Successful ESL Co-Teaching

Anne Ogburn and Judy HillHillandale Elementary School

Henderson County Public Schools

History of Inclusion at Hillandale

In our 5th yearInitially started in K-2 with six inclusion

classesExpanded the following year to 3-5 with six

more classesStarted clustering students for the inclusion

classes in the third yearInclusion plus pulloutsA total of 4 different ESL teachers and 18

different classroom teachers have participated in inclusion over the 5-year period!

What Does Inclusion Look Like?

Inclusion by Any Other Name:What Is It?

Inclusion also known as push-in, team teaching, co-teaching.

Co-teaching best exemplifies the ideal: an ESL teacher and a classroom teacher as partners with flexible, interchangeable roles.

Co-teachers share students, classroom space, resources, instructional time, and planning.

Inclusion can take many forms, butco-teaching is how it’s most effective!

How are Co-teachers Like Sportscasters?

The classroom teacher is the play-by-play guy, and the ESL teacher is the color commentator!

Kevin Weis

What Inclusion is NotNot a pull-out in the classroom!Not an in-class translation service!Not the ESL teacher functioning as a

classroom assistant!Not one teacher sitting and watching or

doing paperwork while the other teacher provides all the instruction!

Not “disposable time”!Remember: Inclusion is often how LEP

students receive ESL services.Make it count!

Making ESL Co-teaching Work

The 3 P’s

PersonalitiesPersonalities

PlanningPlanning

PerseverancePerseverance

Personalities

Willing and compatible partnersSimilar teaching philosophies and stylesFlexible, willing to take risks, innovativeAble to think “on the feet”Committed to inclusion idea and LEP

studentsTolerant of noise

Planning

Most difficult part of co-teachingBe creative (daily in-class check-in,

long-range, weekly sessions).Both co-teachers need to thoroughly

know the curriculum.Invest in more planning time as

programs start or new teachers are added.

Planning becomes automatic over time.

Perseverance

Understand that inclusion is to some degree experimental. It evolves.

Continually assess what is going on. Ask “Is this working for the kids?”

Be willing to get rid of elements that are not working.

Inclusion Kids

High intermediate-high to advanced proficiency levels

ClusteredStrong, native English-speaking role

modelsLimit “problem” students.Not the best program for newcomers

or lower levels of proficiency

Is Inclusion Worth It?A main benefit is LEP students seeing natural

dialogue and interaction between teachers.Co-teachers can make learning strategies and higher-

order thinking skills “visible”.ESL teachers can more easily modify classroom

instruction and model appropriate ESL teaching strategies.

LEP students benefit from interaction with native English-speaking peers.

Because instruction is shared, co-teachers have the ability to experiment with and implement new teaching practices. Teachers grow professionally.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that kids in inclusion classes may achieve more.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade

All Students

ESL InclusionStudents

NC Average Rates of Growth

Grade Reading

Pre 3rd to 3rd

8.0

3rd to 4th 5.2

4th to 5th 4.6

Reading

EOG Growth Reading

Grade

All StudentsESL

Inclusion

3rd 12.6 17.3

4th 6.3 7.5

5th 4.6 5.4

0

5

10

15

20

25

3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade

All Students

ESL InclusionStudents

NC Average Rates of Growth

Grade Math

Pre 3rd to 3rd

14.3

3rd to 4th 7.3

4th to 5th 7.4

Math

EOG Growth Math

Grade

All StudentsESL

Inclusion

3rd 15.7 20.3

4th 6.5 8.8

5th 7.1 7.6

Goal 1: At least 90 % of Hillandale students will be on grade level in reading, and each of Hillandale’s student

subgroups will demonstrate adequate yearly progress in order for our school to qualify for a high

growth standard.

SACS Indicators: 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 14, 20, 21, 23, 24 Title I School wide Component (s): #2, #4, #8,

#9

StrategiesResourcesRequired

TimelinePersons Responsible

Means of Evaluation

Hillandale teachers will utilize the following instructional models to meet the SCS, grade level reading competencies:

K-5: Continue ESL Inclusion model of instruction into targeted classrooms.

K-5: Targeted, newcomer pullout for ESL students.

ESL Inclusion allows ESL teachers to work in classrooms, along side the regular classroom teacher, by enriching lessons with English Language strategies.

HCPS Elementary School test data shows that all students, not just LEP, participating in ESL Inclusion Classrooms are scoring higher on NC EOG tests.