| Summit School District English Language Acquisition
Program Professional Development
Professional development on meeting the needs of culturally and
linguistically diverse students is a process, which the ELA program
has divided into five phases. This five-phase process is modeled
in each inservice offering and guides participants through their
own ongoing professional development.
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Processes for Professional Development:
Building a Knowledge Base
•Attending inservices offered at a variety of sites and at different
times.
•Attending program specific inservices, i.e. Special Education,
Title I, etc.
• Attending staff development offerings that integrate ELA, i.e.
new math adoptions, literacy programs, assessments for qualifying
standards, other content areas.
Inservices addressing current needs, i.e. Special Ed prereferral
process for ELA students.
• Reading about research and effective strategies for English
language learners.
Observing Models and Examples
•Visiting other classrooms.
•Observing peers.
•Collaborating with ELA and other educational staff to determine
specific ways to meet students' needs.
Applying New Knowledge
• Applying information, strategies, and instructional practices.
Reflecting on Your Practice
•Reflecting on application of new knowledge.
•Collaborating and consulting with other staff.
•Modifying and adjusting practices when appropriate.
Gaining and Sharing Expertise
•Collaborating with other staff.
•Sharing in grade-level or department meetings.
•Participating in further professional development.
• Serving as a resource to other staff with English language
learners.
(Adapted from the North Central Regional Educational
Laboratory's research-based framework for professional development,
www.ncrel.org.)
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Inservice Opportunities
Introduction to Second Language Acquisition
Basic information on the stages of language acquisition and appropriate
strategies and modifications to meet the needs of English language
learners at all levels of the language development continuum will
be addressed in this inservice. Participants will also work with their
peers on adapting instruction and curriculum relevant to their specific
grade level. (1 credit)
Developing Literacy for English Language Learners
This inservice examines the challenges of providing English Language
Acquisition instruction for students who are in widely varying stages
of the literacy continuum, from pre-literacy to academic success.
Instructional strategies for increasing literacy levels of English
language learners will be addressed as will the development of instructional
materials that are appropriate for the literacy levels of the intended
English language learners. (1 credit)
Needs: Appropriate and inappropriate referrals
What do you do when English language learners are struggling in your
class? This inservice will review the process of providing interventions
for struggling students, documentation of these interventions, tracking
student progress, and describe appropriate modifications and accommodations
for ELLs in your classroom. We will review Summit School District's
Student Study Team process and discuss proactive methods for ensuring
the success of all students in your classroom. (1 credit)
Teaching Content to Students of Limited English Proficiency
This inservice is designed for the teacher of mainstream English
language learners as well as ELA teachers. It emphasizes the merging
of content instruction and language development, provides the teacher
with text-analysis skills and includes analysis of strategies that
provide supplemental assistance to the English language learner.
(1 credit) "Can you teach academic content to students with
low-level English? Can you use academic content to promote language
learning? In this inservice you will explore how to do both."
Alternative Assessments for English Language Learners
At the end of the course, participants will be able to compare and
contrast classroom standardized assessments, identify and reduce language
and cultural bias on tests, develop a practical alternative assessment
for content material, and develop a rubric for evaluating student
work. (1 credit)
Developing Cultural Competency
The population in Summit County is continually growing more diverse.
This course will assist staff in the process of reflecting on what
this means for them in the process of educating our students and
effectively developing partnerships with and communicating with
families in our community. (1 credit)
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