1. Standards-Based Syllabus Design Today’s Agenda Intro Schedule Program Session 1 (Standards) ESL Standards for Pre-K-12 Students: Before and After (An article)

2. AN INTRODUCTION TO STANDARDS Standards-Based Syllabus Design Course Linguistics and Languages Department Universidad de Nariño

3. Key Concepts: Standard A standard, according to the ESL Standards for Pre-K-12 Students indicates specifically what students should know and be able to do as a result of instruction. A standard is a guideline that departments of education and schools can use to develop ESL curriculum frameworks.

4. An Example In Colombia, 6 and 7 grades have this standard: “Comprendo textos cortos de cierta dificultad sobre actividades cotidianas, de mi interés, sobre otras asignaturas y mi entorno social.”

5. Key Concepts: Descriptor A descriptor (estándares específicos) is a category of discrete, representative behaviors that students exhibit when they meet a standard. They reflect a range of behaviors needed to use the L2 effectively in personal, social and academic circumstances. They are not prescriptive, but assist curriculum developers and teachers in identifying curriculum objectives.

6. An Example In Colombia, 6 and 7 grades have this specific standard: “Comprendo textos literarios, académicos y de interés general, escritos con un lenguaje sencillo.”

7. Key Concepts: Progress Indicators An indicator is an assessable, observable activity that students may perform to show progress toward meeting the designated standard. They represent a variety of instructional techniques used to determine how well Ss are doing and they can be achieved by all Ss at some level of performance. (ESL Standards for Pre-K-12 Students, 1997).

8. An Example Although in Colombian standard progress indicators are not specified, they can be derived from the specific standards. For 6 and 7 grades this indicator can be used in instruction and assessment: “Identifico la acción, los personajes y el entorno en textos narrativos.”

9. Some Caveats Regarding Standards In interpreting and applying standards, teachers need to apply professional judgment, they are not a straitjacket. Although the levels describe typical developmental stages, Ss may exhibit only some of the features identified by the standards for a particular level or function at different levels in relation to the four skills.

10. Some Caveats Regarding Standards The amount of time required to progress from one level to the next will vary from one student to another. Consequently, a standard does not equate to a year of schooling. In the case of Colombia, standards are designed to be achieved in clusters. (e.g., Students may reach level A1 from first to third grade).

11. Some Caveats Regarding Standards Language Instruction for Ss whose language abilities appear to match those identified by the standards should be designed to move students’ abilities forward to a higher level. Teachers need to be sensitive to language needs but also provide additional support in order to achieve the set goals. (English as a Second Language Standards, 2001. British Columbia)

12. Some Caveats Regarding Standards The specific standards read vertically are not prerequisites for other standards. Standards overlap and interconnect and appear again at different points in time. What makes them different is the complexity of language used to accomplish certain tasks.

13. Some Caveats Regarding Standards Standards do not mandate one curriculum or instructional approach, but they require all students to attain designated standards of performance. Standards can be used to guide local emphases in instruction, select text materials and develop new forms of assessment. (O’Malley & Valdez Pierce 1996)

14. The Need for Standards In The US standards emerge from international comparisons with Ss in other countries or from analyzing what skills Ss will need in the future workplace. Teachers across the country display great variation in what and how they teach and students achieve different types of outcomes.

15. The Need for Standards They help educators plan and carry out instruction and assessment. Provide a core content for grades/schools Assist schools with L2 Curriculum Development Provide Guidance for novice L2 teachers Ensure quality instruction through professional development

16. Task 1: Discuss and Analyze Identify or create a standard, a descriptor and a progress indicator in the Estándares Básicos de Competencias en Lenguas Extranjeras: Inglés Take a look at the caveats shown before and think of three more reasons why it may be difficult to implement standards here. Think of three more reasons why we need standards in Colombia