This document summarizes data from an ESL professional development meeting at SJHS. It shows that ESL students score lower than peers on STAAR tests and notes the school is becoming more diverse. It also outlines challenges ESL students face, such as limited time after school and difficulties with academic vocabulary. The school has tried interventions like ESL classes and tutorials with some success. Next steps discussed are better using the school day and focusing on teaching students how to find answers rather than being given answers directly.

1. SERVING OUR ESL STUDENTS
SJHS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
2/28/14

2. What we know…
 ESL Students score lower on STAAR tests than
their peers
TEST
ESL MET
STANDARD
SJHS MET
STANDARD
7TH READING
AND WRITING
57 %
86%
7TH MATH
29%
89%
8TH READING
50%
93%
8TH MATH
25%
86%
8TH SOCIAL
STUDIES
25%
79%
8TH SCIENCE
75%
96%

3. What we know…
 Demographic Data… SISD is Changing
Area
TAE
SJHS
SISD
Texas
Hispanic
23.9%
19.6%
19.5%
51.3%
ELL
11.3%
6.4%
6.9%
17.1%
Econ.
Disadv.
35.5%
23%
24.8%
60.4%

4. What we know…
 From the students themselves:
 75% either work or watch younger siblings after school




or on the weekends
94% say Study Hall has helped them get work done
because they are unable to do it after school
The STAAR test being timed makes them nervous- they
already struggle with language and the pressure of time
makes it worse
Academic, not conversational, English is a struggle…
when they see these words on a test, they’ll skip it.
While most reported they would go back and look at it
again, not all do.
Context clues- a huge tool for them to use. If they can
recognize words around the academic vocabulary, they
can be successful

5. What we’ve tried to do…
 Added an ESL/ Rally Reading Class (co-taught)
 Placed students in STAAR and Academic
Tutorials during the school day (some success)
 Placed students in STAAR and Academic
Tutorials after the school day (limited success
due to transportation issues)
 Placed students in Inclusion classes (some
success)

6. What’s next…
 Continue the theme of better utilizing the school
day
 Focus on not giving answers but teaching them
how to find them (Teach a man to fish example)
 Academic Vocabulary is going to be the target
 Familiarize ALL students with common academic
words
 Incorporate these words into our classes
 Make these words less intimidating and, as a result,
make these words part of their language

7. Resources…
 Building Academic Vocabulary by Robert
Marzano and Debra Pickering
 http://www.enidpublicschools.org/education/comp
onents/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=22481
&catfilter=ALLThis
 http://www.elltx.org/docs/AcademicVocabulary.pdf
 ESL Lunch Meeting
 Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJc0SNwjFGg
 Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKCFjhEd2iM