Introduction to the Alberta K-12 ESL Proficiency Benchmarks

1. Introduction to the Alberta K-12 ESL Proficiency Benchmarks Workshop #1

2. Presentation Outline • Activating Prior Knowledge • ESL Benchmarks Development • ESL Benchmarks Theoretical Underpinnings • K – 12 • Strands of Language • BICS/CALP • Communicative Competence • Framework of the Benchmarks • Listening • Speaking • Reading • Writing • Feedback

3. Activating Prior Knowledge Does this picture represent the ESL context? Why or why not? Could this picture represent an ESL context? If so, how?

4. Activating Prior Knowledge Debrief What is different between the two questions? Does this picture represent the ESL context? Could this picture represent an ESL context?

5. Activating Prior Knowledge Debrief What is different between the two questions? Does this picture represent the ESL context? Could this picture represent an ESL context?

6. Activating Prior Knowledge Debrief We all have assumptions based on our own lived experiences and knowledge Language is powerful; small words change meaning explicitly or with subtlety ESL is a field with some common understandings and foundational research with many areas requiring further research and innovation.

7. Alberta ESL Proficiency Benchmarks Development

8. Implementation Plan: Benchmarks Draft Feedback • All people who use ESL Benchmarks are encouraged to provide feedback on the draft document • Online Survey will be available in early 2010. • http://www.education.alberta.ca/teachers/program/esl/resources.aspx • Survey reminders will go out in February and March 2010 • Survey will end March 2010

9. Implementation Plan: Field Test Participation in Field Test • gathering feedback of the implementation processes and gathering best practice recommendations for use of Benchmarks in various ESL contexts of Alberta schools • Contact Mike or Kathy to participate

10. Implementation Plan:Section 2 & Digital Resource • Section 2 released in October • Tracking Sheet Templates • Online Digital ESL Benchmarks Resource • Available October 1, 2009 @ http://www.learnalberta.ca

11. Purpose of ESL Benchmarks • Provide specific language outcomes for each proficiency level • Support initial identification of language proficiency level • Guide appropriate programming for ELLs • Articulate language proficiency to align with ESL Sr. High Program of Studies and other programs of study

12. Purpose of ESL Benchmarks • Support teachers in; • Monitoring, tracking and reporting language progress • Planning for explicit language instruction within everyday classroom learning • Communicating with students and parents to; • Develop an understanding of language acquisition • Set appropriate learning goals

13. Implementation of ESL Benchmarks • Implementation of the Alberta ESL Proficiency Benchmarks for school jurisdictions is voluntary in 2009/2010. The Alberta ESL Proficiency Benchmarks do not carry the authority of a Program of Studies. The ESL Benchmarks were developed as a tool for teachers to help assess student progress and needs and make appropriate and timely programming decisions.

14. Implementation of ESL Benchmarks • It is hoped that if it is found to be useful, everyone will eventually begin using the Alberta Education ESL Proficiency Benchmarks, thereby, establishing a common/consistent way of assessing student language proficiency. It is also hoped that the benchmarks will promote collaboration and communication about an ESL student progress and needs among all the student's teachers, and enhance communication between teachers and parents.

15. Who are the ESL Benchmarks used by? • All teachers of English Language Learners • School Administrators • ESL Designates at Schools • ESL Consultants and Specialists • Resource Teachers

16. When are the ESL Benchmarks used? Each jurisdiction or school will determine how the benchmarks will be implemented as per the Implementation of ESL Benchmarks on the previous slide. Ideally, • Intake assessment to establish initial language proficiency, appropriate programming and instructional starting points. • Language proficiency level documented at each reporting period. With comments about areas or growth and those requiring development. • Monitoring of language through ongoing assessment using the tracking document.

17. Theoretical Underpinnings • Organized by developmentally appropriate divisions • 5 Levels of Language Proficiency Levels • Strands of Language • Cummin’s BICS and CALP • Swain’s Communicative Competence

18. Division • Kindergarten • Grades 1-3 • Grades 4-6 • Grades 7-9 • Grades 10-12

19. Levels • Level 1 – Beginning • Level 2 – Developing • Level 3 – Expanding • Level 4 – Bridging • Level 5 – Extending

20. Strands of Language • Listening • Speaking • Reading • Writing

21. Cummin’s BICS and CALP

22. Cummin’s BICS and CALP

23. Cummin’s BICS and CALP • Is the speaker demonstrating BICS or CALP? • I go to store last day. • That theory is debatable. • The leaves have a stem and an apex. • Photosynthesis is the process that uses energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds. • Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. • What does it feel like when you volunteer?

24. Cummin’s BICS and CALP • Is the speaker demonstrating BICS or CALP? • I go to store last day. • That theory is debatable. • The leaves have a stem and an apex. • Photosynthesis is the process that uses energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds. • Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. • What does it feel like when you volunteer? • Is the speaker demonstrating BICS or CALP? • I go to store last day. • That theory is debatable. • The leaves have a stem and an apex. • Photosynthesis is the process that uses energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds. • Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. • What does it feel like when you volunteer?

26. Match the statement to the correct communicative competency. Linguistic Socio-Linguistic Discourse Strategic Knowing a formal from informal situation Knowing how to close a conversation Knowing when to use and, or, but, however, if…then, etc. Knowing when “pitch” means a “tune” or “throw” Swain’sCommunicative Competence

27. Framework of Benchmarks

28. Framework of Benchmarks

29. Listening involves clarifying what you hear. Sequence the clarification statements from lowest to highest proficiency. A. “So we mix these two together?” B. “I don’t get it” C. “What would happen if we mixed the acid and base together?” D. “So A is an acid and B is a base?” E. No response Listening

30. Look at the ESL Benchmarks in Listening (Competency: Strategic) Look at the grade(s) you are working with K , pg. 10 Gr. 1-3, pg. 20 Gr. 4-6, pg. 48 Gr. 7-9, pg. 82 Gr. 10-12, pg. 118 Read through the indicators from Level 1 to 5 Look at the students statements again and match them to the indicator that best describes the student. No response “I don’t get it” “So we mix these two together?” “So A is an acid and B is a base?” “What would happen if we mixed the acid and the base together?” “What would happen if we mixed the vinegar, which is the acid with the baking soda which is the base?” Listening

31. What do you notice about these statements? Animal eat plant. Herbivores is animals that eat plants. Black bears are omnivores because they feed on plant or other animals. Carnivores hunt herbivores and omnivores in a variety of food chains. Carnivores, omnivores and herbivores are part of the energy cycle where producers, consumers and decomposers transfer the sun’s energy. Speaking

32. What do you notice about these statements? Vocabulary Descriptive Determiners (a, an, the) Naming (BICS or CALP) Sentence length Grammar Cohesive devices (and, where, then) Errors Speaking

33. Vocabulary,grammar,discourse Animaleatplant. Herbivoresis animals thateat plants. Black bears areomnivores because theyfeed on plant or other animals. Carnivoreshuntherbivoresandomnivores in avariety of food chains. Carnivores, omnivoresandherbivores are part of the energy cyclewhereproducers, consumersanddecomposerstransfer the sun’s energy. Speaking

34. Look at the ESL Benchmarks in Speaking. Look at the competency Linguistic (Vocabulary) K, pg. 12 Gr. 1-3, pg. 29 Gr. 4-6, pg. 52 Gr. 7-9, pg. 88 Gr. 10-12, pg. 122 Read the across levels 1-5 for the grade(s) you teach What level is the vocabulary for this sentence? Speaking • Black bears are omnivores because they feed on plant or other animals.

35. K = Level 5 (content high) Gr. 1 – 3 = Level 4 Gr. 4 – 6 = Level 3 Gr. 7 – 9 = Level 2 Gr. 10 – 12 = Level 2 Speaking • Revised for K: Black bears eat plants and animals • Black bears are omnivores because they feed on plant or other animals.

36. Look at the sample of text. What language features do you notice? Reading In the spring, the adult lays eggs on a leaf. When the eggs hatch, tiny little caterpillars emerge and begin to eat. This is the larva stage.

37. Look at the sample of text. What is the ESL proficiency level required to read this for the grade(s) you are teaching? Reading Vocabulary,grammar,discourse In thespring, the adult lays eggs on a leaf. When the eggs hatch, tiny little caterpillars emergeandbegin to eat. This is the larva stage.

38. K = Level 5 (Read aloud) Gr. 1-3 = Level 4/5 Gr. 4 -6 = Level 3 Gr. 7-9 = Level 2 Gr. 10-12 = Level 2 Teachers can scan the text to understand the approximate ELP level needed to comprehend the passage. Teachers can provide a range of texts to match the ELP of the ELLs in their class. Why? For comprehensible input. Reading In the spring, the adult lays eggs on a leaf. When the eggs hatch, tiny little caterpillars emerge and begin to eat. This is the larva stage.

39. The Benchmarks make a distinction between decoding and comprehension. Reading

40. Learning to Read:Learning how to decode and comprehend Reading to Learn:Mastery of decoding and a repertoire of reading strategies Reading Decoding: Average rate 300 WPM (words per minute) for English at high school and 100 WPM for ELLs ELLs: - Need more time - Require explicit instruction on phonological awareness, word families, blends, affixes, syllabification, fluency etc.

41. Reading • Comprehension: • Approximate Correlation between ELP and comprehension level for Div 2, 3, 4 • Level 5 – grade level -1 • Level 4 – grade level -2 • Level 3 – grade level – 3 • Level 2 - grade level – 4 + (pending grade) • Level 1 – grades level -5 + • ELLs: • Explicit strategy instruction (visual cues, re-reading, read ahead, connecting to prior knowledge, self-correcting, word analysis, syntactical analysis, predicting, inferencing, summarizing, synthesizing etc.) • Increased exposure to a variety of texts

42. Look at the samples of text. What language features do you notice? Writing • This catarpilr is fat. It eat all the lef. Then it make cokon. It grow to a buttrfli. • The life cycle of a butterfly starts with the egg stage. When it comes out it is a caterpillar. That’s called the larva stage.

43. Find Writing in the Benchmarks in the Division you teach. Look at the competency Discourse, then Linguistic (Grammar/Syntax), Linguistic (Vocabulary) What is the ESL proficiency level of these two samples in the grade(s) you are teaching? Writing • This catarpilr is fat. It eat all the lef. Then it makecokon. It grow to a buttrfli. • The life cycle of a butterflystartswith theegg stage. When it comes out it is a caterpillar. That’scalled the larva stage.

44. Look at the ESL Benchmarks in in writing for the grade(s) you are teaching: Read the Benchmarks for the competency: Editing Writing • What editing a challenge for ELLs? • Knowing conventions; spelling, punctuation etc. • Knowing grammar and syntax adjustments • Knowing word choice options to be more succinct, clear or to demonstrate voice or tone.

45. 3 important things you should KNOW after this session! Presentation Summary • The Benchmarks are organized by Division and Strand • BICS and CALP and Communicative Competence are the theoretical underpinnings • Basic understanding of English Language Proficiency from Levels 1 to 5

46. Divisions: Kindergarten Grades 1-3 Grades 4-6 Grades 7-9 Grades 10-12 1. Benchmarks Organization • Strands: • Listening • Speaking • Reading • Writing

47. 2. Cummin’s BICS and CALP

49. 3. Understand ELP! Understanding the English Language proficiency of ELLs will help teachers: • Identify initial proficiency • Set appropriate language goals • Develop appropriate programming • Assess, monitor and report language proficiency growth GOAL: Personalize learning through differentiation!

50. Implementation of ESL Benchmarks at your school • As each school context is unique, it is recommended that each administrator develop an individual plan for implementing the ESL Benchmarks at their schools. • Some regions have access to school board specialists or regional ESL or Resource staff to assist with individual implementation plans . Additional information can be provided by contacting Kathy Salmon at Alberta Education. kathy.salmon@gov.ab.ca