Positioning ELLs/bilingual learners at the core of the Core
Rebecca Field, Ph.D. (rdfield@casloninc.com)
Big ideas
1.
2.
3.
4.
English language learners are everyone’s responsibility.
Administrators, teachers, and leadership teams are powerful agents for change.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to educating ELLs/bilingual learners.
Effective educational leaders use sound theory, core principles, flexible frameworks, guiding
questions, and defensible evidence to inform their decisionmaking about equity for ELLs/bilingual
learners in their schools.
5. Students first.
Learning Objectives  the same for all participants/students
Participants will be able to…
 Describe student performance indicators for specific ELLs/bilingual learners at different levels of
new (i.e., English) and home language progressions.
 Identify additional scaffolds that teachers can use to build on what ELLs/bilingual learners can do
with their new and home languages and support student engagement in ELA classes.
 Explain how teachers can tier the task, not the text so that all students—particularly ELLs/bilingual
learners—can participate and achieve in ELA classes.
 Use the New and Home Language Arts Progressions that the New York Bilingual Common Core
Initiative is developing.
Language Objectives
Participants will be able to… differentiated according to level of new and home language progressions
and other background factors
 Use content-obligatory and content-compatible vocabulary orally and in writing
o Conversational language, academic language
o Additive bilingualism, subtractive bilingualism
o ELL, emergent bilingual, bilingual learner
o Sheltering instruction, differentiating instruction and assessment
o New Language Arts Progressions
o Home Language Arts Progressions
o Student performance indicators
 Use oral and written language to describe, identify, explain
Materials
Fairbairn, Shelley and Jones-Vo, Stephaney (2010). Differentiating Instruction and Assessment for English
Language Learners: A Guide for K-12 Teachers. Philadelphia: Caslon Publishing.
Hamayan, E. & Freeman Field, R. (2012). English Language Learners at School: A Guide for Administrators,
2nd Edition. Philadelphia: Caslon Publishing. www.caslonpublishing.com
New Language Arts Progressions (NLAP) Samples and Home Language Arts Progressions (HLAP). New York
Bilingual Common Core Initiative. www.engageny.org/resource/new-york-state-bilingual-commoncore-initiative .
1
Essential Questions for Reflective Practitioners
-at the instructional level  differentiating instruction & assessment
1. Who are our students?
 English language learners/bilingual learners/all students
 Levels on new and home language arts progressions
 Prior schooling, cultural considerations
2. What are our long-term and short-term goals/objectives?
 Content/literacy/new and home language development
3. What can our students do relative to our goals/objectives?
 Content/literacy/new and home language development
4. What is likely to be challenging for our students relative to our goals/objectives?
 Content/literacy/new and home language development
5. What strategies can we use to ensure that all of our students can engage with the activities we
organize in our classes?
 Differentiate according to new and home language and other background factors
6. How can we assess our students’ performance relative to our goals/objectives?
 Content/literacy/new and home language development
ELL Student Profiles

Marco is an Entering ELL from the Dominican Republic who speaks Spanish. Marco arrived in the
United States earlier this year. The ESL teacher determined informally that Marco can read and write
in Spanish, but probably below grade level. According to a common formative assessment conducted
by the teacher, Marco is Entering in Listening, Entering in Speaking, Entering in Reading, and Entering
in Writing in English.

Damaris is a Transitioning ELL who was born in the continental United States into a Puerto Rican
family that speaks mostly Spanish at home and in the neighborhood. Damaris has attended school in
the US since kindergarten, and she has been in pull-out ESL each year. There is no bilingual program
at the school, and Damaris has not learned to read and write in Spanish. According to a common
formative assessment conducted by the teacher, Damaris is Commanding in Listening, Expanding in
Speaking, Transitioning in Reading, and Emerging in Writing in English.

Ko Than Nu is a Transitioning ELL from Burma who speaks Karen. Ko Than Nu is a refugee and has
been in the United States for two years. He had no formal schooling before coming to the United
States, nor had he learned to read or write. When Ko Than Nu arrived, he was placed in a
newcomer/port of entry class that focused on literacy and numeracy development, with attention to
the cultural norms of US schools and society. According to a common formative assessment
conducted by the teacher, Ko Than Nu is Expanding in Listening and Speaking, and Emerging in
Reading and Writing in English.

Tasfiah is a Transitioning ELL from Bangladesh who speaks Bengali. Tasfiah arrived in the United
States in the middle of last year. She has a strong educational background which included English
instruction every year in Bangladesh. However, Tasfiah’s English instruction gave her little opportunity
to speak English at school, and she has had little exposure to American English prior to her arrival.
According to a formative assessment conducted by the teacher, Tasfiah is Emerging in Listening,
Entering in Speaking, Commanding in Reading, and Expanding in Writing in English.
2
Four Principles for Decisionmaking (de Jong, 2012)1
1. Striving for Educational Equity
Educators who apply the Principle of Educational Equity create school environments where each
individual feels valued and respected. They work together to ensure that formal and informal
language policies and practices at the school, program, and classroom levels fairly represent the
diversity in the school and do not discriminate systematically against certain groups of students (p.
171).
Affirming
Identities
Striving for
Equity
Promoting
Additive
Bilingualism
Structuring
for
Integration
2. Affirming Identities
Educators who apply the Principle of Affirming Identities validate diverse cultural experiences in
their school policies and classroom practices. They purposefully create spaces for diverse student
voices (p. 174).
3. Promoting Additive Bi/Multilingualism
Educators who apply the Principle of Promoting Additive Bi/Multilingualism view language
minority students’ native language or languages as resources for teaching and learning. They make
languages other than the standard school language visible and work to increase their status. They
intentionally create opportunities for using, developing, displaying, and engaging with multiple
languages (p. 176).
4. Structuring for Integration
Educators who apply the Principle of Structuring for Integration establish inclusive policies and
practices that encourage equal-status relationships among and participation by different
constituencies. They take linguistic and cultural diversity and the implications for effective practices
as their starting point for decisionmaking (p. 178).
1
҉ Go to de Jong (2012, pp.144-146 for more). See also De Jong, Ester (2011). Foundations for
Multilingualism in Education. Philadelphia: Caslon.
3
Differentiating Instruction and Assessment Template
5 Levels of
Language
Progressions
Entering
Emerging
Transitioning
Expanding
Commanding
Receptive and
Productive
Oracy Language
and Literacy Links
GOAL: To move students from their current level in their language development progression (i.e., what they can do independently) to the next level in
their language development progression (i.e., their instructional level) using scaffolds and supports to get there.
Language-based
expectations:
Language-based
expectations:
Language-based
expectations:
Language-based
expectations:
Language-based expectations:
Scaffolding and Support:
Scaffolding and Support:
Scaffolding and Support:
Standards-based Content or Topic (from the curriculum)
Scaffolding and
Support:
Scaffolding and Support:
This template was adapted from Fairbairn & Jones-Vo (2010) to align with NY New and Home Language Arts Progressions (under development) by Rebecca
Field for the NY SED May 2013 NTI.
Additional Scaffolds and Supports
To be selected according to student level of new and home language arts progressions.

Provide pre-identified key words, sentences, and phrases, word banks or glossaries. Provide sentence starters, cloze-type
procedures, graphic organizers (modeled, partially completed), and notemaking guides. Use partnership and small-group discussions.
Allow students to meet the standard in new or home language, especially in the early stages.



Home language as a resource
Go to www.nysieb.ws.gc.cuny.edu/files/2012/07/NYSLanguageProfiles.pdf to download The Languages of New York State: A CUNY-NYSIEB
Guide for Educators. This guide provides a description of the top ten languages spoken by emergent bilinguals in addition to English. These
descriptions include a brief history of the language, the cultures of the people who speak the language, and their experiences in New York
State. It also includes some basic structural features of the languages as well as cognates and basic phrases.
In Hamayan & Freeman Field (2012): Go to Cummins, pp. 140-144 for description of “identity texts”; Kerper Mora, pp. 182-183 for
description of why and how to “teach for transfer”; Freeman and Freeman, pp. 212-213 for description of “preview-view-review”.
Go to http://www.thornwoodps.ca/dual/weblinks.htm for examples of dual language books.
4
Student Performance Descriptors for New Language Arts Progressions
5 Levels
Entering
Emerging
Transitioning
Expanding
Commanding
LISTENING
READING
RECEPTIVE
When acquiring a new language, students at each level are able to demonstrate the following with their new language receptively (listening, reading)
and productively (speaking, writing).
 Recognize pre-identified
tier 1, 2 and 3 words
found in the text/context
 Associate and organize
words with support to
understand and analyze
the text Marco
 Recognize pre-identified
phrases and short sentences
found in the text/context
 Associate and organize phrases
and sentences with support to
understand and analyze text
 Recognize pre-identified
tier 1, 2 and 3 words
found in the text/context
 Associate and organize
words with support to
gain more complex and
detailed understanding
and analysis of the text
 Recognize pre-identified
phrases and short sentences
found in the text/context
 Associate and organize phrases
and sentences with support to
gain more complex and
detailed understanding and
analysis of the text
SPEAKING
 Recognize information
independently
 Associate and organize
information after teacher
modeling to gain more complex
and detailed understanding
and analysis of the text
 Recognize information
independently
 Associate and organize
information independently
using teacher provided tools
to gain more complex and
detailed understanding and
analysis of the text
 Recognize information
independently
 Associate and organize
information independently
after guidance from teacher
to gain more complex and
detailed understanding and
analysis of the text
 Use glossaries of terms to
independently select and use
new vocabulary and phrases
 Initiate discourse
 Participate in partnership,
small group and whole class
discussions
 Lead discourse
 Participate in partnership,
small group and whole class
discussions
Ko Than Nu
Damaris
Ko Than Nu
 Use pre-taught one word
answers
 Complete sentence
starters
 Participate in partnership
and teacher lead small
group discussions
 Complete cloze-type
paragraphs
 Use pre-identified key
words
 Use provided key phrases and
short sentences
 Complete sentence starters
 Participate in partnership and
small group discussions
 Develop short paragraphs
 Use pre-identified key phrases
and short sentences
Damaris; Ko Than Nu
Marco
Key: Marco; Damaris;
 Recognize information
independently
 Associate and organize
information independently
using teacher provided tools
 Recognize information
independently
 Associate and organize
information independently
with guidance from teacher
Damaris
Tasfiah
Marco; Tasfiah
WRITING
PRODUCTIVE
Marco
 Recognize information
independently
 Associate and organize
information after teacher
modeling to understand and
analyze text
Tasfiah
 Use word banks to incorporate
key vocabulary and phrases
into their discussion
 Share ideas without prompting
and support
 Participate in partnership,
small group and whole class
discussions
 Develop short essays or text
 Use word banks to incorporate
key vocabulary and phrases
into their writing
Damaris; Ko Than Nu
 Develop multiple paragraph
essays
 Use a glossary of terms to
independently select and use
new vocabulary and phrases
 Develop multiple paragraph
essays independently
Tasfiah
Ko Than Nu; Tasfiah
5
Student Performance Descriptors for Home Language Arts Progressions
5 Levels
Entering
Emerging
Transitioning
Expanding
Commanding
LISTENING
READING
RECEPTIVE
When developing home language, students at each level are able to demonstrate the following with their home language receptively (listening,
reading) and productively (speaking, writing).
 Recognize pre-identified
phrases and short sentences
found in the text/context
 Associate and organize
phrases and sentences with
support to understand and
analyze text
 Recognize information
independently
 Associate and organize
information after
teacher modeling to
understand and analyze
text
 Recognize information
independently
 Associate and organize
information
independently using
teacher provided tools
 Recognize pre-identified tier
1, 2 and 3 words found in the
text/context
 Associate and organize words
with support to gain more
complex and detailed
understanding and analysis of
the text
 Recognize pre-identified
information from the
text/context
 Associate and organize
provided information to
gain more complex and
detailed understanding
and analysis of the text
 Recognize information
independently
 Associate and organize
information
independently using
teacher provided tools to
gain more complex and
detailed understanding
and analysis of the text
 Use glossaries of terms to
independently select and
use new vocabulary and
phrases
 Initiate discourse
 Participate in partnership,
small group and whole
class discussions
SPEAKING
WRITING
PRODUCTIVE
Ko Than Nu
Damaris
 Use provided key phrases and
short sentences
 Complete sentence starters
 Participate in partnership and
small group discussions
 Complete cloze-type
paragraphs
 Use pre-identified key words
Ko Than Nu
Key: Marco; Damaris;
 Use word banks to
incorporate key
vocabulary and phrases
into their discussion
 Share ideas without
prompting and support
 Participate in
partnership, small group
and whole class
discussions
 Develop short
paragraphs
 Use word banks to
incorporate key
vocabulary and phrases
into writing
Damaris;
Ko Than Nu; Tasfiah
 Recognize information
independently
 Associate and organize
information independently
based on teacher guidance
Ko Than Nu
 Recognize information
independently
 Associate and organize
information independently with
guidance from teacher
Marco
Tasfiah
Damaris
 Recognize information
independently
 Associate and organize
information independently
based on teacher guidance to
gain more complex and
detailed understanding and
analysis of the text
Marco
 Use glossaries of terms to
independently select and use
new vocabulary and phrases
 Initiate and occasionally lead
discourse
 Participate in partnership,
small group and whole class
discussions
 Recognize information
independently
 Associate and organize
information independently after
guidance from teacher to gain
more complex and detailed
understanding and analysis of
the text
Tasfiah
 Lead discourse
 Participate in partnership, small
group and whole class
discussions
Marco; Tasfiah
Damaris; Ko Than Nu
 Develop multiple
paragraph essays
 Use a glossary of terms to
independently select and
use new vocabulary and
phrases
 Develop multiple paragraph
essays
 Use teacher provided tools to
produce more complex and
detailed writing
 Develop multiple paragraph
essays independently
Tasfiah
Marco
6