Lever 4 Essential Action:
Objective-driven daily lesson plans with asset-based, Linguistically Sustaining Practices, and data-driven, rigorous, hands-on scaffolded instruction.
Lesson plans include clear objectives, a variety of formative assessments, and rigorous instructional strategies.
4.1.a - Clearly defined language and content objectives that students understand and reflect on at the end of the lesson and the unit.
4.1.b - Effective instructional strategies that build content understanding for rigorous learning include oracy strategies that build content background knowledge, higher-order questioning, hands-on activities, critical thinking, project-based learning, and scaffolding.
4.1.c - Grade-level planning using formative assessments that evaluate the effectiveness of the lesson’s language objective across all four language domains and content understanding.
4.1.d - Formative assessment data is used to reflect, adjust, and differentiate instruction to accelerate student learning and English language acquisition.
4.1.e - Cooperative learning based on cognitive and linguistic skills and differentiated strategies to maximize “TEKS grade level” learning, regardless of students' current English language proficiency level.
ESL program includes Linguistically Sustaining Practices.
4.2.a - Linguistically Sustaining Practices and resources include funds of knowledge, high-level expectations, and goal-setting that foster critical consciousness, addressing issues of access to equal educational opportunities.
4.2.b - Communicate expectations for and monitor implementation of Linguistically Sustaining Practices.
4.2.c - Linguistically Sustaining Practices are included in daily lessons across content areas and grade levels.
CBLI instructional practices for emergent bilingual students are included in all areas of instruction: content, literacy, global awareness, and language, building on authentic connections and metalinguistic connections.
4.3.a - Explicit language strategies to support English language development in listening, speaking, reading, and writing should be incorporated into all content areas to build concepts and content-based language.
4.3.b - Construct and monitor campus-wide initiatives that highlight the targeted and strategic development of academic language based on grade-level TEKS.
4.3.c - Incorporate clear and consistent use of academic language and vocabulary, and intentionally plan for students to make cross-linguistic and metalinguistic connections while remaining consistent in English instruction.
4.3.d - Engage students to make cross-language connections to home language, such as identifying cognates and non-cognates, analyzing pragmatics, syntax, phonology and spelling.
4.3.e - Incorporate literacy practices for students to interact repeatedly with content material in meaningful ways and in organic conversations with peers, which are evident in all content classes.
Instruction is aligned to grade-level content objectives and intentionally connected to literacy TEKS and language objectives.
4.4.a - Lessons that include listening, speaking, reading, and writing across subject areas that support academic vocabulary development, conceptual understanding, and increased reading and writing skills.
4.4.b - Integration of content, language, and literacy TEKS across all content areas of instruction.
4.4.c - Strong foundational literacy practices that accurately reflect the structure of the English language.
ESL program promotes an asset-based philosophy in planning and instructional practices.
4.5.a - Use asset-based lessons that incorporate enrichment practices to provide accelerated growth in English literacy development and do not rely solely on remedial practices such as pullout and MTSS.
4.5.b - Heterogeneous groupings with high-quality classroom instruction, including differentiated instruction and strategies that support cross-linguistic connections and English language development.
4.5.c - Consistently monitor and support the implementation of CBLI instructional practices by providing appropriate feedback and coaching for all content teachers.
ESL teachers engage students in instruction that incorporates strategic use of CBLI instructional practices to promote high levels of language acquisition.
4.6.a - Maintain a strategic use of English language instruction and incorporate CLSP, which fosters respect for language variation and the process of language acquisition.
4.6.b - Maintain instruction in English allowing students to draw from their linguistic repertoire to engage and process learning while supporting academic, linguistic, and global awareness goals.
4.6.c - Establish and communicate a campus-wide language development and assessment policy.
4.6.d - A critical analysis of the differential power among various roles, along with the perceived status of the languages spoken by speakers of other languages.
4.6.e - Establish and communicate district-wide language development and assessment policy.
ESL teachers effectively implement differentiated instruction.
4.7.a - Differentiated grade-level instruction for all students, regardless of their academic and linguistic level, aligns methods and techniques to support varied student learning.
4.7.b - Heterogeneous groupings with high-quality classroom instruction, including differentiated instruction and strategies that support cross-linguistic connections.