Designated ELD? Integrated ELD? Let Them Eat Cake!

Orange County Office of Education

“ELs at all English proficiency levels and at all ages require both integrated ELD and specialized attention to their particular language learning needs, or designated ELD. Such a multilayered application of the CA ELD Standards requires deep collaboration between educators, support for teachers, and, most importantly, a sustained focus on the strengths and needs of individual ELs and a persistent belief that all ELs can achieve the highest levels of academic and linguistic excellence.”               

-California English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework, 2014

Designated ELD vs. Integrated ELD has been a lively discussion in my district in recent years, as if there was an either/or decision to be made.

I never really understood why comprehensive instructional programming for English Language Learners would not include both, especially when research has long established the need.  Politics?  Money?

Years (yes, for real...) of teaching hundreds of EL and Fluent English Proficient students have solidified my belief that comprehensive English language development, which meets the evolving needs of students, includes a place for specific English language development instruction, as well as ELD support strategies integrated in subject area content.   So I'm pleased so see that the developers of the California English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework agree.

The quality of collaboration between adults in the school community, as described in this citation from the Framework, is absolutely the key element to the overall track record of any comprehensive ELD program, in my experience.  

In my present professional incarnation as a Designated ELD teacher, I'm fortunate to have a school schedule, structure and culture which strongly supports collaboration.  This means that every day, my English learners benefit from instruction which is the product of dynamic interaction among staff, offering both Designated and Integrated ELD.

Every aspect of what we do—core content instruction, support, counseling, wellness, administration—has been developed through some sort of collaborative process.  Shared visioning and feedback, within a carefully crafted structure, can be the most powerful form of formative assessment we have.

Like so many of my students, I'm a visual learner.  These graphics, put together by the Orange County Department of Education, Services for English Learners, brought it all together for me. 

I just love food metaphors.

Orange County Office of Education

#commoncoreeld: An implementation story

photo credit: Ken Figlioli

There was really no debate “should we, shouldn’t we?”, or whining “we wish we didn’t have to.”  We just did it. 

While my colleagues might laugh me out of the staff room for saying so, our implementation of the California Common Core Standards for English Language Arts (aka CCCS ELA) starting in the Spring of 2012, went something like this:

1. 1. Read the standards (two months)
2. 2. Reflect...(one lunch hour)
3. 3. Say  “Oh, OK.” (one week)
4. 4. Purchase mostly aligned textbooks (three months)
5. 5. Implement instruction (ever since then, Fall 2013).

In truth, I have glossed over a few things in the interest of the story, but that was the gist of it.   Other states were farther ahead than California, in terms of developing support and training materials, so sites like Achieve the Core, and  engage ny became nightly reading material.   Since then, I’ve noted that California Department of Education has curated a collection of support materials for implementation of CCCS, including various implementation guides, a video library and California Spotlight, listing resources developed by district and county education agencies (aka LEA).

I have extremely hard working colleagues who have gone the extra mile, creating curriculum units from scratch on an almost-weekly basis since 2013.  So, as of now, we are “done”; CCCS ELA fully implemented.  There were...just a few...loose ends to tie up.  Testing, instructional scope and sequence, skills articulation, instructional strategies. It's like sewing your dress while you’re wearing it.

The final California English Language Development Standards, (CA ELD) integrated with the CCCS English Language Arts Standards, were adopted in November 2012, and the English Language Arts/English LanguageDevelopment (ELA/ELD) Framework was adopted six months ago.

In the terminology of the ELA/ELD Framework, I am a Designated ELD teacher; the only one at my school, and one of only three in our district.  As of January 2015…let’s put it this way…there are not a lot of ELD materials aligned to the Common Core. Oh, and in August 2013, my district implemented 1:1computing.  So, I’m knitting my socks while I’m wearing them, as well as the dress-sewing described above.  My journey now is called #commoncoreeld  #EdTech.

I drink from the well of inspiration.  I collaborate closely with the close-knit staff at my small, affluent, rural middle school.  I have taught EL students since 1985.  I have been working in multi-age learning environments and project-based instruction since the early 90’s.  I am a Reading Specialist.   I have had all sorts of roles in district and school site ELD program development and management. 

I can figure this out.

I am figuring this out.

I will continue to figure this out.

Designated ELD: Defined

photo credit: Energy.gov

In this post, I’ll be working over the essential features of Designated ELD, to be deconstructed at a later time.  Check back for a  recap of the Framework on Integrated ELD.

Intellectual Quality

Students are supported to meet the demands of intellectually motivating, challenging, and purposeful learning activities.

Academic English Focus

Development of students’ proficiency with academic English and literacy in the content areas is a priority.

Extended Language Interaction

Increasingly sophisticated extended language interaction, with ample opportunities for meaningful communication in all domains: speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Focus on Meaning

Instruction is embedded with strategies to support students in making meaningful cognitive connections during learning activities, while practicing the language skills critical for understanding meaning in academic content areas.

Focus on Forms

Explicit focus on learning about how English works, in consideration of various purposes, audiences, topics, and text types in order to enable us to make meaning as members of discourse communities.

Planned and Sequenced Events

Instruction is planned and sequenced in order to strategically build language proficiency along with content knowledge.

Scaffolding

Teachers use various tools and strategies to support student learning, based on individual differences and needs.

Clear Lesson Objectives

Learning activities are designed primarily using the CA ELD Standards, building connections with the appropriate content standards.

Corrective Feedback

Judiciously selected corrective feedback on language usage embedded in instructional activities in ways that are most meaningful to students.

Formative Assessment Practices

Frequent informal observations and on-going formative assessment practices are used to analyze student writing, work samples, and oral language production in order to prioritize student instructional needs.