Role of the English Language Learners Director - Essay Example

? ELL Director Number: ELL Director English Language Learners, normally abbreviated as ELLs, are the highest growing sector of both the public and private school populace (Roekel, 2007). Over the past 10 years, the number of ELLs has virtually doubled to almost 5 million from 2.4 million back in 2000. By 2015, critics expected the number of ELL enrollment in United States schools to reach 10 million. Also, by 2025, roughly one out of every four public or private school learner will be an ELL (Short & Fitzsimmons, 2006). The No Child Left Behind law (NCLB) is attracting some much-needed concern to the success gap of ELLs, but the manner in which the law considers these students is not supportive enough. Under the law, each school and district should make sure that the student as a whole, and their subgroups such as ELLs, meet the needed academic regulations in reading, as well as math. To make adequate annually progress, each school and district should generally show that every subgroup has achieved the state proficiency aim in reading, as well as math (Capps, Fix, Murray, Ost, Passel & Herwantoro, 2005). Correctly assessing ELLs in English as obliged by the law is extremely tough. These students are expected to comprehend all content in English prior to reaching a certain degree of English proficiency. Accommodations offered during the assessment are normally of limited value and doubtful validity. On top of these reading and math tests, ELLs also are expected meet various English proficiency benchmarks; hence, troubling them in their learning (Roekel, 2007). In the next section of this paper, we will address the challenges facing this students and ways of curbing them. Challenges Relating to Assessing Language Domains before and During Content-Based Instruction English Language Learners come from extremely diverse backgrounds and normally encounter numerous difficulties in the classroom (Roekel, 2007). To cause further difficulties, educators lack useful, research-based facts, strategies and resources required to evaluate, teach and nurture these types of students, whether the ELLs were born in the United States or another place, or whether they are the earliest, middle, or latest generation to be enrolled in an American public school. In a lot of cases, ELLs are being given math and reading tests in English prior to gaining enough knowledge or understanding in English. The matter of communication seems large for educators of ELLs. A 2004 study of teachers in California found out that poor communication among teachers, learners, parents, as well as the community, was a massive problem. Other issues comprised of the lack of tools to educate ELL students and proper assessments to identify learners’ needs, as well as measure student progress (Capps, Fix, Murray, Ost, Passel & Herwantoro, 2005). Educators also expressed disappointment over the broad variety of English language and academic levels along with the fact that they get little in-service training or professional development on how to educate/train ELLs. As the size of ELLs continues to grow, for instance, more teachers will be faced with the issue of successful second language literacy instruction (Short & Fitzsimmons, 2006). Meeting the educational requirements of ELLs is a difficult task. It is one that needs harmonization and teamwork all through the educational system. This means that everyone should support the learning needs of English Language Learners, beginning with schools of education, which should better prepare all educators to work supportively with ELLs (Roekel, 2007). Also, educators themselves argue that proper professional development and enhancement is amongst their top requirements. Also, another common or universal problem relating to assessing language domains among ELL students is offering a significant access to the program (Roekel, 2007). This is because there has been a tendency of viewing ELLs with learning difficulties also because they are just low-performing English speakers. It is vital that educators shun away from this reaction when they come across learners who do not utilize English professionally. In thinking about curriculum access, the vital aim is that learners comprehend the critical ideas being presented, instead of knowing the right English label for a certain theory. One teacher explained what it was like to migrate into the U.S. knowing very little English (Roekel, 2007). According to the teacher, someone can abruptly change from perceiving him/herself as a "smart" individual to someone with numerous academic problems. This opinion remained confidential since the teacher had no chance to share it with someone else (Short & Fitzsimmons, 2006). She considers it would have been enormously constructive to hear from other learners regarding these same kinds of experiences. She would have realized that these experiences were normal and that the challenges were a comprehensible response to learning in a new environment and language. The ill-fated effect of seeing ELLs as having restricted ability is the tendency to simply take up weak versions of the normal curriculum, a practice, which is in clear inconsistency with curriculum access. A second-rate program also denies ELLs access to first-class instruction and, eventually, real academic opportunity (Roekel, 2007). Action Plan to Assess Language Proficiency of Ells The above mentioned challenges can be curbed if educators were serious about how they teach (Short & Fitzsimmons, 2006). Even if the "No Child Left Behind" act does not fully support ELLs, it is the work of the teachers to see that ELLs receive even more attention when compared to other students (Roekel, 2007). The action plan is to allow educators build academic proficiency and content accountability for the ELL students. The goal of this plan is to enable all learners in grades K-12 study at or above grade level. The success gap between adequate-earning and low-earning students will also be reduced in math, reading and science (Capps, Fix, Murray, Ost, Passel & Herwantoro, 2005). Finally, the aim of this plan is to make ELLs feel safe, as well as connected to school. Therefore, the purpose of this plan is to ensure that they skills acquired in school by English Language Learners will be utilized as a basis for more advanced math skills with content-specific terminology. Also, the goals are meant to enhance the percentage of English Language Learners (ELLs) showing improvement in re-designating the proficient level. Another purpose for the above states goals is for schools to boost the percentage of English Language Learners attaining the intended English Language Proficient Level. This will ensure that they put the skills they acquire in school to proper use (Short & Fitzsimmons, 2006). Finally, the purpose of these goals is to enhance parental involvement through creating more opportunities for parents to take part significantly in school events. In order to achieve these goals, educators will be required to teach specific math skills and terminology (Roekel, 2007). Also, each skill will be scaffolded, starting with math manipulatives, as well as building more challenging levels as learners master each and every skill set plus the vital vocabulary. Some of the necessary resources that will assist the plan achieve its goals include math manipulatives, vocabulary words written on velcro strips, math worksheets, multiplication and division bingo among others. English Language Learners will be assisted in knowing how to use these resources in order to improve their understanding of instructions. Also, the educator should be well acquainted in using such resources so as to make the work much easier for the learners. Students will be monitored using various methods. It is vital to encourage one-on-one relations between the teacher and his or her students in order to allow them to be open to their teacher (Roekel, 2007). Hence, techniques such as peer tutoring, teacher observation, exit tickets, homework review, and traditional worksheet assessment will be incorporated. This will assist the teacher to better understand his/her ELLs and the areas where they need more attention (Capps, Fix, Murray, Ost, Passel & Herwantoro, 2005). Finally, as clearly stated in the goals, the plan seeking to assist ELLs in learning how to appreciate the school environment, incorporate parents to a majority of the school activities and enable K-2 students to learn at any grade level. Hence, if these factors appear to be materializing, then we will know that the goals are being achieved (Roekel, 2007). These are all simple steps that could be followed to enable educators to successfully assess language domains before and during content-based instruction. References Capps, R., M. Fix, J. Murray, J. Ost, J. Passel, & S. Herwantoro. (2005). The new demography of America’s schools: Immigration and the No Child Left Behind Act. Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute. Roekel, D. V. (2007). English Language Learners face unique challenges. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/ELL_Policy_Brief_Fall_08_(2).pdf Short, D., & Fitzsimmons, S. (2006). Double the work: Challenges and solutions to acquiring language and academic literacy for adolescent English Language Learners. Retrieved from www.all4ed.org/files/doublework.pdf Read More