A+RISE Featured Trainers
Recognizing the success of A+RISE trainers Mary Corral and Rosemary Reyes from Fowler ESD.
Read on »A+RISE District Highlights
Updates from Districts throughout the nation:
- Sweetwater Unified HSD, CA
- Goose Creek CISD, TX
- Seminole County PS, FL
Educating Today’s Newcomers
Each year, an increasing number of ELLs enter our schools with limited and/or interrupted formal schooling, not just in English but in their native language. Interrupted formal schooling is the result of immigrants seeking refuge from war, civil unrest, cultural customs, and/or severe economic conditions. Often, these students live in poverty. These students with interrupted formal education (SIFE) struggle with reading and writing or do not read and write at all in their primary language. They sometimes lack basic concepts in the various content areas. SIFE students struggle socially and academically and warrant immediate attention.
But, not all Newcomers have interrupted formal schooling. Some newcomers come to our schools already highly educated and are ready to continue their studies; all they need are language development strategies as they continue to learn math, science, social studies, etc. Both groups have their own unique linguistic and subject-matter needs. All too often these student populations receive the same 'remedy' when clearly the diagnosis is quite different. Schools are too often not equipped to handle our newcomers in any other way than to "cross their fingers" and hope for the best.
Yet there is current research and best practices concerning Newcomers, and my role as founder of A+RISE is to interpret the scholarly articles and research and provide teachers with the practical, relevant, classroom-ready use of that research: the "HOW!" This summer, I have been hard at work building new modules to the existing A+RISE strategies: Cognates and Newcomer strategies. The response to our initial pilots and training has been exceptional, and in listening to our teachers, there are several frequently asked questions I would like to address here.
Fowler Elementary School District implements A+RISE
Fowler ESD is a K-8 suburban Phoenix school district of nearly 5,000 students, 30% of whom are designated ELLs. Learn about their successful implementation of the A+RISE strategies.
Read on »Texas Education Agency’s Proclamation 2010
A+RISE has submitted an intent to bid for the Texas Education Agency’s Proclamation 2010. Texas has included teacher professional development materials in its Proclamation for the first time ever.
Read on »Supporting our ELLs in Math and Science
In this article by Roberto Castañeda, we focus on the increasing need to support our English Language Learners in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
Read on »
From Test Practice to Best Practice: Redefining Test-Preparation Routines (part 3)
In this third article of a three part series, we focus on the last part of the scaffolding process, where individual students apply specific A+RISE strategies.
Read on »QAR: Question-Answer Relationship
We are pleased to introduce a new feature for the A+RISE newsletter: the "Use It Now! Best Practice". For this first strategy, Irma Bravo-Lawrence from the Stanislaus County Office of Education describes the use of QAR for helping students identify question types and apply solutions.
Read on »Featured Link: The ELL Outlook
The ELL Outlook is a bi-monthly e-newsletter published by Course Crafters, Inc. dedicated to providing the latest research, news, program models, and interviews with ELL researchers, educators, and policymakers.
Read on »Immigration Reform: Careful What We Wish For
The discussion on immigration reform has brought about an unintended result — a growing number of immigrants, established in this country for some time, are leaving the negative political and social climate of the US to return to their home countries. The immigrant population has always been a source of ingenuity and innovation in our country. How can we as educators help reverse this trend? What can we do to make our immigrant students feel welcome in this new and unfamiliar territory?
Read on »From Test Practice to Best Practice: Redefining Test-Preparation Routines (part 2)
In this second article of a three part series, we demonstrate A+RISE in action using a systematic, yet simple, approach to 'wean' individual students from practice environments to authentic "rehearsal testing".
Read on »From Test Practice to Best Practice: Redefining Test-Preparation Routines (part 1)
This three part series explores how we help students bridge effective strategies to the test. How do we move beyond the the all-too-common phenomenon of “practice tests” and boring, demotivating drill-and-kill worksheets?
Read on »The SEL: Standard English Learner
When I talk to administrators about their challenges, many point to the fact that students whose only language is English still test similarly to Early Advanced and Advanced ELLs. While not technically ELLs according to state and federal formulas, Standard English Learners (SEL) struggle with listening, speaking, reading and writing academic English, and therefore are equally as deserving of the performance spotlight.
Read on »Featured Link: FreeRice
FreeRice is a deceptively simple site with a big mission; provide English vocabulary to everyone for free and help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free. This innovative site seeks to combine a fun, educational game with food charity through the United Nations World Food Program.
Read on »KWL Exchange with Uganda
Three 4th grade students from Dickenson Elementary created an organization called "Kids for love" and helped sponsor a visit with Fiona, a Ugandan orphan. MaryLou Whaley, a Hillsborough Resource Director used this opportunity to engage the entire school through the use of an A+RISE strategy.
Read on »Do we really expect our ELLs to succeed?
According to the 2006 Gates Foundation study, The Silent Epidemic, only 50% of Hispanic students graduate from high school with their class. We all know the problem is complex, but there is one very simple factor that has a profound effect on a student's academic success.
Read on »A+RISE Strategies: A rich inheritance for our students
Since we began offering the A+RISE Instructional Strategies to teachers at schools across the country, we've heard very gratifying remarks from local trainers and administrators. But there is an even higher purpose to these strategies, one which I want all of you to keep in mind: these strategies need to be used by the students themselves.
Read on »Hillsborough County Public Schools: Insights and Burning Issues
Hillsborough County Public School system is one of the largest in the nation and services 25,000 ELL students with over 102 different spoken languages. The sheer number of ELL students and the range of language diversity represent a real challenge to meet the needs of ELL students.
Read on »Lawndale Elementary School District: Insights and Burning Issues
Lawndale School district has a student population of 6000, but a total of 28 different spoken languages. 14 percent of all K-3 students in the district are ELLs and those numbers are increasing dramatically. Join in the discussion on how to address these burning issues.
Read on »Reauthorization of NCLB: what it means for our ELLs
Nothing has been more controversial in the education community than the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which is up for authorization this year in congress. What does reauthorization mean for us and our ELL students?
Read on »Why Academic Language
Academic language has become the latest “craze” in our ELL world even though the concept was first introduced in 1979, by Dr. James Cummins. So, why do we continue to believe that ELLs need to master conversational English (BICS) before they are exposed to academic language?
Read on »Houston ISD Training: Insights and Burning Questions
With 114 languages spoken in the district, educators at Houston Independent School District have a number of challenges in reaching their ELLs. Read the insights gained in recent training and join in the discussion on how to address these burning issues.
Read on »Best Practices for 9 Steps to Success!
A+RISE has developed a planning tool for you to use when you are faced with the challenge of competing daily priorities and a lack of specific PD time that can still help you get these important strategies into the hands of the teachers quickly and with proper support.
Read on »
Notes from the 2007 Models School Conference
At the 15th Annual Model Schools Conference, Evelyn and Bill Daggett took the stage together to address the need for new solutions and “model” practices for our English Language Learners and other struggling learners.
Read on »