SIOP at Everett

About the SIOP Implementation at Everett Elementary

Everett’s English Language Learner student body is nearing 50%. These students receive  English language instruction in the ELL classrooms and spend half or more of their school day in the general education classroom. The SIOP model will be used by general education teachers to make instructional planning and lesson delivery more accessible to ELLs.  The SIOP model of sheltered instruction has been shown to increase learning of all students when used in any content area classroom.

This is especially important in schools with high levels of current and former ELLs such as Everett.  Because of the increased accountability and expectations for all students in high-stakes, standardized testing, there is limited time available to close the gap between ELLs and native English speakers. A national research study found that ELLs must gain 3 to 4 more normal curve equivalent (NCE) points each year than native English speakers gain to be able to close the achievement gap.  This means language instruction cannot happen in the ELL classroom alone.  The SIOP model will provide teachers a more systematic way to deliver language instruction in conjunction with content area instruction in order to help close that gap.

SIOP Institute and Coaching

The SIOP implementation work will focus initially in the Math content area.  Teachers will receive specially designed professional development and personalized learning opportunities with coaches. Teachers and coaches will meet quarterly to gradually learn components of the model and partner on at least one quarterly interaction to practice the new learnings.  The pilot teachers will become leaders and models for future implementations in the building.

Quarterly SIOP Workshops

Once a quarter, teachers and coaches will meet to gradually learn components of the model.  Teachers will have substitute teachers scheduled for their classrooms on these days. Below is a tentative scope and sequence for the workshops. The sequence is flexible, for we want to adapt it to best fit the interest and needs of the teachers in the group.

    • September 11 – Overview of 8 SIOP components; In-depth exploration of Component 1: Lesson Preparation

    • November 06 – Reflection and Sharing; Component 2: Building Background; Component 3: Comprehensible Input; Component 4: Strategies

    • January 9 – Reflection and Sharing; Component 5: Interaction; Component 6: Practice and Application

    • March 20 – Reflection and Sharing; Component 7: Lesson Delivery; Component 8: Review and Assessment

SIOP Instructional Coaching

Coaching and teachers partnerships are a key component of this implementation. The interactions will be framed with the Jim Knight coaching model where the teacher’s interest and needs for classroom instructional improvement guide the partnership. Observation, goal setting, co-planning, modeling and debriefings are all practices that can be a part of this process. Each teacher will be expected to work with a SIOP coach on at least one interaction per quarter, using this process, to implement learning from the model.   Participating teachers are; Beth Mohling, Jules Spickelmier, Dawn Whitlow, Rita Ehly, Meagan Lozano, Shelly Muggy, Anita Weyers, Brenda Irwin, Molly Andersen, Anne Engel,  Beth Johnson, Catherine Balmeo and Jane Stedronsky.  Participating Instructional Coaches are; Ann Spotansky, Michelle Story-Kohl and Laura Bartels.