“Of course I told her parents to speak to her only in English. It’s the only way she’s going to learn.”

“These [bilingual] students can’t do it [the full curriculum] because, well, you know.”

These are examples of phrases I don’t hear any more in my district.

In the past four years, we have worked hard to change the conversation about our English Language Learners (ELLs). All too often, these students are viewed from the perspective of what they lack rather than for the linguistic and cultural assets they bring. That viewpoint is reflected in the federal label LEP (Limited English Proficient). In our circles, we prefer to think of them as language-enriched pupils.

The change in mindset has been accompanied by some encouraging achievement data. We are seeing more of our ELLs reading on or above grade level (in their native language, in English, and eventually in both) than ever before. Fewer students struggle academically when they leave language support services. We have improved on our Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs), meeting targets we had not met in years. We are not a model district, though that is something we aspire to. We are a district with substantial economic challenges. We have approximately 11,500 students, 800 of whom are classified as ELLs. We experience the same struggles that every district experiences to a greater or lesser degree. This is a story about how we are trying to give our ELLs the support they need to be successful. In telling our story, I hope to give you some insight into strategies you can use with your own ELL population.

ELLs are dependent upon their classroom and subject area teachers for their academic growth. However, these teachers are often unprepared to meet the needs of the ELLs and former ELLs in their classrooms. To ensure academic success, there needs to be collaboration and mutual understanding between ESL teachers and classroom and subject area teachers. Fortunately, there has never been a better time to make that happen. When New Jersey adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), everyone became a content teacher and everyone became a language teacher. Even though New Jersey has since abandoned the CCSS, the focus on teaching the language of content has not changed. What that has meant in practical terms for us is that ESL teachers have needed to become proficient at teaching content while teaching language, and classroom and subject area teachers have needed to be cognizant of and able to teach the language of their content area. If that sounds complicated, it is. But it’s not impossible. We are doing it, and you can, too.

In our case, the need for change was clear. We had met none of our AMAO targets for several years. Our students struggled academically. Even stakeholders who were resistant to change had to admit that the old ways were not working. That realization allowed us to make changes. For example, bilingual teachers now use students’ first language (Spanish) for whole group instruction and for any announcements directed at the entire class. Small group work in the bilingual classroom is done in Spanish or English depending on the student’s English Language Proficiency level and reading ability in Spanish. The goal has changed from a focus on English acquisition to a focus on content acquisition. Happily, we have found that the English comes along naturally, and there is no appreciable difference in ACCESS scores between students in the bilingual program and students in English-medium classrooms. Moreover, teachers report that they are able to cover much more material in more depth. They also report more homework being turned in and greater parental involvement. Even if a full bilingual program is not feasible in your district, there are still many ways to help students develop and maintain a positive orientation toward their native language. The website Colorín Colorado provides so many resources it should figure prominently in every administrator’s bookmarks.

We then turned our attention to our ESL curriculum. We embarked on a painstaking exercise in aligning our ESL curriculum to the English Language Arts curriculum, with objectives for students at each level of proficiency of the WIDA continuum. In other words, where a Language Arts curriculum tells you what a student should do in Grade 3, and a World Languages curriculum tells you what a student should do in Level 2, our ESL curriculum tells you what a student in Grade 3 should be able to do at a WIDA English Language Development level of 3. Even using the ELL Scaffolds of the New Jersey Department of Education’s Model Curriculum as a guide, it was a difficult process (if you are interested in pursuing it, don’t reinvent the wheel – our work is downloadable from the district website. If you improve on it, let us know!) The revised curriculum gives us the security that when students are with their ESL teacher, they are working on the same skills they would be working on in their classroom, but at a developmental level that is appropriate for them.

We have also begun work on creating scaffolds for ELLs directly within the English Language Arts curriculum, with plenty of links and resources for our classroom teachers to use. We have completed scaffolds for the Language Arts curricula of Grades 2 through 5, and will continue this work until all of the grades from Kindergarten through High School have been completed. This work is also downloadable from our district website. We would love your feedback.

Speaking of mainstream teachers, they are an essential component of ELL success. In New Jersey, ELLs leave language support services with a WIDA ACCESS score of about a 4.5 on a scale from 1 to 6. That means they still need someone to meet them where they are and take them the rest of the way. Mainstream teachers need to be given the tools to maximize their effectiveness with ELLs and former ELLs. Training in Sheltered Instruction (often referred to by its brand name, SIOP) is a great way to give them those tools. We also started a very casual (professional development hours, but no money) series of “After School Specials.” These were workshops that I began running for teachers. The workshops had titles such as, “Is it a difference or is it a disability?” It was not long before curious teachers were filling the seats. This year, we have expanded the After School Special concept with teacher-to-teacher professional development. I also encourage staff who participate in these projects to present their work at NJTESOL/NJBE’s annual Spring Conference. In doing so, they gain confidence in their professional abilities, and their hard work and Can-Do attitude is disseminated throughout the state.

One of the best things about working in education is that common ground can always be found. No matter the route taken, everyone has the best interests of children at heart. The Common Core State Standards have provided the impetus to move from a “my job” versus “your job” mindset to one that espouses shared ownership in the success of culturally and linguistically diverse learners. We are living proof that collaboration is the key to student success.

Note: This article was originally published in the Spring 2015 edition of NJPSA Educational Viewpoints, and is reprinted with permission. It has been edited by the author to provide programmatic updates and to clarify any state-specific terms that would be common knowledge to state professional organization readership but not to a wider audience.

JoAnne Negrin, Ed.D. is Supervisor of ESL, Bilingual Education, World Languages, Performing Arts, and NCLB for the Vineland, NJ, USA Public School District. In her spare time, She is Vice President of NJTESOL/NJBE, and she participates in the NJPSA ELL Committee, the NJDOE Bilingual Advisory Committee, the NJDOE ESEA Committee, and the NJ Seal of Biliteracy Council. She believes that all students should have the opportunity to become college and career ready in at least two languages.