Bait }ohnson

EBLB 67S
21S2u1S
Bi. Wells

1
!"#$%&'& )* # +'&,-'.,!!"#$ &'()"*+
!"#$%"$ '$()$#*
!"#$%"&'()"$ +#,- . /".&0"# .12 . !#,3#.- 42-(1($'#.',# 5$(13 '0"
6,-%,1"1'$ ,+ '0" 70"8'"#"2 91$'#:&'(,1 ;<$"#).'(,1 !#,',&,8 =79;!>
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Two inteiviews weie conuucteu to leain about one school uistiict's piactices in
teaching English Leaineis (ELs). The uistiict stuuieu was Invei uiove Beights
Community Schools in Invei uiove Beights, Ninnesota. The inteiviewees weie Naiy
uaiiison, Biiectoi of Special Piogiams; anu Beiui Fiana, EL Teachei at Pine Benu
Elementaiy. A significant component of the stuuy was to piobe the Bistiict's use of
the elements of the Shelteieu Instiuction 0bseivation Piotocol (SI0P) mouel (Shoit,
B., vogt, N., & Echevaiiia, }., 2uu8).
67+#$#-8# *( *+# 95!3 :(7#/ %- *+# 5-"#$ ;$("# <#%.+*0 98+((/
=%0*$%8* 2-7 2* 3%-# >#-7 ,/#4#-*2$?
The SI0P mouel consists of eight teaching components: !"#!$"$%&'() +,&-.&(/
+$01/"',(.) 0'2!"#3#(4&+-# &(!,%) 4%"$%#/&#4) &(%#"$0%&'() !"$0%&0#5$!!-&0$%&'() -#44'(
.#-&6#"7) $(. "#6&#85$44#442#(% (p. 1S)9 The peispectives of the auministiatoi anu
the teachei hau aieas of congiuence anu aieas of uisagieement. An impoitant
uistinction thioughout this uiscussion is the teim classioom teachei. This is meant
to iefei to teacheis teaching the entiie stuuent population in a geneial euucation
setting. EL teacheis in most of schools in the uistiict woik as inteiventionists in a
"pullout" setting.
3$#@2$2*%(-
Both Ns. uaiiison anu Ns. Fiana agieeu that the stiongei points of classioom
teacheis in this component of the SI0P mouel weie in exposing stuuents to content
objectives anu in selecting uevelopmentally appiopiiate concepts to teach to
stuuents. They also agieeu that classioom teacheis weie not uefining, uisplaying, oi
ieviewing language objectives with stuuents, which is a ciitical component of the
SI0P mouel. EL teacheis weie focusing on language objectives uuiing inteivention
times, but the inteiventions weie only 4S to Su minutes pei uay.
>A%/7%-. >28B.$(A-7
The thiee points in this component of SI0P weie somewhat eviuent in the classioom
teacheis' piactices. The EL teacheis have a stiong impulse to spenu a lot of time
with stuuents in this aiea uuiing inteiventions. Pulling out stuuents' past
Bait }ohnson
EBLB 67S
21S2u1S
Bi. Wells

2
expeiiences, biiuging these expeiiences to new leaining, anu emphasizing key
vocabulaiy aie essential in acquiiing a seconu-language. Ns. Fiana maue an
impoitant uistinction in the 1#7 6'0$+,-$"7 aiea: classioom teacheis weie not
uiffeientiating between $0$.#2&0 6'0$+,-$"7 anu 0'(%#(%:4!#0&;&0 6'0$+,-$"7. This is
one paiticulai aiea of tiaining that woulu help teacheis ieach ELs. It woulu
stieamline the piocess of teaching new vocabulaiy anu uiffeientiating the most
impoitant of the key vocabulaiy. A teachei woulu be able to fiame uiffeientiation to
ELs by consiueiing which vocabulaiy woius aie useu moie iegulaily as
inteiuisciplinaiy oi ubiquitous woius. Favoiing the acauemic vocabulaiy woius
"#-$%#) $00#!%) anu (#0#44$"7 ovei the content-specific woius 8&-.-&;#) 8$-",4) anu
6#/#%$%&'( is often an impoitant way to filtei the most impoitant vocabulaiy foi
stuuents.
C(4@$#+#-0%D/# 5-@A*
A cleai uiscontinuity exists in one aiea of 0'2!"#3#(4&+-# &(!,%9 Ns. uaiiison
thought that classioom teacheis weie giving all stuuents cleai explanations of tasks.
Ns. Fiana obseives consistent cuisoiy instiuctions that aie unueistoou by native
English speakeis, but confounu English leaineis. She uesciibeu an inteiaction with a
fiustiateu kinueigaiten teachei who thought a stuuent was unable to uo the
"simple" task of going to the ieu bin anu giabbing two colois of ciayons when he
biought back two coloi ciayons that weie both ieu. Ns. Fiana challengeu the
teachei to consiuei this inteiaction fiom the point of view of a kinueigaiten stuuent
anu then fiom the peispective of a stuuent acquiiing a seconu language. The
uistinction between "two coloi ciayons" anu "two colois of ciayons" is not obvious
to a kinueigaitenei foi which English is the native language, let alone a non-native
English speakei. This woulu be anothei impoitant aiea to pioviue piofessional
uevelopment tiaining foi staff.
9*$2*#.%#0
Leaining stiategies shaieu high maiks fiom both inteiviewees. Teacheis geneially
gave stuuents vaiieu tasks anu ample piactice time to leain concepts anu skills.
Classioom anu EL teacheis commonly use think-alouus anu similai cognitive anu
metacognitive exeicises. Instiuction is scaffolueu so that stuuents aie able to move
fiom guiueu piactice to inuepenuent piactice when ieauy. Questioning stiategies
vaiy fiom teachei to teachei. Some consistently ask questions tapping highei-oiuei
thinking skills, while otheis uo so infiequently.
5-*#$28*%(-
ueneially, teacheis have been pioviuing oppoitunities foi inteiaction in laige gioup
anu small gioup foimats. Both Ns. uaiiison anu Ns. Fiana inuicateu veiy little
claiification of key concepts in stuuents' fiist language (uenoteu as L1). This is uue
to the low numbei of uually fluent teacheis in the uistiict anu the low numbei of EL
teacheis pei builuing - one EL teachei pei site. Ns. Fiana has been successful in
senuing monthly newsletteis home to families with tianslation iequests foi Aiabic
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EBLB 67S
21S2u1S
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speakeis. Bowevei, the bulk of the claiifications in L1 occui in EL inteiventions anu
in Spanish.
3$28*%8#E6@@/%82*%(-
Teacheis eaineu high maiks fiom both inteiviewees in the piactice anu application
component of SI0P. Leaining in geneial euucation settings tenu to be hanus-on anu
stuuents aie given ample oppoitunity to apply new conceptual knowleuge as well as
new language knowleuge. Classioom teacheis anu EL teacheis aie also consistently
integiating all language skills into lessons; these aie ieauing, wiiting, listening, anu
speaking.
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0ne component that is not being auuiesseu as whole by classioom teacheis in the
Bistiict is SI0P's chaiacteiization of lesson ueliveiy. The EL teacheis cuiiently
assume most of the iesponsibility to suppoit stuuents with language objectives.
Nost classioom teacheis aie eithei vaguely awaie of the existence of language
objectives oi iely on the woiu of the EL teacheis to tell them which language
objectives aie age-specific. Stuuents who aie English leaineis have a piopensity to
become uisengageu when the language is beyonu theii compiehension oi the
concepts become incieasingly challenging. In the lattei case, stuuents have a
veiitable obstacle couise of cognitive piocesses to maneuvei in oiuei to leain at a
high level.
F#"%#&E600#004#-*
A nuanceu view suifaceu iegaiuing whethei stuuents ieceive sufficient iegulai
feeuback on theii output. Ns. uaiiison anu Ns. Fiana both thought that classioom
teacheis weie giving feeuback on conceptual knowleuge anu non-language skills,
but weie giving veiy little feeuback on language skills. They agieeu that classioom
teacheis weie ieviewing key vocabulaiy anu key concepts befoie assessments. The
EL teacheis pioviueu extia help in these aieas when they hau knowleuge of the
teacheis' plans. Finally, classioom teacheis weie geneially able to accuiately assess
stuuent leaining thioughout lessons.
=%0*$%8*G&%7# ,-./%0+ 1#2$-#$ 68+%#"#4#-* =2*2 %- 5-"#$ ;$("#
<#%.+*0
Examining the achievement uata fiom the Invei uiove Beights Community School
Bistiict uneaitheu many questions. Selecting English Leainei stuuents only, anu
then viewing the entiie uistiict, the EL stuuents aie peifoiming slightly above the
State aveiage foi the past two yeais in math anu slightly below the State aveiage in
ieauing. When the uata aie uisaggiegateu by school, some inteiesting tienus
uevelop.
Bait }ohnson
EBLB 67S
21S2u1S
Bi. Wells

4
:2*+ =2*2 >? 98+((/
In math, the Bistiict scoies foi English Leaineis weie bettei than State aveiages in
2u11 anu 2u12 by S% anu 2% iespectively. The thiee elementaiy schools - Pine
Benu, Salem Bills, anu Billtop - outpeifoimeu the Bistiict anu State aveiages. In
2u11, Pine Benu beat the State aveiage by S4%; while in 2u12, Salem Bills beat the
State by 19%. Invei uiove Beights Niuule School, on the othei hanu, scoieu lowei
than the State aveiage - 19% below in 2u11 anu 1S% below in 2u12. Theie weie no
uata available foi Simley Senioi Bigh School.
F#27%-. =2*2 >? 98+((/
In ieauing, the Bistiict scoies foi English Leaineis weie lowei than the State
aveiages in 2u11 anu 2u12 by 6% anu 4% iespectively. In 2u12, Simley Senioi Bigh
School's ieauing scoies foi ELs weie 2u% lowei than the oveiall State aveiage.
Invei uiove Beights Niuule School scoieu 18 % lowei than the State aveiage in
2u11 anu 14% lowei than the State aveiage in 2u12. At Billtop Elementaiy, EL
stuuents scoieu 8% lowei than the oveiall State aveiage in 2u11 anu 2u12.

Conveisely, Pine Benu Elementaiy outpeifoimeu the Bistiict anu State aveiages. In
2u11 anu 2u12, Pine Benu beat the State aveiage by 12% anu 6%, iespectively.
Salem Bills Elementaiy beat the State aveiage by S% anu 7%, iespectively.
F#8(44#-72*%(-0 )($ H#28+%-. ,-./%0+ 1#2$-#$0 %- *+# 5-"#$
;$("# <#%.+*0 98+((/ =%0*$%8*
F#8(44#-72*%(-I ,"2/A2*# *+# J#& ,1 CA$$%8A/A4 328B2.#0
Ns. uaiiison anu Ns. Fiana both highlighteu the iecent incoipoiation of the new
cuiiiculum packages foi English Leaineis in the Bistiict. These packages weie
auopteu in the 2u11-2u12 school yeai. The K-S builuings aie using <$%&'($-
=#'/"$!3&0>4 ?#$03 cuiiiculum piogiam. The miuule school (giaues 6-8) is using
@(4&/3%4A ?#$.&(/ B4 C3&(1&(/ fiom Chailesbiiuge Publishing. The high school is
using D',"(#74A B E$%3 %' F$-$(0#. G&%#"$07 fiom Boughton Nifflin Baicouit
Publishing

Along with the uemogiaphic uata, shown on page 8 of this iepoit, is uata tiacking
the pie- anu post-auoption of the new EL cuiiiculum package with two uiffeient
cohoit gioups. The fiist cohoit (uioup A) is the S
iu
giaue class of 2uu9-2u1u, noteu
in beige. The seconu cohoit (uioup B) is the S
iu
giaue class of 2u1u-2u11, noteu in
light gieen.

Looking only at the Reauing Ninnesota Compiehensive Assessment test uata in
these two cohoit gioups, it is uncleai as to whethei the new cuiiiculum is having a
positive effect. The effects shoulu be eviuent in the uiffeiences in ieauing
pioficiency between 2u1u-2u11 anu 2u11-2u12. uioup A incieaseu fiom 2S%, to
Bait }ohnson
EBLB 67S
21S2u1S
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S
S2%, to 4S% pioficiency uuiing the thiee-yeai winuow fiom 2u1u to 2u12 (seeing a
9% inciease following the implementation of the new cuiiiculum). uioup B went
fiom 4u% in 2u11 to Su% in 2u12 (uiopping 1u% aftei auopting the same
cuiiiculum package). Noie longituuinal uata anu inuiviuual stuuent giowth uata
woulu be helpful in making a ueteimination.

F#8(44#-72*%(-I ,K24%-# 9A88#00 L%*+ 60%2- ,-./%0+ 1#2$-#$0
In the past two yeais, the Asian ELs have not only fai exceeueu the State aveiage foi
ELs, they aie almost even with native English speakeis on theii ieauing tests. What
can be leaineu about the success of these stuuents. This is a glaiing biight spot that
shoulu be examineu fuithei.
F#8(44#-72*%(-I ,K24%-# 9A88#00 2* 3%-# >#-7 2-7 92/#4 <%//0 ,/#4#-*2$?
As pieviously ievealeu, Pine Benu anu Salem Bills Elementaiy Schools have
significantly outpeifoimeu the State aveiage foi ELs. It may be valuable to the
Bistiict to examine the site-baseu piactices. Relateuly, the piactices at the lowei-
peifoiming sites shoulu be stuuieu to gain some unueistanuing about what might be
causes of the maikeu achievement uiffeiences.
F#8(44#-72*%(-I ,K24%-# *+# :%77/# 98+((/ =%@
The uata aie ieliable in showing a piecipitous uiop in ieauing anu math pioficiency
between giaues S anu 6 - the uiviue between elementaiy anu miuule school. In
thiee out of the past foui yeais, 6
th
giaue English Leaineis uioppeu in pioficiency
by 1S%, 18%, anu 27%. 2u1u's 6
th
giaueis weie the exception, scoiing S% highei
than the pievious yeai. The pievious two yeais have seen math scoies uecline in 6
th

giaue by 1S% anu S%, iespectively. A moie in-uepth stuuy is waiianteu to see if
these aie inueeu tienus oi anomalies.
F#8(44#-72*%(-I 95!3 54@/#4#-*2*%(- 2-7 H$2%-%-.
Both inteiviewees inuicateu a neeu foi the uistiict to tiain geneial euucation
teacheis in best piactices foi teaching English Leaineis. Both specifically thought
that builuing teams of influential teacheis neeueu to go to SI0P tiainings uuiing the
summei. Cuiiently, theie is little sense of uigency in the Bistiict's teaching coips
iegaiuing English Leainei peuagogy. The sense among geneial euucation teacheis is
that ELs shoulu ieceive sepaiate inteiventions in a pullout setting oi a sepaiate
class setting. The sense shaieu by Ns. Fiana anu Ns. uaiiison is that, without
auequate tiaining, theie will soon come a uay when teacheis will look out into theii
classes anu iealize that they aie ill equippeu to woik with the numbei of ELs looking
back at them. In a few yeais, pullouts anu sepaiate classes foi English Leaineis will
not be feasible. Teacheis will neeu to be tiaineu to woik with ELs by using language
stiategies that woik towaiu language objectives. SI0P tiaining, oi anothei similai
mouel foi ELs, is an impoitant, pioactive step foi the futuie.

Bait }ohnson
EBLB 67S
21S2u1S
Bi. Wells

6
Language objectives aie the linchpin of SI0P. Teacheis must be teaching language
skills in eveiy class, not just anu ieauing classes oi English classes. In oiuei initiate
the conveisation with teacheis, Ns. uaiiison anu the EL teacheis will be tiaining
geneial euucation in the uistiict on specific SI0P stiategies. The goal, she saiu, ".is
to give them an oveiview of |SI0Pj anu then give them some stiategies to tiy." The
tiaining will expose teacheis to two key iueas: that language objectives exist at all
levels of schooling anu that teaching language objectives will help all stuuents leain.
Anothei key component of setting the stage foi SI0P is tiaining teacheis anu
paiapiofessionals about language acquisition. Accoiuing to Ns. Fiana anu the
paiapiofessionals in hei iesouice ioom, theie have been veiy few oppoitunities
within the Bistiict foi tiaining on language acquisition.
F#8(44#-72*%(-I C+2-.# H#28+%-. =#/%"#$? M($42*0
Calueion, Slavin, anu Sanchez (2u11) iecommenu the use of stuuents' piimaiy
language (L1) in instiuction. "Stiategies that senu the message that this stuuent's
piimaiy language anu cultuie aie valuable might incluue encouiaging the stuuent to
use his native language with language peeis uuiing activities to builu
compiehension but to use the new woius in English once the task is unueistoou" (p.
111). This can happen without having teacheis able to speak the native language of
theii stuuents. The piactice of encouiaging the use of L1 in class will help in the
acquisition of English.

Accoiuing to Ns. uaiiison, a combineu stiategy of push-in inteiventions anu co-
teaching in all uiscipline aieas is the "golu stanuaiu" in teaching English Leaineis.
Ns. Fiana anu the othei EL teacheis uiscusseu this with Ns. uaiiison at the
beginning of the yeai, but the uepaitment ueciueu not to puisue it foi the two
ieasons. Fiist, the numbei of eniolleu stuuents uoes not biing in ample ievenue to
justify hiiing moie teacheis anu paiapiofessionals to push-in oi to co-teach. Seconu,
without tiaining foi the classioom geneial euucation teacheis, the co-teaching will
not woik as a tiue collaboiative effoit anu the iole EL teacheis can easily uevolve
into being - in Ns. Fiana's woius - "gloiifieu paia|piofessionals.j"
F#8(44#-72*%(-I ,NA%*? H$2%-%-.
It is human natuie to focus on one's positive achievements anu uownplay one's
shoitcomings. This is also tiue of oiganizations anu institutions. Theie aie many
gieat things happening in the Invei uiove Beights Community School Bistiict.
Bowevei, foi a small gioup of stuuents - English Leaineis - things aie not going so
well. An impoitant step in impioving instiuction foi ELs is to pioviue uistiict-wiue
compiehensive equity tiaining foi all staff. F#7'(. H&6#"4&%7 is one such tiaining
that coulu be implementeu systemically.

IF#7'(. H&6#"4&%7 is a poweiful, peisonally tiansfoiming piogiam uesigneu to help
teacheis, stuuents, paientguaiuians, anu auministiatois unueistanu the impact of
iace on stuuent leaining anu investigate the iole which iacism plays in
institutionalizing acauemic achievement uispaiities" ("Beyonu Biveisity I: A
Bait }ohnson
EBLB 67S
21S2u1S
Bi. Wells

7
Founuation foi Beinstitutionalizing Racism anu Eliminating Systemic Racial
Bispaiities." E$0&;&0 J.,0$%&'( ="',!. n.u.).

In a similai piogiam, teacheis anu auministiatois fiom Rochestei, New Yoik
engageu in a thiee-yeai equity campaign. The piocess of ieflection anu self-
examination yielueu impoitant iealizations about piejuuices, ignoiance, ueep-
seateu attituues anu beliefs, anu the subsequent low expectations associateu with
those ways of thinking. As the piogiam piogiesseu, auministiatois anu leaueis
began to challenge the institutional belief systems anu attituues about stuuents of
coloi anu ELs. Consequently, inteiventions anu seivices weie moie intentionally
planneu anu caiiieu out foi these gioups anu, as a iesult, expectations iose (}ames-
Wilson, S., & Bancock, N., 2u11, p. 28).
C+2//#-.#0 )($ 54@/#4#-*2*%(- () 95!3 3$28*%8#0 %- *+# =%0*$%8*
Ns. uaiiison acknowleugeu that Invei uiove Beights Community Schools weie in
the initial phases of implementing the SI0P piogiam. In fact, she was unsuie as to
whethei the Bistiict woulu auopt it outiight, choose anothei compiehensive EL
piogiam, oi infuse elements of multiple piogiams in a piecemeal fashion.
Regaiuless, she anu Ns. Fiana agieeu that it woulu take seveial yeais foi the Bistiict
to become fully auept at teaching English Leaineis.

0ne challenge is Ns. uaiiison's newness to the Bistiict, having staiteu in hei
position at the beginning of the yeai. She must become acclimateu to the cultuie of
the Bistiict anu unueistanu the unique challenges piesenteu by the stuuents, staff,
anu community.

Anothei challenge is a lack of uigency to act in the Bistiict teaching coips. This will
soon change as English Leainei eniollments iise anu a ciitical mass emeiges that
cannot be ignoieu. Leaueiship will neeu to builu awaieness anu anxiety about this
by confionting teacheis uiiectly anu sobeily. Tackling these foimiuable challenges
will be uifficult, but the leaueis of Invei uiove Beights Community Schools must
initiate them. This is the only way to change the ineitial foices cuiiently in place.
0nce in motion, the Bistiict will be able to successfully implement a stiong piogiam
foi English Leaineis. They have the capacity; now they must initiate the piocess.




Bait }ohnson
EBLB 67S
21S2u1S
Bi. Wells

8
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"Beyonu Biveisity I: A Founuation foi Beinstitutionalizing Racism anu Eliminating
Systemic Racial Bispaiities." E$0&;&0 J.,0$%&'( ="',!. N.p., n.u. Web. 14 Feb.
2u1S. <www.itanewfeuu.compegtechStoie%2uPage2u1SB0SyllabusBBI..puf>.

Calueion, N., Slavin, R., & Sanchez, N. (2u11). Effective instiuction foi English
leaineis. K,%,"# L; M3&-."#(, NO(1), 1uS-127.

"Bata foi Paients anu Euucatois." P&((#4'%$ H#!$"%2#(% '; J.,0$%&'(. N.p., n.u.
Web. 1S Feb. 2u1S. <http:w2u.euucation.state.mn.usNBEAnalyticsRepoits.jsp>.

}ames-Wilson, S., & Bancock, N. (2u11). S Stages on the Path to Equity: Fiamewoik
Bait }ohnson
EBLB 67S
21S2u1S
Bi. Wells

9
Challenges 0iban Teacheis' Beficit Thinking. D',"($- L; Q%$;; H#6#-'!2#(%,
RN(S), 26-28,.

Shoit, B., vogt, N., & Echevaiiia, }. (2uu8). C3# Q@LE 2'.#- ;'" $.2&(&4%"$%'"4.
Boston, NA: PeaisonAllyn anu Bacon.