Secondary English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Home School Partnerships (HSP)

Design elements

Target for support (strengths and needs)

This service will provide effective PLD for school leaders, and mainstream and specialist ESOL teachers, which is responsive to identified national, regional, school, and teacher needs and meets the learning needs of secondary students from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

Expected outcomes

Secondary English language learners (ELLs) are to be supported to develop their English language proficiency as quickly as possible to enable them to meet the literacy and language demands of the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) at age-appropriate levels.

English language learner PLD includes a focus on:

• New Zealand-born students from linguistically diverse backgrounds
• ESOL-funded students from migrant and refugee backgrounds
• ex-funded students from migrant and refugee backgrounds
• Pasifika students who may be migrant or NZ born
• international fee-paying students
• Māori students transitioning from kura kaupapa to English-medium schooling
• English language learners who have special education needs.   

Specific outcomes:

• Students – Increased achievement for the target groups across all aspects of the NZC.
• Teachers – Enhanced mainstream and ESOL specialist teacher practice.
• School leaders – Effective leadership for systemic support of English language learning in schools.
• Professional learning communities and home school partnerships – Effective learning-focused professional learning communities and home school partnerships.

Schools will be supported to explore how ICT can supplement traditional ways of teaching and how it can open up new learning and different ways of learning.

Delivery design (who, how long, interactions)

Identification of schools, and the level of support required, will be ascertained through the supplier’s capability (needs) analysis processes, and in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

How will the support contribute to classroom practice (tier 1) and school capability?

All teachers and school leaders undertaking the PLD will be better able to lead programmes that rapidly increase student understanding and use of English.

How will the support contribute to building educationally powerful relationships with parents, whānau/family, hapu, iwi, and community?

Secondary ESOL and HSP professional learning and development includes:

• the development of teacher knowledge about the value and importance of linking learning at home with learning at school
• a focus on ensuring that all parents and whānau are supported to understand where their children are currently at in their learning, and what their next learning steps will be
• a focus on the importance of culturally responsive learning and teaching that values the cultures, identities, and languages of all learners and their parents, families, and whānau.

Methods of delivery and time commitment

Professional learning and development is delivered at the following levels:

• Te Wahanga Tuatahi – in-school, intensive PLD support with facilitator input in conjunction with other PLD initiatives such as Secondary Student Achievement, with a systematic approach at multiple levels:
  • systems, classroom teaching, and community involvement through home-school partnerships.
• Te Wahanga Tuarua – to support schools with some PLD needs with medium levels of support through specific-purpose clusters and follow-up work, including online support.
• Te Wahanga Tuatoru – to support schools with few PLD needs with low levels of intervention, largely through regional cluster groups and online support.

In the Southern region, PLD support will also be provided for identified ESOL cluster leaders, to enable them to provide PLD support for schools/teachers in their clusters. The PLD support for cluster leaders may include facilitated workshops, limited face-to-face delivery, and online support.

Participants are likely to be involved over the years 2012/13.

How is support monitored and measured in terms of outcomes?

All participants will engage in collaborative review of their practice, linked to learner achievement.

What needs to be sustained?

Intensive support for teachers of English language learners.

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