1. The ELL Critical Data Process:
A required pre-referral
process for ELL students
Jill: Introduce the process and explain how it fits into the existing GT process at your school.

2. Is it a disability?
One of the most common reasons for referrals to special education has been limited English proficiency (Maldonado-Colón, 1986). When no accommodations are made for a child's lack of language proficiency in English, children are left without a means of understanding what is being said or expressing what they need to say. Their performance then becomes similar to that of children with disabilities.
SOURCE: Barrera, Isaura (1995). To Refer Or Not to Refer: Untangling the Web of Diversity,"Deficit," and Disability. In: New York State Association for Bilingual Education Journal v10 p54-66, Summer 1995.
Mikael: Explain that ELL status has often been confused for a learning disability and ELL students have been over-referred.

3. Natural Progression of Language Development
Ed deAvila
WELPA 1
ELP 1&2
WELPA 2
ELP 3
WELPA 3
ELP 4
WELPA 4
ELP 5
L 2 Ability
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
Jill: Helpful context for staff around language acquisition timeline. Explain how oral language typically develops first, and then reading and writing skills develop over time. It is not necessarily a red flag if a student’s reading and writing skills have taken longer to develop—consider the language learning timeline, and remember that each student is different. You need to use the Matrix to learn more about the student’s literacy background in their native language to better understand the full picture, and why reading and writing may be delayed. They may simply need more time to develop these language skills. It can take 5-7 years for reading and writing to catch up to native level proficiency.
Time
Beginning
-0-6 months
-Silent period
-Non-verbal/ 1-word responses/ phrases
-Answer simple “who, what, where, when” and “yes/no” questions
-Follow a few simple directions
Early Intermediate
-6 months-1 year
-Can hear and repeat beg, mid, ending speech sounds
-Routine expressions
-Common vocab
-Simple sentences, incomplete sentences
-Ask and answer simple questions
Intermediate
-1-3 years
-Longer sentences
-Experimentation with sentence patterns
-Participate (haltingly) in simple academic discussions with controlled vocab and supports – visuals, demos, gestures etc…
Early Advanced
-3-5 years
-More complex sentences and details
-Can sustain conversation
-Retell a story with details and basic sentences
-Participate more fully in academic context.
Advanced
-5-7 years
-Use varied sentence structure
-Comprehend multiple meaning words, idioms and figurative language
-Initiate and negotiate conversations
-Near native-like speech
Krashen

4. Natural Progression of Language Development
Proficient
Ed deAvila
Emerging
WELPA 1
ELP 1
Emerging
WELPA 1
ELP 2
WELPA 2
ELP 3
WELPA 3
ELP 4
WELPA 4
ELP 5
L 2 Ability
Kaiser – 7th
Progressing
Listening 5
Speaking 5
Reading 3
Writing 3
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
Jill: Emerging students have all Level 1 & 2 domain scores; Proficient students have all Level 4 & 5 domain scores; Progressing students fall somewhere in between. Note that this student is more advanced in oral language but still developing his reading and writing.
Time
Beginning
-0-6 months
-Silent period
-Non-verbal/ 1-word responses/ phrases
-Answer simple “who, what, where, when” and “yes/no” questions
-Follow a few simple directions
Early Intermediate
-6 months-1 year
-Can hear and repeat beg, mid, ending speech sounds
-Routine expressions
-Common vocab
-Simple sentences, incomplete sentences
-Ask and answer simple questions
Intermediate
-1-3 years
-Longer sentences
-Experimentation with sentence patterns
-Participate (haltingly) in simple academic discussions with controlled vocab and supports – visuals, demos, gestures etc…
Early Advanced
-3-5 years
-More complex sentences and details
-Can sustain conversation
-Retell a story with details and basic sentences
-Participate more fully in academic context.
Advanced
-5-7 years
-Use varied sentence structure
-Comprehend multiple meaning words, idioms and figurative language
-Initiate and negotiate conversations
-Near native-like speech
Krashen

5. Listening and Speaking Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing
Another perspective….. B I C S
Social Language
Listening and Speaking
6mo-2years
Academic Language
Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing
3-9 years C A L P
Jill: This shows that social language develops first and is most obvious to teachers and staff. Academic language can take years to fully develop. Just because a student can “speak English well” does not mean that their reading and writing skills should also be fully developed, and that if they are not, there might be a disability. We need to give the student adequate time to fully develop their academic skills before considering a learning disability.
Turn and talk: Why is an understanding of language acquisition important when considering ELLs for referral?

6. The Matrix
Provides a structure for organizing information about the student which should be considered prior to referral
Visually organizes the information which supports referral and/or supports more intervention
Focuses team on “Red Flag” factors
Designed to be used by a team – at both data gathering and decision making (ELL representation at the table is required)
Mikael: Makes decision making process data driven and transparent. A team approach—referral should never be based upon one person’s opinion.

7. Sample Completed Matrix1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 X ?
Data supports Referral
Between Neutral and Supports Referral
Neutral
Between Neutral and More Intervention
Data Supports More Intervention
Mikael: The team considers the whole picture before deciding whether to refer or not. Where do most of the marks fall, and where are the red flag areas? They carry the most weight either way.
Turn and Talk: What are two key facts about the Matrix?

8. ELL Critical Data Process The ELL Critical Data Process by Steve Gill and Ushani Nanayakkara
Student’s primary language characteristics (1)
Is their native language predictable or not?
Is their native language more or less grammatically rule bound than English?
Are the sounds similar to English?
The more differences there are, the more intervention is needed.
Supporting tool: language distances chart
Other languages spoken by the student (2)
If the student speaks multiple languages, it is reasonable to expect average to above average learning of English
If the student has learned multiple languages and struggles to learn English, more intervention is needed.
Mikael & Jill

9. ELL Critical Data Process The ELL Critical Data Process by Steve Gill and Ushani Nanayakkara
Multiple languages spoken in the home (3)
If multiple languages were learned in the home before age 6, it can have an impact on usage of language.
The impact is greater if multiple languages were learned before age 6, but the impact tapers off after this age.
If an older student is still struggling between languages, mark referral.
Expected years of education in primary language (4)
Student may not have academic structures of language if they have not received expected years of education in their primary language.
Student may not have school experience and they may still be learning school norms and content at the same time, which can slow development.
Is learning the norms and the language competing with learning academics, or the reverse?
Mikael & Jill
Turn and Talk: Share something that was new learning for you

10. ELL Critical Data Process The ELL Critical Data Process by Steve Gill and Ushani Nanayakkara
Parental education in primary language (5)
Limited parental education in primary language can impact student’s vocabulary and language structures.
This can slow student’s rate of learning.
If parent has limited literacy in their language, more interventions are needed. If parent is well educated and literate in their language, mark possible referral.
Student did not learn to read in primary language (6)
Trying to teach the process of reading while teaching a new language can slow the learning process.
Literacy in primary language is best predictor of literacy in 2nd or 3rd language education.
If a child did not learn to read in their primary language and had less expected exposure to reading, more interventions would be necessary.
Mikael & Jill
Turn and Talk: What

11. ELL Critical Data Process The ELL Critical Data Process by Steve Gill and Ushani Nanayakkara
Years Learning English (7)
A student receiving strong ELL services takes an average of 5-7 years to have the academic language needed to learn in an education setting at a comparable rate to non-ELL students.
This does not mean that a student with less than 5-7 years cannot be evaluated for special education.
Documentation of targeted interventions is needed to support or negate the decision to refer a student for special education evaluation.
Jill & Mikael
Turn and Talk: Share something that was new learning for you
Attendance History (8)
Any student who has three or more unexcused absences per year or a total of 15 absences per year or more is negatively impacted in learning.
If a student has good attendance, mark possible referral.
If a student has poor attendance, mark more interventions needed.

12. ELL Critical Data Process The ELL Critical Data Process by Steve Gill and Ushani Nanayakkara
Approach taken with regards to ELL services (9)
Has the student received direct services, indirect services, or no services?
How frequent were the services?
Strong use of GLAD in the school?
Dual language programs?
If the student has had intensive and regular, research-based ELL support, mark towards referral.
If the ELL support has not been intensive or consistent, mark more interventions.
Jill

13. ELL Critical Data Process The ELL Critical Data Process by Steve Gill and Ushani Nanayakkara
Rate of growth on ELL annual test (10)
Review progress on WELPA and ELPA tests
Compare students to others of similar age, same language background, and similar length of time learning English and receiving ELL services
If growth rate is significantly different than others who are very similar, mark based on likely impact
Intervention description (11)
Team must determine what exactly the concern is.
Team will then create a targeted intervention that will be monitored with pre-testing, progress monitoring and post-testing. This should ideally be done with peers with same primary language and educational history.
Afterwards analyze targeted intervention to compare growth.
Jill & Mikael
-Use OSPI Peer Analysis report to help analyze data (School Psychs)

14. ELL Critical Data Process The ELL Critical Data Process by Steve Gill and Ushani Nanayakkara
Expectations in the general education classroom (12)
All students should be expected to complete assignments, even Emerging students
Use English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPs) to plan appropriate instruction and assessments for all levels of ELL students
Impossible to determine SLD if student has not been required to produce output and engaged in core content
If student has not had consistent expectations of work production, mark interventions needs
If student has had consistent expectations of work output, but not making progress, mark towards possible referral
Jill

15. ELL Critical Data Process The ELL Critical Data Process by Steve Gill and Ushani Nanayakkara
Classroom observation (13)
If student has been engaged in learning process but not progressed at rate of comparable peers over time, then data supports learning difficulty
Lack of engagement does not provide any data
If student is engaged and making good efforts, but not making progress, mark towards referral
Other behaviors are neutral
Mikael

16. ELL Critical Data Process The ELL Critical Data Process by Steve Gill and Ushani Nanayakkara
Comparison student data (14)
While item 11 covered intervention performance data specific to language acquisition, this item covers other data points that provide a numerical comparison
Mark based on comparison of growth curves from the data gathered
Look for anything other than ELPA/WELPA and/or targeted intervention data (in reading, math, or written language): look for any data that can be used to create a peer comparison that will help you understand the student’s learning
Notably slower growth (lack of response to intervention) indicates possible referral
Mikael
Turn and Talk: Why is it important to compare students to others who are very similar?

17. ELL Critical Data Process The ELL Critical Data Process by Steve Gill and Ushani Nanayakkara
The parent interview (15)
Team will collect information from parents regarding student history (with interpreter):
When the student began school
The normal age students begin school where they were
The student’s performance in previous school
Retentions
Highest grade studied
Difficulties
Family history of learning
Behavioral norms for students/children
Jill: Critical to hire a professional interpreter for the parent interview.

18. Timeline
Step # 1:
Team meets to hear the concern and determine whether it is appropriate to begin the pre-referral process or to implement classroom-based and school-wide interventions.
If they decide to move ahead with the pre-referral process, divide the data collection responsibilities.
If it is determined that the student has not received specific targeted interventions for ten weeks minimum (item #11), then these must be put into place.
Step # 2:
If pre-referral process moves ahead, team members collect data for the matrix over a period of 4 to 6 weeks.
If interventions implemented, collect data on these over the ten week minimum period.
Step # 3:
Team meets to go through the 16 Matrix items and determine whether more interventions are needed or a referral is appropriate.

19. Documentation
Teams will document their use of the Critical Data process by including a review in the Guidance Team tab in IEP online.  This can be included in the notes, or a copy of the completed matrix can be uploaded and attached to the Guidance Team record.

20. What you can do now
Use GLAD strategies to provide accessible instruction (see GLAD Building Leader for support)
Important supports for ELL students:
Visuals
Lots of oral language practice
Sentence frames
Modelling
Mentor texts
Leveled texts during independent reading
Native language supports when possible for Beginners
Differentiate instruction for ELL students using the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPs) as a tool (see ELL teacher for support)
Jill: Review helpful tips for teachers to support struggling ELL students in the classroom

21. References
Gill, Steve and Nanayakkara, Ushani. The ELL Critical Data Process. San Bernardino, CA: 2015.