rti for english language learners patty cornelius, m.ed. esl liaison, lakota local schools
TRANSCRIPT
RTI FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSPatty Cornelius, M.Ed.
ESL Liaison, Lakota Local Schools
Objectives
You will be able to… Define RtI and its role in the education of
English language learners (ELLs) Evaluate the effectiveness of core
instruction in meeting the needs of ELLs Define and discuss progress monitoring
issues for ELLs Indentify effective practices for ELLs who
require more intensive interventions
What is RTI?
Response To Intervention (RTI) integrates assessment and intervention within a multi-level prevention system to maximize student achievement and reduce behavior problems. With RTI, schools identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes, monitor student progress, provide evidence-based interventions and adjust the intensity and nature of those interventions depending on a student’s responsiveness, and identify students with learning disabilities or other disabilities http://www.rti4success.org
Why focus on ELLs?
Achievement outcomes for ELLs in general are dismal
On the 2007 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), the average reading score for ELLs was188 points out of a possible 500 (compared to 224 for non-ELL fourth graders) This is a 36 point achievement gap! 26 point gap between Hispanic and white students 28 point gap between African American and white
students 33 point achievement gap between disabled and non-
disabled studentsSource: Movit, Peytrykowska, and Woodruff, 2010
Factors that Contribute to the Gap Ineffective or poorly trained teachers
56% of teachers in the U.S. have at least one ELL in their class, but only 20% are certified to teach ELLs
Lack of access to appropriate instructional and assessment materials Instructional and assessment materials often not
normed for ELLs Failure by schools and teachers to implement
culturally responsive practices Approximately 60% of ELLs are in English only
classes with little differentiation for language and culture backgroundsSource: Movit, Peytrykowska, and Woodruff, 2010
Considerations for ELLs
Language proficiency Academic English Background knowledge Formal education history Culture
The Role of Culture Activity
Read the comments about English language learners that are often heard in schools throughout the country.
How might you respond? Write an “elevator speech” (1 minute) with
a response Role play your response with a person
sitting near you
Tier 1: The Core
ELLs need to be included in the core! Language development should supplement
not supplant Historically, ELLs have often been pulled out of
Tier 1 core instruction and have not been exposed to content standards in the same manner and at the same level as their English speaking peers.
Language development is a Tier 1 responsibility!
Core instruction must be differentiated so that it is comprehensible for all language levels
Effective Core Practices for ELLs Systematic Attention to Language
Development
Content and language objectives made clear Focuses on developing the content specific language
Explicit and intentional vocabulary development Intentional goal of each lesson Allow students to interact with words through games,
dialogue, and other activities (Marzano) Vocabulary should be posted and reviewed often
Adapted from RTI for English Language Learners Participant Workbook, Pearson Education, Inc., 2010
Effective Core Practices for ELLs (cont’d)
Build on students’ background knowledge and experiences Helps makes links between schema and text Students understand more of the content when
they have the appropriate background knowledge
Use techniques that make the lesson more comprehensible Visual clues, gestures, modeling, demonstrations,
graphic organizers Scaffold instruction
Adapted from RTI for English Language Learners Participant Workbook, Pearson Education, Inc., 2010
Effective Core Practices for ELLs (cont’d)
Create opportunities for practice and application of content and language knowledge Provide differentiated materials for different levels Provide time for oral language practice
Sentence frames, sentence starters Hands-on, engaging materials Guided practice (I do, we do, you do) Activities that appropriately measure students’
content knowledge regardless of language proficiency
Adapted from RTI for English Language Learners Participant Workbook, Pearson Education, Inc., 2010
Effective Core Practices for ELLs (cont’d)
Repeat, Repeat, and Repeat “Say it, show it, repeat it” Exposure to information in a variety of ways
Technology, audio taped text, oral presentations
Assess often and reteach if necessary Formal and informal assessments Assessment must drive instruction!
Adapted from RTI for English Language Learners Participant Workbook, Pearson Education, Inc., 2010
Other Important Aspects of the Core
Culturally relevant texts available in the classroom
Learning materials are inclusive and avoid stereo-types
Higher level thinking skills are utilized Cooperative learning groups with clear
expectations Opportunity for interaction with native
English speakers What else?
Before moving to Tier 2, Closely examine Tier 1
Before we examine what is wrong with the student, we must examine what is wrong with the instruction!
When ELLs are struggling, we need to first consider the possibility that they are not receiving adequate instruction before we assume they are not responding due to a deficit of some kind (Harry & Klinger, 2005)
Parents as Resources
Provide base experiences from which language acquisition can grow
Ensure that instruction is culturally responsive Support child’s acquisition of language and
literacy Talk with child in both languages, read to them,
assist with homework Provide information such as:
Strengths and learning needs Health, developmental milestones, educational history of children Family’s use of language and/or cultural background Strategies already used at home to help the child learn
Source: Movit, Peytrykowska, and Woodruff, 2010
Progress Monitoring for ELLs
Establish a baseline Set a goal and determine realistic rate of
growth Assess frequently to monitor growth Use multiple assessments Use valid, and reliable assessments
Select assessments that are normed for ELL populations or that are available in multiple languages
Progress Monitoring Issues for ELLs (cont’d)
Assessing reading proficiency can be difficult There is a huge difference between learning the
process of reading vs. learning vocabulary for what you are reading!
Teachers need to know if students can read in their native language Assessments only in English provide no
information about possible early literacy skills that have been developed in a child’s first language
Progress Monitoring Issues for ELLs (cont’d)
Knowing a child’s instructional reading level is crucial, yet our usual battery of reading assessments may not yield reliable results for ELLs Blindly using results from a reading inventory without
an understanding of second language acquisition might suggest the student has a serious reading problem when they don’t
If the student has no problems reading in the native language, they will most likely not have problems reading in English
If the student has a reading problem in their first language, they very well may have difficulty in reading English
Turn and Talk
How might you gather information about a student’s reading ability in his or her native language?
When ELLs Need More…
Interventions should be:
Purposeful Intentional Explicit
Targeted Tier 2 Interventions for ELLs
What? Target key skills that are will impact overall
academic achievement Reading: phonological awareness, phonics,
fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, reading strategies
Math: number sense, computation, problem-solving, algebraic foundations
Writing: handwriting, spelling, conventions, writing process
Adapted from RTI for English Language Learners Participant Workbook, Pearson Education, Inc., 2010
Targeted Tier 2 Interventions for ELLs
How? Small groups Specific content AND language objectives Content and materials appropriate for
students Explicit and intensive teaching of skills Immediate and corrective feedback
Adapted from RTI for English Language Learners Participant Workbook, Pearson Education, Inc., 2010
Key Questions to Consider in Tier 2 for ELLs
How much L1 support with be provided? Who will provide the intervention? (It’s not
always the ESL teacher!) How will the teachers collaborate? How often, how frequently? What assessments will measure both
language and academic progress? How can we communicate progress to
parents? Adapted from RTI for English Language Learners Participant Workbook, Pearson Education, Inc., 2010
Tier 3
Intensive Individual Different materials and methods than before Additional time each day (before, during, or
after school) Progress monitoring occurs every week Can be provided by teachers other than the
ESL teacher Parents involved and have input Assistance may be push in or pull outAdapted from RTI for English Language Learners Participant Workbook, Pearson Education, Inc., 2010
When to Evaluate Further
“A multidisciplinary team needs to evaluate the quality of instruction the student has received, the results of the instruction, and the status of language proficiency at each tier BEFORE a referral a special education assessment.”
RTI for English Language Learners Participant Workbook, Pearson Education, Inc., 2010
Jigsaw Activity
Gather into groups of four Your group will be assigned a section of
the article “Response to Intervention and English Learners”
Each group member will take on one of the roles to discuss and present the section of the article you have read
Be ready to share your learning with the group
RTI/ESL Acronyms and Important Terms
RtI teams need to understand the terms that are specific to ELLs
Using a common language in a building and district is important to the success of RtI
Refer to the document ESL Acronyms and Terms for RtI Teams
References/Resources
Echevarria, J., & Vogt, M. (2010). RtI for English Language Learners Participant Workbook. New Jersey; Pearson Education.
Harry, B., & Klinger, J.K. (2005). Why are so many minority students in special education? Understanding race and disability in schools. New York; Teachers College Press.
Movit, M., Petrykowska, I., & Woodruff. D. (2010). Using school leadership teams to meet the needs of English language learners. National Center on Response to Intervention.
Contact Information
Patty CorneliusLakota Local [email protected](513) 200-6834 cell(513) 777-2258 office