Collaboration Rubric Part Two: Instructional-Level Factors
Language Academy SchedulingLanguage Academy grade-level schedule
When designing a school-wide schedule, it is important to establish scheduling priorities in order to maximize the ELL teachers’ time in literacy blocks as much as possible.
Scheduling priorities for ELL instructional collaboration in Language Academy are as follows:
∑ Readers Workshop and/or Writers Workshop
∑ Literacy Skills Block
∑ Math Workshop
∑ Science/Social Studies
Sample Language Academy grade-level schedule
Classroom A
Language Academy Classroom B
Language Academy Classroom C
9:00-9:30 Morning Meeting Morning Meeting Morning Meeting
9:30-10:00 Readers Writers Writers
10:00-10:30 Readers Writers Writers
10:30-11:00 Writers Readers Skills
11:00-11:30 Writers Readers Math
11:30-12:00 Skills Skills Math
12:00-12:45 LUNCH AND RECESS
12:45-1:45 Soc/Science Soc/Science Readers
1:45-2:35 SPECIALS SPECIALS SPECIALS
2:35-3:35 Math Math Soc/Science
Language Academy student schedule
The schedule of a Language Academy student looks very similar to that of other students in the same grade level, as English language development is done through the content areas rather than as a separate class. Schedules vary from grade to grade and school to school, but all Language Academy students receive instruction in the major content areas daily.
Language Academy ELL teacher schedule
ELL LA teachers’ schedules also vary; many teachers are instructing students in up to three Language Academy classrooms throughout the day. The ELL teacher serves both LA and ELL students in these classrooms, as well as working with mainstream students. In addition, some ELL teachers are also serving ELL (non-LA) students in other classrooms and ELL students in LA classrooms. Language Academy ELL teachers should be collaborating with no more than three or four general education teachers throughout the day—two would be ideal.
Sample student/ELL teacher schedules are listed on the following pages.
Sample LA student schedule - Classroom A (Example #1)
Subject Instructional Support
9:10 – 9:30
Morning Meeting ∑ General Education Teacher
∑ ELL Teacher (alternating)
9:30 – 10:30
Reader’s Workshop ∑ General Education Teacher
∑ ELL Teacher
10:30 – 11:30
Writer’s Workshop ∑ General Education Teacher
11:30 – 12:00
Literacy Skills ∑ ELL Teacher (small group)
12:00 – 12:45
Lunch/recess
12:45 – 1:45
Science/Social Studies ∑ General Education Teacher
1:45 – 2:35
Specials ∑ Specialist
2:35 – 3:35
Math Workshop ∑ General Education Teacher
∑ ELL Teacher (alternating)
Sample Language Academy ELL teacher schedule (Example #1)
Time Class Space
9:10 – 9:30
Morning Meeting Classroom A (LA) or
Classroom B (LA) Classroom
9:30 – 10:30
Readers Workshop Classroom A (LA) Classroom
10:30 – 11:30
Readers Workshop Classroom B (LA) Classroom
11:30 –12:00
Literacy Skills Classroom A (LA)
Classroom B (LA) Small group alternative space
or classroom
12:00 – 12:45
LUNCH/RECESS
12:45 – 1:45
Readers Workshop Classroom C (ELL) Classroom
1:45 –2:35
PREP Collaborative planning time
2:35 – 3:35
Math Workshop Classroom A (LA) or
Classroom B (LA) Classroom
Sample Language Academy student schedule - Classroom A (Example #2)
Subject Instructional Support
9:10 – 9:30
Morning Meeting ∑ General Education Teacher
∑ ELL Teacher (alternating)
9:30 – 10:30
Reader’s Workshop ∑ General Education Teacher
10:30 – 11:30
Writer’s Workshop ∑ General Education Teacher
∑ ELL Teacher
11:30 – 12:00
Literacy Skills ∑ ELL Teacher (small group)
12:00 – 12:45
Lunch/recess
12:45 – 1:45
Science/Social Studies ∑ General Education Teacher
1:45 – 2:35
Specials ∑ Specialist
2:35 – 3:35
Math Workshop ∑ General Education Teacher
∑ ELL Teacher (alternating)
Sample Language Academy ELL teacher schedule (Example #2)
Time Class Space
9:10 – 9:30
Morning Meeting Classroom A (LA) or
Classroom B (LA) Classroom
9:30 – 10:30
Writers Workshop Classroom B (LA) Classroom
10:30 – 11:30
Writers Workshop Classroom A (LA) Classroom
11:30 –12:00
Literacy Skills Classroom A (LA)
Classroom B (LA) Small group alternative space
or classroom
12:00 – 12:45
LUNCH/RECESS
12:45 – 1:45
Writers Workshop Classroom C (ELL) Classroom
1:45 –2:35
PREP Collaborative planning time
2:35 – 3:35
Math Workshop Classroom A (LA) or
Classroom B (LA) Classroom
Language Academy Collaboration
The following information comes from the ELL Department “Collaboration Guidelines.” More details and descriptions can be found in the Collaboration section of the handbook.
Planning
∑ Teaching pair (general education and ELL) plans together at least once weekly.
∑ Each member of the teaching pair contributes to lesson plans according to his/her area of expertise. Lesson plans include content area and English language instructional objectives and strategies.
∑ Teaching teams/pairs engage in long-term planning together for one full day at least three times per year.
Co-Teaching
∑ Teaching pair effectively uses a variety of co-teaching models.
∑ The co-teaching model chosen should vary often according to lesson objectives and student needs.
∑ Students are placed in flexible groups that change according to lesson objectives and student needs.
∑ Teachers vary the roles they play during instruction.
∑ Students view ELL and general education teachers as equals.
Assessment
∑ ELL and general education teachers are both involved in ongoing assessment of student progress.
∑ Teaching pairs establish meetings in which they discuss student progress based on classroom assessments and more formal achievement data.
∑ Both members of the teaching pair contribute to completion of summary reports and academic improvement plans for each Language Academy student.
∑ Both teachers meet with parents at conferences when possible.
∑ Teaching pair makes decisions about services based on students’ needs, not traditional practices.
Reflection
∑ Teaching teams share their beliefs and talk about issues that affect their co-teaching.
∑ Teaching pair makes plans together for how they will accommodate their different teaching styles and personalities.
∑ Teaching pair reflects on lessons taught together and incorporates new ideas into future plans.
Time
∑ Collaborating teachers have time to plan together in at least one of the following ways:
o ELL teachers’ preparation times are aligned with general education colleagues’ preparation times, or
o School administrators ensure that release or compensated time is scheduled for teaching pairs to work together on a regular basis.
Time (continued)
∑ School administrators require the participation of all teaching teams in planning and reflection time.
∑ Teaching pair is provided with support and guidance for how to use their common planning and reflection time.
∑ Language Academy and ELL service is a priority in the development of the school schedule. Language Academy students should receive approximately two hours of collaborative instruction daily.
Space
∑ The ELL teacher’s office and/or teaching space should be located in close proximity to general education partners’ classrooms.
∑ Students and teachers view all available teaching spaces as shared spaces.
∑ ELL teachers are provided with space as needed in each classroom where they are co-teaching.
Resources
∑ ELL teachers must be provided with the general education curriculum materials needed for planning and instruction with co-teaching partner (e.g., manuals, standards, etc.).
∑ Staff development funds should be available from the school budget to enable all teaching pairs and teams to have release or compensated time for planning and reflection on a regular basis.
∑ ELL teachers have equal access to teaching tools in teaching spaces (e.g., white boards, bulletin boards, paper, markers, charts, etc.).
Classroom Placement
∑ School administration develops consistent school-wide guidelines for student placement into homerooms.
∑ LA students are clustered into homerooms to ensure that students receive approximately 2 hours of intensive, collaborative instruction daily.
∑ There are approximately 9 LA students (or saved spaces) per homeroom.
∑ School administration and office staff place students arriving mid-year according to clustering guidelines (not according to class size).
Professional Development
∑ Teachers have opportunities for ongoing professional development, both in school and district-wide, which focuses on collaboration and best practice instruction.
∑ Teaching pairs have opportunities to observe other successful Language Academy teachers.
