The New Peralta ESL Curriculum

…coming to colleges

near you

Fall 2012

Why the change? Some issues with the current curriculum:

• Vulnerable to arbitrary class cuts that destroy program integrity based on scheduling, enrollment, other factors not in our control

• Lockstep 5-6 levels not responsive enough to individual rates of progress, both faster and slower

• “Cafeteria Model” resulted in students taking too many units at lower levels and getting “stuck,” running out of financial aid, not getting enough reading, etc.

• College/career skills not consistently scaffolded through the levels/skill areas

How did we create the new curriculum?

• August 2010: district discipline meeting with administrator

• March 2011: district-wide ESL meeting to agree on components of new curriculum

• June/August 2011: mapped out levels and strands

• August 2011-February 2012: wrote 24 new course outlines, entered in Curricunet, and passed them through all relevant committees

What’s new about the new curriculum?

• Responds strategically to program cuts by changing unit values to prioritize our core classes while still offering a variety of electives

• Offers a flexible, accelerated progression to better meet individual student needs

• Streamlines pathways to student goals by consolidating course offerings and integrating more reading into the writing classes

• Scaffolds U.S. college/career skills more consistently at all levels

Overview of Main Features• 4-8 level A/B system for flexible acceleration

• Main new classes offered at each level:

– Reading & Writing (6 units) (adv level transferable)

– Listening & Speaking (4 units) (adv level transferable)

– Grammar (4 units)

• 6 skill strands in addition to language objectives (technology, study skills, US culture, etc.) run through all main courses at all levels

• Existing electives still offered (vocabulary, CTE, workshop, etc.)

• Other new electives (reading topics, U.S. culture, content support, and more) under development

How do the levels correspond?

old new

(6) advanced5

high intermediate4

3 intermediate2

high beginning1

Levels of Difficulty

High

BeginningIntermediate

High

IntermediateAdvanced

Grammar

(4 Units) 284A/B 215A/B 216A/B 217A/B

Listening &

Speaking

(4 Units) 283A/B 232A/B 233A/B 50A/B

Reading &

Writing

(6 Units) 285A/B 222A/B 223A/B 52A/B

Students who complete this

course in Spring 2012:Should go to this course in Fall 2012:

252A (Grammar 1) 284A (High Beginning Grammar)

252B (Grammar 2) 215A (Intermediate Grammar)

203A (Grammar 3) 216A (High Intermediate Grammar)

203B (Grammar 4) 217A (Advanced Grammar)

250A (Speaking 1) 283A (High Beginning Listening/Speaking)

250B (Speaking 2) 232A (Intermediate Speaking/Listening)

200A (Speaking 3) 233A (High Intermediate Speaking/Listening)

200B (Speaking 4) 50A (Advanced Speaking/Listening)

251A (Writing 1) 285A (High Beginning Reading/Writing)

251B (Writing 2) 222A (Intermediate Reading/Writing)

201A (Writing 3)223 A (High Intermediate Reading/Writing)

201B (Writing 4)

21A (Writing 5) 52A (Advanced Reading/Writing)

New Placement Scores for Grammar and Listening & Speaking Classes:

CELSA

scoreRecommended Courses

60-75217A: Advanced

Grammar

50A: Advanced

Listening & Speaking

48-59216A: High Intermediate

Grammar

233A: High Intermediate

Listening & Speaking

35-47215A: Intermediate

Grammar

232A: Intermediate

Listening & Speaking

20-34284A: High Beginning

Grammar

284A: High Beginning

Listening & Speaking

New Placement Scores for Reading & Writing Classes:

Essay Placement Score Recommended Course

Category 2 (may have minor errors,

but shows mastery of essay)Refer to English Assessment

Category 1 (may have errors, but same

errors as native speakers)

6 52A: Advanced

Reading & Writing5

4223A: High Intermediate

Reading & Writing

3222A: Intermediate

Reading & Writing

2 285A: High Beginning

Reading & Writing1

Variable 4-8 level A/B plan at a glance:READING/

WRITING

6 UNITS

HIGH

BEG

A

HIGH

BEG

B

INT

A

INT

B

HIGH

INT

A

HIGH

INT

B

ADV

A

ADV

B

LISTENING/

SPEAKING

4 UNITS

HIGH

BEG

A

HIGH

BEG

B

INT

A

INT

B

HIGH

INT

A

HIGH

INT

B

ADV

A

ADV

B

GRAMMAR

4 UNITS

HIGH

BEG

A

HIGH

BEG

B

INT

A

INT

B

HIGH

INT

A

HIGH

INT

B

ADV

A

ADV

B

Visualization #1 of the A/B plan: Accordion

Visualization #1 of the A/B plan: Accordion

HIGH BEG A

INT A

HIGH INT A

ADV A

HIGH BEG B

INT B

HIGH INT B

ADV B

STUDENT ADVANCING

FAST

Visualization #1 of the A/B plan: Accordion

HIGH BEG A

INT A

HIGH INT A

ADV A

HIGH BEG B

INT B

HIGH INT B

ADV B

STUDENT ADVANCING

SLOWER

Visualization #1 of the A/B plan: Accordion

HIGH BEG A

INT A

HIGH INT A

ADV A

HIGH BEG B

INT B

HIGH INT B

ADV B

STUDENT ADJUSTING

TO PROGRESS

Visualization #2 of the A/B plan: Stairs

ADV B

ADV A

HIGH INT B

HIGH INT A

INT B

INT A

HIGH BEG B

HIGH BEG A

STUDENT ADVANCING

FASTER

Visualization #2 of the A/B plan: Stairs

ADV B

ADV A

HIGH INT B

HIGH INT A

INT B

INT A

HIGH BEG B

HIGH BEG A

STUDENT ADVANCING

SLOWER

Visualization #2 of the A/B plan: Stairs

STUDENT ADJUSTING

TO PROGRESS

ADV B

ADV A

HIGH INT B

HIGH INT A

INT B

INT A

HIGH BEG B

HIGH BEG A

Other features of A/B system:

• All students initially test into an A level

• B levels are only for those who have passed A and are not ready for the next A level

• Students taking A and B of a level are in class together and are only identified on the roster

• Attempt to alternate, not repeat instructors/ materials if possible

Other features of A/B system:

• Students assessed toward end of semester to determine their best next class:

• Students finishing A level:– If failing, repeat the A level

– If marginal, advance to the B level

– If proficient, advance to the next A level

• Students finishing B level:– If failing, repeat the B level

– If proficient, advance to the next A level

I worked hard and even got a C+, but

I can’t really perform all of the

SLOs.

Wow! That was too hard! I got

a D or an F.

Got it! Ready to move ahead!

Example: 3 students toward the end of High Intermediate A

Advanced A

High Intermediate B

High Intermediate A

What are the “strands”?

• 6 sets of skills we build consistently in all of the main classes at all levels

• Introduce/expose at high beginning level

• By advanced level, students are ready for transfer/career in these areas

What are the “strands”?

• U.S. College, Classroom, and Study Skills

• Information Literacy: Computer Skills/Research

• Intercultural Communication and U.S. Culture

• Sentence-Level Accuracy

• Comprehension (Reading/Listening) and Production (Writing/Speaking) Processes

• Critical Thinking

Questions/suggestions?