The document discusses diversity and English language learners (ELLs) in US schools. It notes that the NCATE defines diversity to include differences based on various demographic factors. It also states that the number of ELLs in US schools has risen 57% in the past decade and that ELLs now represent the fastest growing student population. ELL students lag behind English-proficient students in academic achievement and high school graduation rates. Additionally, most mainstream teachers have ELL students but only 29% feel adequately trained to teach them effectively.

1. DIVERSITY

2. NCATE definition of diversity
“Differences among groups of people and
individuals based on ethnicity, race,
socioeconomic status, gender,
exceptionalities, language, religion, sexual
orientation, and geographical area.”

3. ENGLISH
LANGUAGE
LEARNERS

4. There are over 5 million English language
learners in the United States
The numbers have risen more than 57%
during the past ten years
English Language Learners are the fastest
Growing population
in American schools

5. Increasing Percentage of ELL Students
Total PK-12 ELL
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09

6. Percent Change from 2000 to 2010
Asian Black Hispanic Mixed Race White Total
250
200
150
100
50
0
Missouri Franklin County Jefferson County St. Charles County St. Francois County St. Louis County St. Louis City
-50

7. Areas of Concern
• Nearly 60% qualify for free or
reduced lunch
• 8th grade ELL students’ scores
are less than half those of English
proficient students on the NAEP
• ELLs lag 20 points behind in high
school graduation rates

8. Eighth-Grade Students Proficient on the NAEP
Limited English Proficient English Proficient
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Reading Math

9. Mainstream Teachers of ELLs
• Most mainstream teachers have at least
one English language learner in their
classroom
• Only 29% of mainstream teachers with
ELLs have the training to teach them
effectively

10. • 57% of teachers say they need more
training
• Missouri does not require training in
working with ELLs

11. NCATE Standards Applied to ELLs
1. Teachers should acquire pedagogical
content knowledge which addresses
ELLs
2. Assessment and evaluation data
should measure teachers’
preparedness to work with ELLs

12. 3. Field experiences should provide
practice and opportunities to see
successful teachers model effective
techniques in working with ELLs
4. This standard explicitly requires that
candidates work with ELLs during
clinical practice and that candidates
understand the range of diversity
among ELLs

13. 5. & 6. The unit should provide qualified
faculty and sufficient resources to
support teachers’ learning about ELLs

14. quiz
Please answer true or false

15. 1. My newcomer should be referred to the
child study team. He is often disruptive in
the classroom and kicks and hits others.
There is something wrong with him
aside from not knowing the language.
2. The more time students spend soaking up
English in the mainstream classroom, the
faster they will learn the language.

16. 3. English language learners will acquire
English faster if their parents speak
English at home.
4. Once students can speak English, they
are ready to undertake the academic
tasks of the mainstream classroom.

17. 5. Students from other countries should
learn to read in their native language
first because this helps them succeed
in U.S. schools.
6. Students should be strongly encouraged
to speak English immediately.

18. Answers
1. False. Newcomers who act out in the
classroom are most likely suffering
from culture shock.

19. Four stages of culture shock before
reaching acceptance:
1. Euphoric or honeymoon stage
2. Rejection stage
3. Regression stage
4. Integration stage

20. 2. False. Students do not simply “soak up”
language. They need comprehensible
input. They need to understand the
communication.
3. False. When parents use their native
language, their speech is richer and
more complex which improves the
child’s literacy skills.

21. 4. False. Children can speak and socialize
before they can use language for
academic purposes.
5. True.
6. False. Many students go through a
silent period and should not be forced
to speak.

22. How long does it take students to
learn English?
Students who have strong literacy
skills in their native language learn
English faster.

23. • Students ages 8-11 with two or three
years of native language education took
5 to 7 years to test at grade level.
• Students younger than 8 who arrived in
the U.S. with little or no native language
education took 7 to 10 years to reach
grade-level.

24. Stages of Second Language Acquisition
1. Preproduction
2. Early Production
3. Speech Emergence
4. Intermediate Fluency
5. Advanced Fluency

25. Differentiating Instruction for ELLs
• View ELLs as a resource; draw on personal
experience
• Use concrete objects/visuals to reinforce
verbal content (hands-on demonstration)
• Focus on a limited number of vocabulary
words and concepts in each lesson
• Limit the amount of information an ELL
student needs to learn

26. • Use graphic organizers
• Teach reading strategies
• Use both oral & written modalities frequently
• Use cooperative learning techniques
• Substitute alternative texts
• Substitute alternative assignments

27. • Test students in concrete terms
• Allow brief answers instead of full sentences
• Modify assessment tools as necessary
• Use think-alouds
• Allow use of a bilingual dictionary or English
dictionary

28. Thanks for your attention