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Elements of the Practice
The Foreign Language Department at DeWitt Clinton incorporates reflective
practice and data-driven decision-making at the departmental level. Prior
to the D&D initiative, a core group of faculty and administrators
had established a culture in which student performance, revising instruction,
and re-visiting student outcomes are constant examined. The D&D initiative
has added additional coaching and professional development resources,
in the areas of action research, data analysis and performance assessment.
The group conducts weekly reflection and planning meetings in the principal's
office. The D&D team at DeWitt identified the following problems for
ELLs, for which it continues to devise solutions:
1. Transitioning from
bilingual/ESL to mainstream classes:
a) The loss of the support services
and familiar network provided by International House.
Solution: As a result of interviewing students who passed the English Regents exam
but still failed the LAB, the team decided to allow students who test
out of ESL instruction (FLEPs) to continue as International House students
for counseling and other support services. b) Students who barely tested
out of ESL instruction were still not ready for regular classes, especially
as the school upgrades its curriculum to Regents levels. Solution:
In response, additional elective English classes are were being designed
for FLEPs.
2. Preparation for ELA Regents exam:
Native Language Arts and English as a Second Language curricula did not
prepare ELLs sufficiently to meet the expectations of the ELA Regents
exam. Solutions: The NLA curriculum was revised to parallel the ELA curriculum,
and the ESL curriculum was articulated with ELA. Several initiatives are
under way.
a) A team of teachers is devising performance assessments for
ESL functioning at the beginning or intermediate level of ESL. They had
to take the ELA Regents test, but their chances of passing were considered
remote. They were offered an experimental, enhanced language arts class
in Spanish, in which the Regents tasks were taught.The results were promising:
of 14 students enrolled, 6 took the test and 5 passed. Based on these
results, this course was incorporated into the program for seniors in
International House in spring. 2000. At that time, a State review of test
scoring revealed that one of the highest ELA Regents scores in the school
was earned by an ESL student.
b) In spring 2000, the team devoted its
research agenda to studying International House student performance on
the ELA Regents, in order to identify those factors which contribute to
students’ passing the exam. Student records of those who had taken
the test over the past several years were examined and students and teachers
were interviewed. DeWitt Clinton demonstrates how much can be accomplished
in a traditional high school to support high achievement for ELLs, when
a committed faculty and administration come together, examine student
performance, and devise innovative responses to the problems they identify.
Engaging the creativity and energies of teachers, and supporting them
as they devise interventions, has been essential.
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