Advocating for ELs:Strategies for School and District Administrators

Teddi Predaris

WIDA 2016 National Conference

October 13, 20161

Introductions

Teddi Predaris

– Senior Consultant, DSF Consulting

– Former Director of ESOL, World Languages, Title I and Title III Fairfax County

Public Schools, Virginia

– Over 35 years experience in language education

– Former Assistant Director, NCELA

– Began career as Spanish and ESOL teacher

Participants

– Elementary, middle, high school, K-12, university, other?

2

Session Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. describe research-supported strategies for successful EL

programs

2. identify advocacy strengths and needs in own programs

through self-assessment

3. develop/enhance an effective program for ELs using action

plan development tool

3

Session Overview

• Defining Advocacy and Why It is Needed

• EL Administrator Reflective Tool

• Equitable EL Instruction, Assessment, and Graduation

Readiness

• Advocating to Implement Strategies of Successful Programs

• Action Plan Development

• References/Resources

4

DEFINING ADVOCACY

AND WHY IT IS

IMPORTANT

5

Advocating for English Learners

CHAPTERS

1. Need for Advocacy

2. Creating a Shared Sense of

Responsibility

3. How Teachers Can Collaborate

4. Advocacy Overview for Administrators

5. Increasing EL Families’ Involvement as

Advocates

6. Advocacy Through Effective Instruction

7. Advocating for ELs in Assessment

8. Advocacy for ELs’ Success Beyond Grade

12

6Corwin/TESOL, 2014

• Advocacy

– Comes from the Latin

advocatus, meaning “one

called to aid”

– Speaking or acting on

behalf of another

• Advocate cognates:

abogado, advogado, avocat

7

Discuss in pairs: What

does EL advocacy mean

for administrators?

Definitions of Advocacy

Advocacy Issues for ELs in General

• EL/non-EL achievement gap

• EL graduation rates

• ELs’ attainment of postsecondary degrees

• Teacher & administrator preparation to work with

ELs

• Effectiveness of language support program models

8

A Vision for ESL Teachers’ Most Effective Role

• Need to redefine ESL teachers’ roles

• ESL teachers as experts, advocates,

and consultants

• Expectations that content teachers

will be both teachers of content and

teachers of language

• Role of the principal or

administrator

9

IDENTIFYING ADVOCACY STRENGTHS

AND NEEDS

10

EL Administrator Reflective Tool (Handout 1)

11

EL Administrator Reflective Tool—Activity

1. Work through the EL Administrator Reflective Tool on your

own (making substitutions for the word “school” as

appropriate).

2. Discuss your responses with your small group:

• In which areas is your school/district the strongest?

Most greatly need to improve?

• Which areas will you prioritize that you would need to

change to make the greatest impact on the effective

teaching of ELs?

12

EQUITABLE EL INSTRUCTION,

ASSESSMENT AND GRADUATION

READINESS

13

Administrators Promoting Instructional Capacity

• Develop professional learning communities--share

responsibility for student success

• Promote collaboration (e.g., lesson planning, coaching,

reflection, data analyses)

• Provide common planning time--build trust and

collaboration

• Promote shared leadership

14

Administrators Promoting Instructional Capacity

• What does effective instruction for ELs look like?

• What do I look for?

• Who can I use as a resource?

• Where can I get further information?

15

Administrator Observation Checklist (Handout 2)

16

Administrators Promoting Professional Growth

Teacher Training

Language acquisition strategies

Content area development

Curriculum, instruction, and

assessment

Teacher Leadership

Council to coordinate staff

development

Study groups for school

improvement

Mentoring/peer coaching programs

Self Development

Teacher (action) research

opportunities

Practice of new skills, risk taking and innovation

17

Advocating for ELs in Assessment

• Sense of urgency

• Awareness and advocacy needed

in:

– English language

development assessments

– Content area assessments

– Assessment for special

education identification

– Assessment for gifted and

talented programs

18Photo by Wilson Dias/ABr - http://www.agenciabrasil.gov.br/media/imagens/2007/08/26/1425WD9825.jpg/view, CC BY 3.0 br, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6875952

EL Graduation, College, and Career Equity Audit (Handout

3)

19

Staehr Fenner, 2014, pp. 207 – 208Adapted from Alford & Niño, 2011

EL Coursework Checklist (Handout 3)

20Staehr Fenner, 2014, p. 209

EL Safety Net Meeting at End of Year

ES ESL teachers, administrators &

counselors meet with MS ESL teachers & counselors

MS ESL teachers, administrators &

counselors meet with HS ESL teachers & counselors

Educators discuss current ELs holistically to prepare

for the next year

21

ADVOCATING TO IMPLEMENT

STRATEGIES OF SUCCESSFUL

PROGRAMS

22

Effective Program Implementation Components &

Strategies (Handout 4)

23Adapted from Howard, et al., 2007

Effective Program Implementation Components

1. Assessment and Accountability

2. Curriculum

3. Instruction

4. Staff Quality

5. Professional Development

6. Program Structure

7. Family and Community Engagement

8. Equity, Support, and Resources

24Adapted from Howard, et al., 2007

ACTION PLAN

DEVELOPMENT

25

Action Plan Development (Handout 5)

26

Action Plan Development and Discussion (Handout

5)

27

• Complete the EL Action Plan Development Tool

independently first (5 minutes).

• When complete, share your next steps and rationale with a

partner next to you.

Session Summary

• Defining Advocacy and Why It is Needed

• EL Administrator Reflective Tool

• Equitable EL Instruction, Assessment, and Graduation

Readiness

• Advocating to Implement Strategies of Successful Programs

• Action Plan Development

• References/Resources

28

Session Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. describe research-supported strategies for successful EL

programs

2. identify advocacy strengths and needs in own programs

through self-assessment

3. develop/enhance an effective program for ELs using action

plan development tool

29

Abedi, J. (2004, March). Will you explain the question? Serving the Underserved. Retrieved from

https://www.principals.org/portals/0/content/46825.pdf

Alford, B. J., & Niño, M. C. (2011). Leading academic achievement for English language learners: A guide

for principals. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Bailey, A. L. (2010). Implications for assessment and instruction. In M. Schatz & L. C. Wilkinson (Eds.), The

education of English language learners: Research to practice (pp. 222–247). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Blase, J. and Blase, J. (1998). Handbook of Instructional Leadership – How Really Good Principals Promote

Teaching and Learning. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.

Chell, J. (1995). Introducing Principals to the Role of Instructional Leadership. Saskatchewan, Canada:

Saskatchewan School Trustees Association.

Cook, G., Boals, T. & Lundberg, T. (2011). Academic Achievement for English Learners. What Can We

Reasonably Expect? Retrieved from

file:///C:/Users/Diane%20Staehr%20Fenner/Downloads/Cook,Boals,Lundberg_AcademicAchievement.pdf

30

References

References

Council of Chief State School Officers. (2014). English language proficiency (ELP) standards. Retrieved

from: http://www.elpa21.org/sites/default/files/Final%204_30%20ELPA21%20Standards_1.pdf

Council of Chief State School Officers. (2013). Proficiency level descriptors for English language proficiency

standards. Retrieved from

http://www.k12.2a.us/MigrantBilingual/pubdocs/ELP/WAProficiencyLevelDescriptors.pdf

Howard, E.R., Sugarman, J., Christian, D., Lindholm-Leary, K., & Rogers, D. (2007). Guiding Principles for

Dual Language Education. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.

Jones, N., Buzick, H., & Turkan, S. (2013). Students with disabilities and English learners in measures of

educator effectiveness. Educational Researcher, 42, 234–241. doi:10.3102/0013189X12468211

Kane, T. J. (2012). Capturing the dimensions of effective teaching. Education Next, 12(4), 34–41.Kane,

Taylor, Tyler, & Wooten, 2011)

Kane, T. J., Taylor, E. S., Tyler, J. H., & Wooten, A. L. (2011). Identifying effective classroom practices using

student achievement data. Journal of Human Resources, 46(3), 587–-613.

31

References

Robertson, K., & Ford, K. (2008). Language acquisition: An overview. Retrieved from

http://www.colorincolorado.org article/26751/

Staehr Fenner, D., Kozik, P., & Cooper, A. (2015). Evaluating ALL Teachers of English learners and students

with disabilities: Supporting great teaching. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Staehr Fenner, D. (2014). Advocating for English learners: A guide for educators. Thousand Oaks, CA:

Corwin.

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. (2010). TESOL/NCATE standards for the recognition

of initial TESOL programs in P–12 ESL teacher education. Alexandria, VA: Author. Retrieved from

http://www.tesol

Jones, N., Buzick, H., & Turkan, S. (2013). Students with disabilities and English learners in measures of

educator effectiveness. Educational Researcher, 42, 234–241. doi:10.3102/0013189X12468211

.

32

Thank you!

Teddi@DSFConsulting.net

33