Secondary ESL Content Areas with SIOP

Purpose
The purpose of this document is to clarify the desired program model for secondary
schools for BISD, based on state law and successful models implemented by major state school
districts. BISD has already adopted SIOP for secondary content based ESL, which is
compatible with core content classes targeted at English Learners.
A significant number of our ELL population arrives with two or more years of missed
schooling (SIFE), asylee or refugee status, or other special conditions which make jumping
straight into English Immersion a path fraught with failure. These students, with significant gaps
in schooling or who are from areas lacking in effective schooling, have a significant lack of
foundation in core academics. SIFE is defined and explained on page 1 of the Calculating TX
ELL PM, and the STAAR decision-making guide has an Asylee/Refugee definition on page 7.

2015 Calculating 2015 STAAR

Decision-Making Guide for LPACs_final_FORWEB.pdf
Texas ELL Progress Measures.pdf

Even students who arrive in the United States with sufficient schooling in Math and
Science will not thrive in a classroom where instruction is delivered exclusively in English to
native English-Speaking students, if they do not have a foundation in English. These students
require significant language support not only in their ELA content, but also in their other content
areas so that they do not fall behind in these subjects as they acquire English proficiency.
Currently, although BISD has adopted the SIOP model, schools are not implementing it
faithfully, as required by the second test in Castaedas three-prong test. Furthermore, we
would not pass the third test of Castaeda, in that the program is not successful on a large
number of campuses. Our funding has not been consistent for SIOP training to continue over
the full three years.
Solving this problem does not require adopting a new model rather it involves being
faithful to the existing model. Currently at our secondary schools, Non-English Speakers (NES)
and Limited-English Speakers (LES) are scheduled for one ESOL course for beginners and
intermediates. If their schedules permit, a second ESL Power Reading course is added. They
do get placed in Spanish; however, this is often Spanish I regardless of the students linguistic
needs. For all other content courses, students are scheduled without regard for teacher training,
class sizes or academic readiness. Teachers resent the presence of students in their
classroom, who often have zero English skills while the teachers themselves have zero training
to support these students. Additionally, with our continually expanding ESL populations, almost
every teacher on campus has at least 2 to 10 ESL students with whom they interact on a daily
basis. Clearly we must make sure the needs of these students are being addressed.

Content-Based Program Model for High School

According to TAC 89.1205, ESL programs may be offered using one of two program
models. The two program models offered for ESL are content-based and pull-out. (89.1210).
Due to certification and content requirements, pull-out is not practical for the High School level,
prompting the law to specify that even for pull-out programs, at the high school level, the
English language learner receives sheltered instruction in all content areas. As content-based
requires the same, both require teachers to be trained and certified as appropriate for each
content area and in second-language learning practice.
Secondary ESL Content Areas with SIOP
Chapter 29 states that for PEIMS classification, ESL/Content based program serves
students identified as students of limited English proficiency in English only by providing a full-
time teacher certified under Section 29.061(c) to provide supplementary instruction for all
content area instruction. This would presuppose that a secondary teacher could be provided
who is certified in each of all the core content areas, as there is no generalist certification at the
secondary level. Therefore, TEC 89.1210.1 clarifies and extends the definition by including the
wording that at the high school level the ELL receives sheltered instruction in content areas.

Content-based approaches are much more practical for high school level students as it
allows for the students to attend core content area classes with a qualified teacher in each core
class. The same verbiage is used, that for high schools, the ELL receives sheltered instruction
in content areas (TEC 89.1210.1). Those teachers provide sheltered instruction in their own
content area.

Sheltered Instruction Model

Under the content-based model, the content courses may be provided through
sheltered instructional approaches by trained teachers (TEC 89.1210.g.1). In practice, this
typically involves content courses being provided in a small group setting for preliterate,
newcomer, intermediate and some advanced students. For advanced-high students, sheltered
practices can be incorporated into mainstream courses. The ESL program model should be
designed such that middle and high school students are provided instruction commensurate
with the students level of English proficiency and his or her level of academic achievement.
(TEC 89.1210.e). TEC 29.057.b mentions appropriate level but also age. Students enrolled in
a special language program shall be placed in classes with other students of approximately
the same age and level of educational attainment. Scheduling newcomer and preliterate
students into mainstream courses would be contrary to these statutes. BISD has adopted the
SIOP model to deliver content-based instruction at the secondary level. SIOP allows for this
type of class arrangement as well.

Model Programs in Other Districts

Last year, several ESL teachers from Beaumont, Alvin Brinson (West Brook) and
Deborah Waguspack (since retired from Central) representing High School teachers, and
Jennifer Smith, Julie Smith (Vincent), and Nicole Hunt representing Middle and Elementary
schools travelled to Katy ISD on a program-model fact-finding trip requested by Dr. Bonton to
observe a newcomer program implemented in the high schools and middle schools. In this
program, newcomer beginner and intermediate students were scheduled into courses
specifically scheduled for ESL students. ESL Ghettos are avoided in accordance with the law
by ensuring that students are still scheduled into elective courses with native English-speaking
students for elective and non-core courses.

Junior high schools begin students at an accelerated 7th grade curriculum and provide
intensive support in English, Math, Social Studies and Science. Students who arrive with
significant (2 years or more) gaps in education could be enrolled into the middle school program
within certain limits imposed by age. The results observed on the trip were impressive. Many
students exhibited one or more year gains in only one semester, when compared to non-
intensive programs.
Secondary ESL Content Areas with SIOP
Students enrolled into high school, who could not be placed into a middle school due to
age, begin in a 9th grade program of intensive studies with all core content classes delivered by
the ESL newcomer program. Components of the ESL newcomer program include all core
content classes scheduled with exclusively first year ESL students, and elective courses
scheduled with mainstream students. These programs have appropriately certified core-content
teachers in ALL core-content areas, with ESL supplemental instructions.

In HISD, high schools provide content-based ESL courses (Math/Sci/Soc) in addition to

ELA for Preliterate and Beginner students, and optionally for Intermediate and Advanced
students if numbers permit. TEC 89.1210.e provides that courses can be accommodated to a
students English language proficiency, so long as the corresponding course objectives for
graduation are all met.

Students in their first year of academic studies in High School at a US School who are at
or below Beginner level of proficiency would have at a minimum ESOL 1, ESL Reading 1, ESL
Algebra 1, ESL US History and an ESL Science course (IPC or Environ Sys, or similar).
Electives should include classes that are taught mixed with English-Speaking students, such as
Art, Music or PE (TEC 29.055). Students should be afforded the opportunity to begin
participating in Native-Speaker Spanish during their first year as their foreign language credit.

Both KATY ISD and Houston ISD have adopted similar models. We have attached the
ESL Secondary Program Guidelines document from HISD at the end of this document. The ESL
director at Katy ISD, Dr. Kimberly Mitchell (281-396-7632) indicated that she would be willing to
discuss any questions that arise about how Katy has implemented their model as well.

--- Attached: Houston ISD ESL Secondary Program Guidelines

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Alvin Brinson, West Brook ESL Team Lead
Cynthia Keedy, Central ESL Team Lead