4th, 7th and 9th Graders: The Critical Importance of These Students Experiences At School

SHADOWING Bilingual, Biliterate Learners

In the School District of Waukesha, Dual Language Programing has made the biggest impact on our student's opportunity to become biliterate (and proficient in English).  Students that make this achievement of biliteracy by 5th grade are at the greatest likelihood progressing through middle school and into high school with the opportunity to experience all the advantages of their bilingualism and biliteracy: AP Courses, AVID, college and career preparation.  Students who enter into middle school on the cusp of proficiency as bilinguals and biliterate learners (and English proficient) can reach their full potential by 7th grade-in fact it is most typical that this is when they would reach their fullest biliteracy according to Jim Cummins, Internationally renowned researcher on second language acquisition. 

When students are not able to leave elementary with strong biliteracy, they enter into middle school challenges to their literacy that they cannot cognitively "keep up".  By the time these students pass through 7th grade and on to 9th grade, they continue to carry the label of English Learner, and are disproportionately represented on the lists of students who are failing classes as Freshman.  As you might imagine, failing even one credit in high school, can set a student on a trajectory, foster a  mindset in the students, teachers and the system itself, on what is possible or even desired.  We believe it does not have to be this way.  We know there are learners we are not reaching sufficiently-and that these learners experience school very differently that their peers. We believe if we can perceive the ways these students experience school, then we can impact it.

What do we know for sure about learning?  S/he who does the talking, does the learning.  S/he who does the talking, can do the writing. Without talking-there is no literacy.  And yet, the National Literacy Panel suggests that English Learning students spend less than 2% of their day using Academic Language.  Do we perceive this in SDW?

Courageous leaders at Banting, Bethesda, Hawthorne, Hillcrest, Heyer, Les Paul, Butler, Horning, West, North and South will be engaging in Action Research in grades 4, 7 and 9 to understand what the learning experience is like for students who are at risk becoming long term English Learners striving for biliteracy.  This courageous team will be looking through the lenses of Access Level 3 students, in essence shadowing these students,  in these grade levels for targeted periods of time, so that they might make some generalizations around what the learning experiences are of these students throughout the days and years they are under our care.  The data that is gathered will be used to make small "hacks" to teaching that will significantly impact learning.  If you are a teacher in grades 4, 7 or 9-you will be brought into the conversation as the learning of your leaders unfolds.    As we perceive what the learning experience look like for students on the path to biliteracy but at risk of becoming a long term English learner, as their experience with our instruction becomes clearer, we will be engaging in small ways to significantly address our opportunity and responsibility to impact.  The links here can provide more insight into the work this team is doing:
The Action Research Approach to PD

Shadowing a Student