Checklist of Instructional Modifications for LEP Students

Student initials: JR
Grade: 10th
School: Mid Valley High School
Date: 11/11/16
Instructional Modifications:
1.) Shortened assignments, tests -- Mrs. Higgins says that she gives the ELL student
lower level projects to complete.
2.) Extended time for completion of assignments, projects
3.) Seated in close proximity to the teacher -- The ELL student sits directly in front of
Mrs. Higginss desk, but I didnt observe her receive any additional clarification help due
to this placement.
4.) Provide clarification in primary language (if possible) -- Mrs. Higgins says that
she frequently uses GoogleTranslate to try and help the ELL further understand what is
expected or being taught, but I did not witness this type of interaction firsthand.
Observation Questions for ELL/LEP student(s)
1.What techniques/methods/strategies do you see being used with the ELL/LEP student(s)?
Are they effective? Why or why not? (Either specifically for the ELL student(s) or in whole
class/small group instruction)
Her classroom teacher, Mrs. Higgins, told me that the girl has an iPad with an app
that allows her to take pictures of text and it translates it for her. Mrs. Higgins also told
me that she sometimes brings the girl up to her desk and uses Google Translate to help
her understand the instructions of an assignment or other information that the class is
going over. While I believe that these strategies have some pros in helping the girl get by
with some comprehension, I did not see either of them implemented firsthand in the
classes I have observed. The only additional help that I have seen the girl get is that Mrs.
Higgins occasionally gives the girl a printed out powerpoint of notes. However, I am not
sure if that is proving to be effective as the girl still seems confused and seems
embarrassed that she is the only one receiving the note packet.
2.Do you notice any student behaviors that you would considerout of the ordinary?
Please describe in detail. (This Applies to both the ELL student(s) and other classroom
students)
The thing that I thought was most striking during my observation of the ELL
student was that she seemed uncomfortable and confused the whole time and yet no one
tried to reach out and help her. In one of the class periods I observed, Mrs. Higgins had
the class partake in a class activity that involved them to have to make situational
decisions based on information given to each of them on a notecard. The ELL student,
who was very reserved throughout the class, clearly was confused by the general
instructions and remained confused throughout the duration of the activity as her
classmates had fun. I noticed that some of the other students kept peering at the ELL
students notecard to see what she was supposed to do, however, none of them tried to
help guide her. As a result, the girl wasn't able to get any of the benefit from the
vocabulary or other connections incorporated in the otherwise useful activity.

3.What type of interactions do you see between the ELL student(s), other classroom
students, and the teacher(s)?Please describe in detail.
The answer to this question ties into the previous question. Overall, the rest of the
class is rather indifferent to the ELL student. As the only ELL student, she sits in the front
row closest to Mrs. Higgins desk, however, she seems rather uncomfortable to ask both
her peers and Mrs. Higgins for additional learning support. Although Mrs. Higgins tries
to be helpful by pulling the girl up to use Google Translate, I believe that this
embarrasses the girl, so I have not actively seen her ask anyone for help. I believe that
her embarrassment from feeling different than her peers also is highlighted by the fact
that she also doesn't use her iPad in this science class anymore, which Mrs. Higgins says
is unusual.
During the past 3 times I have observed, I noticed that the ELL girl frequently
looks at the 3 classmates who sit around her that talk to each other before class.
Occasionally, she looks as though she wants to speak to them, but they usually only
include her when it comes time to laugh at a joke. Furthermore, the ELL student seems
both happy to be included but also uncomfortable during those times.
4.Identify resources/materials that are being used with the ELL students). Please describe
in detail how the ELL student is using them. Do they appear to be effective? Explain.
The ELL student has an iPad that allows her to translate text she takes pictures of
and also the teacher uses Google Translate sometimes to try to have her understand better.
5.Does the classroom environment seem to be comfortable for the ELL student(s)? Please
describe the environment and explain how you made your decision.
I dont believe that the classroom environment she is in is conducive for an ELL
to be comfortable. The class is medium-sized with a total of 18 students and all of the
students are quite rowdy. At th start of class, the students are all conversing quite loudly
with each other, but none try to interact with the ELL student. Some students rowdiness
transfers over into the lesson and there are frequent interruptions in directions and
content, which seems to throw off the ELL student because she frequently looks around
looking confused.
In addition, I think that she feels embarrassed because she doesnt understand the
conversations of her peers or the activities and content covered in class because of her
language barrier. I think that this is the reason that the girl hasnt been using her iPad in
the recent times I have seen her.
6.Whats the comfort level of the ELL student(s) in regards to the English language?
What observations help you arrive at your decision? Refer to the Vocabulary Performance
Indicators. At what level would you place the ELL student?How did you decide on that
level?
From what Mrs. Higgins has told me, the ELL student is in her 1st year of
mainstream schooling and only speaks Spanish, therefore putting her in the no knowledge
range for vocabulary comprehension. The girl seems to be uncomfortable in class and
doesnt speak to anyone, including Mrs. Higgins. When going over passages for
questions in class, the ELL student looks around the room, apparently trying to gauge the
responses of her peers. However, she does not try to participate in the class, nor does she
ask questions.

7.If you feel comfortable enough to ask, ask the cooperating teacher (or ESL teacher) what
type of accommodations/modifications they have to make for the ELL students). Please
describe the types of accommodations/modifications that were discussed. Do they appear
on the checklist? Why/why not do you think they are present/not present on the checklist?
I have not spoken to the ESL teacher. Mrs. Higgins told me that the ESL teacher
is only at the high school sometimes because she is part time, the only one in the entire
Mid Valley School District, and is primarily stationed at the elementary school due to the
higher number of ELLs there. When speaking to Mrs. Higgins later in my observations,
she also revealed that in addition to the iPad and Google Translate, she individually tries
to give the girl lower level work in the form of shortened assignments. When I asked
whether any of the other accommodations or modifications on the checklist were used,
she told me that it is difficult to implement more help because that ELL student is the
ELL student she has in all of our sections.
I recently spoke to the Spanish teacher of the school about the ELL student and
she said that the girl I have been observing as well as another boy are in her Spanish
class. She confirmed that both of the ELL students have very limited English skills.
When asked how she teaches them in her class, the Spanish teacher told me that she
actually has the ELL students complete the assignments in English while the English
speaking students complete the same assignments in Spanish. She explained that she
does this because it allows them to keep up with their peers in subject matter, but focuses
on building their skills in English whereas the other students are learning Spanish. When
I asked her whether the disposition of the ELL girl in the biology class was similar to her
demeanor in her Spanish class, the Spanish teacher replied that both of the ELL students
are social and active in her class. I thought that this piece of information was probably
the most important of all because it was a prime example of how affective filter
influences the way an ELL student responds.