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ELL taskforce Top Three 3-9-12

Page history last edited by Jane Escobedo 12 years ago

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ELL Task Force Meeting

March 9, 2012

Purpose of the meeting: The primary purpose of our meeting was to look at potential changes/additions/substitutions/adaptations as our current "plan" isn't most optimally meeting the necessary and anticipated academic growth of our ELL student population. Data indicates that we have reached a plateu in development and it is time update our EL master plan and re-evaluate/reflect and make changes accordingly.

  1. The task force reviewed data relating to the progress of ELL students in PCS. We considered barriers to ELL students achieving full academic and linguistic proficiency and brainstormed possible solutions to those barriers. Possible solutions included developing an instructional pathway that would lead students to the Seal of Biliteracy, reallocation of resources to establish a more consistent program across the district, increasing connections with parents of ELL students, and increasing the use of common instructional strategies across the district.

  2. We compared the PCS ELL program to other ELL programs around the state and found the PCS program to be inconsistent from school to school and across the district. Inconsistencies included: ELD is offered daily for 30 minutes in some schools, there is inequitable distribution of district resources due to the size of the populations at different schools, and different schools have different placement criteria. We noted that other districts provide ELD or ALD daily, instruction is leveled by proficiency levles, there are individual catch up plans for students not meeting established trajectories for academic and linguistic proficiencies.

  3. We considered a series of proposals that included the establishment of several clear pathways leading to full academic and linguistic proficiency for all ELL students. The proposals included the establishment of a pathway that would lead to students at McDowell, McKinley, Kenilworth, and Casa Grande gaining the Seal of Biliteracy and reallocation of the use present resources to upgrade and increase the consistency of the ELL program. The elementary and junior high schools felt both proposals are consistent with the goal of upgrading the quality of the ELL program. Elementary schools felt the possiblity of funding an additional half time teacher to work with students and teachers would be a possible upgrade to the ELL program. Elementary schools felt that student support at the Kindergarten and first grade levels should be differentiated from the other grade levels. High schools felt that the present allocation of resources, including the use of bilingual instructional assistants, allows the ELL program to address the needs students. All levels recognized the need for further curriculum development and teacher training in developing academic language across the grade levels.

  4. Future work for the task force includes further development of clear instructional pathways for ELL students that will lead to full academic and linguistic proficiency in all schools. In addition to considering a biliteracy pathway in the schools in east Petaluma, development of a consistent program for students at Penngrove, McNear, Valley Vista, PJHS and PHS should also be considered. Individual school sites and the district will continue to work together to adjust the program to meet the differing population needs at each site.

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