Developing a Scope and
Sequence for an ESOL
Curriculum
ABE Directors’ Meeting
April 29 and 30, 2015
Lisa Baroletti Stewart, Janice Batista,
Janet Fischer, and Ashley Hannah, Dori
McCormack, and Jane Schwerdtfeger
Goals for Today
The essential elements of an ESOL scope
and sequence
Methods for developing a scope and
sequence
Helpful materials to support your work
ESOL colleagues/PD providers share their
advice to participants
Q&A
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
2
Standards-Based Curriculum
Standards are the Foundation for
Learners in Meeting their Goals
Standards
+ Learner
Goals
Standards are
compiled to
become
Outcomes
Outcomes
determine
what you’ll
assess
Scope and Sequence? Curriculum?
Scope and Sequence is a component of
curriculum that is a big-picture view of what
the plan for instruction is at the class level:
what is important for students to learn (content,
skills)
organized into unit themes/topics/essential
questions and brief description of what will be
covered in each
sequenced and within the amount of teaching time
available, and
Scope and Sequence? Curriculum?
Curriculum contains a scope and sequence
Curriculum may also contain:
Program mission and beliefs
Philosophy of teaching or teaching techniques
Tools for teachers to use in class placement
Needs assessments
Instructional activities
Resources for planning instruction (e.g., ESE Model
Curriculum Units, ReadWorks.org, Odell)
Research that informs instruction
Scope and Sequence
Can give information to teachers in two ways:
1. Overall scope and sequence that guides all
classes; makes clear the transitions from one
level to next
2. Scope and sequence for each level made up
of instructional units (coordinated series of
lesson plans that build content knowledge and
skills
...As in the following slide:
Scope:
SPL 0-7 for six NRS Levels; other skills and/or standards
Beginning
of a
Sequence
Beginning
ESOL 500
Intermediate
ESOL 600
Advanced
ESOL 700
Further Sequencing: Units of Instruction
Lesson Plans within a Unit of Instruction
8
Standards Alignment for ESOL
Programs
The Scope and Sequence aligns to the MA
ABE Curriculum Framework for ESOL:
The standards and benchmarks for the Reading,
Writing, Speaking, and Listening Strands
The standards within the Navigating Systems,
Developing Strategies and Resources for
Learning, and the Intercultural Knowledge
and Skills Strands
The CCR Standards
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
9
CCR Standards:
Relationship to ESOL
Use the ESOL Frameworks for ABE as the
primary source for alignment
Use the CCR Standards to support ELL’s
goal achievement related to opportunities
for college and careers as secondary source
of alignment
Incorporate the CCR Standards where applicable and
supportive of ELL’s next steps
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
10
How to Begin? How to Enrich?
 Assess program strengths and needs in the curriculum
development process
 Develop an action plan
 Use the Scope and Sequence Template to:
Start with drafting a scope and sequence for one level
(big picture) and then complete units
OR
Start with drafting/revising units for one level to fill in a
scope and sequence
Look at what you have been teaching and use the
ESOL and/CCRSAE standards to determine
outcomes for each class level
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
11
How to continue?
 Pilot / implement the units and scope and sequence,
review, and revise as needed.
 If programs have not developed a scope and sequence
as part of their overall curriculum, do this first before
fleshing out the rest of your curriculum.
 Assess your Scope and Sequence:
See Handout
Use the Checklist and Action Plan
12
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Sample ESOL Scope and
Sequence Template
Scope and Sequence Template
How Can it be Used?
Explanation of the Components
Sample of an ESOL Scope and Sequence
Blank Template for Program Use
Find this template shortly on
http://www.doe.mass.edu/acls/frameworks/res
ources.html
What Does the Process
Look Like in a Program?
ESOL PD Providers contracted with the SABES
Center for ESOL PD share their processes and
suggestions:
Wednesday:
Lisa Baroletti Stewart, Boston Public Schools
Janet Fischer, Lawrence Public Schools
What Does the Process
Look Like in a Program?
Thursday:
Ashley Hannah, College Bound Dorchester
Janice Batista, Framingham Public Schools
What Does the Process
Look Like in a Program?
Why?
“Forward” vs. “Backward” Design
Build from what you have
Textbooks
Thematic Units
What’s Next?
Based on your Program Self-Assessment…
What elements of a curriculum scope and
sequence do you have already?
What do you still need to develop?
What is your plan?
Contact The SABES Center for ESOL PD if you
need help or advice
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
17
Comments? Questions?
Please let us know your comments and questions.
Dori McCormack, Director of SABES Center for
ESOL Professional Development
dmccormack@hcc.edu
Jane Schwerdtfeger, Curriculum Specialist,
janes@doe.mass.edu
Thank you!