Educational Administration and ELLs
Presented By:
Reyna P. Hernandez
Research and Policy Associate
Latino Policy Forum
rhernandez@latinopolicyforum.org
Why we need to learn about
ELLs specifically
• Meeting our charge of serving ALL
children requires specific knowledge of
the needs of ELLs
• Demographics make ELLs relevant to
all administrators statewide
• ELLs are a specifically identified
subgroup with various associated legal
obligations
ELLs require specific
knowledge
Appropriately addressing ELLs requires a breadth & depth of knowledge.
ELL
Specialized
Knowledge
New
Initiatives
Gifted &
Magnet
Special
Education
Specialist
Services
Parent
Engagement
Assessment
Professional
Dev.
Classroom
Management
Issues pertaining to ELLs cut across all aspects of administration and
education including:
–
–
–
–
–
•
Instruction
Curriculum
•
Broad Administrative Knowledge of ELLs
Learning Objectives: Content Knowledge AND Language Development
Curriculum & Instruction
Assessment
Teacher Preparation & Professional Development
Parent Engagement
Appropriately addressing ELLs within each area requires the deliberate
presence of specialized knowledge, including specific strategies and
methods for serving ELLs (possibly through ELL specialist representation
on project teams)
Who and Where are ELLs?
In SY 2009:
• Nearly 200,000 ELLs were served in 573
SDs throughout IL, with 2/3rds outside of
SD 299 (Chicago Public Schools)
• Of the 141 languages spoken by IL ELLs,
Spanish was the most spoken (80.5%),
followed by Polish, Arabic, Urdu, Tagalog,
Korean, Gujarati, Cantonese, Vietnamese,
& Russian.
ELLs receiving services are
relatively young
ELLs relative to total
population
Total Pop
9.3%
ELL/LEP
90.7%
Non-ELL
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
Non-ELLs
50.0%
LEP/ELL
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
9%
20%
18% 18%
15%
11%
9%
8%
6%
5%
4%
3%
3%
2%
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
0.0%
Pre-K
K
1
2
3
About the Foreign-Born Pop.
According to the Census American Community Survey 2009:
About children
with foreignborn parents
•While 97% of
all children in IL
are U.S.-born
•Over a quarter
(25.5%) have at
least 1 foreignborn parent
•Including
23.4% of U.S.
Citizen children
•In Chicago,
over a third of
all children
(36.6%) have at
least 1 FB
parent.
Indicator
ForeignBorn
Native
% of Total Population
13.5%
86.5%
Average Household Size
3.4
2.51
Married Family Households
60.5%
46.5%
Less than HS diploma (≥ 25 years old)
30.6%
9.9%
At least some college (≥ 25 years old)
45.1%
62.2%
Births within 12 months
22.1%
77.9%
Speak English “less than very well”
55.2%
1.8%
Work in production/construction-type
occupations (all/female)
32.3/17.3%
18.3/5%
Poverty rates for families w/ children
18.5%
14.9%
No health insurance
32.6%
10.3%
Median Family Income
$55,793
$69,253
The Law of Educating ELLs
•
Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA), Section 1703(f) a school district must provide services that will
enable limited English proficient students to “overcome barriers that impede equal participation by these students
in the district’s instructional programs” (see 20 USC 1703)
•
Elementary and Secondary Education Act – Title III - 'English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement,
and Academic Achievement Act'.
“Sec. 3102 (1) to help ensure that children who are limited English proficient, including immigrant children and
youth, attain English proficiency, develop high levels of academic attainment in English, and meet the same
challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards as all children are expected to
meet”
•
Illinois School Code Article 14C – Transitional Bilingual Education
“105 ILCS 5/14C-1 … Therefore, pursuant to the policy of this State to insure equal educational opportunity to
every child, and in recognition of the educational needs of children of limited English-speaking ability, it is the
purpose of this Act to provide for the establishment of transitional bilingual education programs in the public
schools, to provide supplemental financial assistance to help local school districts meet the extra costs of such
programs, and to allow this State to directly or indirectly provide technical assistance and professional
development to support transitional bilingual education programs statewide.”
•
Illinois Administrative Code Title 23 Part 228 – Transitional Bilingual Education
– Identification of Eligible Students
– Data Collection
– Program Options & Placement
– Assessment
– Personnel Qualifications and Professional Development
– Program Evaluation
Educational Leadership with
an ELL Focus
Presented by
Harriette E. Herrera
DePaul University
What We Need to Address
• IHE and their faculty need to develop, expand and
promote coursework that encompasses a strong
foundation of knowledge coupled with academic
pedagogy.
• Courses should include clinical experiences that
address the multifaceted opportunities and challenges
they will encounter when working with ELL students
and their families.
• In addition, an understanding the role social justice
plays in this arena needs to be identified, developed
and applied.
What We Need To Address
• Our state is moving boldly by creating new
requirements for certificated staff working in our
education system
• One thing is clear: the status quo is no longer
acceptable.
• IHE will need to examine how the education of ELLs
is incorporated and presented in the coursework and
programs designed to develop administrative leaders.
• Thoughts and suggestions to consider as you review
and revise the material you will be presenting to your
principal candidates.
Characteristics and Considerations Principal
Preparation Courses Should Address
• ELLs belong to a group that covers all of the age spans
found in our school systems
• ELLs are not a monolithic group: the characteristics of
this group are often over-generalized and under-served
because of the lack of factual knowledge concerning
pedagogical issues related to the development of
academic language,literacy and cognitive development.
• Current changes in demographics throughout our state,
indicate that serving ELL school aged populations cannot
be seen as only an urban problem.
• Diversity takes on many forms in this group in terms of
language,culture, race, religion, socio-economic status
and educational background.
Characteristics and Considerations, Cont’d.
Academic courses for principals need to include, minimally, an
overview of the following areas:
• Overview of what it means to be a bilingual and bicultural student
as it relates to the student’s social, cultural, linguistic, emotional
and intellectual background.
• Language development including the role the first language plays
in the acquisition and transference of knowledge to a second one
• Second language acquisition, including both the social and
academic language needed to be developed for success in a
school setting
• Knowledge of effective and best instructional practices for ELLs
• Familiarity with the models used to deliver instruction to ELLs and
the corresponding academic outcomes when using such models
• Understanding of how social and political forces affect public
education and how to be an advocate for your students and
families
• Being able to separate facts from myths about learning English as
a second language.
Characteristic and Considerations contd.
Attention should also be given to the following areas as
they relate specifically to the ELL student population in their
school.
• Staff Evaluation
• Instructional Delivery
• Classroom Materials
• Curriculum
• Assessments
• Review, analyze and use data for decision-making purposes
• Monitor student progress
• Be able to identify which instructional and program models meet
student academic and social/emotional needs
• How to measure the effectiveness of the instructional program
• Staff performance
• Professional development for all staff working with the students
and families
Connecting Theory to Practice
• At least some of the courses for principal
preparation must include clinical hours
• While completing the internship, programs
should provide placements where
they can acquire experience working in a
school/district where ELLs are being served
• Clinical hours and/or internship must be
designed so they gain experience working
with staff, students and parents in a variety of
contexts as they relate to ELLs
Online Resources and Recommended Websites
• Division of English Language Learning (DELL Division) of the
Illinois State Board of Education (http://isbe.net/bilingual)
• WIDA Consortium World-class Instructional Design and
Assessment (http://www.wida.us): Home page of the Consortium
Illinois belongs to for English language proficiency standards
and the identification and annual assessment used to measure
ELL English language proficiency:
• National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition
(http://www.ncela.gwu)
• Center for Applied Linguistics (http://www.cal.org): Operated by
the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), the ERIC
Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics (ERIC/CLL)
collects and disseminates information on current developments
in education research, instructional methods and materials,
program design and evaluation, teacher training, and
assessment of several language and linguistic areas.
Websites for Reference, Guidance and Research
• The University of California's Center for Research on Education,
Diversity & Excellence (CREDE) (http://crede.berkeley.edu/)
focuses its research and development on critical issues in the
education of linguistic and cultural minority students and those
placed at-risk by factors of race, poverty, and geographic
location
• Consortium for Language Policy and Planning
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/plc/clpp/
• Institute for Language Education Policy
http://www.elladvocates.org/
• Language Policy Research Unit, Arizona State University
http://www.asu.edu/educ/epsl
• Reading Rockets www.readingrockets.org; the Spanish version:
Colorin/Colorado http://www.readingrockets.org/spanish
• Early Childhood Research Institute on Culturally and
Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) http://clas.uiuc.edu/
Scholars, Researchers and Expert Sources for
Studies and Publications about ELLs
• James Crawford’s Website: http://www.languagepolicy.net
• Nancy Commins:
http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/SchoolOfEducation/
FacultyandResearch/Pages/NancyCommins.aspx
• Jim Cummins ESL and Second Language Learning Web:
http://www.iteachilearn.com/Cummins
• Kathy Escamilla: http://nepc.colorado.edu/author/escamilla-kathy
• Eugene Garcia:
https://webapp4.asu.edu/directory/person/489623
• Fred Genesee’s website:
http://www.psych.mcgill.ca/perpg/fac/genesee/fredad.html
• Kenji Hakuta’s website: http://www.stanford.edu/~hakuta/
• Jill Kemper Mora’s website: http://coe.sdsu.edu/people/jmora/
• Sonia Nieto’s homepage: http://sonianieto.com/
Suggested Textbooks
• One Child, Two Languages: A Guide for Early Childhood
Educators of Children Learning English as a Second Language.
Second edition, Tabors, Patton O. (2008)
• How Languages are Learned, third revised edition, Patsy M.
Lightbown, Nina Spada, authors.
• Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners Cloud, N.,
Genesee, F., Hamayan,E. (2009).. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann
• Teaching Reading in Multilingual Classrooms Freeman, David E.
and Yvonne S., (2000).. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann
• Teaching Reading to English Language Learners: Differentiated
Literacies Herrera,S.G., Perez,D.R., and Escamilla, K. (2010).
Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon
• Between Worlds: Access to Second Language
Acquisition David E. Freeman and Yvonne S. Freeman,
2001
Suggested Textbooks, cont’d.
• Educating English Language Learners-Language Diversity in
the Classroom James Crawford,2004
• Young ELLs: Current Research and Emerging Directions
authors, Eugene Garcia and Ellen Rede, 2010
• Forbidden Language, Patricia Gandara, 2010
• Myths and Realities, Second Edition Best Practices for
English Language Learners , Katharine Davies Samway and
Denise Mc Keon
• Not for ESOL Teachers: What Every Classroom Teacher
Needs to Know About the Linguistically, Culturally, and
Ethnically Diverse Student, 2/Edition Eileen N. Whelan Ariza
• Literacy, Technology and Diversity: Teaching for Success in
Changing Times, Jim Cummins, Kristin Brown, Dennis Sayers,
2007
Don’t Get Lost in the Fog
You’ll find “the light on” when you tap into
these great resources :
The Illinois Resource Center http://www.thecenterweb.org/irc/
The Illinois State Bilingual Conference held in December
Faculty from the IHE Bilingual/ESL Departments
The Illinois Bilingual Advisory Council
The Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Committee of the IL Early
Learning Council, ILELC
The Joint Workforce/Linguistic Diversity Workgroup of ILELC,
Faculty Forum
And you can always contact me, Harriette Herrera at
hherrera@depaul.edu or my preferred e-mail,
harrietteherrera@mac.com