Name
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Angelita Rodriguez
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Artifact Title
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Research-Based Strategies
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Program Outcome #
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Program Outcome 2
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Required Key Assessment
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Key Assessment 2
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Degree Program
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M.Ed in English as a Second Language
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I examined two research-based strategies from two high performing schools at our district to improve our ELL academic achievement. I found that one school offered a bilingual program called Foreign Language Adventure for parents and students who are interested in learning Spanish and French. The other high performing school implemented a strategy called Positive Peer Program that focuses on the seven mindsets which include the idea that everything is possible, passion first, we are connected, 100% accountable, attitude is gratitude, live to grow and time is now (Dolvin Elementary School, 2016). Although our school does have a bilingual program, I can still provide the language support to my newcomer ELL students by using computer application such as Google Translate. Research shows that it is critical for students to be proficient in his first language before learning a second language (Levitan, 2015).
Introduction
Our school has a total population of 564 students from diverse cultural backgrounds. We have 460 students in regular education classes, 70 in special education, and 34 talented and gifted. Our school is a considered to be a Title I school under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended (ESEA). A Title I school provides financial assistance students from low-income families to ensure that they are able to meet the state academic challenging needs (US Department of Education, 2015). All of our students receive free breakfast and 65% of the population receives free and reduced lunch. For four consecutive years, our school has shown slight growth in the state standardized testing in math, ELA, science and social studies. However, there is a wide performance gap among the different subgroups. Our school report card indicates that Black and Hispanic subgroups consistently performed lower than white subgroup in all content areas. Since we have 301 Hispanic students, about 95% of ESOL students speak Spanish as their home language. Our ELL students did not meet the state standard for three consecutive years. Reading is one of the reasons why our students are not performing well in state standardized assessment. Using the Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System (BAS) our school reading data shows that 30% of our students are reading below their grade level. Since Georgia Milestones assessment requires a lot of reading, our school is working on adapting various reading interventions for students who are showing low performance in state assessment.
It is my goal that our English Language Leaners (ELLs) subgroup will increase their achievement result on standardized assessments from not meeting our state performance target to meeting our state target. Different strategies from high performing schools will be examined to help improve the achievement of our ELL students at Esther Jackson Elementary School. I have identified several barriers which prevented our ELL subgroup from meeting the state performance target. The barriers are assessments require higher language demands, unfamiliar to the new culture in this country, no English abilities, and no motivation to succeed. I have chosen two different schools to research their strategies on achieving success in meeting the state standard target. These two schools are Dolvin Elementary School and Crabapple Crossing Elementary School. These two schools are on top of the list on our district school report based on their performance on state standardized assessments. Crabapple Elementary school has an after school program called Foreign Language Adventure. They offer French and Spanish classes to students and adults who are interested in learning any of the two languages (Crabapple Elementary, 2010). This is a great program for ESOL children to have a strong foundation in their native language. As a teacher, I can also participate in the language program in order to learn the home language of my ESOL students. In this way, I am able to provide the language support for a newcomer who doesn’t have the English abilities. Dolvin Elementary school uses a strategy called Positive Peer Programs (PPP). This program focuses on seven mindsets that are proven self-determination, character education and empowerment program that changes the way the students think. The seven mindsets include the idea that everything is possible, passion first, we are connected, 100% accountable, attitude is gratitude, live to grow and time is now. I think that this program is very helpful for students who don't show a lot of motivation to learn or to succeed (Dolvin Elementary School, 2016).
Strategy No. 1: Foreign Language Adventure (Crabapple Crossing Elementary School)
Strategy No. 2: Positive Peer Program (Dolvin Elementary School)
Explain in detail the potential impact of implementing these two strategies.
I believe that implementing these two strategies will impact students’ performance at our school. Having foreign language programs that are available at school is beneficial for students to learn the conventions of their native language. Research shows that it is critical for students to be proficient in his first language before learning a second language (Levitan, 2015). I observed that many of our ELL students are not proficient in their native language, and their parents are also requiring them to speak English at home thinking that it will be helpful for them. This strategy will also be beneficial for teachers, since providing support in student’s first language is always encourage in differentiating instructions for students who are in entering level based on the language proficiency level. As a teacher, I am accountable for my students' behavior. It is important that I teach positive behavior in a thorough, consistent and systematic way. Recognizing students for positive actions and rewarding them with praise and small items such as tickets or dojos, certificates and stickers are effective in reinforcing and building positive behavior (Allred, 2008).
Explain in detail the potential costs (time, energy, and money) required to implement these two strategies.
The first strategy will surely cost time, energy and money. We will need to hire a bilingual teacher who can teach Spanish for at least two hours a day and two times a week. Our students would need their extra energy to stay at school longer and learn. However, we can ask for parents to volunteer in teaching the students their native language. I am positive that we will have a few parents who will be willing to donate their time to help our school.
How much control do you or your colleagues have over the implementation and success of these strategies?
For the first strategy, I feel that I have a little control in implementing this program since it costs money. However, I can suggest this idea to our school administrator and then communicate to the parents about the plan in order to see if someone is willing to volunteer to teach their home language to our ELL students. I will also need the support of my ESOL colleagues in reaching out to our parents and arranging a time to meet in order to discuss the benefits of the program. As an ESOL teacher, it is my responsibility to be an advocate for my students to be successful in the English acquisition without losing their home language. I feel that I have so much control for the second strategy. I can easily implement the positive peer program in my classroom by showing good examples of positive behavior. However, it is very critical that the school will implement the program in order to have consistency and common rules.
Describe the steps necessary to make these ideas become a reality for students.
The first step would be to sit and talk to our school leaders regarding these strategies. We can brainstorm for options on how to implement a foreign language adventure without spending so much money and other resources. Then, if they are willing to implement the programs, we can communicate with the two elementary schools to arrange a site visit. During the site visit, we can interview the program coordinator and observe how they are implementing the strategies. After the visit, I can meet with our administrators again and decide if we will continue to implement the program and share the information with the teachers and staff to start implementing positive peer program.
Reference:
Allred, C. G. (2008). Seven strategies for building positive classrooms. Retrieved from
Crabapple Elementary. (2010). After school enrichment programs. Retrieved from
Elementary. (2016). Positive peer programs. Retrieved from
Esther Jackson Elementary School. (2016). School plan. Retrieved from
Levitan, J. (2015). Bilingual students need support in their native language.
Retrieved from
Program Outcome 3 Key Assessment 3
Name
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Angelita Rodriguez
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Artifact Title
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Accommodations
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Program Outcome #
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Program Outcome 3
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Required Key Assessment
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Key Assessment
|
Degree Program
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M.Ed in English as a Second Language
|
As educators, it is important to determine the appropriate accommodations for ELL students and for students with disabilities. In this assignment, I assessed the different testing accommodations that are approved by our district and selected the ones that are beneficial for my students during testing time. As stated in the Council of Chief State School Officers (2016) choosing an appropriate accommodation is the beginning of making good instructional decisions. In addition, our school believes that accommodations ensure the results of the assessment are an accurate measure of student knowledge and skill, and for assessment to reduce or eliminate the effect of disability on the assessment (Fulton County Schools, 2015). This assignment showed that I am able to decide the appropriate accommodations to support the academic success of my ELL students.
Part 1: Identifying Accommodations
Introduction
As an ELL teacher, it is critical to be familiar with the different testing accommodations for ELL students. In this assignment, I will choose some of the testing accommodations that we implement at our school. These testing accommodations are approved by the WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment). The team which is composed of the school administrators, ELL teachers, classroom teacher, special education teachers and the guidance counselor all discuss for the appropriate testing accommodation during our placement option discussion. WIDA has a list of recommended accommodations for ELL students who have special needs, students who are in IEP (Individualized Education Program) as determined by Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (WIDA, 2013). For students with disability, the team discuss the appropriate accommodations with recommendations from the special education teacher, then the ELL teacher and classroom teacher sign the accommodation form. Our school districts believes that testing accommodation supports students by providing a variety of ways to access the state standards to promote skill growth. The accommodations also help ensure the results of the assessment are an accurate measure of student knowledge and skill, and for assessment to be reduce or eliminate the effect of disability on the assessment (Fulton County Schools, 2015).
Content Areas: Reading
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||
Accommodation/Alternate
Test
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Description of
Accommodation/Alternate
Test
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Student Eligibility
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More breaks as needed by student
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The students are allowed to take frequent breaks during the test.
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ELL with disabilities
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Administer the test in a small group
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A small group of ELL students take the test with the same accommodations.
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ELL students
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Extended testing time within same school day
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Students get a time and a half. For example, if the test allows 60 minutes, the ELL students can take it for 90 minutes.
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ELL/ beginning level/ newcomer
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Repeating directions
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The test administrator can reread the testing directions.
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ELLs with Disabilities
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Administer the test to students individually
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A test administrator administers the test to one student at a time.
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ELL students/ and ELLs with disabilities
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Part 2: Accommodations – Linguistic Simplification
Passage: Original version
This story tells about long-ago times and a girl named Minna. She cannot go to school. To find out why, read the story and then answer the questions that follow.
The Rag Coat
by Lauren Mills
The summer I was eight, Papa called me over to his rocking chair. I climbed on his lap and he said, "You're getting big, Minna."
"Too big for laps?" I asked.
"Not too big for mine," he said softly, "but too big to still be at home. It's nearing time you went to school."
I could hardly hold back my smiling just thinking about all the friends I would have. But I didn't want to leave Mama without a helper.
"Papa," I said, "I can't go to school. Mama needs me here."
Papa just looked at me real steady and said, "They have books at school, Minna. You can learn things from those books that you can't learn at home."
"But I don't have a coat, Papa," I quietly reminded him. . . .
School started in September. Mama said I could go, but I decided not to. I still didn't have a coat to wear, and I knew it was no use starting something I'd have to quit when the weather turned cold.
Other mothers who had children in school came over to quilt with Mama. I called them the Quilting Mothers. That fall they were all working on a pattern called Joseph's Coat of Many Colors. I looked at it and said, "That Joseph sure was lucky to have such a coat. I wish I had one like that."
"Why do you say that, Minna?" Mrs. Miller asked me.
"Because then I could go to school," I said, a little embarrassed that I had mentioned it.
"Well now, Minna," said Mrs. Miller, "I don't know that any of us has a spare coat we could hand you down, but I'm sure we have some scraps to spare. We could piece them together, and you'd have a coat like Joseph's after all." Mrs. Miller looked around the room, and the other mothers nodded. . . .
My eyes filled with tears, but I wasn't embarrassed anymore. . . . Mama smiled and shook her head, and I saw tears in her eyes, too (Printable Practice Tests for CRCT, 2008).
1. What happens first in the story?
A. Minna decides not to go to school.
B. The Quilting Mothers come to quilt with Mama.
C. Minna and her mother both get tears in their eyes.
D. Papa tells Minna that it is time for her to go to school.
2. Minna needed a coat so that she could
A. go to school.
B. help her mother.
C. sit in her father's lap.
D. help the mothers make quilts.
3. Why did Minna look forward to school?
A. She liked homework.
B. She would be warmer there.
C. She wanted to make new friends.
D. She wanted to read lots of books.
Simplified version:
This story tells about long-ago times and a girl named Minna. She cannot go to school. To find out why, read the story and then answer the questions that follow.
The Rag Coat
by Lauren Mills
The summer I was eight, Papa called me over to his rocking chair. I climbed (sat) on his lap and he said, "You're getting big, Minna."
"Too big for laps?" (Am I too big to sit on your lap?) I asked.
"Not too big for mine," he said softly, "but too big to still be at home. It's nearing time you went to school." (It’s time for you to go to school.)
I could hardly hold back my smiling just thinking about all the friends I would have
(I was smiling thinking about all the friends I will make). But I didn't want to leave Mama without a helper.
"Papa," I said, "I can't go to school. Mama needs me here."
Papa just looked at me real steady (straight) and said, "They have books at school, Minna. You can learn things from those books that you can't learn at home."
"But I don't have a coat, Papa," I quietly reminded (told) him. . . .
School started in September. Mama said I could go, but I decided not to. I still didn't have a coat to wear, and I knew it was no use starting something I'd have to quit when the weather turned cold.
Other mothers who had children in school came over to quilt (make blanket) with Mama. I called them the Quilting Mothers. That fall they were all working on a pattern (design/arrangement) called Joseph's Coat of Many Colors. I looked at it and said, "That Joseph sure was lucky to have such a coat. I wish I had one like that."
"Why do you say that, Minna?" Mrs. Miller asked me.
"Because then I could go to school," I said, a little embarrassed (shy) that I had mentioned (said) it. "Well now, Minna," said Mrs. Miller, "I don't know that any of us has a spare (extra) coat we could hand you down (give you), but I'm sure we have some scraps (small pieces) to spare (give). We could piece them together (put them together), and you'd have a coat like Joseph's after all." Mrs. Miller looked around the room, and the other mothers nodded. . . .
My eyes filled with tears (I cried), but I wasn't embarrassed (shy) anymore. . . . Mama smiled and shook her head, and I saw tears in her eyes, too. (Printable Practice Tests for CRCT, 2008).
1. What happens first in the story? (What happens in the beginning of the story?)
A. Minna decides not to go to school.
B. The Quilting Mothers come to quilt with Mama.
C. Minna and her mother both get tears in their eyes.
D. Papa tells Minna that it is time for her to go to school
2. Minna needed a coat so that she could. (Why did Minna need a coat?)
A. go to school.
B. help her mother.
C. sit in her father's lap.
D. help the mothers make quilts.
3. Why did Minna look forward to school? (What made Minna excited/eager about school?)
A. She liked homework.
B. She would be warmer there.
C. She wanted to make new friends.
D. She wanted to read lots of books.
Filipino Translation (by Angelita Rodriguez)
Ang Basahang Dyaket
Sa pamamagitan ni Lauren Mills
Isang tag-araw ako ay naging walong taong gulan, tinawag ako ng aking ama habang siya ay nakaupo sa upuang tumba-tumba. Ako ay umakyat at kumndong habang sinabi niya na, "Malaki kana Minna."
"Masyadong malaki para kumandong?" Itinanong ko.
"Hindi masyadong malaki para sa akin," sinabi niya ng mahina, "ngunit masyadong malaki upang tumira pa rin sa bahay. Malapit na ang araw na ikaw ay papasok sa paaralan."
Hindi ko napigilang ngumiti ng maisaipan ko ang magkaroon ng maraming kaibigan. Ngunit hindi ko nais na iwanan ang aking ina na walang katulong.
"Papa," sabi ko, "Hindi ako maaaring pumasok sa paaralan. Kailangan ako ni mama dito."
Tiningna lamang ako ng aking ama sabay sabi, "Ang paaralan ay may mga aklat, Minna. Maaari mong malaman ang mga bagay mula sa mga aklat na iyon na hindi mo maaaring malaman sa bahay."
"Ngunit wala akong dyaket, Papa," Tahimik na ipinalam ko sa kanya. . . .
Nagsimula ang pasok noong Setyembre. Sinabi ni mama na akoy pumunta, ngunit akoy nagpasya na hindi. Wala akong dyaket na maisuot, at wala akong gagamitin kung magsimulang lumamig ang panahon.
Ang aking ina ay may kasamahang nagtatahi nag mga kumot kasama ng ibang mga ina. Tinawag ko silang Mga Mananahing Ina. Kasalukuyan sila ay nagtatrabaho sa isang desenyo na tinatawag na Ang Makulay na Dyaket Jose . Ako ay tumingin sa kanila at sinabi, "Mapaplad ang Jose na yan. Sana nagging si Jose na lang ako."
"Bakit sinasabi mo yan, Minna?" Tanong ni Mrs. Miller sa akin.
"Dahil pag akoy may isang dyaket, akoy makapag-aral," sabi ko na napahiya ng konti.
"Ngayon, Minna," sabi ni Mrs. Miller, "Hindi ko alam na isa sa amin ay may lumang dyaket na maibigay sayo, ngunit sigurado ako na may mga tira-tirang piraso ng damit kami. Maaari naming pagsamasamahin ang mga ito, at gusto mong magkaroon ng isang dyaket tulad ni Jose matapos ang lahat. " Si Mrs. Miller ay tumingin sa paligid ng silid, at ang iba pang mga ina at tumango . .
Ang aking mga mata na puno ng luha, ngunit ako ay hindi na napahiya. . . Umiling si mama at nakita ko ang mga luha sa kanyang mga mata (Mga Pagsubok para CRCT, 2008).
1. Ano ang mangyayari sa simula ng kuwento?
E. Ayaw ni Minna mag-aral
F. Ang Mananahing Ina ay tumatahi kasama si mama
G. Si Minna at ang kanyang mama ay lumuha
H. Sinabi ng ama ni Minna na oras na para siya ang pumasok sa paaralan
2. Kailangan ni Minna ng dyaket upang
E. Makapag-aral
F. Makatulong sa kanyang ina
G. Kumandong sa kanyang ama
H. Tumulong magtahi sa kanyang ina
3. Bakit gusto ni Minna na makapag-aral?
E. Gusto niya gumawa nag takdang-aralin
F. Mas mainit doon
G. Gusto niya magkaroon ng mga kaibigan
H. Gusto niya basahin ang mga aklat doon
Reference:
Fulton County Schools. (2015). Georgia special education rules: Individualized education plan.
Retrieved from
Printable Practice Tests for CRCT. (2008).Third grade comprehension practice.
Retrieved from
Thompson, Sandra J., Amanda B. Morse, Michael Sharpe, and Sharon Hall. 2005.
Accommodations Manual: How to Select, Administer, and Evaluate Use of
accommodations for Instruction and Assessment of Students with Disabilities.
Second Edition. Washington, DC: Council of Chief State School Officers.
World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment. (2013). Recommended test
Accommodations for ells with disabilities. Retrieved from
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