Introduction to the Alberta K-12 ESL Proficiency Benchmarks

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

2. Presentation 1: Overview of Benchmarks Document - Outline • Who’s Who? • Development of ESL Benchmarks • Purpose of ESL Benchmarks • Implementation of Benchmarks • ESL Benchmarks Theoretical Underpinnings • K – 12 • Strands of Language • BICS/CALP • Communicative Competence • Framework of the Benchmarks • Productive Skills :Speaking Writing • Receptive Skills: Listening • Reading

3. Who’s Who????? Name School Area for Which Responsible/ Grades Taught Current Status of ESL at your school Your own level of theoretical knowledge of ESL/ L2 acquisition Your current familiarity with AB. Ed. Benchmarks

4. Alberta ESL Proficiency Benchmarks Development

5. Implementation Plan: Benchmarks Draft Feedback • All people who used ESL Benchmarks were encouraged to provide feedback on the draft document • Survey went out in February and March 2010 • Feedback is now being sorted through

6. 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

7. Purpose of ESL Benchmarks • What are some benefits for having this ESL Benchmark Document available for use across the province?

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. When are the ESL Benchmarks used? Realistically, • Four times a year would be great; however, twice a year seems more manageable as a starting point for our District.

15. BACK TO SCHOOL

16. 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

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

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

19. Levels

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. Pause for Questions….

29. Please Note! It takes 7 or more years to become proficient a student may take 6 – 24 months to move levels in a particular competency. Students may regress after a lengthy absence or if the academic complexity increases. Students may show strength in different competencies and proficiency may vary by competency. Tracking Documents Tracking documents are to be used in conjunction with the Benchmarks Prior to each reporting period observe the student in various contexts and date benchmarks achieved consistently.

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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 • Revised for K: Black bears eat plants and animals • Black bears are omnivores because they feed on plant or other animals.

34. 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.

35. Sort the samples from Level 1 to 5 What language features do you notice in these samples? What happens as the speaking moves from Level 1 to 5? Speaking Sample Leveling Sort

36. What was noticed: Vocabulary Descriptive Determiners (a, an, the) Naming (BICS or CALP) Sentence length (syntax) Grammar Cohesive devices (and, where, then) Errors Pronunciation Speaking Sample Leveling Sort

37. Select one sample Compare it to the Benchmarks Identify the level for each of the competencies Speaking 1 – Part CCompare Sample to the Benchmarks

38. Think about all of the students that you teach: - What level do most students speak at in general? Think of the ELLs you teach What level do they speak typically? Speaking– Reflection

39. 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.

40. 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.

41. 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 skills are 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.

42. Look at the leveled writing samples. Discuss what is different about each level as it progresses from 1 to 5. Writing – Language Identification Using the markers: Circle vocabulary in red. Circle discourse in blue. Underline grammar in green. Pick one level. Match it to the Benchmarks for Discourse, Vocabulary and Grammar

43. The salmon dies when they layed their eggs and they are a kind of fish you could eat. They will go back to where they were born. There are endangered of the trees damming the rivers at the way home. They can’t see when they were in the egg. Over 100 salmon population are extinct. The Coho salmons first starts with eggs they they were borned and they have a yolk sacs for eat and they tured in the fry, then they were a teen salmon called a smolts. Then they turned in to adults. When the salmon went in to the sea they start to chang and they eat as many as they could then they gos back to the creek they were borned. And they start to chang again. They get bacdk by smell of the creek. Then they layed their eggs and dies. Then a new cycle of salmon begins. Salmons population can be changd man fishes too many. Writing 2 – Assessing Writing using the Benchmarks

44. Look at the benchmarks for: Strategic Socio-Linguistic Editing Discuss at your tables how you would identify if an ELL was able to meet a particular indicator? Writing 2 – Assessing Writing using the Benchmarks

45. 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

46. 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

47. 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.

48. 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.

49. 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.

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