Introduction to the Alberta K-12 ESL Proficiency

Benchmarks

Workshop #1

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

Activating Prior Knowledge

• Does this picture represent the ESL context?

• Why or why not?

• Could this picture represent an ESL context?

• If so, how?

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?

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?

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.

Alberta ESL Proficiency Benchmarks DevelopmentFall 2007 Fall 2008 Spring 2009• Review existing international proficiency standards

•Develop Alberta Framework

•Develop indicators

• Review Alberta Framework, indicators and process

•Revise CBE Benchmarks utilizing Alberta development work

• Edit Benchmarks with ESL Advisory Committee

• Refine Benchmarks

Fall 2009•Publish draft Benchmarks for feedback and field testing.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

• 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.

Implementation of ESL Benchmarks

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

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.

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

Division

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

Levels

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

Strands of Language

• Listening

• Speaking

• Reading

• Writing

Cummin’s BICS and CALP

BICSBasic Interpersonal

Communication Skills

CALPCognitive Academic Linguistic Proficiency

1-2 years 5-10 or more years

Social Language Academic Language

High Frequency Vocabulary

Low Frequency Vocabulary

Simple Language Structures

Complex Language Structures

Context Embedded Context Reduced

Concrete AbstractLow Pressure High Pressure

Cummin’s BICS and CALP

Language Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5

Social (BICS)

Academic (CALP)

Cummin’s BICS and CALP

• Is the speaker demonstrating BICS or CALP?1. I go to store last day.2.That theory is debatable.3.The leaves have a stem and an apex.4.Photosynthesis is the process that uses

energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds.

5.Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.6.What does it feel like when you volunteer?

Cummin’s BICS and CALP

• Is the speaker demonstrating BICS or CALP?1. I go to store last day.2.That theory is debatable.3.The leaves have a stem and an apex.4.Photosynthesis is the process that uses energy

from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds.

5.Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.6.What does it feel like when you volunteer?

• Is the speaker demonstrating BICS or CALP?1. I go to store last day.2.That theory is debatable.3.The leaves have a stem and an apex.4.Photosynthesis is the process that uses energy

from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds.

5.Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.6.What does it feel like when you volunteer?

Swain’sCommunicative Competence

Match the statement to the correct communicative competency.

A. LinguisticB. Socio-LinguisticC. DiscourseD. Strategic

1. Knowing a formal from informal situation

2. Knowing how to close a conversation

3. Knowing when to use and, or, but, however, if…then, etc.

4. Knowing when “pitch” means a “tune” or “throw”

Framework of Benchmarks

Listening Speaking Reading Writing

Discourse

Linguistic

Strategic

Socio-Linguistic

Strand Specific

Auditory Discrimination

Pronunciation Fluency Editing

Framework of Benchmarks

Listening Speaking Reading Writing

Discourse X X

Linguistic X X X

Strategic XSocio-Linguistic

Strand Specific

Auditory Discrimination

Pronunciation Fluency Editing

Listening

• 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

• 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?”

Speaking

• 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

• 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

• Vocabulary, grammar, discourse– 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

• 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?

• Black bears are omnivores because they feed on plant or other animals.

Speaking

• 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

• Revised for K: Black bears eat plants and animals

• Black bears are omnivores because they feed on plant or other animals.

Reading

• Look at the sample of text.

• What language features do you notice?

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.

Reading

• Look at the sample of text.

• What is the ESL proficiency level required to read this for the grade(s) you are teaching?

Vocabulary, grammar, discourse

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.

Reading

K = Level 5 (Read aloud)Gr. 1-3 = Level 4/5Gr. 4 -6 = Level 3Gr. 7-9 = Level 2Gr. 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.

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.

Reading

• The Benchmarks make a distinction between decoding and comprehension.

Division Strategic Strategic (Context Cues)

Phonological Awareness

Kindergarten NA NA NA

Gr. 1-3 X X

Gr. 4-6 X

Gr. 7-9 X

Gr. 10-12 X

Reading

• Learning to Read: Learning how to decode and comprehend

• Reading to Learn: Mastery of decoding and a repertoire of reading strategies

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.

Reading

Comprehension:• Approximate Correlation between ELP and

comprehension level for Div 2, 3, 4Level 5 – grade level -1Level 4 – grade level -2Level 3 – grade level – 3Level 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

Writing

• Look at the samples of text.

• What language features do you notice?

• 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.

Writing

• 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?

1. This catarpilr is fat. It eat all the lef. Then it make cokon. It grow to a buttrfli.

2. 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.

Writing

• Look at the ESL Benchmarks in in writing for the grade(s) you are teaching:

• Read the Benchmarks for the competency: Editing

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.

Presentation Summary

• 3 important things you should KNOW after this session!

1. The Benchmarks are organized by Division and Strand

2. BICS and CALP and Communicative Competence are the theoretical underpinnings

3. Basic understanding of English Language Proficiency from Levels 1 to 5

1. Benchmarks Organization

Divisions:• Kindergarten• Grades 1-3• Grades 4-6• Grades 7-9• Grades 10-12

Strands:• Listening• Speaking• Reading • Writing

2. Cummin’s BICS and CALP

BICSBasic Interpersonal

Communication Skills

CALPCognitive Academic Linguistic Proficiency

1-2 years 5-10 or more years

Social Language Academic Language

High Frequency Vocabulary

Low Frequency Vocabulary

Simple Language Structures

Complex Language Structures

Context Embedded Context Reduced

Concrete AbstractLow Pressure High Pressure

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!

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

Feedback

Please provide feedback on the Benchmarks by completing the survey

http://www.education.alberta.ca/teachers/program/esl/resources.aspx

Please complete the paper evaluation for this session

Thank you for your participation!