Interpret Name Match List And the list goes on . . . It is important to share with participants that this is not an exhaustive list. It is merely provided to give them a springboard for the activities that will follow.

Support Examples Instructional supports illustrate the importance of scaffolding language development for ELLs, at least through level 4. WIDA categorizes supports as sensory, graphic, or interactive, with some examples of each provided in the table. These can be found the in the 2007 Edition of the WIDA ELP Standards.

Specific Examples of Sensory Supports Here are specific examples of the supports used in different content areas. These lists are not exhaustive. This graphic can be found in the 2007 Edition of the WIDA ELP Standards.

Example Use of Graphic Organizers Students might refer to graphic organizers as they read to remind them of key language related to each narrative point of view. This graphic can be found in the 2007 Edition of the WIDA ELP Standards.

Content Stem/Example Topic Instructional Support Using the Example to Experiment with Elements of MPIs Content Stem/Example Topic Language Function Follow oral directions to design area maps using manipulatives and illustrated examples in small groups Using the earlier example, ask participants to divide their table into two teams. The first team will brainstorm different examples of language function that could be used with this content stem. The second team will brainstorm different examples of instructional supports that could be used with this content stem. As a table, they will work to transform this MPI so that it could be used with various levels of students for differentiation purposes. Grade: 3 Standard 3: The Language of Mathematics Proficiency Level: 3 Instructional Support

Activity – Making MPIs 1 = Language Function 2 = Content Topic 3 = Instructional Support Number off participants 1-3. Make sure that participants remember their assignment. This works better if each number is a different color.

Activity Directions Write 2 or 3 examples for your element of an MPI on a Post-It note that corresponds to your number and color. For example, if your number is 2, then try to write down about 3 different examples of content topics to use in the activity. (This gives you more choice.) Raise your Post-It. Silent Hunt – Find the other two numbers to complete a group of 3 (1 of each color). Do this without talking. Indicate with your fingers what number you have: 1,2, or 3.

Activity Directions Put all three elements together as a group to create an MPI. Read it as a group. Discuss the following: Domain? Are the supports appropriate? Did you need to adjust your choice? If the supports aren’t appropriate, how would you change them and why? What proficiency level do you think the MPI addresses? What might you do to differentiate the MPI for the next higher proficiency level? For the next lower? After they have had time to complete this in their initial groups, ask for at least three groups to report out to the larger group. Then, have them split and form new groups to repeat the process.

Now it’s your turn to try on your own … Look at the provided Model Performance Indicator (MPI) to identify its elements. Circle the language function. Underline the example topic. Place a box around the support. Now, transform each element in the blank box to the right. Need handout Practicing Transformations. After they have had time to complete this on their own, give participants opportunities to share with other members at their table. Go through the handout with them, asking for a couple of examples of each transformation so that participants hear more than one example.

STRAND MPI Example of an MPI Strand GRADE 8 ELD STANDARD 4 - The Language of Science EXAMPLE TOPIC: Forms of energy Remind participants that this is the strand we used earlier. Review the levels, domain, etc. briefly with them. STRAND MPI

Activity – Strand Sort As a group, sort the MPIs into a strand according to the proficiency level. (Hint: The performance definitions may be helpful.) Raise your hand when you think your group has the elements of the strand in the right order. We will come check them. If any were misplaced, discuss why that might be.

Debriefing Questions What did you notice across the strand of MPIs? What was easy about the activity? What was difficult about the activity? What types of things did you discuss while you were attempting to sort them into the correct order?

On page 15 in the 2012 Amplification of Standards book you will find the guiding questions to assist you when developing a strand of MPIs.

(from Bloom’s – includes Content Standard & Instructional Task) P.16 (2012) (Content Standard) One day of a teacher’s lesson plan. (Instructional Task) (from Bloom’s – includes Content Standard & Instructional Task) (ELD Standards) On page 16 in the 2012 Amplified Standards book you will find a blank template which you can use draft a strand of MPIs. You will also find a blank template in your packet. Let’s take a look at the blank template a little closer as we consider what each section is asking. (technical)

Off you go! Use the blank template and guiding questions to create your own MPI strand. Use a content area topic of your choice. Presenters will circulate around the room and help advise participants as needed. Share examples.

Available Resources * Taken from 2007 English Language Proficiency Standards & Resource Guide.

More Available Resources Of course, before taking the time to create your own MPI strand for a particular topic and standard, you may want to take a little time to see if someone has done the work for you. * Taken from the 2012 Amplified English Language Development Standards book.

Work Smarter…Not Harder! English Language Development

Click search! 3 Choose grade level band. 1 Type content topic in this box. 2