MMSD Guidelines to Address Culturally Responsive Practices: Early Intervention Through Assessment Winter, 2009

The Madison Metropolitan School District does not discriminate in its education programs, related activities (including School-Community Recreation) and employment practices as required by applicable local, state and federal laws.

This document may not be reproduced without the written permission of the Madison Metropolitan School District , Executive Director of Educational Services or PST for Professional Development. 2

How to use this manual This technical assistance manual is designed to be used as a reference for teams as they engage in problem solving conversations about students. It is divided into sections for quick and efficient access to information. Each section may be used in isolation for individual students or for large group professional development around a specific topic. Consequently, some key concepts are repeated in several sections. We recognize that all staff are in different places on their journey to understanding how to best implement the complex concepts addressed in this guide. The information contained in the guide is not intended to stereotype students or staffs but rather, it is intended to be a reference to reflect upon current practices. The manual provides information on the following topics: • Section 1: Key components of MMSD’s Student Intervention Monitoring System (SIMS) and Response to Intervention. o This section provides the background and fundamental principles in which SIMS was developed. o It includes information related to response to interventions, early intervening services, the problem solving model, tiers of interventions and progress monitoring. •

Section 2: Early interventions in the classroom and school setting. o This section provides background information and research on response to interventions and early intervening services. o There is a description of MMSD core practices in literacy (K-5), math (K5), attendance (K-12) and behavior (K-12). o Suggestions regarding how to expand and strengthen culturally responsive practices in the classroom are provided.



Section 3: Family involvement o This section outlines the importance of involving the family in the problem solving process. o Sample interview tools are provided.



Section 4: Culturally responsive practices. This section focuses on the interplay between the student’s race, culture, language proficiency, socio-economic status and the student’s success in school. o There are individual sections that address each question of the Checklist to Address Culturally Responsive Practices. The questions focus on: a. Race, Culture and Student’s Unique Background Experiences b. Dialectal Differences c. Language/Linguistic Differences d. Mobility or Excessive Absences e. Life Stressors f. Socio-economic and environmental status o Each section includes background information, research and ideas to expand and strengthen classroom practices.



Section 5: IEP team decision making during the special education evaluation process. o This section focuses on completing non-biased multicultural assessment during the IEP Evaluation. o Examples of eligibility criteria statements are included. 3

This book is dedicated to Dr. Craig Fiedler

April 28, 1952 - January 4, 2009

Dr. Fiedler was instrumental in the development of the Culturally Responsive Checklist. His wisdom, integrity, grace and compassion are a model of how to interact with our students, families, colleagues and friends.

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Table of Contents How to use this manual……………………………………………………………………..

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Dedication……………………………………………………………………………………. 4 Background/History/Introduction…………………………………………………………... 6 Section 1: Key components of MMSD’s Student Intervention Monitoring System (SIMS) and Response to Intervention…………………………………………………….

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Section 2: Early interventions in the classroom and school setting……………………

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Section 3: Family involvement……………………………………………………………..

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Section 4: Culturally responsive practices. Understanding the extent in which the following environmental and other external factors contribute to the student’s performance A. Race, Culture and Student’s Unique Background Experiences………………..

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B. Dialectal Differences………………………………………………………………... 29 C. Linguistic/Language Differences…………………………………………………..

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D. Mobility or Excessive Absences…………………………………………………… 41 E. Life Stressors………………………………………………………………………...

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F. Socio-Economic and Environmental Status………………………………………

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Section 5: IEP Team Decision Making: Evaluation and Eligibility…………………….. 53 Appendix A: Checklist to Address Culturally Responsive Practices: Section II Response to Interventions………………………………………………………………………

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B: Classroom Practices for the Culturally Responsive Teacher…………………

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C: Family Interview Tool………………………………………….…………………..

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D: Access Teacher Report and Can Do Descriptors……………………………….

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E: Eligibility Criteria worksheets………………………………………………………

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F: History of Academic Instruction……………………………………………………. 109 G: Guidelines and Best Practices for Interpretation Services……………………

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H: References…………………………………………………………………………

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Background/History/Introductions This is the third edition of this technical assistance manual. The original manual was created in 2002 in response to the increasing number of students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds that were entering MMSD and the subsequent high prevalence rate in which students of certain ethnic groups were being identified as having a disability and need for special education. The manual was revised during the 2005-2006 school year to focus on students who were English language learners. The third edition, The MMSD Guidelines to Address Culturally Responsive Practices: Early Intervention Through Assessment provides an overview of the ideology, structure, and organization of the Student Intervention Monitoring System (SIMS). This is a computerized software system used by staff to document early intervening services. The guide also provides a more in-depth explanation on how to address the topics within the Checklist for Culturally Responsive Practices by examining the interplay between the student’s race, culture, language proficiency, socio-economic status and the student’s success in school. It is our hope that this manual will help teams engage in problem solving conversations focusing on the entire student while the problems are still small. This rich dialogue about students will help all students succeed. Since 2005, the MMSD has been cited by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) as having a disproportionate number of African American and Native American students identified as having a disability and in need of special education in certain categorical areas. Due to the disproportionality, MMSD is required to provide early intervening services to students who are struggling. Additionally, with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (No Child Left Behind), schools are being held more accountable for student success. In addition, two important initiatives were implemented during the 2007-2008 school year. First, the Student Intervention Monitoring System (SIMS) was introduced district-wide. Secondly, the Checklist to Address Culturally Responsive Practices (checklist) was implemented. To help staff understand and implement these initiatives, this manual was expanded beyond the special education evaluation process to address early intervening services and other external factors that may impact the student’s success in school. MMSD would like to recognize the efforts of the following staff who were instrumental in the development of this guide: Vaunce Ashby, Phil Dreis, Nick Dresen, Kisten Gillepsie, Sara Halberg, Jack Jorgensen, Ruth Reinl, Joni Theobold, Sophia Ward, Mary Jo Ziegler and all who provided editorial comments. Their contributions were invaluable in the development of this manual. Finally, questions relative to the contents of the manual can be directed to the MMSD Educational Services Department. An electronic copy of the manual can be found on the MMSD special education district wide website.

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SECTION 1 Key components of the Student System (SIMS)

Intervention

Monitoring

SIMS was developed on the foundation of the following concepts, values and beliefs. Response to Interventions (RtI) The SIMS software is based on a Response to Intervention model. RtI is a practice of providing high quality instruction/intervention that is matched to student needs. RtI uses the student’s level of performance and their learning rate over time to make important educational decisions. There are four main concepts related to RtI: 1. RtI requires high-quality instruction through core practices and interventions matched to student need. 2. RtI is a multi-tiered approach to intervention. 3. RtI uses a collaborative problem solving approach where teachers work with each other to problem solve and develop the best approach for each student. 4. Assessment and data collection assist staff in selecting and evaluating the effects of interventions. As part of the RtI process, it is important to understand the student’s background, the family’s values, beliefs and support for education. Additionally, the student’s interests are taken into consideration in an effort to match instruction to the student’s needs.

Early Intervening Services (EIS) Early Intervening Services means that services and interventions are provided early when the student first begins to demonstrate challenges in the general education classroom. Hence, early intervening services are not a “wait to fail” approach. SIMS is a documentation tool used to keep track of team problem-solving discussions and decisions that occur as part of early intervening services: • Discussions related to the student’s strengths, needs and the interventions that have been provided in the past. • Interventions selected for an individual student or a group of students who are struggling with the same or a similar problem. • A review of core practices to determine if new strategies should be tried for all students rather than designing individual interventions for many students. Strong core practices create the climate, structures and procedures that lead to improved student performance. There is not a clear line differentiating core practice and early intervening services. It is important for teachers to understand the student’s strengths and deficits, and provide instruction at the student’s level. When core practices do not help the student perform well in school, the next step in the process is for teams to analyze the data (e.g. information from classroom assessments, state and district wide tests, attendance history, mobility, DPI language level), develop a plan and implement early intervening services.

The problem solving process The problem solving process is used as teams engage in problem-solving conversations about students. In MMSD, “team” refers to instructional teams, teacher support teams 7

and/or student support and intervention teams. The student’s family is a member of every problem-solving team. Therefore, family members should be included in the problem solving process with all teams. Teams engage in a problem solving process whereby they: • Define the problem, including generating hypotheses about the root causes of the problem. • Collect and analyze data that is used to select students for intervention, define the problem, document current level of performance, and assist in selecting interventions. • Develop a plan, including the specific interventions indicating the frequency, intensity, duration, and the people involved. • Implement the plan with integrity so they can measure the success of the interventions. • Monitor the student’s progress and use the information to revise the plan.

Identifying students at risk The use of data is critical to help determine if and why a student is struggling. • The SIMS program generates “flags” for students who fall below pre-established criteria for progress. o The attendance flag is present when the student’s attendance rate falls below 94%. o The behavior flag appears when students have one or more suspensions during the school year. o The math and language arts flags are assigned for elementary students when they receive a “1” on their report card. • Additionally, each student has an extended profile built within SIMS that summarizes state and district wide test scores, mobility, socio-economic status, English proficiency, race and attendance history. This allows information which would typically only be found in the cumulative file, to be readily available at team meetings. • This information built within SIMS, along with data collected by the classroom teacher(s), allows teams to use their professional judgment to determine next steps and, if necessary, develop interventions that best match the student’s needs.

Gathering additional information Often times, when teams meet, they determine that additional information needs to be gathered. (e.g. contact the family, complete observations). The “team notes” section of SIMS is a narrative text box that allows teams to document their discussion. They can also document the student strengths and interests in this section as this is important information needed to develop a plan.

Selecting interventions Numerous interventions are built within SIMS. During the problem solving process, teams are encouraged to review the intervention menus that are available within SIMS and determine the most appropriate intervention for the student. The intervention menus that are currently available include: • Math: Kindergarten-5th grade • Language Arts: K-5 8

• •

Attendance: K-12 Behavior: K-12

Once the team determines the most appropriate intervention, they should document the selected intervention in SIMS. This can be accomplished through the intervention menus or staff may create a custom intervention. To achieve high rates of success for all students, instruction is differentiated to match student needs. To effectively differentiate instruction for all students, tiered models of intervention are used within the Response to Intervention model. Subsequently, interventions within SIMS emphasize a scaffold of support, beginning with prevention and early intervention (tier 1). Each intervention menu moves progressively through selected interventions (tier 2) to intensive support (tier 3). From tier 1 to tier 3, interventions change in: • Intensity (increasing in duration and frequency). • Group size (from big to smaller). • Teacher expertise (from less to more). • Group composition (from diverse to homogeneous). • Frequency of progress monitoring and assessment (from less frequent to more frequent). There are three tiers of intervention designed to create a scaffold of support for struggling students. Tier 1: Prevention/early intervention • Tier 1 interventions are classroom based interventions carried out by the teacher or instructional team and supported by others in the classroom, if needed. • The interventions occur in the context of daily classroom activities. • Interventions are an amplification of core practice in that they are designed to increase the time, specificity, or amount of instruction without changing content. Tier 2: Selected interventions • Tier 2 interventions are more individualized. • Interventions may be offered in a smaller group, although not always. • Staff with specialized expertise may be involved in selection, design and delivery of the intervention, although not always. • Tier 2 interventions may use the same strategy or content as a tier 1 with greater frequency. Tier 3: Targeted, intensive supports • Tier 3 interventions are specifically designed to meet the needs of an individual student. • Community agencies may be involved to help the student’s needs. • Interventions are provided as frequently as possible. Continuous Progress Monitoring Once interventions are implemented, the next step in the process is to analyze the results and revise the plan if necessary. One way this is done is through continuous progress monitoring. 9

• • • •

Continuous progress monitoring is a practice that uses student performance data to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention and helps to make more informed decisions about what to do next. Continuous progress monitoring tools (e.g. attendance rate, behavior rubrics, traits of a reader rubric, concepts about print) don’t replace the need for more comprehensive diagnostic assessments Progress monitoring helps the teacher gauge the effectiveness of an intervention to maximize the impact on student learning. Minimally, progress monitoring needs to occur before the intervention to establish a baseline and at the end of the intervention to measure progress. Many of the informal assessments that teachers currently use are progress monitoring probes in SIMS.

Checklist to Address Culturally Responsive Practices: Section II Response to Interventions The Checklist for Culturally Responsive Practices is organized into three sections: • Section I is called Culturally Responsive Beliefs and Practices of Schools and General Education Classrooms. It is completed by school leadership teams as part of annual school improvement planning. • Section II is called Response to Intervention. This section has been embedded within SIMS and incorporated into the special education referral process. • Section III is called Culturally Responsive IEP Team Decision Making-Evaluation and Eligibility Determination. It is completed by CCIES PSTs as part of the initial evaluation process. The Checklist for Culturally Responsive Practices was initially developed to address MMSD’s disproportionate (over) representation of African American and Native American students in special education. However, the same patterns of disproportionate representation of students of color were reflected in other aspects of MMSD’s student data (e.g. behavior/suspension data, drop out/graduation rates, achievement data). As a result, the use of the Checklist was expanded as a tool to help us all systematically reflect on our practices and the interplay of race, culture and other factors on a student’s success in school. This manual focuses specifically on Section II of our checklist. The Checklist helps staff address the extent to which environmental and other external factors contribute to the student’s performance. These include: • English proficiency • socio-economic status • racial bias • cultural bias • student’s mobility (number of • lack of instruction in reading or schools attended math • life stressors (divorce, illness in the family) These are called external factors because they are not within child deficits, but they may still be impacting the student’s learning and success in school. If the factors are not addressed or considered, it may lead to the faulty assumption that the child has a disability. One way to reduce the disproportionate number of minority students in special education is to critically look at all the external factors that may impact the student’s success in school and provide interventions to help reduce their negative impact. 10

Each of the external factors is addressed within the Checklist to Address Culturally Responsive Practices. Each question of the checklist is explained in sections 2-4 of this manual. The checklist must be completed by school staff prior to making an initial referral for a special education evaluation. See Appendix A for a copy of the checklist.

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SECTION 2 Early interventions are based on data and provided at an appropriate frequency, intensity and duration Background knowledge Early interventions Early interventions are the instructional strategies that extend beyond core practices and are provided to students who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment. The key components of early intervening services are: • Interventions start when a problem first arises. • The team working with the student develops and implements coordinated, early intervening services (EIS). • EIS may include modifying practices to better meet the student’s racial, cultural or linguistic background and/or providing interventions related to the numerous factors that may impact the ability of the student to be successful in school. • Early intervening services are provided to reduce the number of students who experience academic frustration and failure and to prevent inappropriate identification of students having a disability. • Interventions need to be implemented consistently and at the frequency, intensity and duration planned for the student. • Interventions need to be implemented with fidelity. This means the intervention is implemented as documented in the research

Core Practices: The step before early intervening services Prior to implementing specific interventions for students, staff may want to review core practices and consider trying new strategies for all students rather than designing individual interventions for many students. Strong core practice creates the climate, structures and procedures that lead to improved student performance. The line differentiating core practice and early intervening services is not clear and will vary from teacher to teacher depending on their training and experience. It is important for teachers to understand each student’s needs and provide instruction at his/her level. Many of the concepts in core practices, specific to a content area, overlap with each other. According to the research, 85% of our students should be successful through the implementation of core practices. K-5 literacy core practices include: • Administering formal (e.g. Primary Language Arts Assessment) and informal (e.g. running records, observational data, rubrics, work samples) assessments to help understand the student’s skills and determine how to best meet their needs. • Planning instruction based on assessment that addresses a variety of learning styles, and using different structures (e.g. large group modeling, small group intensified teaching, individual conferencing) to meet student’s needs in the classroom. 13

• • • • • •

Using team meetings to share, plan curriculum, and problem solve regarding student needs. Communicating with families to build trusting, nonjudgmental relationships. Implementing MMSD K-5 Grade Level Language Arts Standards. Utilizing the balanced literacy model as documented in the Primary and Grade 3-5 Literacy Notebooks. Providing 10 hours of reading and writing instruction per week for every student, K5. Tracking progress through assessment walls.

K-5 math core practices include: • Administering formal (e.g. Primary Math Assessment) and informal (e.g. fact interviews, problem solving interviews) assessments regularly to understand the student’s skills and determine how to best meet their needs. • Planning instruction based on assessment that addresses a variety of learning styles and uses different structures (e.g. large group modeling, small group intensified teaching, individual conferencing) to meet student’s needs in the classroom. • Grouping for instruction. • Using team meetings to share curriculum and problem solve regarding student needs. • Communicating with families. • Implementing MMSD K-5 Grade Level Math Standards. • Utilizing instructional practices documented in the Learning Mathematics in the Primary and Intermediate Grades Notebooks. • Providing 5 hours of math instruction per week, K-5. K-12 behavior core practices include: • Establishing a well designed classroom management system. • Implementing The Positive Behavior Intervention and Support model. • Interacting with others in ways that feel safe for the student and build self-efficacy. • Arranging the environment to support various student learning styles. • Using data to guide decisions. • Involving families and acknowledging student successes that contributes to a school wide climate of cooperation. • Acknowledging positive attitudes and behaviors. K-12 attendance core practices include: • Engaging students in learning (e.g. greeting students each day, frequently using student names, incorporating student interests in the curriculum). • Holding high expectations for all students • Being flexible and innovative, especially with struggling students. • Developing positive relationships with students and families. • Eliminating barriers to engagement such as harassment, health concerns, and transportation dilemmas. • Providing information to students and families regarding their attendance. • Following safe arrival protocols. • Re-engaging students after an absence in a welcoming and flexible manner.

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Research The use of a Response to Intervention (RTI) model that provides early intervening services to students has the endorsement of many researchers, and professional and government organizations. Controlled research studies have shown a significant impact of RTI on student progress (Martson, 2005). RTI is based on the belief that we can teach all children. Other principles include: • Intervene early. • Use research, evidence based validated intervention/instructional practices. • Monitor student progress to inform instruction. • Use assessment to screen, determine what children can and cannot do, and determine if student outcomes are improving. The essential components of RTI include: • Multi-level model of service delivery. • High quality universal curriculum and instruction. • Supplemental and targeted options based on student needs and linked to the universal curriculum. • Integrated data system. • A problem solving method that includes: o defining the problem, o collecting and analyzing data, o developing a plan, o implementing a plan, o monitoring progress and o reviewing and revising the plan. Educators must ensure that students’ socio-cultural, linguistic, racial/ethnic, and other relevant background characteristics are addressed by reviewing student performance, considering reasons for student difficulty or failure, designing alternative interventions, and interpreting assessment results. Without such examination, even pre-referral intervention practices may not result in improved student outcomes and may continue to result in disproportionate representation in special education. (Ortiz 2002).

Expanding and strengthening classroom practice For years, many staff have been differentiating instruction and providing early interventions for students. Therefore, many of the concepts within RtI are not new. As MMSD continues to implement an RtI model, we strive to expand and strengthen classroom practices. Teachers differentiate their instruction as evidenced by: • Instruction, practice activities, and assessment procedures are differentiated for all students. • A wide variety of instructional materials are available in the classroom. • All students are actively engaged in learning at their own pace and levels. • Students who receive specialized services are seated among their classmates in ways that integrates them naturally within the classroom. 15



Students have regular opportunities to work in groups that include students with varied abilities.

Teachers work collaboratively in teams • Lessons are differentiated to make the content accessible to all students. • Teams engage in problem solving conversations for students while: o Discussing interventions that could be tried for struggling students. o Reviewing the interventions that are provided within SIMS. o Creating a record of the interventions tried within SIMS. • The names of both/all co-teachers appear on the classroom door and on all documents that class members receive. • Collaborating teachers share space, materials, and equipment equitably. • Co-teachers share status, power, and authority in making decisions that impact curriculum, instruction, and classroom environment. • Co-teachers identify and commit to weekly, scheduled common team planning meetings to dialogue around student work and progress, and to reflect on their team’s effectiveness. • Co-teachers share instructional responsibilities equitably and teach collaboratively. • Co-teachers accept joint responsibility for the intellectual, emotional, and social development of all students in the classroom. Teachers use data regularly to guide instruction • Informal assessments are administered to students on a regular basis. • Assessment data is used to guide the instructional level and zone of proximal development for the student’s learning needs. • For students who are struggling o Progress monitoring tools are administered and documented at the beginning and end of an intervention. o Progress monitoring tools are used to guide instruction and determine the need for additional interventions. Teachers have more contact with family for students who are struggling to: • Discuss concerns. • Gather information from the family. • Include the family in the problem solving process. When interventions are selected, teams: • Determine student needs and the most appropriate intervention based on data from a variety of sources. • Provide interventions consistently at the intensity, frequency and duration planned for the student. • Collect data using progress monitoring probes and use the information to determine whether the intervention was effective. • Draw conclusions regarding the effectiveness of the intervention and plan next steps. Appendix B provides additional strategies to enhance culturally responsive practices in the classroom.

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SECTION 3 Family Involvement: Understanding the impact on a student’s success in school Background knowledge In a positive school-family relationship a comfortable, trusting authentic partnership is developed between families and school staff. Key factors to a successful relationship with families include: Building rapport with the family as soon as their child enters school. Staff welcome the student’s family and make every effort to include the family in the education process. Creating opportunities to have conversations with families. The more staff genuinely connect with families, the more families will share their stories, hopes, needs, expectations and constraints. Talking face-to-face with students and their parents, or caregivers. This helps staff better understand what factors influence the child in their day-to-day lives. Appreciating the skills, knowledge and expertise among our families. Staff action should communicate that the family’s language and culture are valued, the educational goals for their child are important, and educators are committed to working within the famiy’s comfort zone. Being patient. It may take several meetings for families to feel comfortable enough to engage in open conversations.

Research “Personal and family characteristics have tremendous influence on every aspect of our lives, including success in school,” (Hamayan, Marler, Sanchez-Lopez & Damico, 2007). “Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children” (Chief Sitting Bull). Differences between the home and school cultures can pose challenges for both teachers and students. • In most cases, schools are places where dominant cultural practices form the basis of social, academic and linguistic practices. • Many times culturally and linguistically diverse students and their families find it challenging to function and participate in school (Garcia et al. 2006). This needs to be taken into consideration when working with families.

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When parents are participating in school functions, parents are experiencing the events as adults but they are also reliving the time when they were in school as children. They may bring the following perceptions to the meeting: • Their observations and conversations are shaped by their own experiences and by broader cultural and historical narratives that inform their identities, values and their sense of comfort and belonging in the school setting. • For adults who experienced injustice or bias in school, these feelings haunt them when they participate in school activities for their children. In all situations, it is important that staff recognize the family’s perspectives and try to meet their needs in the best way possible.

Expanding and strengthening classroom practice School-family collaboration is a key factor to increasing overall student success in school, both academically and socially. Investing in school-family collaboration can have very positive short and long-term benefits. When staff collaborate with the family, it also provides an opportunity for the family to get to know school staff, the environment of the school, school rules, behavioral expectations, how they can contribute to the school environment and better support the academic achievement of their child. When staff know the students and their families on a more personal level, they have a better understanding of the student’s culture, unique background experiences, strengths and interests. This helps develop relationships and provides insight on how to best plan and differentiate lessons. General ideas to build staff-family relationships • Write a letter of introduction to the families of your students. Let them know a little bit about you, what you teach, how long you have been teaching, and any other professional or personal information that you are comfortable sharing. •

Invite families to meet with you either in the family’s home, in the classroom after the school day, at a neutral, off-site (off school grounds) location, or over the telephone. Extend the offer to get to know the student and family.



Honor the family’s preferences. For example, work with the family to determine the best method and frequency of communication. o Find out if they have an email account that they would like you to utilize to contact them. o Ask where and when they would be the most comfortable meeting with you. o Ask if they would like written information translated.



Provide families with information about how to contact the school. following: o Names, phone numbers and email addresses o Best method and time to contact the school o In general, how long it will take the school to respond

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Include the

Build activities into lesson plans that allow you to get to know the student’s family. There are many ways to incorporate the student’s family and community into the classroom curriculum, such as: o Create a cultural identity poem or story. Have student’s write their personal story about “who I am….” o Create a student relationship sheet. Have students identify who they would go to if they wanted to share information about their day, needed help with homework, wanted to share important news, or needed to talk about a problem. This will help you understand the student’s social network. •

Acknowledge, encourage and support family participation in any way. Every family has funds of knowledge that could be shared with the class. Try to regularly incorporate the family and community into the classroom curriculum.

Discussions regarding the student When a child is at risk for not making progress, it is important to share this information with the family and involve them as partners as problem-solving conversations. During the information gathering process, it is important to be patient and give the family time to share their story. Structure the information gathering session as a conversation rather than an interview. • Conversations need to take place over time. Patience is essential as it may take several meetings for families to establish trust and engage in open conversations. • It is important to try to let the family take the lead during the process. The interviewer can guide the conversation to make sure important areas are discussed (Turnbull & Turnbull, 2001). o Families likely will not organize their thoughts and conversations related to their children in the same way that an interview tool is formatted. o The use of open-ended questions allows the family to give explanations rather than “yes” or “no” responses. o Follow-up questions are important to clarify information. Initially, the classroom teacher may gather general information about the student. Later, a psychologist, social worker, nurse, and/or member of a student support and intervention team may find it necessary to gather more detailed information. Discussions about the student should be conducted with family members or other individuals who have the most knowledge about the student. This could include parents, the student’s primary caregiver, guardians, extended family, or community friends who know the family situation well and have agreed to support the student. If transportation is an issue for the family, the interview/conversation may be completed in the family’s home, in a neutral site (off school grounds) location, or over the telephone. However, due to the impersonal nature of telephone interviews, it should be considered a last resort. Face-to-face communication is the most effective method of communication.

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Information obtained by the teacher or instructional team The classroom teacher or an individual from the instructional team is typically the first staff member to contact the family. They gather general information about the student and family such as: • Student’s strengths • Family structure (e.g. siblings, with whom the student lives) • Family concerns past and present • Student and family interests, activities • Ability to help with homework • Feedback regarding school experience (perceptions) and what can be done to make school a positive experience • Home language • Immediate reactions from the parent • Tips or strategies that may have worked in the past or that work at home The teacher uses the conversation to build a relationship with the family. Both parties should feel that they had adequate time to share needed information. Teachers may end the discussion with more questions than answers but the important thing is that contact of some kind is made with the family. All information gathered about the student and his/her family can be documented in the team notes section of SIMS.

Information obtained by the psychologists, social worker, nurse and/or SSIT team member The psychologist, social worker, nurse or another SSIT member may be asked to gather more information regarding the student. The designated staff member will utilize the information collected by the teacher and fill in any gaps by acquiring more specific information from the family. Some of the information might include the following: • Child’s strengths: What are they and how do they help the student in school? • Family support in the school or community • Family structure changes and how the student reacted to change • Comprehensive developmental history including health concerns, self-advocacy skills, coping strategies, social skills, etc. • More detailed educational history including the curriculums and interventions tried • Past interventions and the impact the interventions had on the student’s success in school. • Home language: who speaks English, who speaks another language, how often is the child exposed to different languages • Trauma and the impact on student • Mobility or the number of times the student switched schools, moved to a new house, apartment or town, etc. • Missed schooling/absences/instruction (e.g. quantity and quality of instruction in all languages) • The impact that mobility and attendance had on the student (i.e. retention, skipping a grade, developing friendships) • The effect of race or culture on your child's schooling (positive or negative) See Appendix C for family discussion/interview tools for teachers and the psychologists, social workers, nurse and/or SSIT member. 20

SECTION 4-A Race, culture and the student’s unique background experiences: Understanding the impact on a student’s success in school Background knowledge Culturally responsive practices within a school setting integrate diverse cultures into the overall academic program by exploring issues of diversity, providing inclusive instruction and implementing intervention strategies that reflect and celebrate the student’s race and culture. Race is based on an individual’s physical characteristics, primarily skin color. Race is predominantly a social construct because scientists have discovered that only 2 percent of our genes are ultimately responsible for the visible differences such as skin color. Social groups play a very important role in defining the rules of race. Culture includes the beliefs, social norms, behavior patterns, arts, institutions, knowledge and traits of a racial, religious or social group. It also includes a group’s knowledge and expectations about appropriate interactions and activities that are common to that group. The social interactions through which children develop reflect their cultural values and standards for appropriate behavior. As an educator, our personal cultural values and beliefs shape how we teach and relate to others. It is critical to understand how our own cultural values influence our classroom practices such as: • The content that is discussed in the classroom • Our teaching style • Classroom rules • Interactions with others As educators, we need to reexamine our values regularly and ask ourselves if our values create a bias that impacts the ability of some students to be successful in our classrooms. Students come to school acting in accordance with the visible and invisible cultures of their homes and communities. Conflict often arises when their behavior differs from the visible and invisible culture of the school. In such situations, three things may occur: 1. The school may devalue and even punish students for behavior their family’s value. 2. Teachers may structure classroom interaction patterns that violate the invisible cultural norms of various groups ( e.g. working individually rather than in collaborative settings). 3. Conflicts may not be recognized as cultural because of their invisible nature (Bireda, 2002). In order to respond appropriately to a family’s culture, one must first understand that culture influences every aspect of one’s perceptions and interactions with others. The manner in which a family approaches child rearing and teaching practices is based on their culture. This knowledge is transferred from generation to generation.

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Educators have the responsibility to help families understand the school culture and the expectations of the classroom. When interacting with families: • Create a climate of trust. Foster the family’s ability to make choices and decisions that are in their best interests. • Respect the family’s cultural traditions especially when their choices may not match the expectations of the school. • Demonstrate a willingness to work within the comfort zone of the family. (Artiles and Ortiz, 2002). When working with families, it is important to find value in what each family member is sharing. Interactions should be viewed as opportunities to learn new information that will help a student succeed.

Research Educators can do numerous things to guard against racial and cultural bias, and show respect for the student’s unique background and experience, including: • Building trusting relationships • Establishing inclusive learning environments • Promoting self-advocacy • Understanding the student’s culture We can build trusting relationships with students and their families by : • Using open and honest communication (Covey, 2008). Listening and sharing life experiences and stories is one way to begin. • Suspending judgment and establishing an inclusive classroom atmosphere that allows room for acceptance and expression of differences (Capper, 2007). This sends the message that each student is valued for what they bring to the classroom. • Providing opportunities for students to communicate and learn from one another’s values. This emphasizes that we all have knowledge and skills to share in a cooperative and inclusive learning environment. When engagement and relationships are interwoven into the learning environment, students understand that the teacher cares about them as learners and students feel they can be successful in school (Cokley, 2008). By establishing an inclusive learning environment, structures are in place for more authentic and engaged learning (Johnson et al., 2006). Some critical features of an inclusive environment include: • Bringing all students, including students with disabilities, into full membership with their school. • Collaboratively design daily classroom practices, curriculum and instruction among special and general educators (and when appropriate, therapists, ESL staff, reading specialist, etc) with the intent to differentiate methods and materials for learning. (Udvari-Solner & Kluth, 2008). • Encouraging students to pose questions about their world and to work as a team to investigate those questions. • Basing curriculum on life experiences and prior knowledge that resonate with students’ communities, cultures, and races. 22



Creating authentic learning experiences that value and validate the intellectual competence of students (Ladson-Billings, 1997). In essence, inclusive education is a conscious and critical act that calls into question what we teach, why we should teach it, and how we expect students to learn. Teachers not only attend to curriculum, instruction and assessment but also to issues of relevance, meaning and respect. A student’s individual needs, experiences, and interests influence the design of learning experiences. The presence of difference in the classroom is not viewed as a liability but as the necessary catalyst for changes that will improve instruction for all (Udvari-Solner & Kluth, 2008). Self-advocacy and intrinsic motivation develops when teachers use ongoing formative assessment to provide explicit feedback on daily classroom interaction (Stiggins, 2004). • Teachers provide explicit expectations for classroom performance. • Students set goals, self-reflect and assess the progress made towards their goals. Cultures can be relatively similar or different from one another. Individuals learn their cultural norms by observing and being exposed to the behaviors of the people who live with them, talk to them, parent them and educate them. Language plays a central role in all these social experiences and directly influences one’s culture. Anglo American, monolingual English speaking Americans continue to be the dominant cultural group in the United States. Anglo American parenting styles socialize children to fit into the norms of middle class, mainstream American culture and prepare them for the Anglo American school setting. For example: • Parents treat their children as conversational partners from birth. • When an infant cries or burps, it is interpreted as a conversational turn. • Parents label actions and ask children to recount events. • Children exposed to literacy activities well before they are expected to read. Other cultures have different approaches to child rearing. For example, some cultures feel their children should be seen, not heard. Others believe their children should learn by watching and observing others. These parenting styles are not better or worse than those used in the Anglo American culture. The only difference is that children who are brought up with cultural values or norms different from the Anglo American culture may not be as ready to understand and participate in the Anglo American school setting. It is important for teachers from the mainstream culture to learn about and be aware of the various abilities that have been instilled in their students through their family. Individuals from different cultures may often misunderstand each other and this can have a negative educational impact on the student. Time and attention needs to be given to developing intervention strategies that do not disregard childrens’ or their parents’ cultural norms.

Expanding and strengthening classroom practice It is important that assumptions are not made based on surname, appearance or previous knowledge of a specific culture. The following section contains general considerations for staff when working with individuals from different cultural backgrounds. Not all of the features discussed will apply to every child. 23

When first working with students and families from different cultural backgrounds, ask questions about how to proceed rather than making assumptions. • Ask how to address family members • Give families the right to pass. Assure families that they do not have to answer questions they are not comfortable addressing. • At the beginning of meetings and visits with families, engage in ‘conversation’ to establish rapport.

The dominant Anglo American culture Often times, when questions are asked, inadvertently comparisons are made to the “invisible” social norms of the dominant Anglo culture. Since Anglo Americans continue to be the dominant cultural group in the United States, some Anglo Americans raised in traditional, middle class, mainstream monolingual English-speaking households, have not had the opportunity to view their culture through the eyes of people from different cultures. “I’m 35 years old and never really started to think about my race and culture too much until now and that makes me feel uncomfortable. No one ever taught us. There is a lot of silence and as a consequence, Whites tend to think of race as something that other people have, not something that is salient to them. When the silence is broken, a process of racial and cultural identity development begins to unfold “(Tatum, 1997). Keep the following aspects of the Anglo Americans’ culture in mind, especially in the school setting. This information is not meant to imply that all Anglo American students adhere to these cultural norms nor is it meant to imply that students from other cultures need to adhere to them. In fact, individuals from other cultures may have similar values and find it easier to integrate into the school setting. School staff needs to acknowledge the possibility of differences and make accommodations if necessary. Some examples of the Anglo American culture in the school setting include: • A strong value in timeliness and adherence to schedules including: o Classroom schedules o Tardiness o Amount of time for lunch o Meeting times with other staff or families •

Adherence to linear, structured environments such as: o Formal meetings with agendas o Activities explained with expectations for completion o Student assignments completed in linear fashion o Writing taught in linear fashion with a beginning, middle and end



Active parent participation in their child’s schooling is encouraged. Those who do the following are held in high regard: o Respond to backpack mail o Attend school functions o Assist with homework completion o Read to younger children o Assure the student gets to school on time and with necessary materials 24



Individualistic verses pluralistic perspective such as: o Working independently to get own work done o Raising one’s hand to demonstrate individual knowledge o Taking a test individually and competing for the best score o Owning school supplies and materials individually and others asking to borrow or share them o Reinforcing clearly defined developmental milestones upon which student success is measured



School is a comfortable, positive and familiar place for parents: o Parents understand the rules of the school setting o Parents often have positive memories of school



Expectations of free, public education. Families generally expect that their children will attend a 2 or 4 year college: o High expectations are placed on children’s success in school o High expectations for students with disabilities o Belief that medical attention should be provided to children to maximize their success in school

Below are general considerations when working with students and families who are not from the dominant Anglo American culture. This section is intended to provide staff with some general guidelines to consider when students and families are not from the dominant Anglo American culture. Although, these considerations may seem like good practices for all families, it is of great importance that the following suggestions be implemented for families who are not as familiar with the Anglo American culture. • At the beginning of meetings and visits with families, engage in ‘conversation’ that maybe outside of the content of the meeting to establish rapport between family members and school staff. •

Many families (e.g., Native Americans) believe that the most important way to learn is through experience. Experience provides life lessons and children learn from their mistakes and successes. The children are given time to explore new situations, allowed to make decisions, and natural consequences occur if they make a poor choice.



Observe, watch and listen to find out who makes the primary decisions about the child and schooling. Often times, this is the individual who calls or picks up the child for doctor’s appointments. The school sign out log and/or the school secretary are good sources of information.



Some families may not be comfortable discussing family affairs freely. Personal questions may be viewed as prying into one’s affairs. Many times these are discussions that are kept within the family and are not be conversations to have with others. It is important to explain the reasons for asking specific questions but recognize that at times it may be difficult to gather important case history information.



Families may not feel comfortable responding to questions when many staff members are present. It may be best to have one staff member speak separately with the family. 25



Be flexible when scheduling meetings. The dominant Anglo culture is very “timeoriented” with schedules and meetings. There are many reasons why families may be late. o Families may view time differently. o Family needs may be a higher priority than meetings. o Family work schedules may make it difficult to attend meetings.



Family members may feel that it is a sign of respect to avoid eye contact with school professionals during conversations. Eye contact may be minimal with frequent digression (Joe & Malach, 1998).



Some family members (e.g. Navajo) do not attach great importance to mainstream/school readiness milestones. They attach greater importance to the individual development of children at their own pace (Wilson, 1994). Professionals must keep this in mind and avoid inappropriate labeling of these children as “delayed”.



Individuals from some cultures are more reserved and sometimes may appear to be passive, obedient and compliant.



Some families and students may not know how or who to approach when they have difficulties in school. This may be the first time the student is having difficulty in school or they may be new to the school environment.



Many families think of a teacher as an important figure who best understands the student’s educational needs. They may be hesitant to suggest strategies or practices to the school.



Families may say “yes” to indicate that they acknowledge receiving information. A “yes” response may not necessarily indicate agreement with what has been said. (Cheng & Hammer, 1992).



Many families are accustomed to only to signing documents relating to major life events such as births and deaths. They may not understand why signatures are needed on school forms (Cheng & Hammer, 1992).



Greetings and personal space vary from family to family. Shaking hands may or may not be considered appropriate for some families. Physical distance, closeness and touching may also be different than in the dominant Anglo culture. It is important for staff members to take the lead of family members when greeting and determining personal space.



Communication styles vary for individuals. Some use exaggeration, assertions and/or repetition. Others may communicate through stories. Exhibit patience and active listening skills to assure full understanding of the information shared by the family.



Many families value their privacy in a manner different than the dominant Anglo culture. Some families of Muslim children may not want home-based services because they view the home as a private place. Ask rather than make assumptions.



Families may believe that disabilities (e.g. stuttering, cleft palate) are caused by the actions of God or by fate. They may feel personally responsible for their child’s disability and may believe that intervention is inappropriate.



A family’s perceptions about the health care system and cultural beliefs about mental health influence a parent’s treatment response for their child. School 26

personnel need to understand that parents may choose alternative treatments for their children because of their beliefs about healing the mind and body. Specific considerations for students who are not from the dominant Anglo American culture • Some students are not motivated by school activities because they do not have family members encouraging their efforts and self-esteem. •

Some students believe teachers will consider them less intelligent if they ask for assistance (Vang, 1999).



Some students are taught to always respect teachers because they are important authority figures.



Some students isolate themselves socially and academically from other student groups because they may have not adjusted to the new school system or new society.



Some students may appear academically competent but are poorly prepared due to language skills (Vang, 2000). Oral proficiency in English may not be sufficient for academic success.



For many elementary level students, race and culture are not significant factors in their personal identity. However, the search for personal identity intensifies during young adolescence. This includes racial, cultural and ethnic identity. Students often search for role models to help them identify how they should act and what they should do. Students from different cultural backgrounds may rely more on peers than parents to answer these questions.



Many students need to explore the meaning of their identity with others who are engaged in similar things. This is seen in school hallways and cafeterias. Just like students in band or football may be together, students from different racial and cultural backgrounds may also choose to be together.



There may be a relationship between the student’s behavior and the student’s culture, background and/or experiences. When there is a behavioral concern for a student, the following questions should be addressed: o Is the student’s emotional and behavioral performance developmentally and culturally appropriate? o Are there individual, family or cultural circumstances that may explain the behavior? o Is the student adapting to the school? o Is the student’s behavior due to trauma? o Is the student’s behavior due to mental health problems?

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SECTION 4-B Dialectal differences: Understanding the impact on a student’s success in school Background knowledge A Dialectal Difference is a systematic, rule-governed, linguistic variety of English shared by a group of individuals. Within each dialect, the sentence structure, sound production and/or intonation may differ considerably from Standard American English (SAE). There are many different dialects of English such as African American, Southern and North Eastern. This section will focus on African American English dialect.

Research African American English (AAE) African American English is also known as Ebonics, African American Vernacular English (AAVE), Black Dialect, Black English, and African American Language (AAL). Most African American children are speakers of African American English. AAE is an oral dialect with no well-developed written counterpart. AAE is used by 95% of African American children entering school. In the early elementary grades, students not only use AAE when talking to friends and family but also during reading and writing. (Thompson et al, 2004). However, in order to be successful in school, the workplace and society, African Americans are required to be bi-dialectical, that is, able to speak both AAE and SAE. The most successful students learn early on to use AAE in social situations and SAE in academic and work environments. The AAE dialect is often characterized as bad grammar, lazy pronunciation, and slang (Hoover, 1998). In actuality, AAE is a spoken language rooted in the oral tradition of Africa. It was transcribed by writers of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s, and today is the language spoken by most African American urban youth. Educators working with students who speak AAE must first recognize that the language students bring is an important part of their identity as well as the identify of their family and the community (Sealy-Ruiz, 2005). Characteristics of AAE •

African American students use AAE in writing if they use it in oral language. Conversely, African American students who can write in SAE can also speak SAE.



The use of AAE features in writing is less frequent than in spoken discourse. However, Thompson, Craig and Washington (2004) found that more than half of their third graders produced AAE features in their writing samples.



The rate in which a student speaks AAE decreases as they get older. This is noticed as a dialect shift at first grade for spoken discourse and third grade for reading aloud. (Craig & Washington, 2004, p.51). 29



Shifting dialect from AAE to SAE is associated with positive academic achievement. Overall, very little is understood about when and why a child shifts to SAE or what variables influence and support the acquisition of SAE.



AAE has differences in intonation. For example, in Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech “I have a dream today”, it is the Africanized intonation of dream as dreaaam that informs us that speaking is African American” (Hoover, 1998, p.72).



AAE also involves repetition and call and response effect. The speaker makes a point and the audience responds quickly. This can be seen in the classroom when a teacher asks questions and the student might respond quickly without raising his/her hand.



AAE is likely to influence language assessment and diagnosis of language impairments. AAE Features Used by Children in Northern Dialect Regions

FEATURES

EXAMPLES



Deletion of Copula & Auxiliary



“they__ catchin’ a bus”



Subject-Verb Agreement



“they was sittin’ down at the table”



Fitna/Sposeta/Bouta



“is she fitna drink some?”



all forms code imminent action



“ he was bouta get in the car”



Undifferentiated Pronoun Case



“them pullin’ them up the hill”



Multiple Negation



“why you don’t want nobody to put none too close to your mouth?”



Zero Possessive



“they waitin’ for they car”



Zero Past Tense



“and then he fix__ the food”



Invariant “be”



“they be gettin’ some ice cream”



Zero “to”



“and he waitin’ for the train __ go”



Zero plural



“a girl puttin’ some glass__ out on the table to drink”



Double Modal



“ why did the boy didn’t stop?”



Regularized Reflexive



“he stands by hisself”



Indefinite Article



“they buildin’ a apartment”



Appositive Pronoun



“and the other ones they didn’t have nothin”



Remote Past “been”



“I been knowin’ how to swim”

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Additional AAE Features Used by Older Children and Adults FEATURES

EXAMPLES



Resultative be done



“we be done dropped these and broke ‘em”



Double marked –s



“this one is like mines”



Non-inverted Questions



“that’s how it go?”



Preterite had



“you had got his toes stuck before”



Completive done



“I think we done ate enough”



Existential it



“It seems like it’s a lot more on here that you haven’t shown me

Sound System in AAE FEATURES •

EXAMPLES

Postvocalic consonant reduction



“mouth”



/mou/ for /mouth/



“g” dropping



“waitin’ ”; “jumpin’ ”



f /th , v/th and t/ th in middle and end of words



“/wif/with/, bave/bathe, wit/with”



d/th in initial positions of words



“dis/this”



Consonant cluster reduction



“col-/cold”



Consonant cluster movement



aks/ask; ekscape/escape



Syllable deletion



“--came/became”

Expanding and strengthening classroom practice •

Teachers and other professionals need to be aware of the features of AAE as listed in the chart above.



Teachers and other professionals should not overtly correct or criticize the oral language of students who speak AAE (Roseberry-McKibbin, 2002, p.71).



Due to the strong emphasis African Americans place on oral communication, they may feel the need to speak fluently, rapidly, and without struggle. An African American student accustomed to a “call and response” environment might respond to teachers’ questions without raising his/her hand. This is not necessarily a sign of 31

disrespect for the teacher and these students need to be taught the “language of the classroom” (Roseberry-McKibbin, 2002, p.70-71). •

Many African American students will use AAE features while reading aloud a text that is written in Standard American English. Prior to administering an oral reading test, allow the student to read aloud. Listen for the presence of AAE while reading. This needs to be taken into consideration when teachers are taking running records or when students are participating in timed fluency tests (Craig et al., 2004).



Teachers must analyze written text for AAE vs. grammatical errors. When AAE is present in written language, teachers will have to explicitly compare and contrast SAE and AAE features. Additionally, it may be beneficial to allow students to use AAE in some writing such as journal entries or creative stories and expect SAE in other writings. Below is an example of a 3rd grade writing sample. The underlined words indicate AAE dialect present in the student’s writing. My Mom One day me and my mom was(were) at home because we was(were) about to go. I went outside. I was waiting. I open(ed) the garage and get(got) my bike out. I went ride?? for a minute and nobody was out. So I went back inside and went to my mom(‘s) room and she was watching TV and I tune(d) off to TV and told my mom to stop watching TV. So we had play(ed) a game call lonede. My mom had mast up 3 time(s) on the game and she got it write. Then we went to the store. I had buy(bought) some chips, candy and a juice.

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SECTION 4-C Language/linguistic differences: Understanding the impact on a student’s success in school Background knowledge Linguistic Differences are anchored in culture and occur when a student speaks a language other than the dominant spoken language. These differences can manifest in word choice, intonation, pronunciation, grammatical structures, and rhetorical structures in oral and/or written language as the student acquires the dominant language.

Research The Second (or multiple) Language Acquisition Process Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) is conversational language used in everyday routine activities by students on the playground, in the hallways, lunchrooms, and classrooms. It takes 1-3 years to develop this social language (Cummins, 1983). Although students may sound fluent at this stage, they have not yet learned the more complex academic language needed to be successful in school. Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) involves the development of content specific vocabulary, and linguistic and rhetorical structures required for academic oral and written work. Developing academic language takes 5-7 years or longer. Academic language must be explicitly taught to ELLs for them to be able to understand textbooks, write papers, and participate in academic discussions. ELLs acquire a second language at varying rates depending on many factors, including: • Supportive learning environment • Quality and quantity of previous ESL instructional strategies • Age and time of entry into second language environment • Language proficiency and literacy skills in primary language • Quality and quantity of educational background in primary language • Similarity between languages and cultures • Personality • Aptitude • Attitude and motivation to learn second language • Available support in primary language • Amount of exposure to second language and culture • Physical and emotional health • Parental involvement • Family’s educational background and literacy skills in primary language ELLs have varied levels of language proficiency in English, language proficiency in their primary language, and educational experiences. Certain characteristics of the language 33

acquisition process, however, are generally true for all English language learners as they work towards English language proficiency. • Students first progress through a “silent period” in which they listen and observe without speaking. • Understanding of language precedes language production. • Students begin speaking in one-word utterances, progress to using chunks of language (2-3 word phrases) and then to sentences. • Language develops in spurts and it is normal for students to move in and out of various stages of language development. It is important for teachers to know and understand students’ language proficiency levels in order to make content accessible through language accommodations and supports. Language supports include • sensory, • graphic, and • interactive strategies. Sensory supports include the use of • real objects, • visuals, and • videos. Graphic supports include the use of graphic organizers such as • T-Charts, • Venn Diagrams, and • semantic word maps. Interactive supports may include the use of • student’s heritage language, • cooperative groupings, and • pair/share activities.

Importance of Primary or Heritage Language in Learning English Research overwhelmingly concludes that a student’s primary or heritage language supports the acquisition of second (or multiple) languages. • A student’s primary language does not hinder or interfere with acquiring a second language but rather acts as a communication and linguistic resource. • Students use their first language to help scaffold knowledge of phonology, vocabulary, and grammar in the second language. • Even students with speech and language disabilities learn English faster and with fewer errors when supported in their primary language instead of English only (Genesee, Paradis, & Crago, 2004). • Students who transition into English only programs while still in the active stages of acquiring their heritage language often experience a multitude of difficulties over time including the loss of their primary or heritage language, inability to communicate with family members, and depressed academic achievement in English (Espinosa, 2008). 34

Code-switching Code-switching is the alternate use of two languages from sentence to sentence or within a sentence. Alternate usage may include word borrowing, grammatical applications across languages, phonology and intonation or the use of rhetorical structures. Escamilla (2008) notes that attitudes about code-switching tend to be positive if you are a majority language speaker (“Steven Segal is sooo macho”), but negative if you are a minority language speaker learning the majority language (“My best day is when I hav a respuesta perfect”). Code-switching is a rich communication resource and strategy which ELLs and bilingual students use strategically in oral and written communication (Genesee, Paradis, & Crago, 2004; Escamilla, Geisler, Hopewell, & Ruiz, 2008). Research shows that the strategies used by emerging bilingual children in writing are complex, rule governed, and can be easily misunderstood by monolingual teachers. In other words, ELLs do not code-switch because they are confused or unable to differentiate between languages. Code-switching actually demonstrates the student’s ability to manipulate two languages and helps students fill in gaps as they develop greater language competence. Examples of Spanish/English code-switching include: • “ay” for “I”; “ui” for “we”; “guan” for “want”—phonetical code-switch • “tenemos desks en la clase—lexical code-switch • “the doll of my sister”—syntactical code-switch Code-switching is also shaped by social norms in the families and communities in which bilingual students live and may be used to reflect cultural identity. For example, a word or phrase a student uses in his/her primary language may convey more emphasis than the word or phrase does in English. (“This weekend, I went to visit mi abuela”). Students need to be provided ample opportunities within the classroom to express themselves both orally and in writing using their heritage language and cultural beliefs. At the same time, staff may need to explicitly teach when and how to use Standard English during academic discussions and writing assignments. Code-switching is not indicative of a language delay or impairment. If students habitually code-switch specific grammatical structures or vocabulary after an extended period of time, staff may need to determine if language gaps exist and explicitly teach skills.

Difference vs. Disability The difficulties presented by English Language Learners (ELLs) often appear similar to the difficulties experienced by students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), and/or students with Speech/Language (S/L) disabilities (Hamayan, Mahler, Sanchez-Lopez, & Damico, 2007). ELLs may appear to be experiencing the same processes as students with SLD, such as language disfluencies or the inability to perceive and organize information. For example, students who are ELLs may forget words or concepts from one day to the next, understand more than they can express, and need more “wait time” to process information and respond verbally. Although these same behaviors are often exhibited by students with diagnosed SLD, the root causes of these difficulties may be quite different for students who are ELLs than for students with a specific learning disability. Using English to understand academic texts, process information, and write in the different content areas is an arduous task which can take 5-7 years or longer for ELLs to master. The process of discerning linguistic difference from disability in ELLs who are experiencing 35

academic difficulties is often complicated because ELLs may sound proficient in some contexts and not in others. For this reason, it is of paramount importance that core practices, in-depth observations, and more intensive interventions be implemented over time to further tease out the cause of the student’s difficulties. For example, if a student is forgetting new information or words from one day to the next, the following strategies may need to be need to be implemented with greater intensity over time: • Accessing background knowledge • Explicitly teaching vocabulary and cultural schema associated with the vocabulary • Providing visual and gestural supports as needed • Checking for understanding in the student’s primary language If the student responds positively, it is likely that the difficulty is due to the natural process of second language acquisition rather than an inherent learning disability. Assessing English language proficiency levels Under federal and state law, students who meet any one of the following criteria must be tested for English language proficiency: • Speak a language other than English • Live in a home where a language other than English is spoken • Have been significantly exposed to another language ACCESS for English Language Learners is the state approved English language proficiency test in Wisconsin. Students who are ELLs are tested annually with the ACCESS assessment until they reach full language proficiency. The ACCESS assessment tests a student’s language proficiency in Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing in the following content areas: • Social instructional • Language arts • Mathematics • Science • Social Studies The ACCESS test yields a composite score (proficiency level) which is weighted more heavily for reading and writing as these are better predictors of academic achievement. The composite score should never be used in isolation when making instructional and/or placement decisions. ACCESS Component Test Weights as Percentage of Overall Composite Score Listening, 15% Reading, 35%

Speaking, 15%

Reading Writing Speaking Listening

Writing, 35%

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To gather more complete information regarding students’ proficiency levels in specific content areas and language domains, teachers should consult the individual student’s ACCESS Teacher Report. This report yields composite scores on proficiency levels in oral skills, comprehension, and literacy as well as in the language domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The ACCESS Teacher reports can be found in each student’s cumulative file in the school office. A simplified version of this information is also available on the Assessment Tab of each ELL student’s information profile in Infinite Campus. See Appendix D for a sample ACCESS Teacher report and Can Do Descriptors

Implications for classroom practice Teachers should consult with an ESL teacher or Bilingual Resource Teacher (BRT) for proficiency test information and ways to best support the English Language Learners in the classroom. Effective practices for supporting ELLs Inclusive programming of ELLs in which language is taught and supported through content is one of the most effective practices for teaching ELLs (Davies Samway & McKeon, 2007; Hamayan, et al., 2007; Echevarría, J., Vogt, M. & Short, D. 2008). For example: • Students need to practice academic language by listening and interacting with peers as well as adults in a language rich environment. • ELLs who have had most of their language instruction in a one-on-one “pull-out” setting or who have not been integrated into non-academic and academic classes are less likely to develop their language at the same rate as those ELLs who have had multiple opportunities for group interactions within the instructional setting (Hamayan, et al., 2007). It is important to maintain high academic expectations for ELLs while simultaneously supporting language during instruction. Effective instructional strategies which incorporate English language objectives as well as content objectives into every lesson is particularly effective for teaching academic language to ELLs (Echevarría, J., Vogt, M., Short, D., 2008). Core instructional practices for ELLs Like all students, English Language Learners need to have access to and be engaged in grade-level, standards-based curricula in an inclusive school. If the language of instruction is not comprehensible, students will be excluded from learning. Due to the distinct language and cultural backgrounds of many ELLs, scaffolding instruction is often necessary to make learning possible. For example, writing corresponding content and language objectives in lesson plans is an effective form of teaching content and language in any content area. The ways in which to support English Language Learners in the classroom are as varied as are student needs and interests. However, three general principles should be followed when planning and delivering instruction to ELLs: 1. Increase comprehensibility 37

2. Increase interaction time 3. Increase higher level thinking. Increase comprehensibility It is critical to make content comprehensible to ELLs in order for students to have access to academic grade-level instruction. Some basic ways to do this include: • Access and build on student background knowledge to build cultural schema • Speak clearly and slowly • Simplify language, not content • Use visuals such as real objects, manipulatives, photos, pictures, and graphic organizers when teaching • Use gestures and physical modeling to demonstrate new concepts and vocabulary • Explicitly teach academic vocabulary, concepts, cultural schema and English rhetorical discourse structure. Rhetorical discourse structure refers to the way in which ideas are organized or structured. • Use repetition to explain things at different language proficiency levels • Adapt language of text • Support students in primary language whenever possible and appropriate o Use primary language to teach new concepts or vocabulary, check for understanding, and preview/review lessons o Do not translate word for word when teaching or reading to students. • Encourage students to extend their learning through participation in extracurricular activities and after school programs Increase interaction time ELLs need ample time to practice listening and speaking in English in a safe and supportive environment in order to acquire language and negotiate meaning. They need time to interact with peers during structured activities that require academic language in order to learn academic language. Core practice dictates that students be given language supports appropriate to their English language proficiency levels in order to effectively participate. For example: • Use Think/Pair/Share for students to discuss new content material at multiple times throughout a structured lesson. • Use small groupings for students to share their personal connections to content material. • Pair or group students with beginning English language skills with more proficient ELLs to help provide language models in safe, non-critical ways. • Allow students to share and discuss with peers of the same language group in their primary language. • Explicitly teach students language skills needed to debate, persuade, confirm information and disagree. Allow them to practice these oral skills in small and large group settings.

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Increase higher level thinking • Maintain rigorous academic expectations for ELLs. Simplify the language, not the content. • Model a think aloud (i.e. verbally model the language of problem solving) while solving a problem or dilemma with the class. • Encourage students to practice thinking aloud individually with the teacher, in pairs and in small groups. • Encourage students to reflect on their own thinking and problem-solving strategies and have them communicate their thinking through speaking, role playing, gestures, graphically, or in simple drawings.

Rhetorical discourse structure of languages Different languages have different rhetorical discourse structures which influence a student’s oral and written language (Escamilla, 2008). Rhetorical discourse structure refers to the way in which ideas are organized or structured. For example, English is a very linear language which presents ideas in a linear and orderly fashion according to topic areas. Brief descriptions of the rhetorical discourse structures of other languages are provided below as well as a visual diagram. • Semitic (Hebrew & Arabic) is highly repetitive. • Native American & Asian (Hmong, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, etc.) is circular. • Romance (Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian) is digressive. • Russian (and other Slavic languages) is highly digressive.

Rhetorical Discourse Structures ENGLISH

SEMITIC

ASIAN

ROMANCE

RUSSIAN

Source: Robert B. Kaplan, “Cultural Thought Patterns in Inter-Cultural Education,” Language Learning, 16 (1&2), 1970

ELLs may write in English while still using the discourse structure of their native language. Because a student’s ability to organize ideas both verbally and in written form is usually judged against English discourse structure, his/her oral and written discourse may be viewed as repetitive, disorganized, or rambling. However, the student may simply be writing in the discourse structure of the primary language. This is true even for 3rd generation ELLs who speak only English and have been instructed only in English (Escamilla, 2008). Rhetorical discourse structure is one of the most difficult concepts of a new language to learn. Teachers need to explicitly teach the linear rhetorical discourse structure of English to ELLs. This can be done in content areas that demand a more linear written expository structure such as in social studies, science or mathematics. Nonetheless, students’ native 39

rhetorical voices need to be equally valued and honored. Encouraging students to express themselves in their native structures for creative writing pieces or in personal reflections is one way of creating opportunities for this to happen.

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SECTION 4-D Mobility or excessive absences: Understanding the impact on a student’s success in school Background knowledge There is a powerful link between attendance, mobility and academic success in school. To give students the best opportunity to reach their potential both academically and socially, they must attend regularly. When students are tardy or absent, they miss out on valuable learning and social experiences that cannot be replaced. Student mobility in the Madison Metropolitan School District refers to the number of students moving into or out of a particular school over the course of an academic year. The MMSD attendance policy states that all students will attend school at least 94% of school days. To meet this goal, a student cannot miss more than 11 days of school per year, including both excused and unexcused days. Wisconsin law requires the school district to identify and intervene on behalf of students who are “Habitually Truant”. This means students are absent without an acceptable excuse for five or more full or partial days during a semester. When a student’s attendance meets the legal definition for habitual truancy, MMSD is required to initiate interventions that can include interviewing, conferencing, on-going monitoring of attendance, contracting and/or referral to Dane County Municipal or Juvenile Courts. Attendance and mobility history can be found within Infinite Campus (IC) as well as the Student Intervention Monitoring System (SIMS). When a student falls below the 94% threshold for attendance, they are “flagged” within the SIMS system as being at risk. This system can be used to systematically monitor attendance of all students. If a student’s attendance falls below 94%, one should not automatically assume there is a problem. Staff should investigate, determine if this is an area of concern and respond to the low attendance if the team feels it is necessary.

Research Many factors are associated with an increased probability of school failure and dropping out. There are five factors related to family background or early school experiences that substantially increased the odds of dropping out of high school. These factors include: • Changing schools two or more times other than normal progression • Having poor attendance • Being from a single parent household • Having poorer than average grades • Repeating an earlier grade These risk factors are interrelated. For example, among high risk students, two-thirds changed schools two or more times. The same proportion were in the lowest socioeconomic quartile, and more than half of high-risk students had either grades of C’s or lower or had single parents. 41

States have realized the increased importance of completing a high school education for entry into postsecondary education and the labor market, but the high school completion rate has shown only minimal gains over the last three decades and has shown no increase throughout the 1990s (Kaufmann et al., 2000). Changing the compulsory attendance age from 16 to 18 is one strategy states are employing in an attempt to reduce dropout rates. Students who consistently arrive late to school is a serious problem according to the Anglo American culture. Punctuality is important. Students who are late often do not learn that "being on time" is an expectation. Arriving late to school also causes a student to miss out on class experiences which hinder academic progress. Consistent attendance at school is the first step to academic achievement. When students move repeatedly or have poor attendance, their reading skills often fall further and further behind those of their peers (Alexander et al, 1996). Each year more than a half a million young people drop out of school. •

High school dropouts are four times as likely to be unemployed as those who have completed four or more years of college.



Graduating from high school will determine how well one lives for the next 50 years of their life. High school graduates earn $143 more per week than high school dropouts. College graduates earn $336 more per week than high school graduates ($479 more per week than high school dropouts).



Dropouts are more likely to apply for, and receive, public assistance than graduates of high school.



Dropouts comprise a disproportionate percentage of the nation's prison and death row inmates. In fact, 82% of prisoners in America are high school dropouts.

Increasing student engagement is critical in increasing attendance, helping students adjust to a new school and preventing students from dropping out. Engagement indicators include: • Attendance • Class participation • Effort in doing schoolwork • Avoidance of disciplinary actions and • Demonstrating an interest, enthusiasm and sense of belonging with the school. Research indicates that the greatest success in reducing dropout rates is achieved when multiple approaches are adopted as part of a comprehensive strategy to increase student engagement.

Expanding and strengthening classroom practice Addressing the needs of students who transfer into the school and/or have poor attendance requires that staff work together to provide a coordinated approach. Many of the interventions outlined below are incorporated into SIMS under the attendance scaffold of interventions. • When a student enters a school or is at risk for poor attendance, a staff member should make a connection with the student. This could be a teacher or a member of 42

the student services staff. The identified staff member could do any or all of the following: o Monitor student’s sense of engagement and belonging in the school. o Establish regular time in the school day or week for students to meet with the adult. o Communicate attendance concerns with the family and provide information regarding the link between achievement and regular attendance. o Provide families with strategies to improve attendance. This could include encouragement, information, problem solving and support. o Recognize student accomplishments. o Encourage student participation in extracurricular activities. o Create a learning environment and school climate that creates a sense of belonging and fosters students getting to know one another. •

Students should establish attainable academic and behavioral goals and be recognized when they accomplish them. o Provide extra study time and opportunities for credit recovery and accumulation. o Provide individual or small group support in test-taking skills, study skills or in subject areas such as reading, writing or math. o Teach strategies to strengthen problem-solving and decision making skills.

If a student has a history of attendance problems, conduct a prevention planning conference to explore the reasons or root cause for poor attendance. Root cause Missed school/work

Intervention Receive instruction and make up missed work.

Motivation

Provide daily or weekly incentive for improved attendance.

Mismatch between the student and the curriculum

Modify the curriculum or instructional strategies without reducing expectations for achievement.

Lack of engagement with school

Connect the student to after school clubs or programs.

Difficulty the family faces getting the children up and off to school on time

Explore available support and provide resources (alarm clocks, bus passes,etc.).

Peer relationships, social skills, mental health

Develop a plan to provide support. Include the student in a small group session with student services staff member. Use an attendance contract that specifies the behaviors and actions expected of the student.

Behavior problems resulting in missed class time

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SECTION 4-E Life stressors (i.e. family health, divorce, immigration trauma, witness to violence): Understanding the impact on a student’s success in school Background knowledge Life stressors such as trauma are explained as an injury to the physical or psychological well-being of an individual or group. It means that the individual or group has been hurt or upset to the degree that the way they function either mentally, emotionally, physically or any combination of these is severely affected. Life stressors may come from a single event or multiple stressful events that break down the functioning of an individual, community or society. Prolonged or repeated exposure to extreme stress or trauma can result in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). An individual with PTSD repeatedly recalls or re-experiences the trauma throughout his/her life. Young children are particularly vulnerable to stress because they cannot process events accurately.

Research Many people experience some form of life stressor or trauma during their lives. Some examples of trauma/life stressors include: • Physical abuse • Traumatic grief • Neglect • Domestic violence • Medical illness • Emotional abuse • Refugee or war trauma • Sexual abuse • Homelessness • Divorce Students who experience prolonged stress or trauma often develop predictable physical and emotional behaviors. Specific manifestations fall into five categories and teachers may observe the following in a classroom setting (Elaina, 2006): 1. Social: Students may become withdrawn, aggressive, unable to tolerate being alone and/or mistrustful. They may isolate themselves, act out or demand excessive attention. 2. Physical: Students may experience chronic headaches, stomach aches, sleep disturbance, frequent nightmares, poor appetite or overeating, and/or incontinence. They may daydream, engage in self-injury and/or have compulsive behavior. 3. Emotional: Students may be hypersensitive, irritable, depressed, angry, anxious or full of rage. They may also develop irrational fears, act helpless, feel overwhelmed, and/or feel excessive guilt or shame. 4. Cognition: Students may exhibit difficulty concentrating, experience memory lapses, appear confused or stuck in their thinking, live in a fantasy world or have negative preoccupations. 5. Communication: They may hide their true feelings by saying that everything is fine. They may become silent or mute. 45

All efforts to develop respectful, reciprocal and responsive interactions may be unsuccessful if trauma or prolonged stress is ignored or not sufficiently identified. Therefore, it is important for staff to know and understand a student and his/her life experiences in order to develop the most appropriate support and interventions.

Expanding and strengthening classroom practice A teacher or staff member may often be one of the first members in the community to identify trauma or life stressors in a student’s life. When trauma or life stressors are suspected, staff members should talk to the student and family to share their observations and gather more information. Some observable symptoms of trauma include: • Basic needs are not being met. •

Sleep issues.



Hypersensitivity or over reaction to behaviors; misinterprets innocuous stimuli as traumatic



Inability to maintain boundaries; acts instead of plans



Demonstrates poor impulse control and aggression against self and others



Lack of attentiveness and regulation of emotions



Easily distracted or lacks focus due to anxiety and fears



Difficulty staying organized and frequently loses materials



Strained or inappropriate interactions with peers



Disconnection with parents/legal guardians



Excessive anger or signs of depression



Displays a bleak perspective about the future and self-worth



Difficulty developing and maintaining friendships



Guarded communication where very general or minimal information is shared



Excessive concern with personal possessions



Becomes excessively physiologically aroused when faced with novel information



Focuses more on interpreting teacher’s mood than the task at hand



Resembles symptoms similar to ADHD including anxiety, hyper-vigilance or language processing difficulties

The student’s social and emotional status can have a significant impact on academic success. Additionally, research has shown that students with prolonged exposure to trauma or stress may experience the following difficulties related to problem solving: • Difficulty with cause-effect relationships and organizational thinking •

Difficulty learning and retrieving new verbal information



Difficulty solving a problem from another perspective



Unable to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information 46



Difficulty processing information



Inability to express one’s feelings



Difficulty anticipating consequences



Difficulty initiating and carrying out plans

The following strategies can be used by school staff when working with students who experience life stressors or trauma: • Balance accountability of the student’s behavior with an understanding of traumatic behavior. •

Create uniform rules and consequences and explicitly teach the rules.



Model respectful, non-violent relationships.



Understand that building relationships is essential and help the student build friendships.



Help improve the student’s self-esteem by facilitating a sense of connectedness.



Acknowledge and respect individual differences. This will help generate a feeling of competence within the student.



Increase the student’s social skills by placing him/her in a leadership role.



Provide think time for the student to retrieve information.



Role play to help the student think through the consequences of his/her actions.



Provide a scaffold of support (e.g. graphic organizers) to differentiate between relevant and irrelevant information.

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SECTION 4-F Socio-economic and environmental status factors: Understanding the impact on a student’s success in school Background knowledge A family’s socioeconomic status (SES) includes its income, the level of family member’s education and access to resources. The role of poverty influences the resources available to families and the extent to which their housing, medical care and nutrition are adequate. The National Research Council (2002) documented that children from racially/ethnically diverse background are much more likely to be members of families with low-income. African American families are three times more likely than their mainstream peers to live in poverty.

Research Class is a difficult issue to discuss in America. Many Americans believe that those who succeed economically deserve their success and those who do not, deserve their failure (Denbo et al., 2002). Poverty affects families in many ways: • Health: Hunger and limited access to health care • Productivity: Limited leisure and recreational activities • Physical environment: Overcrowding and safety concerns • Emotional well-being: High levels of stress and low self-esteem • Family interaction: Marital stress and difficulty obtaining quality child care Typically, students from low-income families have no health insurance, and therefore no routine preventive medical and dental care resulting in more school absences as a result of illness. Students from low-income families are more prone to asthma which may lead to sleeplessness, irritability, lack of exercise and decreased attentiveness in school. They experience lower birth weight and lead poisoning, each of which may contribute to diminished cognitive ability and more behavior problems. The IQ scores of students who live in intergenerational poverty average 5-13 points lower than IQ scores of students from middle-class backgrounds (Turnball et al,, 2006). Low-income families frequently fall behind in rent and move. Consequently students switch schools more often, losing continuity of instruction. Additionally, their neighborhoods have more crime and drugs and fewer adult role models with professional careers. Students from low-income families generally have greater difficulty in reading. They are not regularly read aloud to nor are they exposed to complex large vocabularies. Lowincome children are less likely to have access to reading material at home so they have limited opportunity to practice reading. Additionally, research from Alexander et al., (2007) indicates that summer setbacks in reading are one of the primary sources of the reading achievement gap. It explains about 80% of the reading achievement gap between lowincome and not low-income students happens by the age of 14. 49

Research has found that the more generations a family lives in poverty, the less formal language register the person uses (Montana-Harmon, 1991). For example, students of families who receive welfare had ten million vocabulary words by age three, whereas, students in which parents were classified as professionals heard 30 million words. The size of vocabulary is the most important predictor of reading success. Furthermore, teachers conduct most tests in formal registers, which puts students are at a disadvantage. The following statements are examples of formal and informal registers. Language Register

Definition

Example

Formal language

The word choice and sentence structure used by the business and education community

I don’t want to complete the assignment

Informal or casual language

Language used between friends. Uses few abstract words and uses nonverbal to assist with meaning

This is stupid

At times, students from low-income families learn rules about how to speak and behave that conflict with school rules. Explicit teaching regarding school expectations, language and conduct are important to help increase achievement.

Myths of culture The term culture of poverty was first used in the 1960’s. More than 45 years later, the culture of poverty paradigm remains the same: that people in poverty share a consistent and observable culture. More current research concludes that there is no such thing as the culture of poverty. Differences in values and behaviors among poor people are just as great as those between poor and wealthy people (Rothstein, 2008). Myth 1: Poor people are unmotivated and have weak work ethics. People living in poverty do not have a weaker work ethic or lower levels of motivation than wealthier people. In fact, many adults in poverty work two, three and four jobs. They tend to spend more hours working than their wealthier counterparts. Myth 2: Families who live in poverty are uninvolved in their child’s learning because they do not value education. Low-income families hold the same attitudes about education as wealthy families. They care about education but they are less likely to attend school functions or volunteer in the classroom because they have less access to school involvement than their wealthier peers. Furthermore, they are more likely to work evenings or have jobs without paid leave. Schools do not always accommodate the life styles of low-income families to allow greater participation in school events. Myth 3: Poor people tend to abuse drugs and alcohol People living in poverty are no more likely than their wealthier counterparts to abuse alcohol or drugs. Drug use is equally distributed across poor, middle class and wealthy communities (Saxe et al., 2001). In fact, alcohol consumption is higher among upper middle class white high school students than among poor black high school students. 50

Mental model of poverty For families that live in second or third generation of poverty, Ruby Payne’s 2008 mental model of poverty helps explain how students and families approach their day to day living and think about the world. This, in turn, impacts how students approach school. Families living in generational poverty, emphasize is on relationships. Other common elements include the following: • Family and friends: Relationships are essential and needed for survival. •

Cars: Most vehicles are not dependable and require constant care.



Crime and safety: Protecting loved ones is a constant concern. Sixty to seventy percent of the people in prison are from poverty.



Jobs and money: Many work several jobs to make ends meet. There is no extra money when milk or gas prices increase.



Illness: Getting healthcare is tenuous. Much time is spent caring for the sick and many go to the emergency room for care.



Housing: Houses are crowded, people come and go, and they move frequently.



Food: There is concern that they will not have enough food or won’t have access to an affordable, quality grocery store.



Children: Children are their prized possession. unreliable or too expensive.



Entertainment: It is a driving force for many people in poverty and helps them survive the stress of everyday life.

However, childcare is often

In contrast, the mental model for families living in middle class emphasizes achievement. Other elements include the following: • Family and friends • Housing and assets • Education • Retirement • Careers • Children • Prevention such as insurances • Vacations Comparing and contrasting the mental models of poverty and middle class will help explain the different mindsets of the two populations. For example, students in poverty live in the present and students in middle class are asked to plan.

Expanding and strengthening classroom practice Even though we cannot eliminate the student’s lack of economic resources, there are many strategies teachers can implement to help minimize the impact that poverty has on the student’s success in school. Many of these intervention strategies apply to all students, but they are even more critical for those students who live in poverty: • Make school involvement accessible to all families (e.g. hold events at different times of the day and on weekends, allow families to participate in classroom activities). •

Continue to reach out to low-income families, even when they appear unresponsive. 51



Do not assume students have access to computers, the internet and/or extra supplies for projects. When assigning work that requires such access, provide supplies and in-school time to complete work.



Ensure that learning materials do not stereotype low-income families.



Make curriculum relevant to students, drawing upon and validating their experiences and strengths.



Build a respectful relationship with the student. This includes: o Insisting on high quality work o Offering support when needed o Calling students by name o Answering students’ questions o Talking and listening respectfully to students o Noticing students and saying “Hi”



Help students feel part of a collaborative culture by assigning a new student a buddy and by introducing new learning in paired assignments or cooperative groups.



Have all students practice translating phrases from casual/informal language register to a formal language register.



Pre-teach lessons emphasizing vocabulary and situations which students may have minimal background knowledge or experience.



Define the student resources in terms of: o Financial

o Mental

o Emotional

o Support systems

o Spiritual

o Relationships and role models

o Physical

o Knowledge of unspoken rules



Students who are at risk need interventions that draw upon the resources they possess. For example, if a student isn’t completing homework, asking the parents who work two jobs to help isn’t going to be effective. Rather, the school should provide a time and place at school to complete homework with support.



Explicitly teach the difference between in-school and out of school rules.



Teach students to ask questions. For instance, assign pairs of students an assignment and then have them compose multiple choice questions by filling in the blanks “When___ happened, why ___ did ____?”



For older students, have explicit conversations regarding the importance of education and how an education can help them be successful after high school.

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SECTION 5 IEP Team Decision Making: Evaluation and Eligibility Determination Background Knowledge A student is identified as having a disability when the student has an identified impairment and is in need of special education services. The amount and type of services a student receives depends on the strengths and areas of need. Misidentification of a student with a disability can occur when a student’s background, life experiences, educational history, language skills and racial and cultural variance are not taken into consideration in the educational setting. Completing a non-biased multicultural assessment: When completing a non-biased multicultural assessment, either as part of a classroom assessment or as part of an IEP evaluation, it is important for teams to review the assessment instruments through the lens of the student’s race and culture, background knowledge, and language proficiency. Additionally, it is essential to take into consideration the family’s cultural background, family structure, academic history, language proficiency and the amount and type of instruction the student has received. For students who speak more than one language, a basic understanding of second language acquisition is essential for completing nonbiased, multicultural assessments. Incomplete understanding of the student, may result in over or underestimating the student’s abilities. Many times schools have language preferences, customs and interaction styles that differ from their students and families who come from different cultures. As an educational institution, we often ask families to understand and adapt to the culture of White middle class Americans yet, we do not attempt to learn about and adapt to our students’ cultures. This can have an impact on many students’ success in school.

Research Research indicates that once a child is referred for a special education evaluation, there is an 85% chance that the student will be found to have a disability. Students from racial and ethnic minority groups are often inappropriately recognized as students with a disability. Furthermore, they are placed in special education settings that remove them from the general education curriculum and opportunities to learn advanced curriculum.

Considerations for Evaluation When the family and school staff have enough information to suspect a student has an impairment, a referral for a special education evaluation is completed. At this point, a vast amount of information regarding the student’s success in school should exist. This includes: 53

• • • • •

Progress on grade level or model academic standards Progress compared to peers from the same culture or educational background Information from the family Frequency, duration and impact of early intervening services External factors that may impact the student’s success in school

The family should have a good understanding of the process that is taking place. An IEP evaluation for special education is very different than school-based staff providing early intervening services. The family should be made aware that the process includes the possibility that their child will acquire a disability label and a change in civil rights status (if eligible under Wisconsin law for area of disability). During the evaluation process, information will be gathered to determine if the student has a disability. The law states that exclusionary factors must be addressed as part of eligibility criteria for a disability, including the lack of appropriate instruction in reading or math and limited English proficiency. The assessment must not be racially or culturally discriminatory. In order to adequately address the exclusionary factors as part of an IEP evaluation, it is important for school teams to have conversations about the students’ race, culture, and impact of exclusionary factors as part of early intervening services. The following questions are part of the Checklist to Address Culturally Responsive Practices and are intended to help staff address the exclusionary factors. • Were the interventions tried based on data and provided at an appropriate frequency, intensity and duration? (See section 2 of this manual for more information regarding how to address this question prior to making a referral.) •

How has the student’s family been involved in the problem-solving process? (See section 3 for more information regarding how to address this question prior to making a referral.)



Was there a mismatch between the student’s race, culture or unique background and experiences and the school environment that may contribute to the student's learning and behavior difficulties? (See section 4A for more information regarding how to address this question prior to making a referral.)



Were language differences a factor contributing to the student’s learning and/or behavioral difficulties? (See sections 4B and 4C for more information regarding how to address this question prior to making a referral.)



Was mobility or excessive absences a factor contributing to the student’s learning and/or behavioral difficulties? (See section 4D for more information regarding how to address this question prior to making a referral.)



Were life stressors (i.e. family health, divorce, immigration trauma, witness to violence) a factor contributing to the student’s learning and/or behavioral difficulties? (See section 4E for more information regarding how to address this question prior to making a referral.)



Were socio-economic and environmental status factors contributing to the student’s learning and/or behavioral difficulties? (See section 4F for more information regarding how to address this question prior to making a referral.)

The checklist must be completed prior to making an initial referral. It is also suggested that the questions in the checklist be addressed in re-evaluations when a team is suspects that a student has an additional impairment. 54

The information gathered through the checklist, along with classroom performance and progress made in response to interventions provides a strong foundation for completing a non-biased assessment. The IEP team uses this information to determine if additional formal and/or informal measurements need to be gathered.

Formal and informal measures If the IEP team determines that additional testing is needed, it is imperative for evaluators to use multiple measures which are conducted across settings and time and use multiple modalities. The indicators of an effective, comprehensive assessment include: • Assessment instruments are used for their intended purpose. • Assessments are appropriate for ages and other characteristics of the students being assessed. • The information assessed is developmentally and educationally significant. • Assessment information is used to determine eligibility. • Families are included in the assessment process. • Assessment evidence is gathered from realistic settings and situations that reflect the student’s actual performance. • Assessments use multiple sources of evidence gathered over time. • Use of individually administered, norm-referenced tests is limited.

Selecting a language to complete formal and informal measures for English Language Learners (ELLs) When assessing ELLs’ overall cognitive, social-emotional and physical development, evaluators need to be more aware of the abilities that a student can demonstrate without the use of language. When a child does not respond as expected to a language assessment, the evaluator may not know if it is because the child has not developed the capability, has not developed enough language to know what is being asked, or does not have enough language proficiency to respond. Therefore, it is important for evaluators to develop a series of language-free assessments that assess cognitive, academic, socialemotional and physical skills. If a student has been exposed to two or more languages, an assessment should be completed in English and the student’s heritage or primary language. Before conducting academic assessment in both languages, be certain that instruction has occurred in both languages. There are several reasons to conduct a dual- language assessment: • It is important to assess and monitor the student’s knowledge and progress in both English and the heritage language. • Students perform better when the language of assessment matches the language of instruction. Students are often “instructed” at home and in the education setting. The content and skills developed in both settings may be different. Therefore, assessment should occur in both languages. • Dual language assessment helps determine if the student is continuing to make gains in the heritage language while also making gains in English.

55

Strategies for completing formal and informal measures in both languages for ELLs • The evaluator must determine the student’s English proficiency level before any formal and informal assessment measures are completed to assure that the student has the skills to be tested in English. •

Whenever possible, equivalent instruments and procedures should be administered in English and the heritage language. This enables the IEP team to compare what the student knows in each language, and describe what the student knows cumulatively. For example a student who knows 3 colors in English and 2 different colors in Spanish, actually knows 5 colors in all.



Patterns of strengths and weaknesses should be identified to reflect what the student knows and can do regardless of the language in which the skill is demonstrated.



Testing should be conducted in the non-dominant language first and dominant language second. The dominant language is the language the student uses with greatest ease.



Evaluators should accept responses in which a student uses code switching as accurate (i.e. using words and grammar rules from both languages). See pages 32 for more information on code switching.



Always assess missed items in the student’s other language.



The best place to observe the student’s first language abilities is in the home.

Completing formal and informal measures in only one language for ELLs Completing an assessment in only one language should occur infrequently. The following are some limited situations in which this may be appropriate: • Testing is generally completed only in the primary or heritage language when the student has not been exposed to English at home or school. •

Academic testing is generally completed only in English when that is the only language in which instruction has been provided.

STANDARDIZED TESTS

Considerations when using standardized tests • Standardized tests that are normed on a population similar to the student should be used whenever possible. •

Tests should be administered by trained individuals who are familiar with the test protocol.



When the two conditions listed above have been met, the evaluator may consider reporting the tests’ standard scores. If standard scores are reported, the evaluator may need to qualify them.



When standard scores are reported, validity/reliability and the conditions of testing must be discussed.



Standard scores should not be used as the sole means to determine eligibility for special education. 56



Results of standardized tests must be cross-validated with data from other sources. For example, results of norm-referenced reading instruments in both languages can be compared to informal reading assessments in both languages.

Tips for administering standardized tests when the student does not match the standardization sample • Standardized tests are often not written in the student’s primary language and/or are not normed for that language. In this situation, a standardized test can be administered but only to help determine the student’s abilities and areas of need. Scores should not be reported. •

When an individual is not available to administer a test in the student’s primary language, an interpreter can be used to assist with the administration of the test. In this situation, the standardized test can be administered to help determine the student’s abilities and areas of need. Standard scores would normally not be reported. See Appendix F, Guidelines and Best Practices for Interpretation Services.



Staff should reference the MMSD approved assessment measures for possible formal measures.



Adaptive Scales should be completed with the parent so that areas, which may be influenced by cultural differences, can be discussed. A student from a different culture may have minimal opportunity to learn or practice some adaptive skill areas.



Work samples should be used to determine specific skill levels and the student’s rate of progress.



Teacher-administered assessments such as running records, checklists, writing assessments, regular progress monitors and informal inventories should be used more extensively as part of the assessment.



Norm-referenced instruments should be supplemented with performance based measures.



If there is a non-disabled sibling in the family, it is helpful to compare the acquisition of skills of each to help reduce cultural bias.



When standardized measures, which reflect the student’s cultural and linguistic background, are not available, information regarding progress made through early intervening services and criterion referenced tests become a more important part of the assessment process.

Before testing: • Information gathered from teachers regarding learning style, skill level, classroom participation, etc. should be as thorough as possible. •

The evaluator should help the student understand what is expected of him/her for both the formal and informal measures.



The student should be given time to practice doing tasks that are similar to, but not taken directly from the formal and informal measures.



Items may be reworded if needed to assure understanding of the questions being asked. The use of non-standard administration procedures must be noted in the report. 57



Obtain and use different picture stimuli that may be more representative of the student’s culture and background.



Use timed tests with caution, depending on the student’s exposure and experience in taking timed tests. Indicate the amount completed within the designated time frame and then allow the student to finish the task beyond the time limit.

During testing: • Begin each subtest with questions below the basal and end with questions beyond the ceiling. This allows the examiner to determine patterns of strengths and weaknesses. •

Qualitative notes should be taken about the student’s language use, comprehension and coping strategies during formal and informal measures.



Record both correct and incorrect responses and use that data when interpreting results.



Testing should occur over time and in everyday natural settings.



Standardization may be broken to allow the student to show a true picture of his/her ability. For example, the examiner may allow greater wait time, rephrase directions, and/or ask for explanations. Note this in your test protocol.



Repeat the test stimuli when necessary and more frequently than what is specified or allowed in the test manual.



Provide additional time for the student to respond.



Watch the student’s eye gaze and body movements for intent when there is no verbal response.



Accept culturally appropriate responses as correct.



Have the student explain why an “incorrect” answer was selected.



Have the student name the picture , in addition to pointing to the stimulus item to ascertain the appropriateness of the label for the picture representation.



Observations or data about a student are more likely to be accurate if it is verified by a number of people rather than only one source.

Additional considerations for ELLs • When a student is assessed in his/her primary language, the standardized assessments should be normed on a population that speaks the student’s primary language and it should be administered by a trained professional who is fluent in the language. When these standards are not met, validity is compromised and caution should be used when interpreting the standard scores. •

There may not be valid and reliable tests of intelligence in the student’s primary language. Even when racial and ethnic groups are represented in a standardization sample, tests are usually not normed specifically for students who are English Language Learners. For those students, verbal intelligence tests become measures of the student’s language proficiency. In this case, nonverbal measures should be used. Nonverbal measures should be supplemented with other informal measures. The exclusive use of non-verbal tests to assess cognition should be 58

used with caution. Non-verbal or performance measures can often fail to identify learning problems in verbal areas. •

Directly translating a test does not necessarily equate to an appropriately adapted assessment instrument.



When the student is assessed in English, the assessor must answer the question, “Does the student have enough English to understand and perform the task?”



Assessors can score a response as being correct even if the student responded in a different language than that in which the assessment was given.



Academic achievement testing should be attempted in any language in which the student has received at least one year of academic instruction. Test in the nondominant language first.



For students who have received bilingual education, academic achievement should be assessed in the heritage language and English.

Interpreting Results Any standardized test compares a student’s responses to those of the standardization sample. The closer the student is in culture, language and life experiences to the standardization samples, the more meaningful the obtained standardized scores will be. For this reason, when comparing a student who does not match the standardization sample, it is hard to interpret the meaning of the standard scores. When the validity of a standardized test may be compromised, it is important to collect as much information as possible during the testing that gives us insight into the student’s performance. More consideration needs to be given to the developmental history, observations, family interviews, instructional information, early intervening services and criterion referenced tests. All information needs to be taken into consideration when making a decision about whether a student has an impairment and needs special education.

Reporting standard test scores Standardized test scores may be reported in most situations using the standard error of measure. Scores should always be qualified based on whether: • The test manual identifies norms for a student population that is similar to the student being tested and • The test is able to measure what is being tested without the student’s second language acquisition, culture, unique background or life experiences interfering with test performance (e.g., administering a verbal IQ test, may measure language proficiency rather than intellectual functioning). • The test results are an adequate measure of the student’s performance. Standard scores are only one piece of information and should not be relied upon as the sole measure of eligibility.

Alternative ways to report assessment results • Look for patterns of behavior/ability. • Report strengths and weaknesses. 59

• •

Create an overall, cumulative picture of the student’s skills taking into account the student’s entire abilities including classroom performance, family concerns, and response to interventions. Consider scores of subtests that are less prone to bias.

Guidelines for interpreting data and determining eligibility • Assessment data must be interpreted through the lens of cultural and racial bias, the student’s language skills, background, socio-economic status, mobility and academic success. If necessary, IEP teams should consult experts such as psychologists, social workers, ESL teaches or other staff members who are familiar with these concepts. Additional considerations for ELLs • The impact of translating test items or modifying the test administration must be analyzed. This analysis may change across subtests. Consult with colleagues if you are unsure. • Distinguish the student’s academic skills verses language skills. o Look at non-verbal tests verses verbal tests. o Look at patterns of knowledge in all languages. • Compile test results across languages and give credit for items that are evident, even if they are only present in one language. Considerations when determining eligibility As the IEP team has a discussion about whether a student has an impairment, they utilize the following information: • Information collected and documented in SIMS as part of early intervening services, • Results from additional assessment (i.e. tests, observations), and • Information shared by family and staff regarding the review of existing data. According to state and federal mandates, when considering the impairment, the assessment and other evaluation materials used to assess the child are selected and administered so as not to be discriminatory on a racial or cultural bias, and are administered in the language and form most likely to yield accurate information on what the child knows and can do academically, developmentally, and functionally, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so. (Federal Register/Vol. 71, No. 156, Wisconsin Statute 115.782(2)(a) 3.a.) Additionally, a child must not be determined a child with a disability if the determinant factor is lack of appropriate instruction in reading or math; limited English proficiency; and if the child does not otherwise meet the eligibility criteria. (Code of Federal Regulations 300.306(b) and (c) ) In interpreting evaluation data for the purpose of determining if a child has a disability, the IEP team must draw upon information from a variety of sources, including attitude and achievement tests, parent input and teacher recommendations as well as information about the child’s physical condition, social or cultural background, and adaptive behavior. (Code of Federal Regulations 300.306(b) and (c) ) When IEP teams determine if a student has a disability, they should use the MMSD eligibility criteria checklists to help guide them through the decision making process. The 60

eligibility criteria worksheets outline the DPI eligibility criteria for each impairment. Additionally, IEP teams need to discuss how the exclusionary factors impact the findings. Based on an analysis of the information, the IEP team determines: • The student’s difficulties are primarily due to an impairment. • There is not enough information at this time to determine that the student has an impairment. • The student’s difficulties are primarily due to exclusionary factors. The child does not have an impairment. A sample of the eligibility criteria worksheets is found in Appendix E. A complete listing of all the eligibility criteria worksheets can be found on the district’s Special Education homepage at http://dww.madison.k12.wi.us/es/SpecEd/idea/rca/rca_practices.htm. Other factors to consider when determining if a child has an impairment include the following: • Disability cannot be measured solely on the ability to do certain tasks. • Disability must be permanent or long-lasting. Additional considerations for ELLs • Disabilities show up in both languages and across environments. • Students who are learning two languages may exhibit delays in both languages as the result of language loss in their primary language and developing skills in their second language.

Writing Reports All reports should be written following the appropriate impairment checklist(s) as a guide. Data to support and/or refute criteria must be documented. Additionally, evaluators should justify why specific typical tools were or were not used in the evaluation. If an assessment is not conducted under standard conditions, a description of the extent to which the conditions varied from standard conditions and the reasons for the deviation (e.g., the qualifications of the person administering the test or the method of test administration) must be included in the evaluation report. Examples of statements are as follows: • Keisha only speaks Spanish and items from tests were administered through an interpreter. Therefore, standardized test results are not reported at this time. Developmental levels, observations, work samples over time and classroom performance more accurately depict Keisha’s performance at this time. • The formal tests administered to Oswaldo were normed on Spanish speaking children. However, adaptations were made to ensure understanding of the task. On one measure, real objects were used instead of pictures. Also, some instructions were repeated throughout the evaluation.

Eligibility Criteria The IEP chairperson is responsible for capturing the discussion regarding the IEP team’s eligibility criteria and need for special education. Below are examples of eligibility criteria statements various impairments where the student met and did not meet criteria based on the exclusionary factors. 61

Emotional Behavioral Disabilities Criteria Met: Student exhibits behavioral functioning that departs from the norms in the areas of personal and classroom adjustment. Student’s behaviors are chronic, frequent, and severe as evidenced in the school and community in after-school programs. Student displays an inappropriate affective or behavioral response to a normal situation and extreme aggressiveness over long periods of time. Student’s behaviors were compared to students of the same cultural background and the behaviors are significant. A social history interview with parent also supports that the student’s behaviors are significantly different from friends, neighbors and family members. As these behaviors significantly interfere with educational performance, criteria is met. Criteria Not Met: Student exhibits behavioral functioning that departs from the norms in the areas of personal and classroom adjustment. Student’s behaviors are chronic, frequent, and severe as evidenced in the school and community in after-school programs. Student displays an inappropriate affective or behavioral response to a normal situation and extreme aggressiveness over long periods of time. Parent information does not support differences in behaviors when compared to peers and family members of same culture. Classroom norms are also culturally different that those of the student’s so criteria is not met.

Other Health Impairments Criteria Met: Student demonstrated limited ability to maintain attention, attend and sustain efforts due to medical diagnosis of ADHD. Student has been homeless for over one year and has been very mobile with multiple life stressors. Student has history of involvement in the TEP program, transportation was provided to maintain attendance above district standards, breakfast, lunch and snacks were provided at school and the family received support from the school social worker for medical appointments and assistance obtaining housing. Team concurs that despite the mobility and life stressors, significant and successful interventions have been and continue to be in place. However, even with numerous interventions, the student’s limited abilities significantly impact his educational performance and criteria is met. Criteria not met: Student demonstrated limited ability to maintain attention, attend and sustain efforts due to medical diagnosis of ADHD. Student has been homeless for over one year and has been very mobile with multiple life stressors. Student’s attendance is below district standards and although involved in pharmaceutical interventions in the past, has not been taking prescribed medications. Student’s mother reports she is attempting to find housing. Team concurs that the student’s limited abilities significantly impact his educational performance but due to mobility, life stressors and attendance, and lack of interventions, criteria is not met.

Speech & Language Impairment Criteria Met: Student demonstrates many oral language skills consistent with an English Language Learner and overall developmental levels of ability. Student’s speech intelligibility skills, however, are thought to be significantly interfering with their social and academic skills, which is due to multiple speech sounds errors that are not considered to be dialectically appropriate 62

Criteria Met: Student’s oral language skills are significantly disordered and not thought to be the result of second language acquisition. These deficits appear to be significantly interfering with his/her academic development and social performance skills. Criteria Not Met: Student is an English language Learner (DPI level 3) she has demonstrated “average” oral language skills both in Spanish and English as determined on formal and informal measures of assessment. Criteria Not Met: Student’s oral language skills, in her dominant language of Spanish, were found to be in the low average ranges of ability. At a DPI level 2, her English skills continue to emerge. Overall oral language skills in both Spanish and English are thought to be consistent with a child who is learning and using dual languages.

Specific Learning Disabilities Criteria Met: Student displays severe classroom delay in the areas of basic reading skills, reading comprehension and reading fluency as measured by classroom, district and state assessments. Student exhibits a significant discrepancy between his/her intellectual ability and academic functioning as measured by formal cognitive academic assessments. Student displays an information processing deficit in the areas of retrieval and organization as indicated by cognitive assessment subtest splits and performance data. In addition to regular instruction in these areas, student was involved in Rock and Read, Reading Recovery and has had a peer tutor to supplement daily reading instruction. Team concurred that criteria is met. Criteria Not Met: Student displays severe classroom delay in the areas of basic reading skills, reading comprehension and reading fluency as measured by classroom, district and state assessments. Student exhibits a significant discrepancy between his/her intellectual ability and academic functioning as measured by formal cognitive and academic assessments. Student displays an information processing deficit in the areas of retrieval and organization as indicated by cognitive assessment subtest splits and performance data. Student recently transferred from out of state to Madison. Based on interviews with previous staff and parents, the team concurred that student did not receive adequate instruction or additional support/interventions. Criteria is not met at this time. The team would like to assess the student’s rate of learning when appropriate interventions are provided. Need for special education If the child has been identified as having an impairment, the IEP team must then consider what effect, if any, the impairment has on the child’s ability to access the general curriculum and meet educational standards of same age/grade peers in all areas. The team begins the discussion by considering the Least Restrictive Environment, regular education. • A relevant summary of the student’s ability to access and participate in the general curriculum and meet educational standards is discussed and documented. •

If the child is able to access the general curriculum and meet educational standards in all areas in regular education as structured, then there is no need for special education



If the child is not able to access the general curriculum and meet educational standards in all areas in regular education as structured, the team identifies those areas in which the child has further needs. The team then considers whether the 63

child’s needs can be met through additional interventions and differentiation provided by regular education. •

If the IEP team determines that the child’s needs cannot be met in all areas by regular education due to the child’s impairment, the team then decides what accommodations and/or modifications should be provided by special education.



If the child is in need of accommodations and modifications from special education and/or is in need of alternate curriculum provided by special education, then the child needs, or continues to need special education.

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65

Completed by:

Grade:

School:

Student #:

Student:

Student Support and Intervention Team Date completed

Teacher Support Team Date completed

Instructional Team Date completed

Section II: Response to Interventions

The Checklist to Address Culturally Responsive Practices

Appendix A

The Checklist for Culturally Responsive Practices in Schools

If “A” applies, check the . If “B” applies, complete the rubric. A. The interventions tried were based on data and implemented with fidelity. This is not a primary factor in the student’s learning or behavior difficulties in school. B. The fidelity of the interventions may be a factor. Our team’s analysis indicates: Interventions 0 1 2 3 4 are based on No The intervention The intervention selected was The intervention selected The intervention data information is selected was based selected was based on: was based on: based on: available at on: • the “flag” in SIMS • the “flag” in SIMS, and • the “flag” in SIMS, this time. • the “flag” in SIMS, • previous • consistently administered, • previous assessment and assessment frequent and varied information, information, and assessments. • previous • teacher’s observation of assessment • teacher’s the student’s Progress monitoring probes information. observation of the performance, and were frequently administered student’s • ongoing classroom Progress monitoring and used to determine whether performance. assessments. was not attempted. the intervention was effective. Progress monitoring Progress monitoring was was infrequently attempted at least at the attempted. beginning and end of the intervention. Interventions 0 1 2 3 4 are No Interventions were Interventions were Interventions were usually Interventions were consistently implemented information is unable to be provided inconsistently provided provided at the frequency, provided at the frequency, with the available at with the frequency, at the frequency, intensity and duration intensity and duration planned appropriate this time. duration, or intensity intensity, and duration planned for the student. for the student. frequency, planned. planned. intensity, Implementation allows Implementation allows teams to and duration The effectiveness of It is likely that a teams to draw conclusions draw conclusions regarding the the intervention cannot different schedule of regarding the effectiveness effectiveness of the be determined. intervention of the intervention. intervention. implementation would result in better student progress. Comments

1. Were the interventions tried based on data and provided at an appropriate frequency, intensity and duration?

Directions: Respond to questions 1-7 below by checking the description that most closely matches the results of the interventions tried and the student’s performance. Comments may be added by typing in the comment box below each question.

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Comments

Translation is provided

Staff and families share information and problem solve together

No information is available at this time.

0

2

Some materials are translated into the student’s home language. An interpreter is sometimes available and offered.

An interpreter is not offered to the family.

2

Opportunities for the school and family to mutually problem solve have not occurred.

The student’s family has been informed about school concerns. They have had some opportunities to learn how the school proposes to address the concerns.

Materials are not translated into the student’s home language.

1

The school and family do not yet have a cooperative working relationship.

1 Concerns about the student have not been shared with the student’s family.

0

No information is available at this time.

3

4

Written materials are consistently translated into the student’s home language. An interpreter is consistently available and offered.

An interpreter is usually available and offered.

4

Varying opportunities for the family to participate in their child’s schooling are consistently available.

Conversations between the student’s family and staff consistently include mutual problem solving, information about family values, and the student’s interests and experiences.

A variety of information sharing approaches have been used on a consistent basis.

Written materials are usually translated into the student’s home language.

3

Opportunities for the family to participate in their child’s schooling are often available.

Mutual problem solving occurs regularly.

The student’s family and staff have had several opportunities to share and exchange ideas about strategies to support the student.

2. How has the student’s family been involved in the problem-solving process?

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If “A” applies, check the . If “B” applies, complete the rubric. A. Race, culture, and unique background and experiences are not a primary factor in the student’s learning or behavior difficulties in school. B. The student’s race, culture and unique background and experiences may be a factor. Our team’s analysis indicates: Student’s 0 1 2 3 4 culture, No The student has few The student has The student has regular The student has regular language and information is opportunities to share occasional opportunities to share opportunities to share information heritage is available at his/her life experiences opportunities to share his/her life experiences regarding his/her life experiences valued this time. with others in the his/her life experiences with others in the with others in the classroom. This classroom. with others in the classroom. information is considered when classroom. instructional activities are planned. The student does not The student occasionally see self represented in The student seldom sees self represented in The student consistently sees self the curriculum and sees self represented the curriculum and represented in the curriculum and classroom materials. in the curriculum and classroom materials. classroom materials. classroom materials. The student has few The student has several The student has numerous relationships with staff The student has some relationships with staff or relationships with staff or peers that or peers that are relationships with staff peers that are trusting, are trusting, reciprocal and trusting, reciprocal and or peers that are reciprocal and supportive. supportive. trusting, reciprocal and supportive. supportive. Student has 0 1 2 3 4 the opportunity No The student has few The student has The student has regular The student has regular to utilize prior information is opportunities to build on occasional opportunities to build on opportunities to build on prior knowledge & available at prior knowledge and opportunities to build prior knowledge and knowledge and experiences. learning style this time. experiences. on prior knowledge and experiences. preferences experiences. The student’s classroom are The student The student’s classroom experiences are consistently accommodated experiences a few The student experiences frequently connected to his/her culture via classroom activities with experiences some incorporate varied community based experiences and varied learning style classroom activities learning style activities activities that use varied learning activities and with varied learning and interactions. styles and interactions. interactions. style activities and interactions.

3. Was there a mismatch between the student's race, culture or unique background and experiences and the school environment that may contribute to the student's learning or behavior difficulties?

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69

Comments

Student understands the rules and expectations

The student seldom receives encouragement and support. The student occasionally receives encouragement and support.

The student occasionally participates in school activities designed to increase engagement and connection to school.

The student seldom participates in school activities designed to increase engagement and connection to school.

2 Some rules and expectations are reviewed explicitly and regularly with the student.

1 The rules and expectations are implied but not reviewed explicitly and regularly with the student.

0

No information is available at this time.

3

The student frequently receives encouragement and support.

The student frequently participates in school activities designed to increase engagement and connection to school.

Most of the rules and expectations are reviewed explicitly and regularly with the student.

4

The student consistently receives encouragement and support.

The student consistently participates in school activities designed to increase engagement and connection to school.

All rules and expectations are explicitly taught, visually displayed, and regularly reviewed to ensure the student’s learning and understanding.

Comments

If “A” applies, check the . If “B” applies, complete the rubric. A. Language differences are not a primary factor in the student’s learning or behavior difficulties in school. B. Language differences may be a factor. Our team’s analysis indicates: Student’s 0 1 2 3 language skills No The student’s use and The student’s use and The student’s use and are assessed information is understanding of oral understanding of oral and understanding of oral and available at and written language is written language is written language is this time. not assessed. assessed using quizzes assessed prior to the and end of lesson tests. start and at the end of instruction. Interventions 0 1 2 3 are provided No The student does not The student sometimes The student usually to explicitly information is experience interventions experiences interventions experiences interventions teach the use available at to support the to support the to support the and this time. understanding and use understanding and use of understanding of and use understanding of oral and written oral and written language. of oral and written of oral and language. language. written The student’s language language skills The student’s language level and vocabulary The student’s language level and vocabulary development is sometimes level and vocabulary development is not a matched to the language development is usually match to the language used in classroom matched to the language used in classroom instruction. used in classroom instruction. instruction. The student occasionally The student rarely has has access to texts and The student usually has access to texts and other curriculum materials access to texts and other other curriculum that are rich in visuals. curriculum materials that materials that are rich in are rich in visuals. visuals. Student has 0 1 2 3 the No The student has The student sometimes The student has frequent opportunity to information is opportunities to practice has opportunities to opportunities to practice practice and available at oral and written practice oral and written oral and written language regularly use this time. language as part of language as part of large in large and small group new language instruction for the whole and small group instruction. skills class. instruction. Instructive feedback is Instructive feedback is Instructive feedback is usually provided. not provided occasionally provided.

4

Instructive feedback is consistently provided.

The student has consistent, ongoing opportunities to practice oral and written language skills in large and small group as well as individual instruction.

4

The student consistently has access to texts and other curriculum materials that are rich in visuals.

The student’s language level and vocabulary development is consistently matched to the language used in classroom instruction.

The student experiences consistent and frequent interventions to support the understanding and use of oral and written language.

4

The student’s use and understanding of oral and written language is consistently and continually assessed.

4. Were language differences a factor contributing to the student’s learning and/or behavioral difficulties?

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If “A” applies, check the . If “B” applies, complete the rubric. A. Excessive absences and/or mobility are not primary factors contributing to the student’s learning or behavior difficulties in school. B. Absences and/or mobility may be a factor. Our team’s analysis indicates: Attendance and 0 1 2 3 4 mobility No information The student’s Information about the A good picture of the A thorough picture of the student’s patterns are is available at attendance and student’s attendance and student’s attendance and attendance and mobility was assessed this time. mobility patterns have mobility was gathered from mobility was gathered gathered from school records and not been investigated. school records. from school records and interviews with the student and interviews with the family. Root causes of the student and family. observed patterns are not Root causes of the observed yet identified. A hypothesis is formed patterns are well understood. regarding possible root causes of the observed patterns. Interventions 0 1 2 3 4 are provided to No information The student has not The student sometimes The student often The student consistently improve is available at yet experienced experiences interventions experiences interventions experiences interventions to attendance and this time. interventions to that address the root cause that address the root resolve issues that address the mobility and/or improve attendance or of poor attendance and cause of poor attendance root cause of poor attendance and reduce the reduce the impact of reduce the impact on and reduce the impact on accelerate the student’s progress impact on poor attendance learning and behavior. learning and behavior. in learning and behavior. learning and and/or mobility on behavior learning and behavior. The new student and family The new student and The new student and family receive initial information to family often receive consistently experience support to There has been no help in the transition to a support to adjust to adjust to school and build contact with the new environment. school and build relationships with peers. student’s family. relationships with peers. Engagement 0 1 2 3 4 and connection No information The student has not The student has some The student has frequent The student consistently has to school are is available at yet experienced opportunities and receives opportunities and opportunities and receives encouraged this time. opportunities to some encouragement to receives frequent encouragement to participate in participate in activities participate in activities and encouragement to activities and events that will that increase his/her events that will increase participate in activities increase his/her connection to connection to school. his/her connection to and events that will school, including personal contact school. increase his/her to invite involvement. connection to school. Comments

5. Were mobility or excessive absences a factor contributing to the student’s learning and/or behavioral difficulties?

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If “A” applies, check the . If “B” applies, complete the rubric. A. Life stressors are not a primary factor contributing to the student’s learning or behavior difficulties in school. B. Life stressors may be a factor. Our team’s analysis of life stressors indicates: Information 0 1 2 3 about life No information Information about The student and family The student and family stressors is is available at potential life stressors provided some information provided some gathered this time. has not yet been about potential life information about life gathered. stressors. stressors that may have impacted the student’s The lack of a trusting performance in the past. relationship between school and home limited the data Incomplete data is available. available about current potential life stressors. Interventions 0 1 2 3 are provided to No information The student has not The student has received The student has received reduce the is available at yet received some interventions to frequent Interventions to impact of the this time. Interventions to reduce the impact of the life reduce the impact of the life stressor reduce the impact of stressor. life stressor. the life stressor. Student and 0 1 2 3 family connect No information The student and The student and family have The student and family to community is available at family have not yet been provided with print have had explanations supports this time. been provided with material about community about available information about resources that might help community resources. community resources them cope with the that might help them identified life stressor. Staff have provided some cope with the assistance to help the identified life stressor. student or family access community supports. Comments

Family, school and community work together to support the success of the student.

The student and family have received regular, direct assistance to access community supports.

4

The student has consistently received interventions to minimize the impact of the life stressor.

4

There is consistent ongoing communication between the student, family and school about the impact of life stressors on the student’s performance, including a complete history.

4

6. Were life stressors (i.e. family health, divorce, immigration trauma, witness to violence) a factor contributing to the student’s learning and/or behavioral difficulties?

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Comments

Some assistance to help the family access community supports has been provided.

If “A” applies, check the . If “B” applies, complete the rubric. A. Socio-economic status is not a primary factor contributing to the student’s learning or behavior difficulties in school. B. Socio-economic status may be a factor. Our team’s analysis indicates: Information 0 1 2 3 about socioNo Information about the The family provided some The family provided economic status information family’s socio-economic information about their some information about (SES) and how it is available status and how it impacts socio-economic status and their socio-economic impacts learning at this time. the student’s performance how it impacts the student’s status that may have and/or behavior in school has not yet been performance. impacted the student’s is gathered considered. performance in the past. The lack of a trusting relationship between school Incomplete data is and home limits the available about current information available. status. Interventions are 0 1 2 3 provided to No The student has not yet The student has The student has often reduce impact information participated in experienced some experienced is available interventions to reduce the interventions to reduce the interventions to reduce at this time. impact of the family’s impact of the family’s socio- the impact of the family’s socio-economic status on economic status on his/her socio-economic status his/her success in school. success in school. on his/her success in school. Student and 0 1 2 3 family connect to No The family has not yet The family has been The family has received community information been provided with provided with print material explanations about supports is available information about available about available community available community at this time. community resources. resources. resources.

Family, school and community work together to support the success of the student.

The family has received regular, direct assistance to access community supports.

4

The student consistently experiences interventions to reduce the impact of the family’s socio-economic status on his/her success in school.

4

There is consistent ongoing communication between the family and school about how socio-economic status impacts the student’s performance in school.

4

7. Were socio-economic and environmental status factors contributing to the student’s learning and/or behavioral difficulties?

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Please indicate conclusions and recommendations by selecting from the following statements: ◘ The student made progress and no longer requires intervention. ◘ The student is making progress; choose new interventions from the next level to accelerate progress or address additional needs; continue to monitor progress. ◘ The student has not made progress. Choose new interventions from the current level and continue to monitor progress. ◘ The student has not made progress. Choose new interventions from the next level and continue to monitor progress. ◘ The student has not made progress and multiple attempts at intervention have been tried. Make a referral to special education. ◘ Other:

How do external factors (i.e., language, culture, mobility, life stressors, socio-economic status, and environmental factors) interfere with the student’s learning or behavior in school?

How was the student’s family involved in the process?

Summarize the interventions tried and the student’s progress.

What were the main concerns about the student?

8. Please provide a brief analysis of the interventions tried, the student’s progress over time, and responses to questions 1 – 7 of the checklist. Identify evidence that supports the conclusions reached, either in the report format below or as an attachment. Be sure to be specific and present data here rather than referencing information that can be found in another location.

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Appendix B Classroom Practices for the Culturally Responsive Teacher While the practices listed below are good for all students’ learning, they are especially supportive of students whose cultural backgrounds are different from those predominately found in Madison schools MMDS Framework Relationships

Best Practice Encourage parent/family participation in school and classroom activities by providing transportation, childcare, translation, etc.

Rationale Provides opportunities to share life experiences and values family contribution

Relationships

Open communication – listen and speak without judgment in order to understand point of view

Builds trust

Relationships

Create an inclusive learning environment where everyone feels o.k. to be themselves

Nurtures students’ feeling of belonging at school; supports engagement in learning

Relationships

Build an authentic and caring relationship with each student

Engages students in academic learning

Relationships and Engagement

Get to know student’s family history, values, make-up, favorite activities, concerns, strengths, aspirations for the future

Supports a caring climate and curriculum development

Relationships and Engagement

Consider home visits to share information and communicate around student needs

May provide opportunities to connect with disconnected families

Relationships and Learning

Create regular opportunities for student to student conversations around curricular topics

Allows for social construction of understanding; Stimulates higher order thinking

Relationships and Learning

Use cooperative learning strategies

Provides opportunities to socially construct understanding and share experiences leading to valuing of diverse perspectives

Engagement

Develop curriculum that includes and honors life experiences and cultures of all children

Creates a sense of belonging; Expresses valuing of diversity

Engagement

Set learning goals with students

Encourages student to buy-in to academic learning; builds self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation

Engagement

Provide rubrics early in curricular project timeline

Allows student to know and understand the academic target and self-assess; stimulates intrinsic motivation to learn; sets clear expectations and guides learning

Engagement

Design learning experiences that are authentic (similar to real life experiences)

Assists students in valuing learning by making the relevance explicit

Engagement

Differentiate curriculum

Provides opportunities for all students to participate in classroom learning

Engagement

Value intellectual competence and communicate that value in front of students by providing time to express thoughts and ideas and being open to divergent opinions

Creates a climate that promotes academic success

Engagement

Design curricular projects that connect to student’s community

Communicates valuing of community; Supports student buy-in

Engagement

Pose questions for debate of importance to student’s community, culture, race or ethnicity.

Makes learning relevant; Stimulates higher order thinking

Engagement and Learning

Use positive analogies from students’ lives to explain new concepts

Creates authentic learning and connects to prior knowledge

Learning

Provide clear and explicit feedback for learning

Defines high expectations; establishes an

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MMDS Framework

Best Practice

Rationale expectation of continuous learning for each child

Learning

Set high expectations for each child’s learning

Communicates a belief that all children can learn

Learning

Provide individual conferences during class time

Allows time to develop relationship and provide individualized feedback for next steps in learning

Learning

Pre-assess

Begins instruction within student’s Zone of Proximal Development and moves forward

Learning

Use ongoing formative assessment

Allows for adjustment of instruction based on student need; supports student success in value added learning

Learning

Build vocabulary and concept knowledge

Vocabulary development allows access to power through use of academic language

Learning

Explicitly compare home language to academic language

Supports student understanding of expectations; assists student in code switching

Learning

Provide content reading materials in home language

Access to knowledge and concept development; Student continues to learn content while in the process of learning language

Learning

Provide and teach use of bilingual dictionaries and other tools that support transition to independence

Supports student learning and independent skills

Learning

Teach information gathering strategies

Supports transition to independent learning

Learning

Teach technology skills

Access to power in 21st century

Learning

Develop study guides that outline key concepts and define key vocabulary in simplified language

Supports understanding; allows for more process time and review

Learning

Provide visual cues, graphic organizers, and hands-on experiences when introducing new concepts, strategies or skills

Provides supportive scaffold to access learning; addresses various learning styles

Learning

Explore personal culture

Deepens understanding of culture as a concept; teaches awareness of other cultures

Learning

Consider different perspectives when creating and delivering curriculum – whose perspective is this?

Supports development of critical literacy; Develops awareness of bias

Learning

Advocate for common planning time with specialists

Learn strategies from more experienced professionals; Share what works with others; Brainstorm solutions to issues in the classroom

Learning

Make connections between culture, language, prior knowledge and new learning

Allows student to process new learning by connecting to what is already known

Learning

Explicitly compare and contrast life and traditions in home culture versus school culture

Assists student in understanding expectations at school to make code switching explicit

Learning

Allow student use of home language in the classroom

Supports understanding of concepts through access to prior knowledge

Learning

Explicitly teach thinking strategies

Allows student to develop academic habits of mind which allows access to power

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Appendix B Culturally Responsive Classroom Practices at a Glance 1. Welcomes students by name as they enter the classroom • Correctly pronounces students’ names

11. Uses random response strategies, for example • Numbered heads • Color-coded cards • Equity sticks/calling sticks/calling cards

2. Uses eye contact with high- and low-achieving students 3. Uses proximity with high- and low-achieving students equitably

12. Uses cooperative learning structures, for example • Think-Pair-Share • Teammates consult • Jigsaw • Pairs check • Partner A and B • Boggle • Last word

4. Uses body language, gestures, and expressions to convey a message that all students’ questions and opinions are important • Smiles • Nods head in affirmation • Leans toward the student

13. Structures heterogeneous and cooperative groups for learning

5. Arranges the classroom to accommodate discussion • Teacher to student • Student(s) to student(s)

14. Uses probing and clarifying techniques to assist students to answer, for example • Restates the question • Breaks down the question into smaller ones • Asks a related question • Gives the student a hint, clue, or prompt

6. Ensures bulletin boards, displays, instructional materials, and other visuals in the classroom reflect the racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds represented by students 7. Uses a variety of visual aids and props to support student learning

15. Acknowledges all students’ comments, responses, questions, and contributions by • Affirming • Correcting • Probing

8. Learns, uses, and displays some words in students’ heritage languages. 9. Models use of graphic organizers, for example • Venn diagram • Anticipation guide • Flow chart • Concept ladder

16. Seeks multiple perspectives • “That’s one idea. Does anyone else have another?” • “That’s one way to solve the problem. Who did it another way?”

10. Uses class building and team building activities to promote peer support for academic achievement, for example • Uncommon commonalities • Round-the-clock buddies • Four corners • Line-up

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21. Asks students for feedback on the effectiveness of instruction • Asks students to indicate the learning activities that are effective in helping them to learn • Uses the plus/delta quality tool to discern what instructional practices help students learn • Uses interviews, surveys, and questionnaires to gather feedback from students • Uses exit cards

17. Uses multiple approaches to consistently monitor students’ understanding of instruction, directions, procedures, processes, questions, and content, for example • Thumbs up • Unison response • One question quiz • Envelope please 18. Identifies students’ current knowledge before instruction, for example • Wordsplash • K-W-L • “What do you think when you hear the word _____?” • Evidence of pre-assessment

22. Provides students with the criteria and standards for successful task completion • Evaluates student work by providing performance criteria (i.e. rubrics, exemplars, anchor papers)

19. Uses students’ real life experiences to connect school learning to students’ lives • Asks students to reflect upon and discuss the following questions at the start and throughout a unit of study o “What events or situations occur in your family or neighborhood that requires some knowledge of _____?” o “How does knowing about _____ benefit your interactions in your family, neighborhood, or school?” o “How does not knowing about _____ impede your interactions in your family, neighborhood, or school?”

23. Gives students effective, specific oral and written feedback that prompts improved performance

20. Uses Wait Time 1 and 2 • Wait Time 1: Teacher silently waits at least 3-5 seconds for a student’s response after posing a question • Wait Time 2: Teacher silently pauses at least 3 seconds to consider the student’s response before affirming, correcting, or probing • Pauses silently following a student’s response to allow other students to consider their reactions, responses, and extensions • Structures silent think time before expecting students to respond

26. Asks higher-order questions equitably of high- and low-achieving students • Analysis questions • Synthesis questions • Evaluation questions

24. Provides multiple opportunities to use effective feedback to revise and resubmit work for evaluation against the standard 25. Models positive self-talk • Uses think-aloud • Consistently gives students four key messages • Shares stories of overcoming obstacles through effort • Recognizes students’ use of effective effort

27. Provides individual help to high- and low-achieving students

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Appendix C Family Discussion/Interview Tool This tool is designed to be used by teachers and staff when they want to gather more information about the family. The first part of the tool provides general information about the family and it is for teachers and/or instructional team members to use. The second part of the tool is designed for a member of the SSIT team (e.g. psychologist, social worker, nurse) to use with families. It asks families to share more in-depth information about the student, including a family history, development milestones and educational history.

Part I: Discussion tool to be used by teachers or the instructional team Staff may use the interview tool in its entirety or choose to use sections of the tool that apply to the individual student/family Name of student:_____________________ Age:_______________ Date of Interview: _________ Primary Caregiver:____________________ Birthdate:___________ Languages spoken at home: Country of origin:_____________________ Grade: _____________ ________________________ Individual being interviewed: __________________ Relationship to student:___________________ I. Family Structure: 1. Tell me a little bit about (name of student). 2. What are some of his/her likes and dislikes? 3. What are the strengths of your child (academic and/or social)? 4. What does your family do together for recreation/fun? 5. How many siblings does your child have? What are the ages of the siblings? 6. Do any other relatives live in the home? Who are they?

II. Home Language: Language Use 1. What language(s) are spoken by your family? What other languages has your child been exposed to? 2. What is the language most frequently used by the child at home? a. What is the language most frequently used by the parent with the child b. What is the language most frequently used by adults with each other at home c.

What is the language most frequently used by the child with siblings

3. What was the first language learned by the student?__________________

Comprehension (determine answers for both English and the child’s primary language) 1. Can your child follow directions? Primary Language: One step _____ Two steps _____ More than two steps _____ English: One step _____ Two steps _____ More than two steps _____ 2. How well does your child usually understand what others say to him/her? Primary Language: English: 3. Does your child understand humor? 79

Primary Language: English: 4. When a story is shared with your child, in what language is it typically shared ______________ How does your child respond the story? 5. Do you have any other comments or concerns about your child’s language?

III. Health and Development 1. What health problems, if any, has your child faced in the past? *allergies, hearing, vision, 2. Is your child currently taking any medications? If so, what? 3. What, if any, current concerns do you have regarding your child’s health? 4. What, if any, concerns do you have about your child’s sleeping habits? 5. What, if any, concerns do you have about your child’s behavior?

IV. Educational History 1. Does your student have any unique or unusual instructional needs? What, if any, are the barriers to learning for your child? 2. What effective strategies have been implemented for your child? 3.

Has your child ever displayed difficulties in learning things at home? At daycare? In any other settings?

4. Who does your child typically ask for help with homework? Does your schedule allow you to be able to help student with homework? If not, is there anyone available for him/her? 5. What impact has your race or culture had on your child’s success in school? Was it positive or negative? 6. Are there any grades where your child was more successful or struggled more than others? Explain

VI. Socialization/Vocation 1. Who are your child’s friends outside of school, or which peers does your child spend the most time with? 2. What are your perspectives on his/her ability to develop and maintain friendships? 3. What teacher/student relationships have positively affected him/her during his/her school career?

The questions in this interview tool are adapted from various sources, including information from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Turnbull

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Part II: Discussion tool to be used by SSIT team members Staff may use the interview tool in its entirety or choose to use sections of the tool that apply to the individual student/family. If the teacher interview questions were not completed, staff may want to use both interview tools Name of student:_____________________ Age:_______________ Date of Interview: _________ Primary Caregiver:____________________ Birthdate:___________ Languages spoken at home: Country of origin:_____________________ Grade: _____________ ________________________ Individual being interviewed: __________________ Relationship to student:___________________ I. Family Structure: 1. What changes has the family been through, such as loss of a loved one, a move, financial or economic difficulties etc? How did this affect the family?

2. How did this affect the student academically and socially?

3. How often has your family moved to a different city? Different apartment/house?

4. How is discipline handled with him/her? Who is the main person responsible for consequences in his/her life?

5. What supports or resources does your family have through the school or in the community? What kind of information (housing, food, transportation) do you need?

6. What is the parent/family’s educational background?

7. What occupations do family members hold?

III. Home Language: Language Use Tell me a little about how your child is able to communicate, express him/herself English Exposure 1. At what age was your child first exposed to English?

2. Does your child regularly travel to other countries? If yes, how often? During the visit, observe and document the language spoken at home, amount of interactions with other children and the language spoken, the amount of communication in the home, by whom and in which language?

Comprehension (determine answers for both English and the child’s primary language) 1. Does your child understand humor? Primary Language: English: 2. What does your child do if he/she does not understand what others have said to him/her? Primary Language: English: 3. Does your child watch television or listen to the radio? Primary Language: English: 81

Oral Expression 1. At what age did your child begin to use words to communicate?

2. At what age did your child begin to combine words?

3. Has your child’s speech ever been difficult to understand? Primary Language: English: 4. Did anyone else in the family have speech that was difficult to understand? If yes, who

5. Is your child able to answer single questions (e.g. who, what, where, yes, no) Primary Language: English: 6. How does your child’s language compare to his/her siblings and playmates? Primary Language: English: 7. What language does your child use to: Greet ______________ Make choices ______________ Make requests ______________ Comment ______________ Initiate conversation ______________ Retell a story ______________ Tell about his/her day ______________ 8. Did your child ever stop talking for any reason?

9. Does your child seem to be losing his/her ability to speak in your primary language as s/he has more exposure to English?

10. Do you have any other comments or concerns about your child’s language?

III. Self Help 1. What are some concerns you have about your child’s ability to get to and from school? 2. Does he/she know the household address and phone number? 3. Does s/he ask for assistance when needed?

Eating habits 1. What is your child’s eating habits? Feeds self ______________ Uses utensils ______________ Eats a variety of foods ______________ Sits down at mealtime with family ______________ Drinks from a cup ______________ Gets food for self ______________ Dislikes any food ______________ 82

2. Do you have any concerns about your child’s eating?

Toileting 3. What are your child’s toileting skills? Age of potty training ______________ Independence in using the bathroom ______________ Dry at night ______________ 4. Do you have any concerns about your child’s toileting skills? Dressing 1. What are your child’s dressing skills? Task Independent Taking off clothing Putting on pants Putting on shirt Putting on shoes and socks

Needs Help

Dependent

Assisting with coat Self dressing Undressing Choosing own clothing 2. Do you have any concerns about your child’s dressing skills?

IV. Health and Development 1. Were there any significant events during the pregnancy and delivery of your child, such as complications or illnesses? 2. Were you able to access health care during and/or after your pregnancy?

3. Have there been any concerns with him/her regarding: Health ______________ General development ______________ Hospitalizations ______________ Ear Infections ______________ Trauma ______________ 4. Do you have any concerns about your child’s sleeping habits? Regular bed time ______________ Sleep through the night ______________ Sleep in own bed ______________ 5. Do you have any concerns about your child’s behavior? At home ______________ At school ______________ In the community ______________

V. Educational History 1. What concerns have there been in regards to his/her grades or report cards? 2. Has your child ever had an evaluation due to developmental or learning difficulties? 83

3. Has he/she ever displayed learning difficulties that might be related to language acquisition? Which language?

4. How can we make this educational experience a positive one for him/her and your family?

5. Has anyone in his/her family had learning difficulties of any kind?

6. Please describe your child’s educational history Grade/Age Location Language of Instruction Pre-K K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Comments

VI. Socialization/Vocation 1. What goals does your family or the student have, and what do you see him/her doing after graduating from high school? 2. Whom does your child socialize with when s/he is not at school?

3. What are your perspectives on his/her friends or social network?

4. What teachers has he/she worked with well, or had a good relationship? What was it about this teacher’s style that worked well with him/her?

5. Describe a situation at school that your family or child had that was very successful.

6. Describe a situation that was difficult. What can we do differently to ensure a more positive outcome?

7. What goals does your family or the student have, and what do you see him/her doing after graduating from high school?

The questions in this interview tool are adapted from various sources, including information from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Turnbull

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Appendix D ACCESS Teacher Report

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Grade Level Cluster PreK-K Listening

Level 2 Beginning • Sort pictures or objects according to oral instructions • Match pictures, objects or movements to oral descriptions • Follow one-step oral directions (e.g., “stand up”; “sit down”) • Identify simple patterns described orally • Respond with gestures to songs, chants or stories modeled by teachers

Level 1 Entering

• Match oral language to classroom and everyday objects • Point to stated pictures in context • Respond nonverbally to oral commands or statements (e.g., through physical movement) • Find familiar people and places named orally

Level 4 Expanding • Find pictures that match oral descriptions • Follow oral directions and compare with visual or nonverbal models (e.g., “Draw a circle under the line.”) • Distinguish between what happens first and next in oral activities or readings • Role play in response to stories read aloud

Level 3 Developing • Follow two-step oral directions, one step at a time • Draw pictures in response to oral instructions • Respond nonverbally to confirm or deny facts (e.g., thumbs up, thumbs down) • Act out songs and stories using gestures

• Order pictures of events according to sequential language • Arrange objects or pictures according to descriptive oral discourse • Identify pictures/realia associated with grade level academic concepts from oral descriptions • Make patterns from real objects or pictures based on detailed oral descriptions

Level 5 Bridging

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Listening

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Appendix D

Level 6- Reaching

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Grade Level Cluster PreK-K Speaking

Level 2 Beginning • Restate some facts from illustrated short stories • Describe pictures, classroom objects or familiar people using simple phrases • Answer questions with one or two words (e.g., “Where is Sonia?”) • Complete phrases in rhymes, songs and chants

Level 1 Entering

• Identify people or objects in illustrated short stories • Repeat words, simple phases • Answer yes/no questions about personal information • Name classroom and everyday objects • Retell short narrative stories through pictures • Repeat sentences from rhymes and patterned stories • Make predictions (e.g. “What will happen next?” ) • Answer explicit questions from stories read aloud (e.g., who, what or where)

Level 3 Developing • Retell narrative stories through pictures with emerging detail • Sing repetitive songs and chants independently • Compare attributes of real objects (e.g., size, shape, color) • Indicate spatial relations of real-life objects using phrases or short sentences

Level 4 Expanding

• Tell original stories with emerging detail • Explain situations (e.g., involving feelings) • Offer personal opinions • Express likes, dislikes or preferences with reasons

Level 5 Bridging

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Speaking

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

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Grade Level Cluster PreK-K Reading

Level 2 Beginning

• Match icons and • Match examples of symbols to the same form of corresponding print pictures • Distinguish between same and different • Identify name in print forms of print (e.g., • Find matching words single letters and or pictures symbols) • Find labeled real-life • Demonstrate classroom objects concepts of print (e.g., left to right movement, beginning/end or top/bottom of page) • Match labeled pictures to those in illustrated scenes

Level 1 Entering • Use pictures to identify words • Classify visuals according to labels or icons (e.g., animals v. plants) • Demonstrate concepts of print (e.g., title, author, illustrator) • Sort labeled pictures by attribute (e.g., number, initial sound)

Level 3 Developing • Identify some highfrequency words in context • Order a series of labeled pictures described orally to tell stories • Match pictures to phrases/short sentences • Classify labeled pictures by two attributes (e.g., size and color)

Level 4 Expanding

• Find school-related vocabulary items • Differentiate between letters, words and sentences • String words together to make short sentences • Indicate features of words, phrases or sentences that are the same and different

Level 5 Bridging

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Reading

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

89

Grade Level Cluster PreK-K Writing

Level 2 Beginning • Connect oral language to print (e.g., language experience) • Reproduce letters, symbols, and numbers from models in context • Copy icons of familiar environmental print • Draw objects from models and label with letters

Level 1 Entering

• Draw pictures and scribble • Circle or underline pictures, symbols and numbers • Trace figures and letters • Make symbols, figures or letters from models and realia (e.g., straws, clay) • Communicate using letters, symbols and numbers in context • Make illustrated ”notes” and cards with distinct letter combinations • Make connections between speech and writing • Reproduce familiar words from labeled models or illustrations

Level 3 Developing • Produce symbols and strings of letters associated with pictures • Draw pictures and use words to tell a story • Label familiar people and objects from models • Produce familiar words/phrases from environmental print and illustrated text

Level 4 Expanding

• Create contentbased representations through pictures and words • Make “story books” with drawings and words • Produce words/phrases independently • Relate everyday experiences using phrases/short sentences

Level 5 Bridging

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Writing

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

Grade Level Cluster 1-2 Listening

Level 2 Beginning

Level 3 Developing

Level 4 Expanding

Level 5 Bridging

• Match oral reading of • Follow modeled • Follow modeled, • Compare/contrast • Use context clues to one-step oral stories to illustrations multi-step oral objects according to gain meaning from directions (e.g., “Find • Carry out two- to directions physical attributes grade-level text read a pencil.”) (e.g., size, shape, orally three-step oral • Sequence pictures color) based on oral • Apply ideas from oral • Identify pictures of commands (e.g., of stories read information everyday objects as “Take out your aloud (e.g., discussions to new stated orally (e.g., in science book. Now beginning, middle • Find details in situations turn to page 25.”) books) and end) illustrated narrative • Interpret information or expository text from oral reading of • Point to real-life • Sequence a series of • Match people with read aloud objects reflective of oral statements using jobs or objects with narrative or content-related real objects or functions based on • Identify illustrated expository text pictures vocabulary or oral oral descriptions activities from oral • Identify statements descriptions ideas/concepts • Locate objects • Classify objects described orally according to expressed with • Mimic gestures or • Locate objects, movement descriptive oral figures, places grade-level contentassociated with statements based on visuals and specific language statements (e.g., detailed oral “This is my left descriptions hand.”) The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Level 1 Entering

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

90

Listening

91

Grade Level Cluster 1-2 Speaking

Level 2 Beginning

• Use first language to fill in gaps in oral English (code switch) • Repeat facts or statements • Describe what people do from action pictures (e.g., jobs of community workers) • Compare real-life objects (e.g., “smaller,” “biggest”)

Level 1 Entering

• Repeat simple words, phrases and memorized chunks of language • Respond to visuallysupported (e.g., calendar) questions of academic content with one word or phrase • Identify and name everyday objects • Participate in whole group chants and songs • Ask questions of a social nature • Express feelings (e.g., “I’m happy because…”) • Retell simple stories from picture cues • Sort and explain grouping of objects (e.g., sink v. float) • Make predictions or hypotheses • Distinguish features of content-based phenomena (e.g., caterpillar, butterfly)

Level 3 Developing

• Ask questions for social and academic purposes • Participate in class discussions on familiar social and academic topics • Retell stories with details • Sequence stories with transitions

Level 4 Expanding

• Use academic vocabulary in class discussions • Express and support ideas with examples • Give oral presentations on content-based topics approaching grade level • Initiate conversation with peers and teachers

Level 5 Bridging

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Speaking

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

92

Grade Level Cluster 1-2 Reading

Level 2 Beginning • Search for pictures associated with word patterns • Identify and interpret pre-taught labeled diagrams • Match voice to print by pointing to icons, letters or illustrated words • Sort words into word families

Level 1 Entering

• Identify symbols, icons and environmental print • Connect print to visuals • Match real-life familiar objects to labels • Follow directions using diagrams or pictures • Make text-to-self connections with prompting • Select titles to match a series of pictures • Sort illustrated content words into categories • Match phrases and sentences to pictures

Level 3 Developing • Put words in order to form sentences • Identify basic elements of fictional stories (e.g., title, setting, characters) • Follow sentencelevel directions • Distinguish between general and specific language (e.g., flower v. rose) in context

Level 4 Expanding

• Begin using features of non-fiction text to aid comprehension • Use learning strategies (e.g., context clues) • Identify main ideas • Match figurative language to illustrations (e.g., “as big as a house”)

Level 5 Bridging

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Reading

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

93

Grade Level Cluster 1-2 Writing

• Copy written language • Use first language (L1, when L1 is a medium of instruction) to help form words in English • Communicate through drawings • Label familiar objects or pictures

Level 1 Entering • Provide information using graphic organizers • Generate lists of words/phrases from banks or walls • Complete modeled sentence starters (e.g., “I like ____.”) • Describe people, places or objects from illustrated examples and models

Level 2 Beginning • Engage in prewriting strategies (e.g., use of graphic organizers) • Form simple sentences using word/phrase banks • Participate in interactive journal writing • Give content-based information using visuals or graphics

Level 3 Developing • Produce original sentences • Create messages for social purposes (e.g., get well cards) • Compose journal entries about personal experiences • Use classroom resources (e.g., picture dictionaries) to compose sentences

Level 4 Expanding

• Create a related series of sentences in response to prompts • Produce contentrelated sentences • Compose stories • Explain processes or procedures using connected sentences

Level 5 Bridging

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Writing

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

94

Grade Level Cluster 3-5 Listening

Level 2 Beginning • Categorize contentbased pictures or objects from oral descriptions • Arrange pictures or objects per oral information • Follow two-step oral directions • Draw in response to oral descriptions • Evaluate oral information (e.g., about lunch options)

Level 1 Entering

• Point to stated pictures, words or phrases • Follow one-step oral directions (e.g., physically or through drawings) • Identify objects, figures, people from oral statements or questions (e.g., “Which one is a rock?”) • Match classroom oral language to daily routines • Follow multi-step oral directions • Identify illustrated main ideas from paragraph-level oral discourse • Match literal meanings of oral descriptions or oral reading to illustrations • Sequence pictures from oral stories, processes or procedures

Level 3 Developing • Interpret oral information and apply to new situations • Identify illustrated main ideas and supporting details from oral discourse • Infer from and act on oral information • Role play the work of authors, mathematicians, scientists, historians from oral readings, videos or multimedia

Level 4 Expanding

• Carry out oral instructions containing gradelevel, content-based language • Construct models or use manipulatives to problem-solve based on oral discourse • Distinguish between literal and figurative language in oral discourse • Form opinions of people, places or ideas from oral scenarios

Level 5 Bridging

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Listening

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

95

Grade Level Cluster 3-5 Speaking

Level 2 Beginning •Ask simple, everyday questions (e.g., “Who is absent?”) •Restate contentbased facts •Describe pictures, events, objects, or people using phrases or short sentences • Share basic social information with peers

Level 1 Entering

• Express basic needs or conditions • Name pre-taught objects, people, diagrams, or pictures • Recite words or phrases from pictures of everyday objects and oral modeling • Answer yes/no and choice questions

• Answer simple content-based questions • Re/tell short stories or events • Make predictions or hypotheses from discourse • Offer solutions to social conflict • Present contentbased information • Engage in problemsolving

Level 3 Developing • Answer opinion questions with supporting details • Discuss stories, issues and concepts • Give content-based oral reports • Offer creative solutions to issues/problems • Compare/contrast content-based functions and relationships

Level 4 Expanding

• Justify/defend opinions or explanations with evidence • Give content-based presentations using technical vocabulary • Sequence steps in grade level problemsolving • Explain in detail results of inquiry (e.g., scientific experiments)

Level 5 Bridging

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Speaking

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

96

Grade Level Cluster 3-5 Reading

Level 2 Beginning • Identify facts and explicit messages from illustrated text • Find changes to root words in context •Identify elements of story grammar (e.g., characters, setting) •Follow visually supported written directions (e.g., “Draw a star in the sky.”)

Level 1 Entering

• Match icons or diagrams with words/concepts • Identify cognates from first language, as applicable • Make sound/symbol/word relations • Match illustrated words/phrases in differing contexts (e.g., on the board, in a book) • Interpret information or data from charts and graphs • Identify main ideas and some details • Sequence events in stories or contentbased processes • Use context clues and illustrations to determine meaning of words/phrases

Level 3 Developing • Classify features of various genres of text (e.g., “and they lived happily ever after” fairytales) • Match graphic organizers to different texts (e.g., compare/contrast with Venn diagram) • Find details that support main ideas • Differentiate between fact and opinion in narrative and expository text

Level 4 Expanding

• Summarize information from multiple related sources • Answer analytical questions about grade- level text • Identify, explain and give examples of figures of speech • Draw conclusions from explicit and implicit text at or near grade level

Level 5 Bridging

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Reading

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

97

Grade Level Cluster 3-5 Writing

• Label objects, pictures or diagrams from word/phrase banks • Communicate ideas by drawing • Copy words, phrases and short sentences • Answer oral questions with single words

Level 1 Entering

• Make lists from labels or with peers • Complete/produce sentences from word/phrase bank/wall •Fill in graphic organizers, charts and tables • Make comparisons using real-life or visually-supported materials

Level 2 Beginning

• Produce simple expository or narrative text • String related sentences together • Compare/contrast content-based information • Describe events, people, processes, procedures

Level 3 Developing

• Take notes using graphic organizers • Summarize contentbased information • Author multiple forms of writing (e.g., expository, narrative, persuasive) from models • Explain strategies or use of information in solving problems

Level 4 Expanding

• Produce extended responses of original text approaching grade level • Apply content-based information to new contexts • Connect or integrate personal experiences with literature/content • Create grade-level stories or reports

Level 5 Bridging

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Writing

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

98

Grade Level Cluster 6-8 Listening

Level 2 Beginning • Follow multi-step oral commands/instructio ns • Classify/sort contentrelated visuals per oral descriptions • Sequence visuals per oral directions • Identify information on charts or tables based on oral statements

Level 1 Entering

• Follow one-step oral commands/instructio ns • Match social language to visual/graphic displays • Identify objects, people or places from oral statements/question s using gestures (e.g., pointing) • Match instructional language with visual representation (e.g., “Use a sharpened pencil.”)

Level 4 Expanding

• Categorize content- • Identify main ideas based examples and details of oral from oral directions discourse • Match main ideas of • Complete contentfamiliar text read related tasks or aloud to visuals assignments based on oral discourse • Use learning strategies described • Apply learning orally strategies to new situations • Identify everyday examples of • Role play, dramatize content-based or re-enact concepts described scenarios from oral orally reading • Associate oral language with different time frames (e.g., past, present, future)

Level 3 Developing

• Use oral information to accomplish grade-level tasks • Evaluate intent of speech and act accordingly • Make inferences from grade-level text read aloud • Discriminate among multiple genres read orally

Level 5 Bridging

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Listening

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

Grade Level Cluster 6-8 Speaking

•Convey content through high frequency words/ phrases. • State big/main ideas of classroom conversation • Describe situations from modeled sentences • Describe routines and everyday events • Express everyday needs and wants • Communicate in social situations • Make requests

• Answer yes/no and choice questions • Begin to use general and high frequency vocabulary • Repeat words, short phrases, memorized chunks • Answer select WHquestions (e.g., “who,” “what,” “when,” “where”) within context of lessons or personal experiences

Level 3 Developing

Level 4 Expanding

Level 5 Bridging

• Begin to express • Paraphrase and • Defend a point of time through multiple summarize ideas view and give tenses presented orally reasons • Retell/rephrase • Defend a point of • Use and explain ideas from speech view metaphors and similes • Give brief oral • Explain outcomes content-based • Explain and compare • Communicate with presentations fluency in social and content-based academic contexts concepts • State opinions • Negotiate meaning • Connect ideas in • Connect ideas with in group discussions discourse using supporting • Discuss and give transitions (e.g., details/evidence examples of “but,” “then,”) • Substantiate opinions abstract contentwith reasons and • Use different based ideas (e.g., registers inside and evidence democracy, justice) outside of class • State big/main ideas with some supporting details • Ask for clarification (e.g., self-monitor) The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Level 2 Beginning

Level 1 Entering

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

99

Speaking

100

Grade Level Cluster 6-8 Reading

Level 2 Beginning • Sequence illustrated text of fictional and nonfictional events • Locate main ideas in a series of simple sentences • Find information from text structure (e.g., titles, graphs, glossary) • Follow text read aloud (e.g., tapes, teacher, paired-readings) • Sort/group pre-taught words/phrases • Use pre-taught vocabulary (e.g., word banks) to complete simple sentences • Use L1 to support L2 (e.g., cognates) • Use bilingual dictionaries and glossaries

Level 1 Entering

• Associate letters with sounds and objects • Match content–related objects/pictures to words • Identify common symbols, signs and words • Recognize concepts of print • Find single word responses to WHquestions (e.g., “who,” “what,” “when,” “where”) related to illustrated text • Use picture dictionaries/illustrated glossaries • Identify topic sentences, main ideas and details in paragraphs • Identify multiple meanings of words in context (e.g., “cell”, “table”) • Use context clues • Make predictions based on illustrated text • Identify frequently used affixes and root words to make/extract meaning (e.g., “un-“, “re-“, “-ed”) • Differentiate between fact and opinion • Answer questions about explicit information in texts • Use English dictionaries and glossaries

Level 3 Developing • Order paragraphs • Identify summaries of passages • Identify figurative language (e.g., “dark as night”) • Interpret adapted classics or modified text • Match cause to effect • Identify specific language of different genres and informational texts • Use an array of strategies (e.g., skim and scan for information)

Level 4 Expanding

• Differentiate and apply multiple meanings of words/phrases • Apply strategies to new situations • Infer meaning from modified grade-level text • Critique material and support argument • Sort grade-level text by genre

Level 5 Bridging

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Reading

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

101

Grade Level Cluster 6-8 Writing

Level 2 Beginning •Complete pattern sentences •Extend “sentence starters” with original ideas •Connect simple sentences •Complete graphic organizers/forms with personal information •Respond to yes/no, choice and some WH- questions

Level 1 Entering

• Draw content-related pictures • Produce high frequency words • Label pictures and graphs • Create vocabulary/concept cards • Generate lists from pre-taught words/phrases and word banks (e.g., create menu from list of food groups) • Produce short paragraphs with main ideas and some details (e.g., column notes) • Create compound sentences (e.g., with conjunctions) • Explain steps in problem-solving • Compare/contrast information, events, characters • Give opinions, preferences and reactions along with reasons

Level 3 Developing • Create multiple paragraph essays • Justify ideas • Produce contentrelated reports • Use details/examples to support ideas • Use transition words to create cohesive passages • Compose intro/body/ conclusion • Paraphrase or summarize text • Take notes (e.g., for research)

Level 4 Expanding

• Create expository text to explain graphs/charts • Produce research reports using multiple sources/citations • Begin using analogies • Critique literary essays or articles

Level 5 Bridging

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Writing

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

102

Grade Level Cluster 9-12 Listening

Level 2 Beginning • Match or classify oral descriptions to real-life experiences or visuallyrepresented contentrelated examples • Sort oral language statements according to time frames • Sequence visuals according to oral directions

Level 1 Entering

• Point to or show basic parts, components, features, characteristics, properties of objects, organisms or persons named orally • Match everyday oral information to pictures, diagrams or photographs • Group visuals by common traits named orally (e.g., “These are polygons.”) • Identify resources, places, products, figures from oral statements and visuals • Evaluate information in social and academic conversations • Distinguish main ideas from supporting points in oral, content-related discourse • Use learning strategies described orally • Categorize contentbased examples described orally

Level 3 Developing • Distinguish between multiple meanings of oral words or phrases in social and academic contexts • Analyze contentrelated tasks or assignments based on oral discourse • Categorize examples of genres read aloud • Compare traits based on visuals and oral descriptions using specific and some technical language

Level 4 Expanding

• Interpret cause and effect scenarios from oral discourse • Make inferences from oral discourse containing satire, sarcasm or humor • Identify and react to subtle differences in speech and register (e.g., hyperbole, satire, comedy) • Evaluate intent of speech and act accordingly

Level 5 Bridging

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Listening

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

Grade Level Cluster 9-12 Speaking

Level 2 Beginning

Level 3 Developing

Level 4 Expanding

Level 5 Bridging

• Answer yes/no or choice questions within context of lessons or personal experiences • Provide identifying information about self • Name everyday objects and pretaught vocabulary • Repeat words, short phrases, memorized chunks of language

• Describe persons, places, events, or objects • Ask WH- questions to clarify meaning • Give features of content-based material (e.g., time periods) • Characterize issues, situations, regions shown in illustrations

• Give multimedia • Take a stance and • Suggest ways to oral presentations use evidence to resolve issues or on grade-level defend it pose solutions material • Explain content• Compare/contrast • Engage in debates features, traits, related issues and concepts on content-related characteristics issues using using general and • Compare and technical language some specific contrast points of language view • Explain metacognitive • Sequence • Analyze and share strategies for processes, cycles, pros and cons of solving problems procedures, or choices (e.g., “Tell me how events • Use and respond to you know it.”) • Conduct interviews gossip, slang and or gather • Negotiate meaning idiomatic in pairs or group information through expressions discussions oral interaction • Use speaking • Estimate, make strategies (e.g., predictions or pose circumlocution) hypotheses from models The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Level 1 Entering

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

103

Speaking

104

Grade Level Cluster 9-12 Reading

Level 5 Bridging • Interpret grade-level literature • Synthesize gradelevel expository text • Draw conclusions from different sources of informational text • Infer significance of data or information in grade-level material • Identify evidence of bias and credibility of source

Level 4 Expanding • Compare/contrast authors’ points of view, characters, information, or events • Interpret visually- or graphically-supported information • Infer meaning from text • Match cause to effect • Evaluate usefulness of data or information supported visually or graphically

Level 3 Developing • Apply multiple meanings of words/ phrases to social and academic contexts • Identify topic sentences or main ideas and details in paragraphs • Answer questions about explicit information in texts • Differentiate between fact and opinion in text • Order paragraphs or sequence information within paragraphs

Level 2 Beginning • Match data or information with its source or genre (e.g., description of element to its symbol on periodic table) • Classify or organize information presented in visuals or graphs • Follow multi-step instructions supported by visuals or data • Match sentence-level descriptions to visual representations • Compare contentrelated features in visuals and graphics • Locate main ideas in a series of related sentences

Level 1 Entering

• Match visual representations to words/phrases • Read everyday signs, symbols, schedules, and school-related words/phrases • Respond to WHquestions related to illustrated text • Use references (e.g., picture dictionaries, bilingual glossaries, technology)

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Reading

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

105

Grade Level Cluster 9-12 Writing

Level 2 Beginning • Make contentrelated lists of words, phrases or expressions • Take notes using graphic organizers or models • Formulate yes/no, choice and WHquestions from models • Correspond for social purposes (e.g., memos, emails, notes)

Level 1 Entering

• Label contentrelated diagrams, pictures from word/phrase banks • Provide personal information on forms read orally • Produce short answer responses to oral questions with visual support • Supply missing words in short sentences • Complete reports from templates • Compose short narrative and expository pieces • Outline ideas and details using graphic organizers • Compare and reflect on performance against criteria (e.g., rubrics)

Level 3 Developing • Summarize contentrelated notes from lectures or text • Revise work based on narrative or oral feedback • Compose narrative and expository text for a variety of purposes • Justify or defend ideas and opinions • Produce contentrelated reports

Level 4 Expanding

• Produce research reports from multiple sources • Create original pieces that represent the use of a variety of genres and discourses • Critique, peer-edit and make recommendations on others’ writing from rubrics • Explain, with details, phenomena, processes, procedures

Level 5 Bridging

The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the levels of language proficiency.

Writing

For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English language learners can process or produce the language needed to:

CAN DO Descriptors

Level 6- Reaching

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Appendix E Sample of an Eligibility Criteria Worksheet MADISON METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES - SPECIAL EDUCATION Student

Student #

Date of Birth

Gender

Grade

School of Attendance

ELIGIBILITY CHECKIST EMOTIONAL BEHAVIORAL DISABILITY According to state and federal mandates, when considering the impairment, the assessment and other evaluation materials used to assess the child are selected and administered so as not to be discriminatory on a racial or cultural bias, and are administered in the language and form most likely to yield accurate information on what the child knows and can do academically, developmentally, and functionally, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so. (Federal Register/Vol. 71, No. 156, Wisconsin Statute 115.782(2)(a) 3.a.) A child must not be determined a child with a disability if the determinant factor is lack of appropriate instruction in reading or math; limited English proficiency; and if the child does not otherwise meet the eligibility criteria. (Code of Federal Regulations 300.306(b) and (c) ) In interpreting evaluation data for the purpose of determining if a child has a disability, the IEP team must draw upon information from a variety of sources, including attitude and achievement tests, parent input and teacher recommendations as well as information about the child’s physical condition, social or cultural background, and adaptive behavior. (Code of Federal Regulations 300.306(b) and (c) )

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING EXCLUSIONARY FACTOR(S) THAT MAY IMPACT THE STUDENT’S PERFORMANCE Racial bias Lack of appropriate instruction in reading or math Mobility Cultural bias Limited English proficiency Life stressors Social background Soci-economic status ALL QUESTIONS MUST BE CHECKED YES FOR DOCUMENTATION OF AN IMPAIRMENT OF EMOTIONAL BEHAVIORAL DISABILITY PER S. PL 11.36 (7), WIS. ADMIN. CODE.

Yes

No

The student exhibits social, emotional, behavioral functioning that so departs from generally accepted age appropriate, ethnic cultural norms that it adversely affected the child in at least one (1) of the following areas. Check all that apply. Academic progress

Classroom adjustment

Social relationships

Self care

Personal adjustment

Vocational skills

Comments/examples: Describe how the applicable exclusionary factor(s) impact the findings

Yes

No

Behaviors are severe, chronic, and frequent.

Yes

No

Behaviors occur at school and at least one (1) other setting. Check all that apply. Home

Community

Describe how the applicable exclusionary factor(s) impact the findings

107

Yes

No

The student displays any of the following. Check all that apply. Inability to develop or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships; Inappropriate affective or behavior response to a normal situation; Pervasive unhappiness, depression or anxiety; Physical symptoms, pains or fears associated with personal or school problems; Inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory or health factors; Extreme withdrawal from social interaction; Extreme aggressiveness for long periods of time; Other inappropriate behaviors that are so different from children of similar age, ability, educational experiences and opportunities that the child or other children in a regular or special education program are negatively affected. Comments/examples:

Describe how the applicable exclusionary factor(s) impact the findings

Check box to confirm. The IEP team has done a full and individual evaluation, including using a variety of sources of information, systematic observations in a variety of educational settings, reviewing prior documented interventions, and including the cause of the disability if it is known. AND The IEP team did not identify or refuse to identify the student as EBD solely on the basis of another disability, social maladjustment, adjudged delinquent, a dropout, chemically dependent, or a child whose behavior is primarily due to cultural deprivation, familial instability, suspected child abuse or social-economic circumstances, or when medical or psychiatric diagnostic statements have been used to describe the child’s behavior.

Based on the above information The child’s difficulties are primarily due to an impairment There is not enough information at this time to determine that the child has an impairment The child’s difficulties are primarily due to exclusionary factors. The child does not have an impairment The information from this form is synthesized and incorporated into the IEP Evaluation Report Eligibility Determination page.

108

Appendix F History of Academic Instruction

Year

Grade

Location/ school of instruction

Attendance

Language of Instruction Amount/Type of Support (ESL, BRS, BRT, other) math science Reading social st

DPI English Proficiency Level Text rdg level

Math scores

Academic scores

Comments

This information is gathered from a records review and by interviewing various family and staff members. The intent of this form is to assist the IEP team in identifying patterns in the student’s language acquisition and academic instruction.

Name of Student: _________________________________________ Age:_____________ Birth date:_____________

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110

Appendix G Guidelines and Best Practices for Interpretation Services When to request interpretation services • Interpretation services should be used to ensure active involvement and informed decision-making on the part of parents whose primary language is not English. • Parents may initiate the request for interpretation services. School staff may also initiate the request after confirming the parent’s desire for an interpreter. • Interpreter assignments may include, but are not limited to: parent-teacher conferences; dissemination and explanation of information about school programs and activities (e.g., PTO meetings and extra-curricular activities); assistance in school enrollment; communications regarding student welfare and discipline (e.g., truancy, expulsions); IEP meetings. • Interpreters may be assigned to assist with student assessments. The use of interpreters for assessments should follow the MMSD Guidelines for Completing Non-biased Multicultural Assessments.

How to arrange for interpretation services •











The MMSD employs bilingual resource specialists (BRS) to provide interpretation services in the following languages: Spanish, Hmong, Chinese, Lao, Khmer, Tibetan, Korean and Albanian. BRS are assigned to ESL-Bilingual Education center schools and to the central office Division of ESL and Bilingual Education. If appropriate bilingual resource specialists (BRS) are assigned to the school needing the interpretation service, the “in house” BRS should be considered for assignment before submitting a request to the Division of ESL and Bilingual Education. The principal has the responsibility to assign BRS staff within the school and to ensure that the workload of each staff member is reasonable and equitable. If an appropriate BRS is not available at the school, the principal or principal’s designee requests interpretation services by contacting the Division of ESL and Bilingual Education. (See below for information about requests for interpreters related to the IEP process). To ensure adequate time to assign an interpreter, requests for interpretation services to schedule a meeting should be made two weeks in advance of the desired meeting date. Requests for interpretation services at a pre-scheduled meeting time should be made at least a week in advance. When requesting an interpreter through the Division of ESL and Bilingual Education, the school contact person should be prepared to provide the following information about the meeting or activity: purpose date, time and location telephone number and/or email address of the school contact person For requests for interpretation services related to the IEP process: “In house” BRS should be considered for interpreting before submitting a request to the Division of ESL and Bilingual Education. For the assignment of an interpreter through the Division of ESL and Bilingual Education, the IEP team chairperson submits the Request for Central Office Staff Appointment to IEP Team to the appropriate special education coordinator. Forms are available at the Special Education Educational Services web site (dww.madison.k12.wi.us/es/SpecEd/es_home.htm). The coordinator directs the request to the Division of ESL and Bilingual Education for assignment of an interpreter. Given the time-sensitive nature of the IEP process, assignments of interpreters for the IEP process are made as quickly as possible.

111

Best practices when working with an interpreter* For meeting participants: • Allow extra time for any meetings requiring oral interpretation. Oral interpretation between two languages is time-consuming. Rushing through a meeting may result in misunderstandings and confusion. • Meet with the interpreter prior to the meeting to: Explain the purpose and process for the meeting. Inform the interpreter of unusual circumstances that may be encountered. Discuss cultural or language factors that may be influencing the situation. • Always speak directly to the parent(s) and/or child. Speak in the first person. Make eye contact with the parents/child, not the interpreter. Avoid long conversations with the interpreter. • Pause frequently (e.g., after two to three sentences) to allow time for interpretation. Summarize periodically. • Be specific and succinct. Consider providing short descriptions for terms that may not translate directly from one language to another. Avoid idioms, colloquialisms and metaphors. • Watch the interpreter as well as the parents/participants for non-verbal signals suggesting misunderstanding, distress or confusion. Check for understanding and encourage the interpreter and other participants to ask questions. • Learn about cultural differences as much as possible. Do not assume others share the same values and beliefs. • Debrief with the interpreter after the meeting to confirm the meeting outcomes and future actions that may be required. For interpreters: • Ask questions and be prepared. • Decline assignments if unqualified. • Avoid long conversations with the speaker. • Ask the speaker to slow down if necessary. • Use specific language and interpret the exact message of the speaker. Ask for additional information if necessary. Always practice neutrality and impartiality. • Actively ask for clarification and watch for non-verbal signals suggesting misunderstanding, distress or confusion. * Adapted from Communicating with Language Minority Parents Using Interpreters and Translators, Suzanne Wagner, Ph.D., Educational Consultant, Illinois Resource Center

112

Appendix H: References

Alexander k, Entwisle D. and Daubers S. (1996). Children in Motion: School Transfers and Elementary School Performance. Journal of Educational Research, 90 (1), 3-12. Allington, R. and McGill-Franzen, A. (2008) Got Books? Educational Leadership 65(7) 20-23. Barrerra, I. & Corso, R, Skilled Dialogue, Strategies for Responding to Cultural Diversity in Early Childhood (2003), Paul Brookes Publishing, Baltimore, MD. Batsche, G et. Al. 2005 Response to Intervention: Policy considerations and Implementation. Alexandria, VA: National Association of State Directors of Special Education, Inc. Battle (2002), Omar Nydell (1996), Sharifzadeh (1998) and Wilson (1998). Bireda, Martha (2002). Eliminating Racial Profiling in School Discipline Cultures in Conflict. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, Inc. Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., & Cocking, R.R. (Eds.). (1999). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Byron, Greg. http://www.tfs.net/~gbyron/teen8.html (No longer available). Craig, H. K. & Washington, J. A. (2006). Malik Goes to School: Examining the Language Skills of African American Student From Preschool to 5th Grade. Lawrence Erlbau. Cummins, J. (1979) Cognitive/academic language proficiency, linguistic interdependence, the optimum age question and some other matters. Working Papers on Bilingualism, No. 19, 121-129. Davies Samway, K. & McKeon, D. (2007). Myths and Realities: Best Practices for English Language Learners ( 2nd Ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. DeVol, P. (2004). Using the Hidden Rules of Class to Create Sustainable Communities. Aha! Process, Inc. The Diversity Kit: An Introductory Resource for Social Change in Education. The Education Alliance. http://www.lab.brown.edu/tdl/index.shtml. Dropout Prevention: A Practice Guide (NCEE 2008-4025). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Educational Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Dynarski, M., Clarke, L., Cobb, B., Finn, J., Rumberger, R., and Smink, J. (2008) Ebonics: The Urban Education Debate. Ed. J.D. Ramirez, Wiley, T.G., Klerk, G., Lee, E., & Wright, W.E. 2nd ed. Clevedon: Multilingual matters LTD, 2005. 62-95. Echevarría, J., Vogt, M., Short, D., (2008). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model (3rd Ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc. 113

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