Supporting ELs in GenEd Strategy Guide v1

School leaders should articulate how support for English Learners connects to the school’s vision and mission.

School leaders should articulate a clear vision for high-quality instruction that supports English Learners in general education settings. Consider a vision that includes access, growth towards English proficiency, and academic engagement and achievement.

Schools should gather data and search for patterns and trends that would pinpoint some areas of success and areas of need. Consider using CDE’s Data Dig on English Learners tool to further analyze performance data of English Learner students.

School leaders should establish clear goals and commitments to English learners. School leaders should maintain a systemic focus on continuous improvement and progress toward these goals.

Teachers and staff should identify students that are English Learners in their classes and/or on their caseloads. Teachers and staff should be aware of various groups of English Learner students, including those that have opted out of EL services, ELs with disabilities, ELs that have exited the EL program and long-term ELs, as well as each student’s language development level. Teachers should use this data when planning for instruction.

For more information on using data to guide instruction, refer to the Data-Driven Instruction Strategy Guide.

Ensure that teachers have tools to monitor all students who are English Learners in their classes, including those that have opted out of EL services, ELs with disabilities, ELs that have exited the EL program and long-term ELs. EL students should be monitored for progress in achieving English Language Proficiency and acquiring content knowledge in order to target instruction and provide additional support as needed.

Ensure that teachers have the most current understanding of how to support English Learners in general education classrooms. Consider referring to the USDE’s Office of English Language Acquisition tools to develop and present appropriate professional learning opportunities specific to general education teachers of English Learners.

Professional Learning topics should include:

• Understanding of language development. Consider referring to CDE’s English Language Development Guidebook.
• Understanding of principles of English language instruction. Refer to "What Teachers Should Know about Instruction for English Language Learners" and/or "Principles of Effective English Language Learner Pedagogy".
• Effective instructional practices in supporting English Learners in specific content areas. Refer to "What the Research Says on Instruction for English Learners Across Content Areas" and "What Teachers Should Know about Instruction for English Language Learners".

Provide time for collaboration and coaching for teachers to further develop skills in teaching students who are English Learners. Refer to the Coaching Strategy Guide for further information on supporting teachers through coaching.

Ensure that staff have adequate resources to support the conditions required to meet English Learners’ needs as they develop English language and content skills.

School leaders should recruit educators skilled in addressing the needs of English learners, including bilingual teachers.

Students who are English learners receive instruction based on grade level standards. Teachers should have continuous collaborative opportunities to study and understand content standards, design lessons based on the standards including differentiation and scaffolding for EL students, and analyze student work produced during lessons. Standards-Based Instruction, while critical for all learners, is especially critical to the success of EL students.

Teaching and learning should emphasize engagement, interaction, discourse, inquiry, and critical thinking with the same high expectations for English learners as for all students in each of the content areas. High Expectations, while important for all learners, are a crucial element in effectively supporting EL students.

Students who are English Learners need to have multiple opportunities to practice subject-specific and substantive oral language with more fluent English speakers. Teachers should integrate listening, reading and writing activities into oral development activities.

In classes with large numbers of English learners, teachers should provide full class scaffolding structures that increase comprehension and participation, as well as develop student autonomy and mastery. Explicit scaffolding enables meaningful participation by English learners at different levels of English language proficiency. Teachers should consider the use of sheltered instruction as a scaffold for English Learners. Instructional supports could include graphic organizers, explicit and repeated vocabulary instruction, and the use of home language to teach vocabulary and/or concepts.

Teachers should incorporate skills learned in professional development around scaffolding for students in all contents as well as specific strategies identified as effective in different content areas. Refer to the following resources for evidence-based strategies:

• "What Teachers Should Know about Instruction for English Language Learners"
• "Principles of Effective English Language Learner Pedagogy".
• "What the Research Says on Instruction for English Learners Across Content Areas"

Teachers should provide differentiated instruction to meet individual student needs. Differentiation is especially important to meet the needs of English learners with disabilities.

Ensure that the school has an affirming culture where all students are included and safe. Promote school-wide understanding that students who are English Learners bring assets that are valued and built upon in culturally responsive curriculum and instruction. Promote programs that support, wherever possible, the development of proficiency in multiple languages.
Refer to the Culturally Responsive Instruction Strategy Guide for more information on supporting culturally responsive instructional practices. Consider the use of CDE’s Equity Toolkit to create and maintain an inclusive school environment.

Ensure that students who are English Learners have access to the full curriculum, including co-curricular classes such as electives and specials, as well as extra-curricular activities. English Learners should have access to supports and services when participating in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.

Schools value and build strong family and school partnerships. For more information on communicating and partnering with families, refer to the Family-School-Community Partnerships Strategy Guide.