Kristy Estes and her class of English language learners were making handmade piñatas on a sunny spring day when she noticed a breakthrough with one of her students.
The student, who had just moved to the Tuscaloosa County elementary school from another country, was finally opening up to her classmates.
“I learned a lot about her in that hour,” Estes said, thinking to herself: “I need to make sure that I have those opportunities for all the kids as well, to let them get to know each other better.”
Holt Elementary teacher Kristy Estes, an ELL (English Language Learning) specialist, helps kids whose first language was not English to integrate into English language classrooms, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She works with students Leslie, left, and Jeymi before they depart for their next regular class. Vasha Hunt | [email protected]
Estes, who recently took a job as an EL teacher at Holt Elementary School, makes these kinds of mental notes often, always thinking of ways to engage her students and make them comfortable enough to learn English in a new school.
And so far, her efforts seem to be working.
The school was recently named one of the state’s most improved schools for its jump in overall report card scores – largely due to growth in English learner scores. The school held an assembly to celebrate Estes’ students.
In 2024, AL.com Education Lab reporters found schools with the most improved grades from the Alabama school report card for the 2022-23 school year, and identified local educators whose stellar work contributed to the school’s overall academic growth.
These “Teachers of Alabama” demonstrate the effectiveness of evidence-based best practices in the classroom — and opportunities for other schools to learn from.
“I was learning as I went. But when the results came back I was floored.”
Kristy Estes
Holt is an example of how small schools can support more students with different language abilities. In the 2023-24 school year, Holt Elementary had 58 English learners, almost twice as many as a decade ago.
School districts are seeing a similar trend across the state: About 20,000 English learners were enrolled in Alabama schools in 2012, compared to just over 41,000 in 2022. As the population continues to grow, more schools are thinking about how to expand staff and multilingual supports.
Coaching students
After teaching elementary and pre-K classes for several years, Estes started pursuing her ESL certification right before the pandemic hit. In 2022, she became the school’s first teacher to work with English language learners full-time.
“It was almost like I was building the plane while it was in the air,” Estes said. “I was learning as I went. But when the results came back I was floored.”
English language support can look different from school to school; some will assign staff, like Estes, to work with students on specific skills, while some may also tweak curriculum and teaching practices to address language needs in all classrooms.
Some of the reason for different approaches is simply because the EL population is so varied: English learner students can be native-born Americans or immigrants. They may already speak multiple languages, but need help with English fluency in order to progress in school.
Holt takes a small-group coach approach: Estes spends each day working with small groups of students on their English language skills, either in her own classroom or in partnership with other teachers.
Holt Elementary teacher Kristy Estes, an English Language Learning specialist, uses visual aids as she helps kids whose first language was not English to integrate into English language classrooms, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Vasha Hunt | [email protected]
From the 2021-22 to 2022-23 school years, the percentage of EL students at Holt who were proficient in English language arts tripled, from 10% to 34%.
That year, the federal government gave the school a record score of 82 for its progress in English language proficiency, which takes individual students’ goals and language backgrounds into consideration. Some EL scores declined in 2024, but remain higher than they were before 2020.
Holt Elementary teacher Kristy Estes, an English Language Learning specialist, helps kids whose first language was not English to integrate into English language classrooms, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Vasha Hunt | [email protected]
Experts say it’s critical for schools to have full-time, credentialed teachers who are trained to provide targeted support to multilingual learners. But it’s even more important to ensure the entire school is using those same practices and teaching strategies. That way, students get consistent support throughout the school day.
“When you give those opportunities and spaces for the English learner specialist to be having collaborative conversations, it can build the capacity of teachers across the school,” said Rebecca Bergey, a principal researcher in the Center for English Learners at the American Institutes for Research.
This wall at Holt Elementary School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, demonstrates common words used in teaching lessons with simple definitions. Vasha Hunt | [email protected]
In the past year, Estes has leaned on local and state specialists to help design her curriculum. She uses approved, phonics-intensive programs that help her identify what kind of support her students need. She’s also held workshops for other teachers to incorporate techniques – like using cognates – to help build confidence in the classroom.
“Where ELs are being supported best is where the system is looking at, ‘How can we as a system take responsibility for ELs and what does that look like?’” Bergey said.
But most importantly, Estes said, she tries to create a culture of warmth and belonging inside and out of her classroom.
“I’m not an expert by any means, I’m just learning what’s working for my kids and my school,” she said. “And I always start off with a smile and a hug is universal.”
Warmth and belonging at school
When the school gets a new student, she sets them up with a peer mentor who can help guide them through the school day.
Estes is there when students get awards, and when they get in trouble. After school, she’s out in the community, doing service work or attending cultural events and celebrations. She takes calls at all hours of the day, she said.
Pictures hang in the hallway of Holt Elementary School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Vasha Hunt | [email protected]
Through those relationships, she learned that many of her students had anxiety about a test at the end of the year, called the ACCESS test, which measures language skills.
“Some of my kids were just in a rut. They weren’t making any growth,” she said. “And I found out that they didn’t know what the test was about. They had no ownership of what the ACCESS was and why they were the only ones having to go take it.”
So she decided to make the test theirs.
Last year, Estes put together a three-week ACCESS bootcamp to get them familiar with the test. She discovered that a lot of students were nervous about the speaking portion, so she practiced skills like transition words and forming detailed sentences.
After a lot of work, Estes said her student’s scores skyrocketed. One of her students made a perfect score, and now comes back to help her peers.
“I truly love this job. I love these kids, and I’ll do anything to help them succeed,” she said. “And I think if I ever don’t feel that way, then I need to get out.”
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Publish date : 2024-10-30 01:04:00
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