Project CI²ELO – Collaborative Interventions to Improve English-Learners’ Outcomes
Many languages, many needs…
Spanish Vietnamese Filipino (Tagalog) Lao Hmong Cantonese Khmer Korean Japanese Arabic Farsi and 100 more languages
… in our public schools.
Our fastest growing enrollment: English-Learners; Our second fastest growing enrollment: Students with Disabilities
How can schools prevent the misidentification of English-Learners as disabled? How can school personnel serve English-learners with disabilities?
Cielo (Spanish) for “sky” – with collaboration, the sky is the limit for English-Learners
Overview
Project CI²ELO prepares school psychologists and speech-language pathologists to meet the needs of English-learners, with or at risk of high incidence disabilities, through transdisciplinary collaboration in general education classrooms. CI²ELO brings together San Diego State University’s nationally accredited programs in School Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology with San Diego City Schools’ Transdisciplinary Services Unit. CI²ELO uses a unique cross-disciplinary, cross-cohort model of transdisciplinary education; designed to empower trainees while simultaneously developing new competencies that are shared between the professions and that reflect contributions of one discipline to the other. CI²ELO is predicated on the belief that it may be impossible to “teach” collaboration; rather collaboration must be experienced. Trainees develop their knowledge and skills in four categories of competencies:
- Research-Based Strategies for Effective Cross-Cultural Transdisciplinary Collaboration, for example: knowledge of models for effective collaboration, teaming, and group problem-solving, understanding of and appreciation for the skills and responsibilities of teachers and the “other” discipline, cross-cultural communication skills for collaboration and consultation.
- Research-Based Strategies for Improving Learning Outcomes for English-Learners, for example: knowledge and skills to apply English Language Development (ELD) Standards to assessment, articulation of goals, design of interventions, and evaluation of effectiveness in general and special education; knowledge of theories, models, methods and outcomes of bilingual education, instruction for English language development (ELD); familiarity with the multiple cultures of a multilingual classroom & skills to bridge from school culture to home culture(s).
- Research-Based Strategies for Effective Prevention & Early Intervention in General Education Classrooms, for example: Familiarity with new models for special education (e.g., RtI, Tiered Interventions); skills to apply Reading & Language Arts Standards to assessment, articulation of goals, design of interventions, & evaluation of effectiveness; knowledge and skills to organize, analyze, and present outcomes of individual & small group literacy interventions.
- Research-Based Strategies for Improving Learning Outcomes for Students with Disabilities, for example: knowledge of skills to deliver on the five essential components of reading instruction; writing Individualized Education Program goals to both English Language Arts and ELD state standards; awareness of instructional and assistive technologies, including computer-based interventions.
Project CI²ELO Activities
- Intensive Institutes for Literacy Assessment and Intervention for English-Learners occur at the beginning of each semester and target competencies for classroom-based assessment-intervention. The Institutes ensure consistent exposure to content and skills, thus creating a common language amongst trainees and collaborating teachers.
- Transdisciplinary Collaboration Seminars where trainees contribute to others’ learning by teaching, leading, guiding, coaching, and mentoring across disciplines, cultural groups, and cohorts in training. Trainees and faculty co-construct the seminar each semester around a pre-determined theme offered in sequence across two years: (1) Collaboration Models and Processes, (2) Effective Education for English-Learners, (3) Prevention-Intervention in General Education Classrooms, and (4) Effective Education for English-Learners with Disabilities.
- Practicum in Collaborative Assessment-Prevention-Intervention in a large multilingual elementary school in San Diego City Schools where more than 70% of the students are English-learners from a variety of home languages. CI²ELO trainees, one from school psychology and one from speech-language pathology, are teamed with a general education teacher in a K-2 classroom for a 4-hour/week collaborative experience. Each day begins and closes with triad collaboration. Trainees are responsible for establishing a baseline for their classroom’s level of English language development and literacy, using standards-based authentic assessment and curriculum-based measurement. Together with the teacher, they develop inclusive classroom intervention plans focused on (a) students already identified with disabilities, (b) students at very high risk of disability identification and requiring individualized, intensive intervention, and (c) students who need intensified small group interventions in support of their literacy skills. Trainees will extend their collaboration to families by offering and recruiting participants for a Parent Literacy Group – working with the parents of the students in their intervention group.
CI²ELO trainees gain skills through the institutes and seminar, apply them in practicum, and critically analyze applications in seminar. Other activities include participation in professional conferences, project business retreats or meetings, participation in project evaluation procedures and reporting, and documenting English-learner knowledge base through California’s CTEL exams.
CI²ELO Traineeships Begin in 2011-12
Twelve traineeships are available annually: six in school psychology and six in speech-language pathology. Traineeships may be one to two years concurrent with enrollment in the SDSU graduate-credential programs. Priority is given to trainees who are fluent in one of the top languages of need in the schools and, for a second year of participation, must have demonstrated success on the project. CI²ELO training is above and beyond program requirements.
School psychology trainees must be students in good standing in SDSU’s School Psychology Program. This program is a 4-year full-time sequence of studies that culminates in the Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree and California credential as a school psychologist.
Speech-language pathology trainees must be students in good standing in SDSU’s Speech-Language Pathology Master’s Program and seeking California’s credential in clinical-rehabilitative services for practice in the public schools. This program is an intensive 2-year, year-round program of studies.
Financial Support Package
The package provides approximately $13,400 annually including monthly stipends of $450 and semester “start-up stipends.” Additional support includes specialty textbooks and a conference allowance. Potential trainees must be aware that this support is specifically for practitioners who will serve children with disabilities in the public schools following completion of their programs. The U.S. Department of Education requires that two years of such service be given for each year of traineeship. Failure to fulfill the service obligation results in payback to the federal government.
Application
- Download the CI²ELO application form (doc).
Contact
For more information, email projectsga@yahoo.com.
Project CI²ELO is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, #H32K100413.
last updated: 5/17/2012
