Action Research Plan - ESL Best Practices

Please find below my action research plan "ESL Best Practices" that will be used as a guide in our campus' efforts to close the achievement gap with our ELL/LEP learners.

Action Research Plan – ESL Best Practices
Goal: In what ways will the implementation of an ESL best practices program increase the level of achievement of my campus’ ELL/LEP learners (K-5)? Will this type of framework for how to plan, teach, and monitor ESL best practices instruction aide in improving district and state assessments (e.g. MAP, STAAR, TELPAS, etc.)? Will this type of guided instruction increase the number of students that will be able to be reclassified or exit the bilingual education program because they met qualifying benchmarks on district and state assessments?
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Have meeting with directors of bilingual education program in district to discuss funding and materials needed to implement program.	Self and members of district elementary bilingual education department	May 25, 2013 – June 1, 2013	ESL best practices program information; monies as distributed by elementary bilingual education department; materials to support ESL best practices program	Self-reflection on meeting notes
Develop flyer to introduce program to campus’ bilingual students	Self and members of the summer robotics camp for campus	June 1, 2013 – July 1, 2013	Information on details and fundamentals of topics to be introduced and taught at camp	Flyer approved by site supervisor as well as elementary bilingual education director
Have meeting to introduce/market the program to bilingual education students in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades during last week of school	Self and members of the summer robotics camp for campus	June 1, 2013 – June 7, 2013	Presentation video, camp flyer w/permission slip, sample of lesson plans and materials that will be utilized at camp	Self-reflection on meeting notes as well as number of student/parent response for permission to attend the program
Conduct meeting with bilingual instructional specialist to go over details of ESL best practices lessons and activities including technology	Self, bilingual instructional specialist, members of the summer robotics camp for campus	June 7, 2013 – Jun 15, 2013	ESL best practices binder, technology, bilingual education program objectives, manipulatives and lesson plan templates	Self-reflection on meeting notes
Mail flyer to bilingual education students for reminder of summer camp as well as follow-up calls to student/parent	Self, staff members of the summer robotics camp for campus	June 25, 2013 – July 15, 2013	Personal information of student from TEAMS to produce mailing labels, flyer, and mailing materials	Self-reflection on conversations from  number of students that will confirm their attendance at the camp
Give the “express placement” assessment that assesses grammatical structures at four level of proficiency (oral)	Self, staff members  of the summer robotics camp for campus, students in attendance at camp	July 22, 2013 and July 23, 2013	“Express Placement” assessment	Quick placement for ESL grouping; self-reflection on assessment observation
Give the “Gap Finder” assessment  that identifies gaps in English language knowledge in order to understand instructional needs of student	Self, staff members of the summer robotics camp for campus, students in attendance at camp	July 24, 2013 and July 25, 2013	“Gap Finder” Assessment of Language Use	Students will be given assessment and then proficiency level identified to understand the instructional needs of student; self-reflection on assessment observation
Conduct the summer robotics camp that incorporates ESL best practices, math, science and STEM lessons to bilingual students	Self, staff members of the summer robotics camp for campus, students in attendance at camp	July 22, 2013 through August 2, 2013	Various lesson plans that include listening, speaking, reading, and writing objectives with an emphasis on listening and speaking.	Various informal and formal assessments as designated by rubric which identifies level of proficiencies; daily lesson observation/self-reflection rubric
Give the “express placement” assessment at the end of camp that assesses grammatical structures at four level of proficiency (oral) to note any improvement in proficiency level	Self, staff members  of the summer robotics camp for campus, students in attendance at camp	August 1st, 2013 – August 2nd, 2013	“Express Placement” assessment	Quick placement for ESL grouping; self-reflection on assessment observation
Give the “Gap Finder” assessment at the end of camp that identifies gaps in English language knowledge in order to understand instructional needs of student to note any improvement in proficiency level	Self, staff members of the summer robotics camp for campus, students in attendance at camp	August 1st, 2013 – August 2nd, 2013	“Gap Finder” Assessment of Language Use	Students will be given assessment and then proficiency level identified to understand the instructional needs of student; self-reflection on assessment observation
Give presentation on ESL best practices during back to school professional development week in August 2013	Self, staff members, administrators	August 19, 2013 – August 23, 2013	Lesson plans for staff as well as presentation on findings from summer camp	Self-reflection on presentation as well as survey to staff on understanding of ESL best practices in classroom
Have teachers give the “express placement” assessment to students campus-wide	Self, staff members, bilingual students	August 26, 2013 – September 6, 2013	“Express Placement” assessment	Quick placement for ESL grouping; gather proficiency levels of students from grade levels for documentation at beginning of year
Have teachers give the “Gap Finder” assessment to students campus- wide	Self, staff members, bilingual students	August 26, 2013 – September 6, 2013	“Gap Finder” Assessment of Language Use	Students will be given assessment and then proficiency level identified to understand the instructional needs of student; gather instructional needs from grade levels for documentation at beginning of year
Implement ESL best practices program with detailed lessons and informal and formal assessments	Self, staff members, bilingual students	August 26, 2013 – June 2014	Various lesson plans identifying ESL best practices as well as formal and informal assessments	Results of weekly lesson plan formal and informal assessments per student/per grade level
Have teachers give the “express placement” assessment to students campus-wide to note any improvement levels	Self, staff members, bilingual students	December 2013	“Express Placement” assessment	Quick placement for ESL grouping; gather proficiency levels of students from grade levels for documentation at middle of year
Have teachers give the “Gap Finder” assessment to students campus- wide to note any improvement levels	Self, staff members, bilingual students	December 2013	“Gap Finder” Assessment of Language Use	Students will be given assessment and then proficiency level identified to understand the instructional needs of student; gather instructional needs from grade levels for documentation at middle of year
Students take district MAP test in reading and language arts	Bilingual students	December 2013	Online MAP testing as identified through district technology	Results of level of proficiency/benchmark scores according to district standard
Students in K, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades take TEJAS LEE and TPRI tests	Bilingual students	September 2013, January 2014, and April 2014	TPRI and TEJAS LEE assessments	Compare results of performance level of students in each grade from BOY, MOY, and EOY to note improvements
Students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade take STAAR test	bilingual students	April 2014 and May 2014	STAAR test	Compare results of performance level of students in each grade as well as percentage of students meeting satisfactory performance according to state standards in 2013 and 2014
Students take district MAP test in reading and language arts	Bilingual students	May 2014	Online MAP testing a identified through district technology	Results of level of proficiency/benchmark scores according to district standard
Students take TELPAS (Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System) test	Bilingual students	April 2014 – May 2014	TELPAS test	Results of level of proficiencies; compare results for 2013 and 2014
Have teachers give the “express placement” assessment to students campus-wide to note any improvement levels	Self, staff members, bilingual students	May 2014 – June 2014	“Express Placement” assessment	Quick placement for ESL grouping; gather proficiency levels of students from grade levels for documentation at end of year
Have teachers give the “Gap Finder” assessment to students campus- wide to note any improvement levels	Self, staff members, bilingual students	May 2014 – June 2014	“Gap Finder” Assessment of Language Use	Students will be given assessment and then proficiency level identified to understand the instructional needs of student; gather instructional needs from grade levels for documentation at end of year
Identify bilingual education students as bilingual, ESL, or exit program at end of year	Self, bilingual education teachers, administrators	June 2014	Results from TELPAS, MAP, STAAR, TEJA LEE, AND TPRI; teacher recommendation	Compare number of students in bilingual education program reclassified as bilingual, ESL, or exit students; compare results from 2013 and 2014 to note improvements in scores that have effect on reclassification numbers
Survey staff on effectiveness of implementing program in classroom	Staff members	June 2014	Survey detailing feedback on components of program	Summarize results of survey from staff
Presentation on concluding findings of ESL best practices program	Self	June 2014	Results from disaggregation of data as collected from the action research plan	Conduct a reflection presentation to staff, administrators and members of district’s bilingual education department that identifies results of plan