Teacher's Guide to the Mathematics and Science Resources of the ELPD Framework

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) coordinated the development of a document addressing the implementation of Standards as guided by a framework for English Language Proficiency Development Standards (ELPD Framework). The expressed purpose of the ELPD Framework is to provide guidance to states on how to develop and use tools for the creation and evaluation of ELP standards. Once published, it became immediately apparent that the ELPD Framework would be of great help to teachers. However, the Framework was written specifically for those tasked with the responsibility to develop, adopt, or adapt state ELPD standards and assessments that support the language demands of STEM education grounded in learning performances that cojoin concepts with practices. That is, it has a technical focus rather than an instructional focus. There is an immediate need to develop and validate such a tool in states that have adopted Standards-based models, since educational agencies are now building teachers capacities to implement these standards.

This two-year project will develop, pilot, validate, and publish a Teacher's Guide to the Science and Mathematics Resources of the ELPD Framework. This guide and related materials will translate the key science and mathematics concepts, ideas, and practices found within the ELPD Framework into classroom resources for direct use by teachers, schools, and districts to support English learners (ELs).

Resources supporting ELs at different language proficiency levels in science and mathematics classrooms are sparse. Classroom-based resources supporting ELs' academic language development in science and mathematics based on career and college readiness standards are non-existent. The development of such a resource would have significant impact on science and mathematics teachers' teaching of ELs. Understanding how teachers' practice in supporting content-based academic language changes by using such a resource would be of great value for teachers, administrators, and researchers. Arguably, the ELPD Framework (and the proposed teacher's guide) has applications beyond ELs. Many challenges "at-risk" students face in science and mathematics classes may not be due to a lack in content knowledge, per se, but a lack of ability to communicate in the language of the content. The proposed teacher's guide could help teachers support all students in the language underlying the science and mathematics standards in the CCSS and NGSS.