Improving engagement is now understood as critical for improving student achievement. NECME 2010 will promote an in-depth
5th Annual New England Conference on Multicultural Education
Improving Student Achievement through Multicultural Learning: Engagement and Success for All

http://neeac.alliance.brown.edu/NECME2010/

understanding of how achievement, engagement, and multicultural education are interconnected, as well as provide concrete strategies for educators to successfully engage students of all backgrounds.

The study summary was published Oct. 13, 2004 and provides a summary of study conducted in England using neuroscience to evaluate the brain and differences among monolingual and bilingual individuals.

Here is a short excerpt:
– People who are bilingual have an advantage over the rest of us, and not just in terms of communication skills. The bilingual brain develops more densely, giving it an advantage in various abilities and skills, according to new research. Researchers Andrea Mechelli of London’s Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience and colleagues, including experts from the Fondazione Santa Lucia in Rome, looked at brain densities of bilingual people. First, they recruited 25 people who speak one language, 25 who learned a second European language before age 5, and 33 who became bilingual between ages 10 and 15.
All the participants spoke English as their primary language. Those who had learned a second language later in life had practiced it regularly for at least five years.
Bilingual Brains Do Better!

Read the entire article for a broader summary!

Compliance and Access to the regular curriculum should be at the forefront!

I have seen this scenario with growing difficulties over the years and into multiple years in many schools. Regular education teachers say they don’t have another option to help students in need. Special education teachers have to say that the child doesn’t meet eligibility criteria or they can’t take them because they already have a full caseload.

Results: EVERY TEACHER IS UNHAPPY AND STUDENTS ARE NOT GETTING WHAT THEY NEED!
What about compliance for special education students?
What about regular education teachers not able to help students.

The answer is collaborative research-based practices as part of a Response to Intervention model. What is the difference? All teachers at the particular grade level plan for all students using screening and progress monitoring data and ensuring access to regular education curriculum.
RESULTS:
Prevention & Intervention
Research-based instruction and intervention
Differentiated and collaborative problem-solving and planning
Student growth
Options for regular education teachers
More instructional time for special education teacher
Appropriate referrals to special education

EVERYONE SUCCEEDS!

How can you start? If you are thinking about reading here is a good way to start:
Begin by reading this article by Reading Rockets
This article will help you guarantee that your Tier 1 or Core reading instruction is based on research-based instructional practices, a main component of RTI.

Then visit the DIBELS website to download for free a reading universal screening assessments in reading k-6th grade in English, Spanish, and Math.

Then, for strategic Tier 2 interventions and intensive Tier 3 interventions visit the National Center for Response to Intervention to evaluate and decide which packaged programs and approaches would best fit your needs. Another option with online free training can be found at The IRIS Center from Vanderbilt University

Their newest page presents blog specially designed for teachers by teacher researchers. One example is:The Sounded Out Blog Page. This page provides relevant and up to date research based teaching ideas for teachers. This week they highlighted first day activities!

Other pages is a list of multicultural stories for those teachers ready to do some culturally relevant teaching

http://www.readingrockets.org/sharing/#rss

The have summarized effective practices for ELL and address inclusive settings. The have a pretty good list of resources and links to each area that are beneficial for all not just the states they serve. Great place to visit for question on working with ELLs and their families.

The New York Times just published today a great article on the mission of turnaround schools in Boston. They provide a nice description of what is a turnaround schools, what they hope to accomplish and who they want to help. Their goal is to address the needs of under performing schools most often serving minorities schools with low test scores and not much success. Great article

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/09/education/09winerip.html?emc=eta1

In this blog post I am interested in highlight tools that are beneficial for the instructional planning for English language learners.
1. A link to the UDL principles (available in Spanish, English, Portuguese, Romanian, and other Asian languages). These principles has direct connections to instructional planning and the UDL guidelines. The Spanish principles guidelines provide information on “ Pautas de Diseño Universal para el Aprendizaje” This “pautas” present multiple ways of presentation, expression and motivation with direct explanations on “how to” plan instruction using these UDL guidelines. There are special video training, explanations and checklist to make sure the teachers use UDL when developing their lesson plans to be accessible for all.

For a video guidance of UDL from CAST please click here

For guides for cross linguistics support highlighted by CAST click here

Finally for a link to their online UDL Learning Tools click here.

I encourage everyone to take the summer to investigate and try these tools as you plan your instruction for the next school year.

The following article in Scholastic administrators highlight the benefits of dual language instruction programs (learning in two languages) for both English dominant children and English language learners. It also highlights how the US is moving towards wide adoption of such school models showcasing a map that represents 27 states supporting over 300 schools programs. Visit the website http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3752937&FullBreadCrumb=%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.scholastic.com%2Fbrowse%2Fsearch%2F%3FNtx%3Dmode%2Bmatchallpartial%26_N%3Dfff%26Ntk%3DSCHL30_SI%26query%3Ddual%2Blanguage%2Bprograms%26N%3D0%26Ntt%3Ddual%2Blanguage%2Bprograms%22+class%3D%22endecaAll%22%3EAll+Results%3C%2Fa%3E
Scholastic Administrator, Nov/Dec2009, Vol. 9 Issue 3, p10-10, 1/2p, 1 Color Photograph; Abstract: The article discusses the dual-language learning programs in elementary and middle schools in the US.

Haager, D., Klingner, J.K. & Acevedes, T. C. (2010). How to Teach English Language Learners: Effective Strategies from Outstanding Educators, Grades K-6. Jossey-Bass Publishing.

Collier, C. (2010). RTI for Diverse Learners: More Than 200 Instructional Interventions. Corwin Press.

Klingner, J.K., Peaster, L.G., Saunders, L., & Baca, L.M. (2009). Why Do English Language Learners Struggle With Reading?: Distinguishing Language Acquisition From Learning Disabilities. Corwin Press.

Rinaldi, C. & Stuart, S. K. (2009). Whole schooling and response to instruction. International Journal of Whole Schooling, 5(1), 41-58.

Stuart, S.K., & Rinaldi, C. (2009). A collaborative planning framework for teachers implementing tiered instruction. Teaching Exceptional Children, 41(4), 52-57.

Berkeley, S., Bender, W.N., Peaster, L.G. & Saunders, L. (2009). Implementation of Response to Intervention: A snapshot of progress. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 42 (1), 86-92.

Bradley, R., Danielson, L. & Doolittle, J. (2007). Responsiveness to Intervention: 1997-2007. Teaching Exceptional Children, 39 (5), 8-12.

Brown-Chidsey, R. (October, 2007). No more “waiting.” Educational Leadership: ASCP, 39-46.

Buffum, A. Mattos, M. & Weber, C. (2006). Pyramid Response to Intervention: RTI, professional learning communities, and how to respond when kids don’t learn.

Dewitz, P., Jones, J. & Leahy, S. (2009). Comprehension strategy instruction in core reading programs. Reading Research Quarterly, 44 (2), 102-126.

Fletcher, J.M. & Vaughn, S. (2009). Response to Intervention: Preventing and remediating academic difficulties. Child Development Series, 3 (1), 30-37.

Fuchs, D. & Fuchs, S.L. (2006). Introduction to Response to Intervention: What, why, and how valid is it? Reading Research Quarterly, 41(4), 93-99.

Fuchs, L.S. & Fuchs, D. (2007). A model for implementing responsiveness to intervention. Teaching Exceptional Children, 39 (5), 14-20.

Fuchs, D., Fuchs, L.S., & Vaughn, S. (2008). Response to Intervention: A framework for reading educators. International Reading Association, Newark: DE.

Gersten, R., Compton, D., Connor, C.M., Dimino, J., Santoro, L., Linan-Thompson, S. and Tilly, W.D. (2008). Assisting students struggling with reading: Response to Intervention and multi-tier intervention for reading in the primary grades. A Practice Guide. (NCEE 2009-4045). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved July 1, 2009 from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee and http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/publications/practiceguides.

Gersten, R., Baker, S.K., Shanahan, T., Linan-Thompson, S., Collins, P., & Scarcella, R. (2007). Effective literacy and English language instruction for English learners in the elementary grades: A practice guide (NCEE 2007-4011). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved July 1, 2009 from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee.

Moore, J. & Whitfield, V. (2009). Building schoolwide capacity for preventing reading failure. The Reading Teacher, 62 (7), 622-624.

Murawski, W.W. & Hughes, C.E. (2009). Response to Intervention, collaboration, and co-teaching: A logical combination for successful systemic change. Preventing School Failure, 53 (4), 267-277.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel:
Teaching children to read. An Evidenced-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications.nrp/smallbrook.htm (or www.nationalreading panel.org).

Rinaldi, C. & Samson, J. (2008). English language learners and Response to Intervention: Referral Considerations. Teaching Exceptional Children 40 (5), 6-14.

Teale, W.H. (2009). Students learning English and their literacy instruction in urban schools. The Reading Teacher, 62 (8), 699-703.