CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Jack O’Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches Veronica Aguila, Ed. D. Administrator, Standards, Curriculum Frameworks & Instructional Resources Division BCN September 16, 2010

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 2 Purpose of Today’s Session Introduce a new research-based book about education for English learners recently published by the California Department of Education Provide an overview of selected chapter highlights Give ideas of how this volume may be used for professional development

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 3 A New Book Published by CDE in 2010 Title: Improving Education for English Learners: Research- Based Approaches Purpose: to meet a need for practical guidance on research-supported best practices for ensuring language, academic, and socio-cultural proficiency for English learners.

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 4 A New Book Published by CDE in 2010 Audience: administrators, classroom teachers, resource teachers, school board members, teacher educators, professional development providers, policy makers

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 5 Your Reflections If you were designing a book to help guide instruction for English learners, what would you include in the book? What three questions about education for English learners would you like to have answered in a book such as this one? Share your thoughts with someone sitting near you.

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 6 Strengthening Instruction for English Learners Ensuring Acquisition of English Enhancing Academic Performance Closing the Achievement Gap Connecting to RTI

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 7 California’s Interest in English Learners State English Learner Enrollment Total Enrollment Percent English Learners California 1,591,5256,198, Texas 684,0074,405, Florida 299,3462,639, New York 203,5832,858, Illinois 192,7642,097, Arizona 155,7891,029, Source: USDE 2006, NCELA

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 8 California’s English Learners Language Groups over 1% of Total LanguageNumberPercent Spanish1,320, % Vietnamese34,7122.2% Pilipino22,3891.4% Cantonese21,5511.4% Hmong19,7151.3% Korean16,7991.1% Total92.5% Source: 2008 R-30 Language Census

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 9 Value of Volume Most up to date information research on English Learners Research-Based Scholarly Papers each written by teams of two well-known and respected experts in the field Practical – Response to Common Questions from the Field Content and Presentation Mediated by Group

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 10 Contents of Volume Foreword by Kenji Hakuta Introduction - Schooling English Learners: Contexts and Challenges, Veronica Aguila Chapter 1: Research to Guide English Language Development Instruction, William Saunders and Claude Goldenberg Chapter 2: English Language Development: Foundations and Implementation in Kindergarten through Grade 5, Ann Snow and Anne Katz

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 11 Contents of Volume Chapter 3: English Language Development: Issues and Implementation at Grades Six Through Twelve, Susana Dutro and Kate Kinsella Chapter 4: Effective Literacy Instruction for English Learners, Diane August and Timothy Shanahan Chapter 5: Programs and Practices for Effective Sheltered Content Instruction, Jana Echevarria and Deborah Short Chapter 6: Alternative Educational Programs for English Learners, Kathryn Lindholm-Leary and Fred Genesee

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 12 Developing a Comprehensive Program State and Federal Legal framework Research Key Components: ELD, Sheltered Content, L 1, and Mainstream Program Enhancements Nested in Effective Schools

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 13 Legal Framework Federal United States Constitution Federal Statutes Federal Regulations Federal Court Decisions Federal Administrative Actions: Policy Memoranda, letters to the field, etc. State California Constitution California Statutes: Ed. Code California Regulations California Court Decisions CDE Administrative Actions/ LEA Policies

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 14 Program Differentiation Language Proficiency English Learner Distribution Language Groups Student Characteristics

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 15 Introduction -Schooling English Learners: Contexts and Challenges Veronica Aguila California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell has suggested that the academic achievement gap between ethno-linguistic minority students and other students, as represented by test scores, drop out rates, and college admissions and completions, is the most persistent and pressing challenge facing public schools… (O’Connell, 2008). This volume represents an anchor publication to assist school districts in the design, implementation, and evaluation of programs for English learners over the coming years.

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 16 Chapter 1: Research to Guide English Language Development Instruction Saunders and Goldenberg The purpose is to synthesize existing research that provides direction for English language development (ELD) instruction. The complex research led to categories based on the nature of the evidence we currently have: –Guidelines for which there is a relatively strong supporting evidence directly applicable to ELD instruction (1-2) –Guidelines that are hypotheses emerging from recent research on ELD instruction (3- 11) –Guidelines we think are applicable to ELD instruction but grounded in non-English learner research (12-14)

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 17 Chapter 2: English Language Development: Foundations and Implementation in Kindergarten through Grade 5 Snow and Katz Foundations of ELD for Young Learners –Primary language, sociocultural background, second language acquisition process Designing ELD Instruction and Assessment –Standards-based instruction –Using standards to plan ELD –The role of academic language –Strategies for ELD instruction Examples of Effective ELD Instruction Professional Development

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 18 Chapter 3: English Language Development: Issues and Implementation at Grades 6-12 Dutro and Kinsella Linguistic Challenges for Adolescent English Learners Description of Instructed ELD –A Model for Explicit Language Instruction –Defining Elements of Explicit ELD Instruction Teaching Instructed ELD –“Bricks” –“Mortar” –Building language Instructed ELD in Action –Explicit vocabulary development –Oral language development

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 19 Chapter 4: Effective Literacy Instruction for English Learners August and Shanahan The English Learner Research Base Background Guidelines for Teaching Literacy to English Learners Conclusion –….we believe the research provides a number of generalizations that can constitute a broad basis for evidence-based practice. We have expressed these in terms of eight guidelines for developing literacy in English-language learners that we hope will be useful to practitioners as they grapple with the everyday challenge of educating these students, to policymakers as they endeavor to create contexts in which effective instruction can occur, and to researchers attempting to move the field forward with well-designed studies that build on previous research.

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 20 Chapter 5: Programs and Practices for Effective Sheltered Content Instruction Echevarria and Short Pedagogical Models of Sheltered Content Instruction The SIOP Model in Action Research on Language Development and Academic Achievement of English Learners Sheltered Instruction Programs and Contexts Professional Development

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 21 Chapter 6: Alternative Educational Programs for English Learners Lindholm-Leary and Genesee Rationale for and Advantages of Dual Language Education Program Characteristics Student Achievement and Program Outcomes Characteristics of Effective Dual Language Programs Issues in Learner Needs Summary and Conclusions

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 22 Your Reflections Write down two ways you think this book should be used in professional development. Share with an elbow partner. Some “volunteers” will be asked to share with the group.

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 23 Summary/ Conclusions & Questions For more information, contact: CDE Press Sales Office, Phone: Fax: N Street, Suite 3207, Sacramento, CA Web site: To receive updates on the availability of this and other CDE Press publications, subscribe to the CDE Press list

JACK O’CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction 24 Contact Information Veronica Aguila, Ed.D. Administrator – Standards, Curriculum, Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division California Department of Education