Problem:

Assignment Part II
Improving Achievement for EL Students
Angie Pohl

English Learners make up 41.5% of Whittiers student population. MCA III data indicate that in
2014, 6.5% of EL students were proficient in reading and 19.0% were proficient in math as
compared to 73% and 84% of non-EL students. MAP growth data in reading and math in 2014
show that EL students grew an average of o.8 years in reading and 0.9 years in math and
compared to 1.0 years in reading and 1.1 years in math for non-EL students. These data indicate
that in addition to a significant discrepancy in math and reading proficiency between EL and
non-EL students, EL students are also growing at a slower rate than their non-EL peers in
reading and math skills.
Anecdotal data from ILT and PDPLC meetings suggest that classroom teachers feel they lack the
skills to meet the needs of their EL students. And although there are 4 ESL teachers to support
EL students, each teacher must serve approximately 70 students of varying WIDA levels and
work with 4-5 classroom teachers. One 45 minute professional development on EL was
conducted for all teachers prior to the start of the school year and no other professional
development related to EL has been conducted since.
Problem Summary: There is a significant discrepancy in math and reading proficiency and
growth between EL and non-EL students that is not likely to decrease because classroom
teachers lack the skills and knowledge to support their EL students and ESL teachers are
stretched too thin.
Theory of Action:
Goals
Increase reading and
math proficiency rates for
the lowest performing
groups of students
(including EL) by 8%.

Increase the percentage
of students in the lowest
performing groups of
students (including EL)
making at least one years
growth in reading and

If we do the following
Identify students on the cusp of
proficiency and 1 year of growth
in reading and math.
Assess student needs.
Provide supplemental
interventions.
Track interventions and
services students receive.
Monitor their progress.
Adjust interventions as
needed.

We can expect the following

Students receive core
instruction from classroom
teachers and supplemental
interventions from classroom
teachers, ESL teachers, math
and reading specialists, and
volunteers.

Targeted students move from
yellow to green in proficiency
and growth for reading and
math.

math growth by 8%.

Teachers will implement
instructional practices that will
improve core instruction for
math and reading and
therefore increase reading and
math achievement for all
students.
Gather data and analyze how
Understand how the ESL
ESL teachers currently serve
system of support is currently
students to determine efficiency working and how it might be
and efficacy.
modified to provide more
support to the students who
need it most. Data from the
analysis will be used to plan
how ESL services will be
delivered in the 2015-2016
school year.
Offer professional development
to all staff on best instructional
practices for supporting EL
students.

Plan for Addressing the Problem:
1. Target EL students with extra support:
a. Teachers have identified students from their classes that are on the cusp of
moving from almost proficient to proficient in reading and math in the 2014-
2015 school year. 60% of the students identified for reading and 65% of the
students identified for math are EL students.
b. Analyze formative assessment measures for identified students to determine
their individual needs.
c. Target identified students with supplemental interventions to meet their
individual needs.
d. Track interventions and services students are receiving to ensure core instruction
is not missed and interventions are not redundant.
e. Monitor students progress using formative assessments, benchmark
assessments, and MAP.
i. Create a data wall to display in the main office (away from public view)
that keeps identified students data at the center of our work and
forefront of our minds.
f. Adjust interventions according to progress monitoring data.
2. Professional development

a. Work with ESL teachers and the research on teaching EL students to design
professional development opportunities targeting classroom teachers core
instruction for EL students.
b. Offer professional development opportunities to all staff on instructional best
practices for supporting EL students. The PD schedule is already set for this year
and does not include ESL PD. PD opportunities will have to be optional. However,
other methods for sharing best practices will be utilized such as email,
information in boxes, brief PD during ILT and PDPLC meetings, etc.
c. Conduct pulse classroom visits to see how PD is being utilized and strategies are
being incorporated. Provide feedback and coaching as necessary.
d. Develop a professional development plan for the 2015-2016 school year that
includes ESL PD for teachers.
3. Current ESL services analysis
a. Gather data and information on ESL teachers caseloads, WIDA levels on
caseloads, classes being served, ESL teachers daily schedules, pull-out vs. pull-in
support, what push-in support looks like, and other pertinent information.
b. Attempt to answer such questions as the following:
i. How much time is being spent per EL student?
ii. Is time spent differentiated based on WIDA level?
iii. Is the type of service differentiated based on WIDA level?
iv. How much of the service is push-in? Pull-out? What do each look like?
Which is better according to research? Which is having a greater impact
for our EL students?
v. Is the current division of labor (by grade) the best division? Are there
alternative ways that caseloads could be formed?
vi. Are 4 ESL teachers enough to serve our students needs? How would the
service delivery model look different if there was additional support?
c. Based on the data collected and the analysis conducted, develop a plan for ESL
service delivery for the 2015-2016 school year.