ESL Instructional Levels and Characteristics

ESL Instructional Levels and Characteristics

ESL Instructional Levels Once students are identified as LEP, the LPAC is responsible for determining their level of English language proficiency. All LEP students, including those assigned to bilingual education programs, shall be assigned a level of English language proficiency upon initial entry so as to establish benchmarks for second language growth. These levels are particularly important for class assignment at the secondary grades, where the student s English/Language Arts courses are determined by their level of English (Refer to course assignments for LEPs in ESL programs in this handbook). The levels are as follows: Based on curriculum Preliterate (Grades 3-12 only) INSTRUCTIONAL LEVELS FOR ESL Code for SASI Definition (Student Characteristics) LOTCRT Screen Level 4 Is an immigrant student enrolling in grades 3-12 Has little or no previous school experience or has interrupted schooling Speaks little or no English Has limited writing skills (unable to complete simple demographic information on school forms) RPTE: Beginning Level At entry, Gr. 3 and up IPT level NES and unable to take CAT due to language Beginning Level 1 Speaks little or no English Is so limited in English that written achievement tests (required upon entry for students entering grades 2-12) cannot be taken or considered as valid May demonstrate literacy skills in native language appropriate to grade level Able to respond to "yes/no" questions or responds to simple questions with one or two words RPTE: Beginning Level At entry, PK-1 approximately IPT level NES OR At entry, 2-12 approximately IPT level NES and <15% Total Reading on CAT These levels may be determined based on level definition, oral English proficiency, English standardized achievement scores (when applicable), or Teacher Survey of English Language in School. Students may exhibit all or a combination of the characteristics listed below. All LEP students will be assigned an ESL instructional level upon entry. This level will change as the student progresses from one level to the next. A student s progress from one level to the next shall be determined by the LPAC based on a combination of the TELPAS rating and the student s successful mastery of at least 80% of the HISD ESL objectives for each level. Multilingual Programs Department 17

INSTRUCTIONAL LEVELS FOR ESL Based on Code for SASI Definition (Student Characteristics) curriculum LOTCRT Screen Intermediate Level 2 Has some oral English Has minimal reading and writing skills If able to take English achievement tests, scores at very low percentiles on either Total Reading or Total Language Demonstrates mastery of the beginning level ESL objectives RPTE: High Beginning Level or Intermediate Level At entry, PK-1 approximately IPT level LES or At entry, 2-12 approximately IPT level LES and <20% Total Reading on CAT Advanced Level 3 Has good oral English Has English reading and writing skills, but has not reached 40% on both Total Reading and Total Language subtests of the English achievement test Demonstrates mastery of the intermediate level ESL objectives RPTE: High Intermediate/Advanced or Advanced High Level At entry, PK-1 approximately IPT level LES (upper range of raw score) At entry, 2-12 approximately IPT level LES or FES and <30% Total Reading on CAT Transitional Level 5 Is entering middle/senior high school (Secondary Is orally near proficient in English (i.e. LES/FES) grades only) Has been in U.S. schools for the previous 3 years or more May have had all or most of his/her schooling in the U.S. Has English reading and writing skills, but has not reached 40% on both Total Reading and Total Language subtests of the English achievement test RPTE: High Intermediate/Advanced or Advanced High Level These ESL instructional levels are not synonymous with the English IPT score levels or the TELPAS English Proficiency Levels. However, the most current IPT levels, the student characteristics listed above, the Teacher Survey of English Language in School, the TELPAS rating and other pertinent data may be used to determine the student's level of English proficiency. TELPAS Ratings vs ESL Instructional Levels TELPAS RATING HISD ESL INSTRUCTIONAL LEVEL 1= Beginning 4= Pre-literate 1= Beginning 2=Intermediate 2=Intermediate 3=Advanced 3=Advanced, Advanced High 4=Advanced High 4=Transitional, Gr. 6-12 Multilingual Programs Department 18

Language Development Stages Stage Pre-Production * ESL Level 1 or 4 Students are totally new to English Generally lasts 1-3 months ESL Beginning Level or Preliterate Level (grades 3-5) RPTE Beginning Level Early Production *ESL Level 1 or 4 Students are low beginners Generally lasts several weeks ESL Beginning Level or Preliterate Level (grades 3-5) RPTE Beginning Level Speech Emergence *ESL Level 2 Students are beginners May last several weeks or months ESL Intermediate Level RPTE High Beginning or Intermediate Level Intermediate Fluency *ESL Level 3 for Elementary *ESL Level 5 for Secondary only Students are high beginners, intermediate or advanced. May require several years to achieve native-like fluency in academic settings ESL Intermediate/ Advanced Level RPTE Intermediate/ Advanced Level Sample Student Behaviors Points to or provides other non-verbal responses Actively listens Responds to commands Understands more than can produce One or two word utterances Short phrases Participates in small group activities Demonstrates comprehension in a variety of ways Speaks in short phrases and sentences Begins to use language more freely Participates in reading and writing activities to acquire new information May experience difficulties in abstract cognitively demanding subjects at school, especially when a high degree of literacy is required * ESL Levels are not the same as IPT proficiency levels. Sample Teacher Behaviors Gestures Language focuses on conveying meanings and vocabulary development Does not force students to speak Asks questions that can be answered by yes/no and either/or questions Models correct responses Ensures supportive, low anxiety environment Does not overly call attention to grammar errors Asks short answers WH questions Focuses content on key concepts Provides frequent comprehension checks Uses performance-based assessment Uses expanded vocabulary Asks open ended questions that stimulate language production Fosters conceptual development and expanded literacy through content Continues to make lessons comprehensible and interactive Teaches thinking and study skills Continues to be alert to individual differences in language and culture Questioning Techniques Point to Find the Put the next to the. Do you have the? Is this a? Who wants the? Who has the? Yes/no (Is the trouble light on?) Either/or (Is this a screwdriver or a hammer?) One word responses (What tools am I holding in my hand?) General questions which encourage lists of words (What do you see in the tool box?) Two-word response (Where did I put the hammer? In the box.) Why? How? How is this like that? Tell me about Talk about Describe How would you change this part? What would you recommend/suggest? How do you think this story will end? What is this story mainly about? What is your opinion on this matter? Describe/compare How are these similar/different? What would happen if? Which do you prefer? Why? Create Source: Adapted from Empowering ESOL Teachers, Section 5 Enhancing English Language Learning in Elementary Classrooms Study Guide Section 3; Language Acquisition Multilingual Programs Department 19

Instructional Focus Beginning and Intermediate level students need: frequent exposure to phonological awareness strategies, communication in meaningful context, emphasis on listening and speaking with special attention to pronunciation, vocabulary, and basic English language structures, language experience chart strategies, field experiences, students retelling instructions, to be provided with summaries of presented information, direct systematic instruction, cooperative group project-based learning, heterogeneous grouping for literacy activities, daily journal writing/dictation activities (only for intermediate level), interactive bulletin boards, and student-student, and student-teacher interaction in purposeful settings (science experiments, problem solving). Advanced level students need help with: extensive attention on comprehension and writing (especially the writing process) and higher level thinking skills, differentiating and pronouncing minimal pairs (ship/sheep), contractions and possessives which are absent in many other languages (it's, John's), distinguishing word meanings depending on usage (His feet were two feet away.) identifying and understanding idioms (I will dress the turkey.) relating cognates in English that are present in their own language (fumigate means to smoke out and fumigar in Spanish means to smoke out). using homophones (I will meet you at the store to buy meat.), and using prefixes and suffixes to understand the meaning to words (understandable-able to understand. Everyday considerations for all levels: During instruction: 1. Stress/repeat important words and information, 2. Leave out unnecessary details, 3. Emphasize and focus on important information, 4. Avoid the use of multiple synonyms to eliminate confusion unless it is part of a vocabulary study, 5. Use various graphic organizers when presenting information Reduce relative clauses and complex phrasing, Use simpler verb tenses, slowly introduce: Multilingual Programs Department 20

1. Past participle-present perfect- He has gone; past perfect- He had gone; future perfect- He will have gone, 2. Irregular verbs, 3. Linking verbs, Focus on content, not language skills, when grading, Correct errors related to meaning and intelligibility not pronunciation, so that learners know whether or not they are on the right track, Stress functional use of grammatical patterns, not abstract rules, Integrate language skills-listening, speaking, reading and writing, Begin lessons with oral language development then expand the topic through reading and writing, Allow students to talk and plan in their first language even if the end product will be in English, If the process in English is the focus, plan for heterogeneous groups or partners, Consider ways you can maximize on-task, verbal language from activities through: 1. discussions, 2. drama, 3. art, 4. planning discussions, 5. storytelling, 6. presentations, 7. individual and small group conferences, 8. problem-solving discussions, 9. graphing and surveys, Allow students to write in their first language (to think things through) and translate their work (or have others translate for them if necessary), Model how a competent English speaker would say things in a variety of situations, Encourage learners to pay attention to both the form of what the speaker is saying as well as the content, Make content and instructional materials sufficiently challenging and interesting to motivate learners to listen and try to understand the meaning, and Include more practice daily with retelling stories and experiences Source: Adapted from Office of Civil Rights Training, Enriching Content Classes for Secondary ESL Students, Learning Academy/Multilingual Department, Multilingual Programs Department 21

The TELPAS Proficiency Level Descriptors The Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) found in the Texas Observation Protocol (TOP) should be used to guide ESL instruction in grades K-3. The PLDs are included in the HISD ESL Objectives and are provided below. The Bilingual teacher will assign students a holistic English language proficiency rating in each language domain each year during the TELPAS assessment period. The ratings are based on observations of the students during a variety of academic tasks and interactions. Bilingual teachers can collaborate with other teachers in the process. The English language proficiency ratings are beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced high. The TOP Proficiency Level Descriptors by language domain include the major attributes of each language proficiency level, forming rubrics that will be used to holistically rate each student s English language development. The TOP is designed to capture an overall level of English language proficiency; it is not an assessment of isolated skills. For each domain assessed, the Bilingual teacher will determine the proficiency level at which the student performs most consistently. For these reasons, the PLDs should not be converted to a checklist, but used holistically to rate students overall English proficiency. As teachers observe their students over time during formal and informal academic tasks and interactions, they evaluate the students command of the English language and the types of linguistic accommodations and adaptations they need to interact in class and learn the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Also, as teachers observe students interactions in class and their written work, they should always keep in mind the students ability to use English to participate in grade-level learning. Remember that academic language proficiency is not the same as academic achievement. A student does not have to be a high academic achiever in order to have an advanced high level of English language proficiency. The PLDs, for ease of use, may be photocopied. Put the students names on them, and use them to make individual notes about the students being rated. The school may keep these working copies for future reference. Ratings should be based on observations of the student in a variety of social and academic settings over time. Seek the input of other teachers and school personnel whenever it will help better determine a student s English language proficiency rating. NOTE: Only compare each student to the observation protocol descriptors. The proficiency levels of other English language learners in the class must not influence a student s rating. Beginning in the fall of 2005 teachers must take a fall qualifying on-line test and a spring on-line calibrating test. Teachers will be trained in order to take these tests to become qualified TOP raters. Multilingual Programs Department 22

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