pinnacle eld plan 2011 12 - charter school institute · • administer the cela placement test to...

Developing English Language Literacy & Content Area Skills for Post Secondary Success

Pinnacle Motto/Vision: Success is the only option for members of The Pinnacle Learning Community.

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Pinnacle Charter School 2011-2012

English Language Development Plan for English Language

Learners

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Process The Pinnacle Charter School, Federal Heights, Colorado, recognizes the need to develop and sustain English language development in literacy and content instruction for all English language learners. This plan is a proactive approach to meeting the school’s obligation to provide high quality instruction for all students.

To that end, we believe that all students:

• Are enriched by exposure to diverse cultures.

• Have the capacity to achieve high academic standards.

• Are taught with viable and guaranteed curricula.

• Merit quality instructors and effective instruction.

• Value fluency in social and academic English language skills.

• Benefit from teacher, parent and broad range community support.

The Pinnacle Charter School’s goals, defined by this plan, are to: Develop English literacy skills and content area performance indicators as measured by the Colorado English Language Assessment Proficiency Test (CELApro) and the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP); and Accelerate and support our students’ performance in mainstream classroom settings through the implementation of this English Language Acquisition Plan

The Pinnacle English Language Development Plan (PELD) is comprehensive in its content; connected with school-wide literacy efforts; clear in its approach; and focused on identified student needs and outcomes.

An overview of this plan will be part of a comprehensive school-wide professional development initiative that will train teachers to develop and strengthen their classroom ELA teaching strategies.

School-wide focus will be on English language literacy development and achieving proficiency levels on the newly adopted WIDA Standards. All teachers will assume responsibility in assuring that students designated as ELL will be successful and reach proficiency levels in the areas of Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science and English.

The PELD Plan will be reviewed annually to maintain its relevancy to the Pinnacle and state and federal goals and mandates.

If you have questions about this document or would like to request copies, please contact the English Language Acquisition Department at (303) 450-3985, ext. 275. This plan is available online by going to the curriculum link of The Pinnacle Charter School website, www.pinnaclecsi.org.

Thank you,

Rebecca Sieve ELA Coordinator & Elementary Principal Pinnacle Charter School 1001 84th Avenue West Federal Heights, CO 80249 E-mail: [email protected] Cc: Dr. William K. Wiener, Executive Director

FORWARD

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Purpose...................................................................................................................................................................................4

Defining the ELL Student ..................................................................................................................................................... 5

NCLB Definitions for ELLs……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6

Identification and Assessment Flow Chart……………………………………………………………………………………………7

Responsibility for Implementation ........................................................................................................................................ 8

K-5 ELA Classes and Targeted Highest Need Services ........................................................................................................ 9

Daily Direct English Language Instruction ........................................................................................................................ 10

Adequate Growth ................................................................................................................................................................ 11

Curriculum and ELL Student .............................................................................................................................................. 14

Literacy Initiative ............................................................................................................................................................. 15

Secondary ELD Program ................................................................................................................................................... 18

Effective and Research-Based Instruction .......................................................................................................................................... 19

Instructional Strategies ....................................................................................................................................................... 20

Instructional Resources ...................................................................................................................................................... 26

Intervention Programs ........................................................................................................................................................ 27

Assessing the ELL Student .................................................................................................................................................. 28

Scheduling Guides .............................................................................................................................................................. 30

Staffing Plan and Professional Development ..................................................................................................................... 35

Effective and Research-Based Instructional Practices ........................................................................................................................... 36

Professional Development Previous Trainings and Anticipated Trainings.........................................................................37

Parent/Family Engagement ................................................................................................................................................ 38

Plan Goals and Results Indicators ..................................................................................................................................... 41

Glossary of Terms ............................................................................................................................................................... 42

Bibliography ....................................................................................................................................................................... 44

Appendicies ......................................................................................................................................................................... 46

Table of Contents

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“While it is true that student characteristics influence student proficiency, it is absolutely not true that student characteristics influence the opportunity for school leaders and educators to

influence gains in student achievement.” -Douglas B. Reeves

The purpose of the Pinnacle English Language Development Plan for English Language Learners is to provide a structure that is consistent and collaborative in the following areas:

• Common Assessments

• Guaranteed and Viable Research-Based Curriculum

• Differentiated Instruction Delivered in a Sheltered Model

• Implementation of State and WIDA Standards

• Data Driven Instruction

• Outcome Based Performance Indicators

• Long Range Professional Development Plans

• Parent and Community Stakeholder Involvement

The salient purpose of this plan is to accelerate the acquisition of English. Schools can accelerate acquisition of academic language by providing a comprehensive support system for English language learners where they receive specialized, comprehensible content instruction throughout the school day. This requires a collaborative effort between teachers and specialists, as well as professional development for all staff about how to shelter instruction and provide language-rich, comprehensible instruction for all students. This will lead to the development of sustained English language and academic skills for English language learners as they transition into a mainstream setting.

Future Focus

• Design programs that best meet the needs of a growing ELL student population

• Assist staff with meeting the needs of ELA and non‐ELA students in their classrooms

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Purpose

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ELA Department Responsibilities

• Administer the CELA Placement Test to new student applicants

• Establish and follow entry and exit criteria for English Language Learner (ELL) students

• Inform parents/guardians of ELA service areas

• Review and update ELL student files

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ELA Department Responsibilitiescont…

• Identify K‐12 students for CELA Proficiency testing

• Plan and execute CELA Proficiency Test; December through January

7 Some students come to school with strong native language skills in reading and writing. The responsibility of the instructional staff is to take advantage of those skills and help the students transfer that knowledge into English. Other students come with gaps in their native language instruction. The task is to identify those gaps and help the student acquire new skills and use the new language for academic success. Some students have spent five years or more learning English. These students have background knowledge but are lacking reading and writing skills. These students need content and literacy support.

The stages of language acquisition (see Appendix A) provide additional information on how we define the ELL student.

In their 1992 book, Closing the Achievement Gap, Freeman and Freeman illustrate the distinctive characteristics associated with the various types of ELL students. This is outlined in the following matrix.

Types of English Language Learners

Type of Learner Characteristics

Newly Arrived and Adequate Schooling • Recent arrival (less than five years in U.S. schools)

• Adequate schooling in native country • Soon catches up academically • May still score low on standardized tests given

in English

Newly Arrived with Limited Formal Schooling • Recent arrival (less than five years in U.S. schools)

• Interrupted or limited schooling in native country

• Limited native-language literacy • Below grade level in math • Poor academic achievement

Long-Term English Learner • Seven or more years in U.S. • May have been born in the U.S. • Below grade level in reading and writing • Adequate grades but low test scores • ELD or bilingual instruction, but no consistent

program Freeman and Freeman, 2002 adapted from Olsen and Jaramillo, 1999

Defining the ELL Student

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No Child Left Behind Definitions for ELLs

Proficiency continuum categories as designated by a language proficiency assessment

NEP

(Emergent) Individuals who have no or very limited English proficiency

LEP

(Intermediate) A term used to refer to a student with limited understanding or use of written and spoken English; a learner who is still developing competence in using English.

FEP

(Fluent) A student who has moved through the NEP and LEP stages and has reached a fluent level of English but may still benefit from sheltered instruction or language support in tasks requiring high levels of academic vocabulary, reading and writing

Process definitions Re-designation

• Has achieved proficient or advanced proficiency level on a reliable and valid language proficiency assessment. (Colorado English Language Assessment CELA) in the areas of speaking, reading, writing and comprehension.

• Has achieved age and grade level academic achievement standards and proficiencies commensurate to the achievement of mainstream students at a partially proficient level. (PP or above on the CSAP)

Monitor Year 1, Year 2 • A student who has achieved fluency as recorded through a valid and reliable language proficiency assessment

and who is mainstreamed and monitored for two years. These students are eligible for Title III funding.

Exited • A student who has successfully completed the two year monitoring period and is formally identified as no

longer in need of services.

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Identification and Assessment Flow Chart ALL NEW STUDENTS (fill out a Home Language Survey upon enrolling)

HLS (Home Language Survey)

Yes No Not ELA

CELA Placement (Oral, Reading, Writing), additional literacy assessments, parent and teacher interview

ELL FEP Tested and Didn’t Quality NEP LEP LEP TDQ Beginning High Beginning Intermediate Beginning (Not ELL) English English English Speaker Speaker Speaker

Placement in ELA program until Redesignation Criteria is met: Body of Evidence CELApro Overall Advanced CSAP, MAP, DRA2, Writing Evaluation Scores Teacher Recommendations

Body of Evidence: Formally exited Redesignation and monitoring for 2 years Body of Evidence: Re-enter ELA services

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Creating and sustaining a collaborative approach in support of the ELL student will increase the capacity at the building level to

support all students.

All school personnel are responsible for implementing this plan with fidelity. New behaviors and beliefs may be required at all levels of the organization. New habits will emerge as the plan is implemented.

School leadership will provide guidance and support through the goals in the Pinnacle Strategic Improvement Plan that is based on identified needs and federal and state mandates.

The building leadership will clear the way so that the success of all students is the responsibility of the combined staff. The student/building schedule will provide the structure for the implementation of the plan. The building school improvement plan, the decisions related to staff assignments, budget, curriculum, professional development and parent engagement will be of interest to all and supported by all.

Teachers, as part of building leadership, will need to collaborate with colleagues in designing and implementing instruction based on student need as determined by formative and summative assessments.

High expectations for student performance will be evident in classroom interactions and during the entire school day. Parents and families will support students through authentic opportunities for engagement and involvement with the schools that include leadership training and participation (refer to section on Parent/Family Engagement).

Strategic implementation support provided to the grade levels will be differentiated based upon their current level of initiating different aspects of the plan such as professional development, instructional materials, or other elements. Some grade levels, based upon previous efforts, will already be at a sustaining level or even at an advanced level of implementation while others may be at the initial phase.

Ongoing job embedded professional development, common collaborative teaming and peer coaching through school instructional coaches, and principals, will be some means of assuring implementation of this plan.

ELA Responsibilities

• Teach mini‐lessons to demonstrate ELA instructional strategies

• Model strategies that work for ELL students

• Act as Data Facilitators for Grades K‐12

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• Analyze test data to support teachers and administrators in measuring student progress and to inform instructional and programmatic decisions

• Conduct classroom observations of individual students for RTI evaluation process

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• Consult with teachers about best practices for ELL students

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Responsibility for Implementation

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The English language learners are provided language support based upon their level of English language proficiency as measured by CELA and other academic support measures. The decision is based on a body of evidence to include a triangulation of data and teacher observations. The majority of the ELL students at the elementary level reach proficiency through ELA classes, literacy support, and teacher implemented classroom strategies. However some additional support is needed for ELL students that are not making expected growth in their English language and academic development. Students needing additional support are offered targeted services and are progress monitored. Service Structure All ELL students will be supported in the classroom with 90 minutes of daily instruction in reading & writing and 90 minutes of math instruction. Science and social studies will also be taught daily. Every Child a Reader and Write to Learn are standardized programs that help students reach grade level proficiency in reading and writing. (see Appendix B) This explicit and systematic program supports all students with English language development. There is additional programming for students who are NEP as identified on the CELA Placement and/or the CELApro as well as additional programming for NEP and LEP students who have not made adequate growth: • NEP (non-English proficient) students will receive a 50 minute block of language development

and support from a highly qualified ELA endorsed teacher. This block of time is during the Specials five week rotation. In addition, students identified as high need ELLs, based upon a triangulation of data, will receive targeted interventions four days a week for 20 minute blocks throughout the school year from a highly qualified ELA endorsed teacher. This daily instruction will be supported by progress monitoring. Weekly team data meetings will monitor growth; team members will brainstorm additional support structures and curriculum/instructional tools to increase the achievement of each NEP student who is not making adequate growth.

• LEP (limited English proficient) students will receive the reading program all students receive as well as writing and targeted instruction based upon individual student needs.

• LEP students who are identified as not making adequate growth will attend ELA classes during the Specials five week rotation for 50 minutes a day during a six week rotation and will receive targeted interventions four days a week for 20 minutes throughout the school year from a highly qualified ELA endorsed teacher. This daily instruction will be supported by progress monitoring. Weekly team data meetings will monitor growth; team members will brainstorm additional support structures and curriculum/instructional tools to increase the achievement of each LEP student who is not making adequate growth.

• FEP students still not achieving at grade level may attend ELA classes during the Specials five week rotation and will receive targeted interventions four days a week for 20 minutes throughout the school year from a highly qualified ELA endorsed teacher. This daily instruction will be supported by progress monitoring. Weekly team data meetings will monitor growth; team members will brainstorm additional support structures and curriculum/instructional tools in order to increase the achievement of each FEP student who is not making adequate growth on MAPs, CSAPs, Writing Assessments and/or DRA2’s.

• FEP students who have exited the program will be monitored and provided additional interventions to support their reading and writing levels as determined by diagnostic tests.

K-5 ELA Classes and Targeted Highest Needs Services

Daily Direct English Language Instruction

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Non-English Proficient (NEP)

Listening, Speaking, Reading, & Writing

Language Development Support

• 50 minute ELA Specials Classes-six week rotations • ELA endorsed/highly qualified teacher

Literacy with differentiated instruction

• 90 minute block • Reading (ECAR)

Writing Instruction • Combined with reading instruction and content areas

English Language Development (ELD) – Targeted Instruction

• 20-40 minute time frames • Targeted language development instruction • ELA endorsed/highly qualified teacher

Content Instruction with ELL instructional strategies

• Math – 90 minutes • Science/Social Studies – 40 minutes • Sheltered instruction

Extended Day/Year Opportunities • After School Tutoring for selected students • Summer Language Academy

Scheduled Progress Monitoring

• Weekly RtI data team meetings to monitor language and academic growth

• DRA2 indicators • Pearson Longman Researched Based Pre/Post Tests • AIMsWeb • Writing Rubric • MAPs • CELA

Kindergarten & 1st Grade

• NEP identified with Speaking, Listening, Reading & Writing components of CELA Placement

• Speaking and Listening are key to determining ELL designation

Limited English Proficient (LEP)

Listening, Speaking, Reading, & Writing

Language Development Support

• 50 minute ELA Specials Classes-six week rotations • ELA endorsed/highly qualified teacher

Literacy with differentiated instruction

• 90 minute block • Reading (ECAR)

Writing Instruction • Combined with reading instruction and content areas

English Language Development (ELD) – Targeted Instruction

• 20-40 minute time frames • Targeted language development instruction • ELA endorsed/highly qualified teacher

Content Instruction with ELL instructional strategies

• Math – 90 minutes • Science/Social Studies – 40 minutes • Sheltered instruction

Extended Day/Year Opportunities • After School Tutoring for selected students

Scheduled Progress Monitoring

• Weekly RtI data team meetings to monitor language and academic growth

• DRA2 indicators • Pearson Longman Researched Based Pre/Post Tests • AIMsWeb • Writing Rubric • MAPs • CELA

Daily Direct English Language Instruction

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ADEQUATE GROWTH Identifying ELL students who are not making adequate growth is part of the school-wide RtI process that is followed for all students. This process entails teachers and leaders meeting together in grade and building level data meetings. During the school year, progress for adequate growth will be determined by formative assessments. Adjustments in instruction and service will be discussed at check points as determined in this plan. The following will provide additional information regarding data points and instructional approaches to determine specific action plans to meet the academic and language development needs of ELLs. The first step is to identify which students are not making adequate growth based on multiple assessments and growth trajectories. The table below identifies the assessment data to review.

Assessments

Oral NEP students

Reading NEP and LEP

Writing LEP and FEP

Comprehension LEP and FEP

• CELA Tests • Pearson Longman

Speaking Test

• CELA Tests • AIMsWeb • DRA2 Levels • ECAR Indicators • Pearson Longman

Reading Test • MAP Tests

• CELA Tests • K-12 Writing

Assessment • Write Tools

• CELA Tests • AIMsWEB

Fluency & Comprehension Tests

• Pearson Longman Reading Test

Students who are not showing growth across multiple modalities should be considered for additional language and academic support (see adequate growth chart). The second step for ELLs not making adequate growth is to tailor an individual instructional approach based upon the students’ needs. A general rule is to make modifications by increasing and decreasing certain activities as well as teaching for mastery, fluency, critical thinking, comprehension, and English vocabulary acquisition to attain linguistic and academic proficiency in English. The following chart delineates the considerations a team needs to consider when designing the individual student’s instructional approach.

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Increase Decrease Teach for essential learning skills

• Time and practice • Number of students in instructional group

• Mastery of essential skills in English

• Examples • Number of concepts taught at one time • Oral fluency

• Repetition of concepts • Number of steps and processes • Organization

• Focus • Linguistic complexity • Thinking skills • Progress monitoring • Vocabulary • Feedback • Reading • Student to student

interaction • Writing

• Content related student talk • Comprehension • Use of academic English

Structure for Determination Adequate growth will be measured at “check points” throughout the year using the Adequate Growth Chart

o 9 weeks (first quarter) and/or five week ELA Specials rotation o Mid-year o 9 weeks (third quarter) and/or five week ELA Specials rotation o End of year

Each ELA instructor, with grade level team input, will submit an ELL roster to identify the students who do not make adequate growth (Watch list) to the Pinnacle ELA coordinator as a monitoring system

o ELA students who do not show adequate growth will receive an additional block of time with a highly qualified ELA teacher (Targeted Instruction)

o Non- adequate growth plans will be developed for each student keeping track of instructional interventions and instructional changes

ELA instructors and grade level teams will monitor students’ performance on formative standardized tests

At each nine week check point, or five week ELA Specials rotation, student performance data will be re-evaluated for ELA service levels

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Pinnacle English Language Acquisition K‐12 Adequate Growth Chart

The Pinnacle adequate growth chart lists the standardized assessment measurements and school‐wide developed measurements to determine if students are making adequate progress. The chart also includes teacher observations and evaluations.

FREQUENCY ASSESSMENT

ELA Specials-5 weeks Pre/Post Pearson Longman Curriculum Based Assessments

Tri-annual MAPS Test Scores

RIT Values Chart DRA2 Assessments Grade Level Indicators

Quarterly Grade Reports & Teacher Observations

Letter Grades/ Class participation/performance

School-wide Writing Assessment

Overall Score

Annual CSAP Test Scores U/PP/P

CELApro Scores NEP/LEP/FEP

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The curriculum is the link between teaching and learning.

The newly adopted WIDA Standards for the state of Colorado will be embedded into the school-wide curriculum and assessment frameworks. All students will be expected to demonstrate proficiency in the school’s curriculum standards. To that end, ELA teachers, general education classroom teachers, and building support staff will become familiar with the WIDA standards and how these correlate with Colorado’s Academic Standards to help students achieve proficiency levels on CSAP. This understanding is crucial to the academic success of ELL students.

The WIDA Standards are included as Appendix C. These focus on the four domains of language that include listening, speaking, reading and writing in the content areas of language arts, mathematics, science and social studies and English language proficiency for grades K-12.

WIDA STANDARDS EMBEDDED IN CONTENT AREAS OF LANGUAGE ARTS, MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES

& ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

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The role of reading in the development of content-area knowledge and academic success is not unique to ELLs, but applies to all

learners. Supporting and promoting the reading development of the growing population of ELLs is both a challenge and a necessity for educators across the nation. Following are some recommendations to keep in mind when planning for reading instruction and intervention for ELLs. (see Appendix D) These recommendations come from a handbook developed by the Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics at the University of Houston for the Center on Instruction. The entire handbook can be downloaded at www.centeroninstruction.org

1. ELLs need early, explicit, and intensive instruction in phonological awareness and phonics in order to build decoding skills.

2. All classrooms must increase opportunities for ELLs to develop sophisticated vocabulary knowledge.

3. Reading instruction must equip ELLs with strategies and knowledge to comprehend and analyze challenging narrative and expository tests.

4. Instruction and intervention to promote ELLs reading fluency must focus upon vocabulary and increased exposure to print in addition to targeting identified areas of need.

5. In all classrooms, ELLs need significant opportunities to engage in structured, academic talk in addition to support for accessing academic text.

6. Independent reading is only beneficial when it is structured and purposeful, and there is a good reader-text match.

Pinnacle Charter School is the recipient of a grant from the Morgridge Family Foundation that has allowed Grades 3-12 to implement the Reading Plus Program.

This program has proven effective in raising the reading levels of participating ELLs. An additional benefit is student access from home based computers.

Pinnacle Charter School has implemented the program, Every Child a Reader. This reading curriculum differentiates instruction to ensure ELL students’ individual areas of need are targeted.

Literacy Initiative

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Literacy Guidelines for English Language Learners

WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF QUALITY INSTRUCTION FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS?

There are three instructional characteristics that are beneficial for all students, but absolutely essential for English Language Learners (ELLs): comprehensible input, interaction, and cognitively challenging instruction. Comprehensible input refers to techniques that teachers use to make concepts clear. Scaffolding is a term we often associate with comprehensible input. This includes strategies such as teacher modeling, use of visuals and realia, and pre-teaching. Interaction refers to a structured opportunity for students to use target language. Whether between teacher and students or among students, they provide the wait and practice time to formulate an answer before reporting out whole-group. Interactions are also powerful because they ensure all students are getting a chance to share their thinking, and they may allow some students to clarify key concepts in their primary language with a partner. Cognitively challenging instruction refers to teaching mental processes, or learning strategies, that enhance comprehension, learning, and retention of information. Our job is not to water down cognitively demanding material, but to make it accessible to students by adding context, activating prior knowledge, and structuring the tasks for step-by-step success. Teaching students to use mnemonic devices in order to help retain information; to make connections in order to understand text; and to utilize a specific process or strategy for problem solving are all ways to make cognitively challenging instruction more accessible to ELLs. Providing multiple exposures is another essential strategy to help ELLs find success.

HOW DO THESE CHARACTERISTICS APPLY TO LITERACY INSTRUCTION? These essential characteristics can be applied throughout the literacy block. Below are some ideas for incorporating comprehensible input, interactions, and cognitively challenging instruction: • Templates: Establishing clear and consistent routines, and following template procedures so that

signaling and wait time are built in, will help students be successful with template practice. Pre-teaching is a good time to work on challenging templates and definitions to unfamiliar words so that pacing can remain rigorous during daily template practice time in the literacy block. Setting the purpose each time, utilizing unison oral response, and providing individual turns are also necessary supports.

• Vocabulary: Providing direct definitions and utilizing any necessary visuals, realia, and gestures

to make meaning clear is an important first step in specific word instruction. Providing multiple exposures throughout the day, along with teaching Spanish/ English cognates, will help solidify the new vocabulary with students. Posting the definitions, especially with visuals, and utilizing personal vocabulary dictionaries creates references that students can access at any time. Structured interactions (e.g., inside-outside circle, think-pair-share) enable all students to engage with the words. Maintaining high expectations, providing multiple meanings, and teaching students processes for making meaning and retaining the new information will keep vocabulary instruction challenging and meaningful.

• Anthology: Pre-teaching with the Selection Summaries in the ELL Handbook ensures that

students have an overall picture of what the story is about prior to reading the text in the

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anthology. Teaching students strategies (comprehension, phonics/decoding, word learning) and skills, along with lots of teacher modeling (think aloud), guided practice, and independent application will help them access text. It is also important to provide multiple opportunities for structured interactions that allow students to process their thinking (e.g., quick write, think-pair-share) before answering.

• Decodable Text: Utilizing the decodable text templates (cards 11-14) provides a structured way

for students to apply what they’ve been learning to the decodable text. Adjust which template is used based on student need. While we always want students to read the text on their own for the first time, using pre-teaching time to help students “code” the text by highlighting specific sound/spellings and high frequency words is an appropriate support. This will draw their eye to those words and spellings when they read, helping with transfer. Additional supports would be using the templates to read the decodable in a small group before reading it whole-group, and for students to re-read the decodable for fluency during partner reading time.

• Partner Reading: Making sure to set the purpose for partner reading and maintaining a structured

format with clear expectations is key. Teacher modeling of what partner reading looks like is a great support. Students should re-read familiar texts (e.g., selection summaries, anthology, HM leveled readers, HM vocabulary readers, decodable text) for fluency and application of skills/strategies. Thoughtful pairing of students is also important. A higher student paired with a lower student can provide support (e.g., high student reads sentence/paragraph/page followed by lower student re-reading the same sentence/paragraph/page). Requiring students to report (quick write or oral share) on a specific, teacher-posed discussion question will help hold students accountable during partner reading time.

Resources: August, Diane and Timothy Shanahan. Developing Literacy in Second Language Learners.New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2006. Greeley Evans School District 6 Division of Academic Achievement. Journey to Elementary Excellence. 2007. Grognet, Allene, Judith Jamesone, Lynda Franco, and Maria Derrick-Mescua. Enhancing English Language Learning in Elementary Classrooms. WashingtonDC: Center for Applied Linguistics, 2000.

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Courses Description/Critical Components Grades 6-8

ELA Specials

• Academic Content Areas Developed • Pearson Longman Curriculum • 50 minute block • Instructed by an ELA endorsed teacher

Grades 9-12 English/Literacy

• Sheltered Instruction • Time based on need • Reading and Writing • Instructed by a licensed teacher with ELA

credentials

Secondary ELA Program

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Effective instructional practices target identified needs of each student.

Effective instruction is designed to meet the academic and English language needs of the ELL student based on various assessment processes. Students will be placed in general education classrooms and instruction will be delivered by use of ELA strategies by mainstream teachers, ELA teacher and specialists. Instruction will be differentiated to meet the assessed needs of the ELL student. The ELL students are the responsibility of all teachers.

Items to review include:

• CELA results

• CSAP results

• MAP Reading, Math and Science Scores

• DRA2 Scores

• Writing Assessment Scores

The items listed below will provide additional information in planning the best instructional program for the student:

• Family and educational background

• Date of entry into US schools/US school history

• Prior literacy and content knowledge in native language

• Identified special needs

The instructional practices recommended by the ELA team will allow for challenging assignment and appropriate instruction so that students accelerate their English language acquisition and academic learning. The following are descriptions of research-based instructional models and strategies for elementary and secondary levels. Protocols for implementation are included in the descriptions.

It is critical to note that the instructional strategies that follow are for all students based on their needs and all teachers based on their expertise. In these models, students are grouped in a non-categorical manner where groups are formed not by labels (Title I, ELL, IEP, ILP, GT) but by identified instructional needs. This may require a shift in thinking, behaviors and structures.

All students are viewed as individuals having unique needs while offering valuable contributions to the climate of the school. The Pinnacle celebrates diversity and the challenges associated with students from a broad range of cultures.

Effective and Research-Based Instruction

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Today, as we call upon our schools to prepare all students for success in life, the need for research-based school improvement solutions has never been greater. As teachers plan for instruction, they should consider the nine most effective instructional strategies with strong effect on student achievement.

(Mid Continent Research for Education and Learning/McREL )

It is the faculty’s responsibility to plan and implement the most effective instructional strategies purposefully, intentionally and explicitly, or “P.I.E”. The chart that follows includes a list of teacher generated strategies and example activities that have been shown to benefit ALL students. These are essential for English language learners to progress in both the acquisition of English as well as toward academic proficiency. When teachers use these strategies purposefully, intentionally and explicitly, students will make linguistic and academic progress at an appropriate rate. As teachers refine and implement these strategies and activities, it will be important to note the necessity of modeling to students what is expected and not expected. It is generally agreed that they should be taught through explicit instruction, careful modeling, and scaffolding. Teachers and students both need not only to know what the strategy is, but also how it its used, along with when and why it is used. One possible format to follow when teaching and using these activities is the “I do. We do. You do.” sequence, giving students ample opportunities to practice the strategies with support before being expected to do them correctly on their own. Teachers then will take the time either individually or collaboratively to plan the implementation of these strategies into their daily lessons.

According to Muth and Alvermann (1999) there is a continuum of strategies that occurs during the teaching-learning process: from teacher-centered, teacher-assisted, peer-assisted, and student-centered. The ultimate goal is for students to develop independence in self-monitoring and self-regulation through practice with peer-assisted and student-centered activities. Teachers must scaffold ELLs by providing many opportunities for them to use a variety of strategies that have been found to be especially effective.

Instructional Strategies

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McREL Researched Based Strategies

Category Definition

Similarities & Differences Strategies that enhance students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge by having them identify similarities and differences among items

Summarizing & Note Taking Strategies that enhance students’ ability to synthesize information and organize it in a way that captures the main ideas and key supporting details

Reinforcing Effort & Providing Recognition

• Strategies that enhance students’ understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing students’ attitudes and beliefs about learning

• Strategies that reward or praise students for attaining goals

Practice & Homework

• Strategies that encourage students to practice, review, and apply knowledge

• Strategies that enhance students’ ability to reach the expected level of proficiency for a skill or process

Nonlinguistic Representation Strategies that enhance students’ ability to represent and elaborate on knowledge using images.

Cooperative Learning

Strategies that provide a direction for learning and encourage students to interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning

Setting Objectives & Providing Feedback Strategies that help students learn how well they are performing relative to a particular performance goal so that they can improve their performance

Generating & Testing Hypotheses Strategies that enhance students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge by having them generate and test hypotheses

Clues & Questions & Advance Organizers Strategies that enhance students’ ability to retrieve use and organize what they already know about a topic

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INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY – ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY

Strategy Description/Critical Components Professional Development Teacher Expertise

Native Language Concept Reinforcement

As a support strategy within other instructional models delivered by bilingual ELA teachers.

Concept reinforcement focuses on tapping into and building background knowledge, increasing students’ conceptual reservoir, and using higher order thinking skills. .

Adult Education Program offers Spanish classes to staff and community.

A native speaker, a bilingual/bi-literate speaker, or someone who is bilingually endorsed provides native language concept reinforcement.

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Model and Strategy

Description/Critical Components Professional Development Teacher Expertise

Sheltered Instruction (SIOP Model)

As a support strategy within other instructional modes AND as a standalone approach at the secondary level

Relevant and useful for all students

• Sheltered instruction addresses the same state standards, grade level expectations and the essential components found in a mainstream content area classroom.

• General classroom teachers and/or specific content area teachers organize their instruction in a manner that helps ELA students fully understand standards-based content in the areas of social studies, science, math, and language arts.

• Teachers provide multiple opportunities for student-centered, hands-on experiences, and the use of realia or manipulatives.

• Targeted vocabulary and essential understandings are identified and posted for students

• Instruction is focused around content and language objectives and delivered using effective instructional strategies.

At the elementary, middle and high school levels:

• ELL students receive sheltered instruction in a heterogeneous group. This sheltered instruction is in conjunction with, not exclusive of, English language development instruction and/or targeted literacy instruction.

At the elementary level:

• Professional development for ALL teachers focuses on:

• Language acquisition • Language proficiency

assessments (CELA) • McREL Instructional

Strategies • ECAR literacy instruction,

K-5 • Oral language development

across the curriculum • Developing the second

language environment • Planning and delivering

standards-based integrated curriculum

At the secondary level:

• Professional development for ALL teachers at the site focuses on:

• Language acquisition • McREL Instructional

Strategies • Language proficiency

assessments (CELA) • Oral language development

across the curriculum • Developing the second

language environment

These professional development topics can be embedded in other professional development sessions, or be delivered as standalone sessions.

• At the secondary level, sheltered courses are taught by teachers who are NCLB highly-qualified in the content area(s) they teach. It is preferable that these sheltered teachers are also ELL-endorsed, have an ELL certificate, or are in the process of obtaining either.

24

Sheltered Instruc-tion (SIOP Model)

Since it is not appropriate to have homogeneous, sheltered elective/special classes, it is imperative that ALL elective/specialist teachers utilize sheltered techniques in order to make their instruction comprehensible for a heterogeneous group of students.

Students should have multiple opportunities for interaction with native English speakers.

25

Sample Content and Language Objectives

Content Objectives Language Objectives Students will differentiate between a plant and animal cell by illustrating the cells side by side.

Students will analyze the difference between a plant and animal cell by listing the characteristics in a Venn diagram and orally sharing the graphic organizers with a partner.

Students will use reading strategies to comprehend text by sequencing events on a story strip.

Students will apply reading strategies to comprehend text by writing a summary that follows the sequence of events on the completed story strip.

Students will identify parts of a narrative by brainstorming a main idea, character(s) and sequence on a graphic organizer.

Students will write a narrative by using the graphic organizer to write a three paragraph narrative including a beginning, middle and end.

Students will identify the equivalency among decimals, fractions, and percents by matching the decimals, fractions and percents in a “mix, match, freeze” interactive activity.

Students will justify the equivalency among decimals, fractions and percents by orally presenting their match to the class using the words decimal, fraction and percent.

Students will identify key events in a historical era by constructing a timeline.

Students will explain key events in a historical era by orally presenting their timeline to the class including key vocabulary

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When appropriate instructional resources are jointly evaluated and accessed, English language skills are reinforced and student

achievement is maximized.

The ECAR literacy program is used for literacy instruction for all Kindergarten through Grade 5 students, including ELL students. Reading Plus and targeted literacy services are provided for all Kindergarten through Grade 12 students. The Literacy and ELA Teams together with input from general education instructional staff, will review and select reading and writing instructional materials. Alignment of the materials will help the building staff collaborate in providing and utilizing materials that best meet the overall needs of the ELL student.

The list of supportive curricular resources for English language learners can be found in Appendix H. These resources include school adopted materials, trade books, student resources, teacher guides, and technology to support instruction for ELL students.

Instructional Resources

27

Successful intervention requires matching the specific student need with the appropriate teacher expertise.

The Pinnacle has defined a menu of intervention programs (see Appendix F) to be used for intensive and strategic support in classroom instruction. Intervention will be provided for all students based upon need as identified through the use of appropriate assessment data and RtI data team dialogues. The goal of all ELL interventions is accelerated English language development. The transition process into mainstream classes begins the day an ELL student enters school.

ELL students who are not making adequate progress toward English proficiency in speaking, reading, writing and comprehension will need additional support. The elementary literacy program meets the needs of most ELL students. For those who need additional support, a plan for determining adequate growth needs is in place.

The use of sheltered English strategies will be available in all grades as training takes place and the model is implemented school-wide. Teachers are expected to make the content comprehensible through effective strategies and techniques.

Intervention Programs

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Standards based assessments determine the focus of instruction and help measure the effects of strategies being implemented by the

mainstream and resource teachers.

Accurate grade level and program placement of the ELL student will be based on multiple assessment results. Analysis of authentic assessments of academic and English language proficiency levels of ELL students informs the design of instruction that is appropriate and challenging.

ELL student data will be analyzed as part of the school improvement goals and expectations. Principals, general education classroom teachers, ELA teachers, content area teachers, specialists and instructional coaches will collaboratively review formal and informal data sources through the Response to Instruction and Intervention process (RtI) to craft and implement effective instruction for all students within their building.

The following assessment matrix represents the broad range of assessments that can assist in diagnosing the instructional needs of the ELL student, in monitoring their progress over time, and in assessing their annual linguistic and academic growth. This comprehensive view aids in linking instruction to the specific assessment results of ELL students and also helps in assessing the district’s progress towards meeting the Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs). (A description of AMAOs is in Appendix G).

The Pinnacle English Language Development Tool for Progress Monitoring and Reporting (Appendix H) provides a checklist for the speaking, listening, reading and writing domains to monitor the ELL student’s progress towards fluency in English. This monitoring tool is helpful to both the general education and the ELA teacher as they co-plan and design the best instructional approach for the ELL students.

Assessing the ELL Student

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Assessment Matrix – Relevant to English Language Learners

ASSESSMENT PURPOSE TYPE WHEN ADMINISTERED

CSAP Reading, Writing, Math Science (Grades 3-10) Summative Spring

Colorado English Language Assessment (CELA) Placement

Instructional placement (Grades K-12) Formative

Within 30 days of enrolling in district if a language other than English is

indicated as being spoken in the home

CELA Proficiency Test Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing and Comprehension

(Grades K-12) Summative Winter

DRA2 Reading Skills

(K-5) Diagnostic and

Formative Fall , Winter & Spring

Language Development Tool for Progress Monitoring and Reporting

(Appendix G)

(Implementation pending)

Progress Monitoring of listening, speaking, reading and writing and reporting to parents

and teachers (Grades K-12)

Progress Monitoring Frequently; based on student need

AIMsWEB Reading Skills Progress Monitoring Bi-weekly for highest needs students

ECAR Reading (Grades 1-5) Diagnostic and Formative Fall, Winter & Spring

MAPs Reading,, Math & Science (Grades (K-12)

Diagnostic and Formative Fall, Winter & Spring

School-wide Common Assessments

Writing Assessment

(Grades K-12) Summative and

Formative Quarterly

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It is highly beneficial to plan and monitor the ELL students’ entire day to maximize learning opportunities. After assessing the ELL student, they will be placed in an ELA service program that best aligns with their English language skills. Consideration will be given to content knowledge and skills students have in their native language.

All Pinnacle staff share in the responsibility for high quality and effective instruction for ELL students. The school-wide expectation is that ELA instructors develop the schedule for ELLs which contributes to a high quality learning plan. This schedule should be designed to guarantee frequent interaction with English speaking peers and limit isolation based upon language.

During the entire day, the student will have access to appropriate level of academic content; appropriate level of English instruction; instruction which develops high order cognitive skills; and opportunities to adapt to and learn about the socio-cultural environment.

The instructional plan and schedule guide included in this section are divided into Elementary, Middle School and High School levels. The scheduling guide focuses on the instructional needs of the NEP and LEP students based upon assessment results. These models will help each building review and modify their instructional day so that all students can have an enriched opportunity to develop their literacy and content area skills.

Scheduling Guides

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Instructional Schedules for English Language Learners

Elementary Schedules for ELA Instructors

Pinnacle Charter Schools Daily Schedule Teacher: Mrs. Lee Grade Level: K-2 ELA Room: 908

Times Instructional Activities 8:00 – 8:20 Duty

8:30 – 8:50 ELA Highest Needs – 1st Grade (Group A)*

8:55- 9:15 ELA Highest Needs – 1st Grade (Group B)* 9:20 – 9:40 ELA Highest Needs – K (Group A)*

9:45 – 10:05 ELA Highest Needs – K (Group B)*

10:10 – 10:30 ELA Highest Needs – 2nd Grade (Group A)* 10:35 – 10:55 ELA Highest Needs – 2nd Grade (Group B)*

11:00 – 11:50 Lunch/Prep 12:00 – 12:50 ELA Specials – Kindergarten 1:00 – 1:50 ELA Specials – 1st Grade 2:00 - 2:50 ELA Specials – 2nd Grade

2:55 – 3:15 ELA Highest Needs – K (PM)*

3:15 – 3:45 Prep

Committees: Meeting Dates: Time: ELA Team Meeting Monday & Friday 8:30 – 9:00

ELA/Literacy Meeting Wednesday 2:30 – 4:00

Specials Team Meeting Thursday 8:20 – 9:10

*Monday and Friday these times are dedicated to ELA Team Leader Duties.

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Pinnacle Charter Schools

Daily Schedule

Teacher: Mrs. Esser Grade Level: 3-5 ELA Room: 101A

Times Instructional Activities 8:00 – 8:20 Duty

8:30–8:50 ELA Highest Needs – 5th Grade (Group A)*

8:55- 9:15 ELA Highest Needs – 5th Grade (Group B)* 9:20 – 10:10 ELA Specials – 4th Grade 10:20-11:10 ELA Specials – 3rd Grade 11:15-11:45 Lunch 11:50-12:25 ELA Highest Needs – 3rd Grade (Group A&B)* 12:30-2:00 Adult Ed. Program Management/Prep/Highest Needs Group 2:05-2:25 ELA Highest Needs – 4th Grade (Group A)*

2:30-2:50 ELA Highest Needs – 4th Grade (Group B)* 2:55-3:45 ELA Specials – 5th Grade

Committees: Meeting Dates: Time: ELA Team Meeting Monday & Friday 8:30 – 9:00

ELA/Literacy Meeting Weds 2:30 – 4:00

Specials Team Meeting Thurs. 8:20 – 9:10

*Monday and Friday these times are dedicated to ELA Team Leader Duties.

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Instructional Plan and Schedule Guide for English Language Learners

Middle School ELA Instructor’s Schedule


Daily Schedule

Teacher: Leonardo Guillermo Grade Level: 6/7/8 Room: 407___

Times Instructional Activities 8:15-9:05 8th grade Spanish as Second Language

9:10-10:00 7th Grade ELA

10:05-10:55 Planning

11:00-11:50 8th grade Spanish as Second Language

11:55-12:45 8th grade Spanish as Second Language

12:50-1:20 RETEACH

1:25-1:55 Lunch



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Instructional Plan and Schedule Guide for English Language Learners

High School ELA Instructor’s Schedule


Daily Schedule- Monday, Tuesday, Friday (Subject to change)

Teacher: Mrs. Zapata Grade Level: 9-12 ELA Room: 908

Times Instructional Activities 7:15-8:10 Class/ ELA prep 6-12

8:15-9:10 ELA prep 6-12

9:15-10:10 Class/ ELA prep 6-12

10:15-11:10 ELA prep 6-12

11:15-12:10 Class/ ELA prep 6-12

12:15-12:45 Lunch

12:50-1:45 ELA prep 6-12

1:50-2:45 Class/ ELA prep 6-12

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Staffing Plan The ELA Administrator will evaluate how many certified and bilingual or ESL endorsed or highly qualified teachers and other staff are necessary to offer services to designated ELLs. In making this determination, the school will consider the training and qualifications of staff needed to implement each service model. Specifically:

o The primary providers of ELA instruction are to be licensed teachers who are endorsed or highly qualified in Linguistically Diverse Education.

o Kindergarten teachers will be expected to become highly qualified in ESL by completing the

state requirements of highly qualified The ELA Administrator will determine the extent to which the staff needs to be trained to deliver effective ELA instructional strategies. Pinnacle will continue to seek qualified candidates who are linguistically diverse, bilingually endorsed teachers.

Staffing Plan & Professional Development

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Effective instructional practices are key in helping ELL students acquire academic and English language skills.

English language learners make-up approximately 30 percent of the student population at Pinnacle Charter School; therefore, the school has a professional development plan to address the needs of the growing ELL student population. Staff participates in McREL based Effective Instruction That Works with English Language Learners workshops facilitated by trained Pinnacle facilitators. The professional development opportunities will be tailored to the identified needs of the staff and will focus on:

• Effective Instructional Strategies

• WIDA Standards

• ELL Assessment

• Other related topics

The professional development sequence listed on the following page, describes the various seminars focusing on specific skill sets to enhance instructional expertise for Pinnacle staff. Consideration will be given to teachers new to the school with regard to the needs of ELLs as a part of their induction process. These efforts will be coordinated with the school-wide professional development plan.

Teachers are encouraged to pursue additional endorsements in Linguistically Diverse Education, K-12 as part of their professional growth. Regis University is partnering with Pinnacle to offer classes on-site.

Effective and Research-Based Instructional Practices

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Professional Development Previous Trainings and Anticipated Trainings Professional development related to ELL students will be integrated and differentiated through the district’s overall plan.

These sessions are facilitated by ELA teachers for general education teachers and interventionists. ELA Professional Development Plan

Pinnacle 2011-12 ELA In-service Proposal for Administrative Review, May, 2011 (Approved 5/17/11)

Part I McREL’s Workshop: Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners

Required Reading: Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners

Part II An Introduction to the Colorado State ELP/WIDA Standards

Part III

Implementation of the Colorado State ELP/WIDA Standards

Aug. 8—Grades 3-5 checkout from library, Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners

Aug. 11—(30 minutes) Grades K-12 An Overview of the New Colorado State ELP/WIDA Standards-Adopted by December, 2011

Sept. 12—Grades 3-5 full day workshop; Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners

Sept. 13—Grades 6-8 checkout from library, Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners

October 7— Grades 6-8 full day workshop; Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners

October 10—Grades 9-12 checkout from library, Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners

November 10— Grades 9-12 full day workshop; Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners

December 2—An Introduction to the Colorado State ELP/WIDA Standards

Grades K-2 (half day a.m.) Grades 3-5 (half day p.m.)

December 16—An Introduction to the Colorado State ELP/WIDA Standards Grades 6-8 (half day a.m.) Grades 9-12 (half day p.m.)

February 17—Implementation of the Colorado State ELP/WIDA Standards Grades K-2 (half day a.m.) Grades 3-5 (half day p.m.)

March 9—Implementation of the Colorado State ELP/WIDA Standards Grades 6-8 (half day a.m.) Grades 9-12 (half day p.m.)

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The diverse backgrounds and skills of the parents present an opportunity to build on school diversity initiatives.

Parents need to be engaged, prepared, involved and provided with consistent and meaningful communication to sustain their confidence and support. Parent surveys revealed that the purpose and services of the ELA Department were sometimes unclear to the general public. The following outreach and service programs are in place:

• Parent Volunteer Coordinator Services • Translation Services for Parent/Teacher Conferences • Bilingual School Documents • Adult Education ELA and Spanish Classes • K-2 Parent Education Classes • K-8 Family Literacy Events • Bilingual library resources • K-12 Fun Fest

The following observations were reported by the parents as not being consistently in place. These will become goals for creating a strong support link between the school and the home.

• Childcare services for parent events • Cultural diversity celebrations • Comprehensive parent engagement program

The chart which follows provides a guide on how to engage parents in a meaningful and parent friendly manner with a focus on improved student achievement. The Colorado Department of Education has developed a guidebook entitled Breaking Down Barriers, Creating Space which can be used as a resource for increasing collaboration between schools and parents. Parent involvement is critical to student success in developing English literacy. School improvement plans will address specific site-based strategies for increasing the engagement of parents. K-12 parent engagement strategies are addressed as part of the Pinnacle Strategic Plan.

Parent/Family Engagement

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Focusing on Needs of ELL Parents: The EPIC Model

Focus Purpose Process Resources

Engaging Parents

• Meaningful • Relevant • Timely • Encouraging • Parents will have

specific ways of supporting students at home

• Mutual respect

• Survey/Prioritize • Set goals • Embed parent

involvement in homework activities

• Select best times and days for parents

• Conduct home visits • Work together to set

specific student goals and expectations

• Welcome and greet parents in their language

• School programs • Newsletters • Parent Handbook • Personal contacts • Title I, ELL, SPED • Reporting to Parents in English

and Spanish • “Como Se Dice/How do You

Say”

Preparing Parents

• Differentiated • Leadership roles • Home-School tools • Competency in

content areas

• Provide parent ELL classes and academic content classes

• Promote family literacy • Identify parents’ skills

that support the school • Review and revise

student goals monthly

• CSAP materials • Parent Handbook • Videos • Parent resource books • Parent space in school • Title I, ELL, SPED

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Involving Parents

• Stakeholders in academic achievement

• Academically rigorous extended day programs

• Survey results • Match parent’s skills &

interests with activities • Train leaders • Provide extended

day/year classes • Develop community

and parent mentoring relationships

• Teacher resources • Parent Handbook • Reporting to Parents in English

and Spanish • Community organizations

Communicating with Parents

• Consistent • Comprehensible • Purposeful • Creation of an

inviting environment

• Parents as partners

• Seek parent input • Translate documents • Provide interpreters • Identify student grade

level expectations • Plan activities that

honor student’s heritage

• Newsletters • Equipment for interpreting • Alpine, student permanent

record

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Knowing where you’re going increases the likelihood that you will get there.

PLAN GOALS AND RESULTS INDICATORS

The goals of the English Language Development Plan for English Language Learners are: • to meet the academic and social needs of students identified as English language learners • to meet the AMAO targets (Appendix B) as established by CDE in response to NCLB mandates, and • to make AYP Indicators of effectiveness include:

• Parent survey • Building schedules • School improvement plan analysis • Professional development schedules and participation levels and feedback • Formative and summative assessment results • Classroom observations

The Pinnacle Administrative Team will have oversight of the implementation and evaluation of this plan. An evaluation specific to this plan is under development. Collection of evidence of implementation will involve collaboration with the Administrative Team along with the instructional staff.

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Alternative Language Program (ALP) A specific program designed to meet the unique needs of English Language Learners within the schools Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAO) Targets set by each state to promote the steady movement of English language learners from one language proficiency level to another as measured by valid, reliable English language proficiency assessment Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) Face-to-face conversational fluency, including mastery of pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. Colorado Model Content Standards In response to the strong commitment of Colorado’s populace, the Colorado General Assembly and the State Board of Education have, build Colorado’s education system around challenging academic standards. Greeley-EvansSchool District 6 adopted the Colorado Model Content Standards February 2006. You many find out more about the Colorado Model Content standards by visiting the Colorado Department of Education website at http://www.cde.state.co.us/index_stnd.htm Colorado English Language Assessment(CELA) A standards-based assessment designed to assess student progress towards fluency in English in the following areas listening, speaking, reading, writing and comprehension. This assessment was used for the first time state-wide in April 2006. It will be administered annually to all ELL students in the state of Colorado as mandated under Title III of NCLB Cultural Competency See socio-cultural competency District Community Consists of the entire Greeley-Evans community including students, parents, teachers, staff, leaders, businesses, government and all community members. English Language Acquisition (ELA) The process through which a student progresses through the stages of acquiring a new language starting as Non English Proficient (NEP) moving to limited English proficient (LEP) and finally Fluent English Proficient (FEP) English Language Development (ELD) Standards In response to mandates by the federal government under NCLB, each state was required to develop English Language Development standards. The standards for our state were adopted by the State Board of Education in April 2005. These standards address the four different language modalities of listening, speaking, reading and writing. You may find out more about the Colorado English Language Development Standards by visiting the Colorado Department of Education website at http://www.cde.state.co.us/cde_english/download/ELDStandardsApril2005.pdf English Language Learner (ELL)

Glossary of Terms

43

A student whose first language is a language other than English. Fluent English Proficient (FEP) A student who has moved through the NEP and LEP stages and has reached a fluent level of English but may still benefit from sheltered instruction or language support in tasks requiring high levels of academic vocabulary, reading and writing. Formative Assessment Ongoing collection, analysis, and reporting of information about student performance for purposes of instruction and learning. Limited English Proficient (LEP) A term used to refer to a student with restricted understanding or use of written and spoken English; a learner who is still developing competence in using English. Native Language An individual’s first, primary, or home language. Non-English Proficient (NEP) Individuals who have no or very limited English proficiency. Scaffolding Teacher supports for student’s learning and performance of the tasks through instruction, modeling, questioning, feedback, graphic organizers, and more, across successive engagements. These supports are gradually withdrawn, thus transferring more and more autonomy to the child. Scaffolding activities provide support for learning that can be removed as learners are able to demonstrate strategic behaviors in their own learning activities. Sheltered Instruction A methodology that highly qualified content area teachers trained in SIOP use in order to make grade level content comprehensible by using realia, manipulatives, visuals and many other strategies. The use of this approach extends the time during the school day that students have for receiving English language support while they learn content subjects. Sheltered instruction classrooms integrate language and content while infusing socio-cultural awareness. The ultimate goal is accessibility for ELLs to grade-level content standards and concepts while they continue to improve their language proficiency. SIOP An acronym for Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. The protocol identifies strategies and methodologies used by teachers to make academic content comprehensible to English language learners. Socio-cultural Competence The ability to function effectively by understanding and affirming the rules and behavioral expectations held by members of a given social or cultural group. Summative Assessment The final collection, analysis, and reporting of information about student achievement or program effectiveness at the end of a given time frame.

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August, D. & Shanahan, T. (2006). Developing Literacy in Second-Language Learners Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth. New Jersey. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Executive Summary available at: http://www.cal.org/natl-lit-panel/reports/Executive_Summary.pdf Colorado Department of Education (2006). Breaking Down Barriers, Creating Space: A guidebook for increasing collaboration between schools and the parents of English language learners.www.cde.state.co.us Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition (2004). Engaging Mexican Immigrant Parents in Their Children’s Education.Funded bythe Colorado Trust, www.coloradotrust.org Colorado StatewideParentCoalition (2004). Asegurando el Exito Académico de Nuestros Hijos. Funded by the Colorado Trust, www.coloradotrust.org Delpit, Lisa (1995). Other People’s Children, Cultural Conflict in the Classroom. New York: The New Press. Echevarría, J., Vogt, ME, & Short, D. J. (2004). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners, The SIOP Model. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Echevarría, J. & Graves, A. (2003). Sheltered Content Instruction. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Freeman, D. E. & Freeman, Y. S. (2002). Closing the Achievement Gap. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Freeman, D. E. & Freeman, Y. S. (2001). Between Worlds: Access to Second Language Acquisition. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Gibbons, P. (2002). Scaffolding Language – Scaffolding Learning. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Greeley Evans School District 6 (1996). Parents Working together to Make a Difference: Parent Handbook (available in English and Spanish) Hill, Jane D. & Flynn, Kathleen M. (2006). Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners. Alexandria, VA. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Lindsey, Randall, Robins, KikanzaNuri, &Terrel, Raymond (2003). Cultural Proficiency A Manual for School Leaders.Callifornia. Corwin Press, Inc. Miramontes, O. B., Nadeau, A. &Commins, N. L. (1997). Restructuring Schools for Linguistic Diversity. New York: Teachers College Press. Peregoy, S. F. & Boyle, O. F. (2001). Reading,Writing, & Learning in ESL. New York: Longman.

Bibliography

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Thuro, Barbara (1993). Reporting toParents in English and Spanish. California: Ammie Enterprises. Vogt, ME &Echevarría, J. (2005). TeachingIdeas for Implementing the SIOP Model. Glenview, IL: Pearson Education, Inc.

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APPENDICES

Appendix A ................................. …………Stages of Language Acquisition

Appendix B ................................................ Adequage Growth Service Chart

Appendix C ...................................................... …CELP & WIDA Standards

Appendix D ........................................................ ELL Instruction in Literacy

Appendix E ............................................................... Intervention Resources

Appendix F ............................................................................. AMAO Targets

Appendix G....................................................................................ELL Forms

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Official Name Preproduction Early Production Speech Emergence Intermediate Fluency Other Names Pre-speech/Silent Period Telegraphic Stage Simple-Sentence Stage Bridging Stage

Characteristics

• Physical response only • No speech production • Minimal comprehension • Up to 500 receptive-word

vocabulary

• One or two-word responses • Disconnected speech • Very limited comprehension • Up to 1000 receptive/active-

word vocabulary

• Simple-sentence responses • Connected speech • Fairly good comprehension • Up to 3000 receptive/active-

word vocabulary

• Simple/complex-sentence responses

• Extended speech (discourse) • Increased comprehension • Beyond 3000 receptive/active-

word vocabulary

Student Behaviors

• Produces no speech • Indicates comprehension

physically • Comprehends key words only • Depends heavily on context • Responds by pantomiming,

gesturing, or drawing • Says only yes, no, or names or

other students

• Produces words in isolation • Indicates comprehension

physically • Verbalizes key words

“heard” • Depends heavily on context • Responds with on/two-word

answers or in phrases • Mispronounces words

• Produces whole sentences • Makes basic grammatical

errors • Hears smaller elements of

speech • Shows good comprehension

(given rich context) • Functions on a social level • Uses limited vocabulary

• Produces whole narration • Makes complex grammatical

errors • Hears some subtle elements of

speech • Shows good comprehension

(given some context) • Functions somewhat on an

academic level • Uses an expanded vocabulary

Teacher Strategies

• Uses commands to teach receptive language (TPR)

• Requires physical response to check comprehension

• Asks student to show/draw answers to questions

• Asks “yes/no” questions • Uses manipulatives and props • Shows/writes key words after

oral presentation

• Continues to expand receptive language (TPR)

• Encourages all attempts to respond

• Asks students questions that require one/two words to answer: Who? What? When? Which one?

• Use concrete objects • Displays print to support

oral presentation

• Expands receptive language through comprehensible input

• Engages student in producing language such as describing, retelling, comparing, contrasting, defining, summarizing, reporting

• Asks application questions: What do you do when? How do you react when?

• Incorporates more writing

• Develops cognitive academic language, oral and written

• Introduces figurative language • Asks “why” questions

soliciting opinion, judgment, prediction, hypothesis, inference, creation

• Engages student in higher-order thinking (H.O.T.) skills

Time-Line (relative) 2 weeks to 2 months 2 - 4 months 1 - 2 years 3 - 5 years to approach peer-appropriate proficiency

Suggested Instructional

Programs

• ELL (topic based) • LI instruction to access core

curriculum

• ELL (topic/literature based) • LI instruction to access core

curriculum

• ELL (content and literature based)

• Sheltered and/or LI instruction to access core curriculum

• Sheltered instruction to access core curriculum and LI literacy enrichment

Appendix A Stages of Language Acquisition

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Appendix B

Adequate Growth Services

NEP

Made Adequate Growth-Target Instruction with classroom teacher and ELA instructor

Did Not Make Adequate Growth-Target Instruction with classroom teacher and ELA instructor

LEP

Made Adequate Growth-Target Instruction with classroom teacher

Did Not Make Adequate Growth-Target Instruction with classroom teacher and ELA instructor

FEP

Made Adequate Growth-Target Instruction with classroom teacher

Did Not Make Adequate Growth-Target Instruction with classroom teacher and potentially

ELA instructor

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Appendix C Colorado English Language Proficiency Standards

Colorado Department of Education

English Language Proficiency Standards for the State of Colorado

http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/UAS/Crosswalk/ELP_Crosswalk.html

WIDA Standards http://www.wida.us/standards/elp.aspx

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Appendix D

Essential Characteristics of Quality ELL Instruction in Literacy

Templates Vocabulary Anthology Decodable Text Partner Reading Comprehensible Input

• Establish clear, consistent routines

• Utilize consistent signaling & wait time

• Model procedures for students and lead them in practice using ”My turn,” “Your turn” language

• Follow correction procedure • Provide up-front instruction

for new words, sounds, etc. • Pre-teach challenging

templates

• Provide direct, student-friendly definitions of new words

• Utilize visuals, realia, gestures, Total Physical Response (TPR), and other scaffolding techniques to make word meanings clear

• Post words and definitions with pictures for reference

• Have students record words in personal vocabulary dictionaries

• Provide multiple exposures to words throughout day

• Utilize Vocabulary Readers

• Give students overall picture of story by pre-teaching with the Selection Summary in ELL Handbook

• Utilize supportive reading techniques (choral read, cloze read, interactive read aloud, etc.)

• Model strategies using think-aloud

• Provide modeling/guided practice based on level of support needed by students

• Utilize a system for students to keep track of their place in the text (especially when stopping)

• Tie in kinesthetic motions with certain routines or skills

• Use pre-teaching time to “code” decodable text (highlight sound/spellings & high frequency words) so they stand out to students when they read

• Choose the template card (11-14) that matches the reading level of the students

• Read decodable text in small groups before reading it whole group

• Teacher and/or students re-read sentence at end for fluency and comprehensibility

• Pair high and low students for support ( high reads first and low re-reads what was just read)

• Create routines and utilize familiar formats/structures for partner reading

• Model what partner reading should look like

• Re-read familiar texts

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Appendix E

Intervention Resources

. Resource Publisher Audience Program Focus Cornerstone Pearson

Longman Grades K-5 Provide practice in vocabulary, word and

sentence variety, the development of precise word knowledge, and in hard to teach concepts.

Shining Star Pearson Longman

Grades 6-8 Provides vocabulary development, extensive practice, sequencing and retelling exercises, and inference activities that set the stage for reading comprehension and the grammatical analysis of written language

Keystone-new curriculum

Pearson Longman

Grades 9-12 Provide materials and approaches designed to help ELLs develop English proficiency and fluency.

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Intervention Resources,

cont…

Program Publisher Recommended Grade Minutes per day Recommended group size

Every Child a Reader

National Literacy Coalition

Grades K-5 90 minutes Whole class or small group

Leveled Literacy Interventions

Fontas & Pinnell

Grades K-5 30 minutes Small group 3 students

Star Fall Phonics and Fluency

Starfall Grades K-2 20 minutes Whole class or individual

Reading Plus Reading Intervention Program

Standford Taylor-founder and publisher

Grades 3-12 45 minutes Whole class or individual

Rosetta Stone Software

Rosetta Stone Company

Grades K-adults 30 minutes Whole class or individual

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Appendix F

Annual Measurable Achievement Object No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAO) targets

English Language Proficiency AMAOs Assessment AMAO 1: Making progress in attaining English

CELA Proficiency

AMAO 2: Attaining English Proficiency

CELA Proficiency

Academic Achievement AMAOs Assessment AMAO 3: Making Adequate Yearly Progress for the English Language Learner Disaggregated Group

CSAP CSAP-A Lectura Graduation Rate

AMAO definitions

AMAO 1 Cohort includes these students: • Who have taken CELApro two different years, regardless of enrollment district or year AMAO 2 Cohort includes those students: • Whoincludes all students who have taken CELApro in 2011 in the district/consortium

AMAO targets 2010-2011 AMAO 1 target – 50% of students will make progress on CELApro 2010-2011 AMAO 2 target – 6% of students will score a 5 overall

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Appendix G

FORMS

• Home Language Survey English & Spanish

• Parent Notification Letter of Services English & Spanish

• Continuation of ELA Services Letter English & Spanish

• CELApro Test Date Notification Letter English & Spanish

• CELApro Parent Notification of Results Letter English & Spanish

• Student Exit Criteria English & Spanish

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The Pinnacle Charter School 1001 W. 84th Avenue Federal Heights, CO 80249 Phone: 303-450-3985 Today’s Date ___________

Home Language Questionnaire

Pinnacle Charter School is required by the state of Colorado to conduct this questionnaire for each student applicant. This information is needed in order to provide the best instruction possible for students who know languages other than English. Please complete each area. Thank you. Student’s Legal Name (Please print) ______________________________________________________ (Last Name) (First Name) Birth Date _____________ _____________ _____________ (Month) (Day) (Year) Parents’ or Guardians’ Legal Name (Please print)__________________________________________________________________________ (Last Name) (First Name) Daytime Phone Number _____________________Evening Phone Number________________________ Home Address (Please print) ___________________________________________________________________________________ (Street) (City) (State) (Zip Code) Grade ENTERING in August (please circle) K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

1. Which language did your child first learn to speak? ___________________________________ 2. What language(s) does your child speak at home? _______________________________ and

_________________________________ 3. What language do you most often use to speak to your child? ___________________________ 4. What language(s) can your child read? ___________________ and ________________________ 5. What language(s) can your child write? ___________________ and _______________________ 6. In what country was your child born? _______________________________________________ 7. If your child was not born in the United States, what date did he/she enter the U.S.? ________

Signature of Parent or Guardian: _________________________________ Date: ______________ PLEASE SUBMIT A COPY OF THE 2011 Colorado English Language Acquisition Proficiency (CELApro) TEST RESULTS WITH THIS APPLICATION OR UPON ENROLLMENT IN AUGUST IF YOUR CHILD WAS REQUIRED TO TAKE THIS TEST AT HIS/HER PREVIOUS SCHOOL. The results are available from school districts by May, 2011.

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August, 2011 Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of _____________________________________________________: Upon enrollment in Pinnacle Charter School, a language other than English was noted on your child’s Home Language Survey. Pursuant to Federal law, our school district is required to assess the English language proficiency of your child. This form is intended to notify you of the language assessment results, recommended program placement, and service options that are available to your child according to Federal Title III Law. Your child’s Overall Score for the 2010 Colorado English Language Acquisition Proficiency (CELApro) Test, taken last January, is listed below. If the child has never taken the CELApro, the CELA Place Test results will be used. The Overall Score is an average of the Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing Segments of the test. _____ 1 = Beginning _____ 2 = Early Intermediate _____ 3 = Intermediate _____ 4 = Proficient _____ 5 = Advanced Pinnacle Charter School uses these test results, in addition to other test scores and teacher recommendations, to determine the level of services needed for English language learners (ELLs). The English Language Acquisition (ELA) program has two primary goals: To help your child learn English used in academic settings and to help him/her meet the state content standards. With those two goals in mind, our program and teachers use a variety of strategies which include: Sheltered classroom instruction; small group work; individual tutoring; Rosetta Stone computer software programs and ELA Specials Classes. The academic and language progress of your child is measured by various pre/post assessments, including annual growth on CELApro, CSAP, MAP, DRA2, and Writing Assessment scores. In addition, classroom performance and grades are monitored. Once your child reaches a CELA Overall Proficiency Level of 5 (Advanced), he/she will be placed on monitor status for two years. After two years, if the student is succeeding in school, he/she will be exited from the ELA program, based on a body of evidence. If continued services are recommended, the necessary assistance will be provided. Students who have RtI Plans in place will continue to receive ELA intervention services based on their identified needs. As the parent/guardian, you have the right to decline your child’s participation in a specialized ELA instructional program. The ELA Staff will provide you with as much information as you need regarding the ELA program or programs that we are able to offer for your child. Any input is welcome that you may have concerning your child and his/her Program Services Plan. Our school and district staff want to do everything we can to support your involvement in the education of your child, and to help him/her succeed. Please call the ELA Office at #303-450-3985, ext. 148, if you would like to schedule a parent conference with an ELA staff member, to discuss English language program options for your child. Also, please let us know in advance if you would like us to provide a translator for the meeting. If you prefer, you may bring someone with you to interpret. The Pinnacle staff looks forward to working as partners with you in providing a strong and caring environment for your child’s academic success. Yours truly, Rebecca Sieve ELA Coordinator & Elementary Principal Cc: Dr. William Wiener, Director of Pinnacle Charter School

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Agosto del 2011 Queridos padres de familia de _____________________________________________________: Al momento de inscribir a su hijo/a en Pinnacle Charter School, usted nos informó en el cuestionario que se le dio a llenar, que otro idioma a parte del inglés se hablaba en casa. De acuerdo a las leyes federales, se requiere que nuestro distrito escolar evalúe el nivel de inglés académico que su hijo/a posee. Se le manda este documento para notificarle acerca de los resultados del examen, programa en el cual se recomienda poner a su hijo/a, y de otras opciones de servicio que están disponibles para su hijo/a de acuerdo a la Ley Federal Title III. La cantidad promedio de puntos recibidos por su hijo/a en el Examen que evalúa las Destrezas Académicas en la Adquisición del Lenguaje Ingles (CELApro) que su hijo/a recibió el enero pasado se encuentran abajo. Si el niño/a nunca había tomado este examen, se usaran los resultados obtenidos en este examen para evaluar su nivel académico en inglés. La calificación final es un promedio del total en las áreas de Conversación, Comprensión oral, Lectura y Escritura del examen. _____ 1 = Principiante _____ 2 = Comienzo del nivel intermedio _____ 3 = Intermedio _____ 4 = Competente _____ 5 = Avanzado Nuestra escuela, Pinnacle Charter School, usa el resultado de estos exámenes así como también las recomendaciones del maestro, para determinar el nivel de servicio necesitado por aquellos que están aprendiendo las destrezas académicas en la adquisición del Idioma Inglés (ELL siglas en ingles). El programa de Adquisición del Idioma Inglés (ELA) tiene dos metas principales: Ayudar a su hijo/a a aprender las destrezas académicas del idioma inglés así como también ayudarle a pasar las materias principales tales como ciencias, estudios sociales, lectura y escritura establecidas por el estado. Con esas dos metas en mente, nuestro programa y maestros usan una variedad de estrategias las cuales incluyen: Instrucción con ayuda visual; pequeños grupos; tutoría individual; El programa de computadoras Rosetta Stone y clases especiales de ELA El progreso tanto académico como también el del idioma se mide a través de varios exámenes que se administran tanto al comienzo como al final del año. Estos incluyen el crecimiento anual en el CELApro, CSAP, MAP, DRA2, y calificaciones sacadas en el examen de escritura. Además, se monitorea el desenvolvimiento en el salón de clase y las calificaciones que saca en cada materia. Una vez que su hijo/a alcance un puntaje promedio de todas las áreas del CELA de un nivel 5 (avanzado), él/ella es colocado/a en un estatus de monitoreo por dos años. Después de los dos años, si el/la estudiante está teniendo éxito en la escuela, él/ella será removido del programa ELA en su totalidad basados en toda la evidencia acumulada. Si se determina que el/la estudiante debe de continuar recibiendo servicios, se le proveerá la asistencia necesaria. Los estudiantes que están bajo un plan de Rtl (plan especial de recuperación académica), continuaran recibiendo servicios de intervención ELA basado en las necesidades identificadas. Como el padre/madre de su hijo/a, usted tiene el derecho de optar por la cancelación de la participación de su hijo/a en el programa de enseñanza especializado ELA. El personal de ELA le proveerá con tanta información como usted necesite con respecto al programa ELA u otros programas que podemos ofrecerle a su hijo/a. Aceptamos cualquier comentario que usted tenga concerniente al Plan de Servicios ofrecidos a su hijo/a. Tanto el personal del distrito como también nuestra escuela quieren hacer todo lo posible para apoyar su envolvimiento en la educación de su hijo/a, y para ayudarlo a ser exitoso/a. Siéntase libre en llamar la oficina de ELA al #303-450-3985. Ext 148, si le gustaría hacer una cita para platicar acerca del programa con un miembro del personal de ELA y así discutir las opciones del idioma inglés para su hijo/a. Además, por favor déjenos saber por adelantado si le gustaría tener un traductor durante la reunión. Usted puede traer a alguien como su intérprete si así lo desea. El personal de Pinnacle espera poder trabajar con usted como un equipo unido para proveer un ambiente de apoyo que ayude al éxito académico de su hijo/a. Con gran agradecimiento, Rebecca Sieve Coordinadora de ELA & Directora de Primaria Cc: Dr. William Wiener, Director de Pinnacle Charter School

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December, 2011 To: Parents/Guardians of Students in ELA Specials Courses From: Rebecca Sieve, English Language Acquisition (ELA) Coordinator & Elementary Principal Leonardo Guillermo, ELA Specials Teacher We hope the school year has been going well for you. It is our pleasure to announce that we have developed ELA Specials Courses for our students who function in more than one language and are refining their English skills. Research shows us that when acquiring a second language, it normally takes 2-3 years to function in a social setting and 6 or more years to acquire academic language. Academic language is defined by the vocabulary and syntax used in content area subjects such as math and science. Based on the results of the Colorado English Language Acquisition Proficiency Exam (CELApro) or the Colorado English Language Acquisition Placement Test (CELA Place) and teacher recommendations, students in Grades 6-8, who generally did not score at an Advanced Level, have been offered the opportunity to improve their skills. A course has been designed that will focus on academic vocabulary development and formal language structures. It is our program’s goal to give children the tools necessary to be successful in their educational goals. Therefore, we are adjusting your child’s schedule to include an ELA Specials Class. Thank you for your past support. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Rebecca Sieve Leonardo Guillermo ELA Coordinator & Elementary Principal ELA Specials Teacher E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 303-450-3985 Ext. 275 Phone: 303-450-3985 Ext. 113

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Diciembre del 2011 Para: Los padres de los estudiantes de adquisición del idioma inglés (ELA) De parte de: Rebecca Sieve, Coordinadora del Programa de Adquisición del Idioma Inglés (ELA) & Directora de Primaria Leonardo Guillermo, Maestro de ELA y Español. Es nuestro placer anunciarles que su hijo/a ha demostrado de manera exitosa el tener las destrezas académicas necesarias en los cursos especiales de (ELA). Basados en las calificaciones, resultados de las pruebas, manera de participar en las clases y las recomendaciones de los maestros, su hijo/a terminará con el programa de cursos especiales de ELA al final de este cuatrimestre. En vez de estos cursos especiales ELA su hijo/a tomará cursos de las Rotaciones que normalmente ocurren durante ese tiempo. Por favor mantenga en mente que en enero del 2011, los estudiantes que fueron designados como Limitados en el uso académico del idioma inglés o de nivel muy bajo en el uso del idioma, tomaron el examen de adquisición del idioma inglés del estado de Colorado ( CELA Pro). Este examen mide el crecimiento tanto en destrezas sociales como académicas en las siguientes áreas: Lectura, escritura, comprensión oral y vocabulario. Basado en esos resultados y en los comentarios del maestro, se revisaran y crearan los horarios de clase del próximo año. Por lo tanto, es muy importante que los estudiantes pongan todo su empeño en sacar la mejor calificación posible en el examen CELA Pro y que apliquen, en todas sus clases, todas las destrezas académicas que han demostrado hasta ahora. Gracias por su continuo apoyo. Por favor, llámenos si tiene alguna pregunta o si algo le preocupa. Sinceramente, Rebecca Sieve Leonardo Guillermo Coordinadora & Directora de Primaria Maestro de ELA y español Correo electrónico: [email protected] Correo electrónico: [email protected] Teléfono: 303-450-3985 Ext. 148 teléfono: 303-450-3985 Ext. 113

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December, 2011 Dear Parents or Guardians, This January, students identified as second language learners will have their English language skills assessed using the Colorado English Language Acquisition (CELA) Proficiency Assessment. The State of Colorado requires that any student, whose family listed a language other than English as being spoken in the home on the Home Language Survey, have their English fluency determined. If a student is not designated as Fluent by the placement test, he/she is eligible to receive English Language Acquisition (ELA) services. The ELA teacher will provide services in the classroom through whole group, small group or individual instruction and will work directly with the classroom teacher to design lessons that are relevant and useful for the students involved. In addition, the ELA teacher will use systematic instruction, moving from simple concepts to more complex ones, to achieve goals in alignment with the CELA Scope and Content Chart and with state standards. It is within parental rights to refuse the offered ELA services; however, refusal of services does not exempt the student from the CELA Proficiency Assessment. The CELA Proficiency Assessment contains four subtests: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. The Speaking portion of the test is administered individually. The other areas may be administered in groups or individually, as the situation warrants. It is the goal of The Pinnacle, as a member of the Charter School Institute and the Colorado Department of Education, to ensure that each child has the tools to successfully access content area curriculum. The CELA Proficiency Test data is the means by which individual schools and districts demonstrate the growth of their English language learners to government agencies. The Pinnacle will receive individual CELA Proficiency Assessment results in the spring and the information will be sent home to families as soon as it becomes available. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the CELA Proficiency Assessment or testing dates, please contact the English Language Acquisition Coordinator, Rebecca Sieve, by telephone, #303-450-3985, ext. 192 or by e-mail, [email protected]. Thank you! Rebecca Sieve ELA Coordinator & Elementary Principal

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Pinnacle Charter School Departamento de Adquisicion del Ingles 1001 West 84th Avenue Federal Heights, Colorado 80260 Diciembre de 2011 Estimados Padres, En enero, los estudiantes que están aprendiendo inglés como segundo idioma, deberán someterse a una prueba para evaluar su habilidad en esta lengua; dicha prueba se conoce como “Evaluación del Estado de Colorado sobre la Aptitud en la Adquisición del Idioma Inglés” (las siglas en inglés son CELA). El Estado de Colorado exige que todo estudiante que habla otro idioma distinto al inglés en casa, se someta a esa evaluación con el fin de determinar su nivel de fluidez. Si se determina que el/la estudiante no tiene la FLUIDEZ suficiente en inglés, él o ella es elegible para recibir apoyo en el aprendizaje del Inglés como Segundo Idioma (ESL en inglés). El/la profesor/a que brinde ese apoyo, lo hará directamente mientras el estudiante esté en clase, formando un grupo pequeño o de manera individual con el estudiante. La persona encargada de este apoyo trabajará conjuntamente con el/la profesor/a principal del estudiante, a fin de diseñar lecciones que sean relevantes y útiles para los estudiantes involucrados. El/la profesor/a, usará como métodos la instrucción sistemática, comenzando por conceptos simples y avanzando hacia conceptos más complejos, todo con el fin de nivelar al estudiante y ayudarle a que alcance las metas que se exigen en la prueba CELA. Es derecho de los padres negarse a recibir los servicios de ESL ofrecidos; sin embargo, esto no exime al estudiante de la prueba CELA. La prueba CELA contiene cuatro sub-pruebas: fluidez para hablar, capacidad para comprender al escuchar, lectura y escritura. La parte oral de la prueba se hace de manera individual. Las otras áreas se pueden evaluar en grupos pequeños o individualmente, según lo amerite la situación. La meta de Pinnacle Charter, como miembro del Instituto de Escuelas Charter y del Departamento de Educación del Estado de Colorado, es asegurar que cada estudiante tenga acceso al contenido académico del currículo. La prueba CELA es el método a través del cual las escuelas y los distritos demuestran a las autoridades gubernamentales, de manera individual, cuánto van mejorando sus estudiantes en el aprendizaje del idioma inglés. La escuela recibirá los resultados de la prueba CELA para la primavera, y esa información será enviada a los padres tan pronto como le sea posible al personal encargado en la escuela Pinnacle. Si usted tiene preguntas con respecto a la prueba CELA o las fechas de la misma, por favor contacte a la Coordinadora del Departamento de Adquisición del Idioma Inglés: Rebecca Sieve, tel. 303-450-3985, ext. 148 y e-mail: [email protected]. Gracias! Rebecca Sieve Coordinadora del Departamento para Adquisición del Idioma Inglés & Directora de Primaria Cc: Dr. William Wiener, PCS Director

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May, 2012 Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s) of __________________________________________________________: Upon enrollment in Pinnacle Charter School, a language other than English was noted on your child’s Home Language Survey. Pursuant to Federal law, our school district is required to assess the English language proficiency of your child. Two assessments have been approved by the Colorado Department of Education: The Colorado English Language Assessment (CELA) Placement Test and the CELA Proficiency Test. The placement test is normally given within thirty days of a child being enrolled in the school. The proficiency test is given annually during the month of January and is more comprehensive. Both tests assess English speaking, reading and writing skills in social and academic settings. Included with this letter are your child’s results for the 2011 CELA Proficiency Test. Your child’s Overall Score is indicated below. The Overall Score is an average of the Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing Segments of the test. _____ 1 = Beginning _____ 2 = Early Intermediate _____ 3 = Intermediate _____ 4 = Proficient _____ 5 = Advanced Based on this score, along with other documented evidence, your child may or may not be recommended for direct ELA services next year. After receiving notification next fall, you will have the opportunity to meet with ELA Staff to discuss the individual needs of your child and accept or decline ELA services at that time. If you have questions or concerns regarding the CELA Proficiency Test results, please feel free to contact the ELA Department Staff, telephone #303-450-3985, ext. 148. Sincerely, Rebecca Sieve ELA Coordinator & Elementary Principal Cc: Dr. William Wiener, Executive Director of Pinnacle Charter School

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Mayo de 2012 Apreciados Padres o Representantes de ____________________________________________________: Al momento de la inscripción en la Escuela Chárter Pinnacle, se hizo una Encuesta sobre el Idioma que se habla en casa, y en ésta se observó que en el caso de su hijo/a, se habla otro idioma distinto al inglés. La Ley Federal requiere que nuestro distrito escolar tome una prueba a fin de determinar el nivel de aptitud de su hijo/a. Hay dos pruebas que han sido aprobadas por el Departamento de Educación de Colorado: El Examen del idioma inglés para el estado de Colorado (CELA en inglés), y El Examen de Ubicación y de aptitud en inglés -CELA. El examen de ubicación se toma normalmente dentro de los treinta días siguientes de que un niño/a ha sido inscrito en la escuela. La prueba de aptitud se toma anualmente durante el mes de enero y su contenido es más completo. Ambas pruebas evalúan la destreza para hablar, leer y escribir, tanto en el contexto social como en el académico. Adjunta a esta carta, se encuentran los resultados obtenidos por su hijo/a en el Examen de Aptitud en inglés (CELA) para el año 2011. El puntaje obtenido por su hijo/a está detallado a continuación. El Puntaje Total es el promedio obtenido de los segmentos del examen que evalúan destreza para Hablar, Escuchar, Leer y Escribir. _____ 1 = Principiante _____ 2 = Intermedio Temprano _____ 3 = Intermedio _____ 4 = Competente/Apto _____ 5 = Avanzado En base a este puntaje, y conjuntamente con la evidencia que se observe en otros documentos, su hijo/a podrá ser o no recomendado/a para que el próximo año escolar reciba servicios adicionales para mejorar su nivel de inglés. Una vez que Ud. reciba la notificación correspondiente en el otoño, tendrá la oportunidad de reunirse con el personal del Departamento de Adquisición del Inglés (ELA) a fin de hablar acerca de cuáles son las necesidades individuales de su hijo/a, y entonces Ud. podrá expresar su acuerdo o su desacuerdo en cuanto a recibir estos servicios. Si tiene preguntas o si algo le preocupa en cuanto a los resultados del Examen de aptitud CELA, por favor no dude en contactar al personal del Departamento de ELA al teléfono303-450-3985, extensión 148. Atentamente, Rebecca Sieve Coordinadora del Departamento ELA & Directora de Primaria Cc: Dr. William Wiener, Director de la Escuela Chárter Pinnacle

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Pinnacle Charter School, K-12 English Language Acquisition Student Exit Criteria

The following criteria are considered by the English Language Acquisition (ELA) Department Staff when a student is determined to no longer qualify for ELA services. A student may or may not meet the exit criteria in all areas. Please contact the ELA Department if you have any concerns or questions concerning the designation of your child. Rebecca Sieve, ELA Coordinator & Elementary Principal, may be reached by phone, (303) 450-3985, Ext. 275 or by E-mail, [email protected]. It is being recommended that your son/daughter, ______________________________, be exited from the English Language Acquisition Department for the following reasons: _____CELA Proficiency Scores: Fluent English Proficiency (FEP); Limited English Proficiency (LEP); Non-English Proficiency (NEP)

Speaking Skills ________________ Listening Skills ________________ Reading Skills _________________ Writing Skills _________________

_____Grades in content areas demonstrate student is succeeding. _____Classroom teachers recommend student be exited. _____Student has attended U.S. schools for the majority of his/her academic career and is still performing significantly below his/her peers from similar backgrounds. (Student’s poor performance may be due to lack of motivation and/or identified special learning needs.) _____Student has been identified as having special needs not related to language acquisition. _____ELA Staff recommends student no longer receive ELA services. Comments: ___________________________________ (ELA Coordinator) ___________________________________ (Date)

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Escuela Chárter Pinnacle, K-12 Criterio para retirar a un estudiante de la lista para Adquisición del Idioma Inglés

El criterio detallado a continuación es aquel que el personal del Departamento de Adquisición del Idioma Inglés (ELA), toma en cuanto a fin de determinar si un/a estudiante ya no califica para continuar recibiendo servicios adicionales de parte de ELA. Un/a estudiante podría estar dentro de ese criterio sólo en un área pero no en todas las áreas. Por favor, no dude en contactar al personal del Departamento ELA en caso de que haya algo que le preocupa, o si tiene preguntas con respecto a cómo se ha asignado a su hijo/a a esta lista. Usted puede hablar por teléfono con la Sra. Rebecca Sieve, Coordinadora de ELA & Directora de Primaria, al número (303) 450-3985, extensión 275, o por correo electrónico a la dirección: [email protected] Se recomienda que su hijo/a ___________________________________ sea retirado/a de la lista del Departamento de Adquisición del Idioma Inglés, por las siguientes razones: ______Puntaje de Aptitud en el idioma inglés-CELA: Aptitud fluida para el inglés (FEP en inglés); Aptitud Limitada para el Inglés (LEP); Sin aptitud para el inglés todavía (NEP) -Destreza al hablar -Destreza al escuchar -Destreza al leer -Destreza al escribir _____ Las notas que el/la estudiante ha obtenido en las áreas del contenido escolar, demuestran que el /la estudiante son exitosos. _____ Los profesores del la/estudiante, recomiendan que se le retire de la lista. _____El/la estudiante ha asistido mayormente a escuelas en los Estados Unidos durante su carrera académica, y a pesar de eso su desenvolvimiento académico está por debajo de otros/as estudiantes con una historia similar. (El desenvolvimiento bajo del/la estudiante, puede deberse a falta de motivación y/o a necesidades especiales de aprendizaje previamente identificadas). _____Se ha identificado que el/la estudiante tiene necesidades especiales de aprendizaje, y esas necesidades no tienen relación con el proceso de adquisición de otro idioma. _____El personal de ELA recomienda que el/la estudiante deje de recibir servicios adicionales de inglés. Comentarios: ___________________________________ (Coordinadora de ELA) ___________________________________(Fecha)