Laurie Olsen - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Laurie Olsen

In 2002, the superintendents of five Southern California County Offices of Education, building on... more In 2002, the superintendents of five Southern California County Offices of Education, building on a strong relationship of collaboration and support, began to discuss a pattern that was similar across the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Riverside-the alarmingly low academic performance of English learners (EL). These five counties combined serve over one million EL students, more than 64% of the total EL population in the state of California, and close to 20% of the EL population in the nation. (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). Upon a cross analysis of students in all five counties, startling and highly concerning data showed the decreasing academic performance of students at both the elementary and secondary levels. At second grade only 13 to 22% of ELs in these counties were meeting the proficiency level in Language Arts. The picture worsened every year ELs were in school with only 2-4% of EL in the 11 th grade were performing at a rate of proficient or above in Language Arts on the California Standards Test (CST). When scores on the California High School Exit Exam were examined, it showed that only 39% of ELs in the five counties were passing the Language Arts portion of the exam compared to 82% of California's English-Only students and 49% of ELs passed the math portion in comparison to 78% statewide. Coupled with that, data also showed that fewer than 7% of ELs in these counties had full access to both English Language Development (ELD) and the core academic curriculum. Grappling with both the increasing scale of non-success of ELs and how this gap in achievement reflected a disservice to students of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, the superintendents moved to act. They formed a commitment to address these issues, called on key staff in each of their county offices of education to collaborate and address the glaring evidence that a certain sector of Southern California's student population was being underserved and concentrate on the urgent need for improving student achievement. From late 2002 to 2004, educators and researchers across these five counties worked diligently to indentify existing strengths and challenges and provide evidence of promising programs and practices that were meeting the needs of students in various pockets of success throughout Southern California. Under the leadership of the Assistant Superintendents of Instruction from the five counties, data was compiled, effective programs were shared, and a common vision for the success of ELs began to emerge-a vision that was centered on collaborating to develop a transformative approach that by design builds bilingualism, biliteracy, and multiculturalism that systemically uses ELs' languages, cultures, experiences, and skills as foundation for their learning and success.

A young Guatemalan immigrant mother comes to pick up her 13-month-old daughter at an infant-toddl... more A young Guatemalan immigrant mother comes to pick up her 13-month-old daughter at an infant-toddler daycare program, and is distressed to find her child's shoes are in the cubby, instead of on her feet. The last two times this happened, she had explicitly told the teacher she wanted her daughter to wear shoes. As before, the teacher explains that going barefoot is the best thing for a child who is learning to walk, and she doesn't think stiff dressy shoes are appropriate attire for a toddler to wear to the program. The teacher is concerned about balance and physical control. The mother, on the other hand, is concerned about parasites in the soil - a common danger back in rural Guatemala - and how others might view her as ignorant if her child is not wearing shoes. The teacher feels the parent is refusing important information about healthy development; the mother feels the teacher is ignorant about environmental dangers and social stigma. A parenting series is held at a ne...

Examines factors in the increase in long-term English learners in California, student characteris... more Examines factors in the increase in long-term English learners in California, student characteristics, and current limitations. Recommendations include specialized courses, clustered placement in grade-level classes, and monitoring and support systems

Restructuring public education is central to the task of creating a healthy, just society. For th... more Restructuring public education is central to the task of creating a healthy, just society. For the past 2 years, California Tomorrow's Education for a Diverse Society/School Restructuring Project has visited 32 randomly selected schools throughout California and talked with 1,000 teachers, students, parents, administrators, and advocates involved in the restructuring movement. The research was shaped by three concerns: (1) changing demographics require changes in schools; (2) research has documented inequalities rooted in institutional structures; and (3) new challenges require new thinking about schools and support for educators engaged in the change procrss. The first section of this report, "New Compacts," discusses ,he new roles and relationships being forged among teachers, administrators, public agency personnel, parents, and community child advocates. Section 2, "Curriculum and Pedagogy," examines schools' instructional reforms, focusing on student grouping, multicultural curriculum, technology, and language minority teaching issues. Section 3, "The Policy and Challenge of System-wide Change," highlights the crucial role of technical assistance infrastructure and professional development support, funding considerations, and accountability concerns. Section 4 contains appendices on research methodology, demographic information, a case study field guide, phone sample interview questions, restructuring resources, a glossary, and a case study school contact list. Contains 150 references. (MLH)

Theory Into Practice, 2000

Page 1. Laurie Olsen Learning English and Learning America: ... While some of the LEP students ar... more Page 1. Laurie Olsen Learning English and Learning America: ... While some of the LEP students are US born, many are immigrants struggling to adjust to a new land, new culture, and newlanguage. The effort to learn English is a central facet of young immigrants' lives. ...

The Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) PreK-3 model was designed to provide young Dual Langua... more The Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) PreK-3 model was designed to provide young Dual Language Learners (DLLs) and English Learners (ELs)-children growing up exposed to more than one language at home and in the classroom-with language-intensive support integrated throughout the curriculum. 1 Based on research on effective DLL/EL pedagogy, the model was initially piloted and then evaluated, showing strong results, in preschools and elementary schools in linguistically isolated 2 Spanish-English communities that implemented English-only, bilingual, and dual-language instructional programs. 3 The model is now being replicated in more than 100 programs and schools in California, including many that are superdiverse (that is, the DLL/EL population includes students from a variety of language backgrounds) and where instruction is English-only. Classroom superdiversity holds unique opportunities to foster cross-cultural and metalinguistic awareness. This report focuses on the replication of the SEAL model and its adaptations to linguistically diverse communities, specifically those of Oak Grove and San Lorenzo in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Initial findings from an external evaluation, based on surveys of teachers who had received SEAL training, indicate an increase in teachers' confidence in meeting the needs of DLLs and ELs, and a significant increase in the use of research-based instructional strategies throughout the day and across the curriculum. This exploratory study also analyzes qualitative data from observations, interviews, and focus groups to probe the challenges facing teachers who support DLLs/ELs when there are multiple language groups in the classroom, such as a need for strategies that allow teachers to leverage students' skills in their home languages even without speaking them and the difficulties of searching for classroom materials that reflect a variety of linguistic and cultural backgrounds. It also finds that classroom superdiversity holds unique opportunities to foster cross-cultural and metalinguistic awareness, and that SEAL language support and scaffolding strategies are relevant and adaptable to superdiverse settings. The report concludes with a discussion of policy implications and suggestions for designing instruction and curriculum to more effectively serve DLLs and ELs in superdiverse classrooms. 1 This report refers to children who speak a language other than English at home and are learning English at school as Dual Language Learners (DLLs)/English Learners (ELs), two of the several terms used most widely in relevant literature and policy. 2 In the United States, "linguistically isolated" schools are those where more than 90 percent of students are of Latino/ Hispanic ethnicity, the home/heritage language is Spanish, and the vast majority of the EL population are Spanish speakers (more than 95 percent). 3 Bilingual education is an umbrella term that includes transitional bilingual programs, maintenance or heritage language programs, and dual-language programs. Not all DLLs are enrolled in dual-language programs. Many are enrolled in structured English immersion programs.

The purpose of this Conference was to explore what is known and disco, m* what is unknown about e... more The purpose of this Conference was to explore what is known and disco, m* what is unknown about educating secondary school-age students from immigrant families. The idea for the Conference emerged from a recent report on secondary programs for Limited English Proficient students that contained some alarming findings about the state of the art in educating these students in California schools. The Conference brought together some of the leading practitioners, researchers, and policymakers in the field to explore the special challenges of educating adolescent immigrant students, to focus policy attention on issues of access and equality, and to stimulate new research on issues in secondary LEP education.

Multicultural Education, 1993

This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it O Mi... more This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of new or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OEM position or policy 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE The National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education (NCBE) is funded by the U.S. Department of Education s Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs (OBEMLA) and is operated under Contract No. T289004001 by The George Washington University s Center for the Study of Education ana National Deveiopment. jointly with the Carter for Applied _inauistics. The contents of this publicaton do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Education. nor does the mention or trade names. commercial oroaucts. or organizations imply andors..arnent by the J.S.. Government. Reaaers are tree :0 auoncate and use :nese materials in keeping wan accepted publication stanaaras. NOSE reauests that proper credit be given :n the event or reoroauction.

An ethnographic study in an urban high school in California examines the ways in which immigrant ... more An ethnographic study in an urban high school in California examines the ways in which immigrant students adapt in a community that is becoming increasingly multicultural. Individual biographies explored the shaping of self and each other for 10 female students and 5 teachers. Interviews and day to day observations were used to gain a picture of the school. The story of the high school is really the story of three seemingly different worlds, represented by recent immigrants (English-as-a-Second-Language students), the other students, and the faculty and administration. The division of the school community into these three groups is brought about by the marginalization and separation of immigrant students academically, the requirement that they become English-speaking and drop their native languages in order to participate in the academic and social life of the school, and the insistent pressure to find and take a place in the racial hierarchy of the United States. The grim reality i...

ED295779 - Crossing the Schoolhouse Border: Immigrant Students and the California Public Schools.... more ED295779 - Crossing the Schoolhouse Border: Immigrant Students and the California Public Schools. A California Tomorrow Policy Research Report. ... Record Details - ED295779. Title: Crossing the Schoolhouse Border: Immigrant Students and the California Public Schools. ...

... Title: Crossing the Schoolhouse Border: Immigrant Children in California. Authors: Olsen, Lau... more ... Title: Crossing the Schoolhouse Border: Immigrant Children in California. Authors: Olsen, Laurie. ... Schools are largely overwhelmed by demographic changes, war-traumatized and undocumented children, tremendous academic gaps, and cultural and language diversity. ...

Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design, 2019

Although there is general consensus among educators of English learners (ELs) regarding the need ... more Although there is general consensus among educators of English learners (ELs) regarding the need for contextualized language development, it is not widely implemented. This chapter explains the theory behind this shift in teaching English language development and for teaching ELs in general. The chapter also discusses the kind of professional development teachers need to make this shift, and the importance of meaningful engagement of families in their children's learning. The chapter situates this discussion within the Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) model's work with schools across California. SEAL is a PK-Grade 3 comprehensive reform focused on the needs of English learners, and is designed to create a language-rich, joyful, and rigorous education. California is an important context given the state's large EL population and recent favorable shifts in educational policy, which provide a unique opportunity for laying a foundation for improved practices and outcomes for numerous English learners.

Despite decades of public investment in school improvement, a persistent achievement gap between ... more Despite decades of public investment in school improvement, a persistent achievement gap between English Learners (ELs) and English proficient students demonstrates the inadequacy of school improvement models to ensure ELs receive meaningful access to education (Datnow, Stringfield, & Castellano, 2002). This ethnographic study documented a school change model, the PROMISE Initiative, that posited to address this achievement gap for ELs, preschool through twelfth grade. From January 2006 through June 2009, the PROMISE model was piloted in 15 schools, preschool through twelfth grade, in six districts across southern California through a collaborative of six county offices of education. This education and policy brief reports on one of several studies conducted on the PROMISE Initiative. The present study (1) analyzed the power and efficacy of the PROMISE model to facilitate the implementation of research-based practices for ELs and (2) identified lessons learned for equity-focused sch...

In 2002, the superintendents of five Southern California County Offices of Education, building on... more In 2002, the superintendents of five Southern California County Offices of Education, building on a strong relationship of collaboration and support, began to discuss a pattern that was similar across the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Riverside-the alarmingly low academic performance of English learners (EL). These five counties combined serve over one million EL students, more than 64% of the total EL population in the state of California, and close to 20% of the EL population in the nation. (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). Upon a cross analysis of students in all five counties, startling and highly concerning data showed the decreasing academic performance of students at both the elementary and secondary levels. At second grade only 13 to 22% of ELs in these counties were meeting the proficiency level in Language Arts. The picture worsened every year ELs were in school with only 2-4% of EL in the 11 th grade were performing at a rate of proficient or above in Language Arts on the California Standards Test (CST). When scores on the California High School Exit Exam were examined, it showed that only 39% of ELs in the five counties were passing the Language Arts portion of the exam compared to 82% of California's English-Only students and 49% of ELs passed the math portion in comparison to 78% statewide. Coupled with that, data also showed that fewer than 7% of ELs in these counties had full access to both English Language Development (ELD) and the core academic curriculum. Grappling with both the increasing scale of non-success of ELs and how this gap in achievement reflected a disservice to students of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, the superintendents moved to act. They formed a commitment to address these issues, called on key staff in each of their county offices of education to collaborate and address the glaring evidence that a certain sector of Southern California's student population was being underserved and concentrate on the urgent need for improving student achievement. From late 2002 to 2004, educators and researchers across these five counties worked diligently to indentify existing strengths and challenges and provide evidence of promising programs and practices that were meeting the needs of students in various pockets of success throughout Southern California. Under the leadership of the Assistant Superintendents of Instruction from the five counties, data was compiled, effective programs were shared, and a common vision for the success of ELs began to emerge-a vision that was centered on collaborating to develop a transformative approach that by design builds bilingualism, biliteracy, and multiculturalism that systemically uses ELs' languages, cultures, experiences, and skills as foundation for their learning and success.

A young Guatemalan immigrant mother comes to pick up her 13-month-old daughter at an infant-toddl... more A young Guatemalan immigrant mother comes to pick up her 13-month-old daughter at an infant-toddler daycare program, and is distressed to find her child's shoes are in the cubby, instead of on her feet. The last two times this happened, she had explicitly told the teacher she wanted her daughter to wear shoes. As before, the teacher explains that going barefoot is the best thing for a child who is learning to walk, and she doesn't think stiff dressy shoes are appropriate attire for a toddler to wear to the program. The teacher is concerned about balance and physical control. The mother, on the other hand, is concerned about parasites in the soil - a common danger back in rural Guatemala - and how others might view her as ignorant if her child is not wearing shoes. The teacher feels the parent is refusing important information about healthy development; the mother feels the teacher is ignorant about environmental dangers and social stigma. A parenting series is held at a ne...

Examines factors in the increase in long-term English learners in California, student characteris... more Examines factors in the increase in long-term English learners in California, student characteristics, and current limitations. Recommendations include specialized courses, clustered placement in grade-level classes, and monitoring and support systems

Restructuring public education is central to the task of creating a healthy, just society. For th... more Restructuring public education is central to the task of creating a healthy, just society. For the past 2 years, California Tomorrow's Education for a Diverse Society/School Restructuring Project has visited 32 randomly selected schools throughout California and talked with 1,000 teachers, students, parents, administrators, and advocates involved in the restructuring movement. The research was shaped by three concerns: (1) changing demographics require changes in schools; (2) research has documented inequalities rooted in institutional structures; and (3) new challenges require new thinking about schools and support for educators engaged in the change procrss. The first section of this report, "New Compacts," discusses ,he new roles and relationships being forged among teachers, administrators, public agency personnel, parents, and community child advocates. Section 2, "Curriculum and Pedagogy," examines schools' instructional reforms, focusing on student grouping, multicultural curriculum, technology, and language minority teaching issues. Section 3, "The Policy and Challenge of System-wide Change," highlights the crucial role of technical assistance infrastructure and professional development support, funding considerations, and accountability concerns. Section 4 contains appendices on research methodology, demographic information, a case study field guide, phone sample interview questions, restructuring resources, a glossary, and a case study school contact list. Contains 150 references. (MLH)

Theory Into Practice, 2000

Page 1. Laurie Olsen Learning English and Learning America: ... While some of the LEP students ar... more Page 1. Laurie Olsen Learning English and Learning America: ... While some of the LEP students are US born, many are immigrants struggling to adjust to a new land, new culture, and newlanguage. The effort to learn English is a central facet of young immigrants' lives. ...

The Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) PreK-3 model was designed to provide young Dual Langua... more The Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) PreK-3 model was designed to provide young Dual Language Learners (DLLs) and English Learners (ELs)-children growing up exposed to more than one language at home and in the classroom-with language-intensive support integrated throughout the curriculum. 1 Based on research on effective DLL/EL pedagogy, the model was initially piloted and then evaluated, showing strong results, in preschools and elementary schools in linguistically isolated 2 Spanish-English communities that implemented English-only, bilingual, and dual-language instructional programs. 3 The model is now being replicated in more than 100 programs and schools in California, including many that are superdiverse (that is, the DLL/EL population includes students from a variety of language backgrounds) and where instruction is English-only. Classroom superdiversity holds unique opportunities to foster cross-cultural and metalinguistic awareness. This report focuses on the replication of the SEAL model and its adaptations to linguistically diverse communities, specifically those of Oak Grove and San Lorenzo in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Initial findings from an external evaluation, based on surveys of teachers who had received SEAL training, indicate an increase in teachers' confidence in meeting the needs of DLLs and ELs, and a significant increase in the use of research-based instructional strategies throughout the day and across the curriculum. This exploratory study also analyzes qualitative data from observations, interviews, and focus groups to probe the challenges facing teachers who support DLLs/ELs when there are multiple language groups in the classroom, such as a need for strategies that allow teachers to leverage students' skills in their home languages even without speaking them and the difficulties of searching for classroom materials that reflect a variety of linguistic and cultural backgrounds. It also finds that classroom superdiversity holds unique opportunities to foster cross-cultural and metalinguistic awareness, and that SEAL language support and scaffolding strategies are relevant and adaptable to superdiverse settings. The report concludes with a discussion of policy implications and suggestions for designing instruction and curriculum to more effectively serve DLLs and ELs in superdiverse classrooms. 1 This report refers to children who speak a language other than English at home and are learning English at school as Dual Language Learners (DLLs)/English Learners (ELs), two of the several terms used most widely in relevant literature and policy. 2 In the United States, "linguistically isolated" schools are those where more than 90 percent of students are of Latino/ Hispanic ethnicity, the home/heritage language is Spanish, and the vast majority of the EL population are Spanish speakers (more than 95 percent). 3 Bilingual education is an umbrella term that includes transitional bilingual programs, maintenance or heritage language programs, and dual-language programs. Not all DLLs are enrolled in dual-language programs. Many are enrolled in structured English immersion programs.

The purpose of this Conference was to explore what is known and disco, m* what is unknown about e... more The purpose of this Conference was to explore what is known and disco, m* what is unknown about educating secondary school-age students from immigrant families. The idea for the Conference emerged from a recent report on secondary programs for Limited English Proficient students that contained some alarming findings about the state of the art in educating these students in California schools. The Conference brought together some of the leading practitioners, researchers, and policymakers in the field to explore the special challenges of educating adolescent immigrant students, to focus policy attention on issues of access and equality, and to stimulate new research on issues in secondary LEP education.

Multicultural Education, 1993

This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it O Mi... more This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of new or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OEM position or policy 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE The National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education (NCBE) is funded by the U.S. Department of Education s Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs (OBEMLA) and is operated under Contract No. T289004001 by The George Washington University s Center for the Study of Education ana National Deveiopment. jointly with the Carter for Applied _inauistics. The contents of this publicaton do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Education. nor does the mention or trade names. commercial oroaucts. or organizations imply andors..arnent by the J.S.. Government. Reaaers are tree :0 auoncate and use :nese materials in keeping wan accepted publication stanaaras. NOSE reauests that proper credit be given :n the event or reoroauction.

An ethnographic study in an urban high school in California examines the ways in which immigrant ... more An ethnographic study in an urban high school in California examines the ways in which immigrant students adapt in a community that is becoming increasingly multicultural. Individual biographies explored the shaping of self and each other for 10 female students and 5 teachers. Interviews and day to day observations were used to gain a picture of the school. The story of the high school is really the story of three seemingly different worlds, represented by recent immigrants (English-as-a-Second-Language students), the other students, and the faculty and administration. The division of the school community into these three groups is brought about by the marginalization and separation of immigrant students academically, the requirement that they become English-speaking and drop their native languages in order to participate in the academic and social life of the school, and the insistent pressure to find and take a place in the racial hierarchy of the United States. The grim reality i...

ED295779 - Crossing the Schoolhouse Border: Immigrant Students and the California Public Schools.... more ED295779 - Crossing the Schoolhouse Border: Immigrant Students and the California Public Schools. A California Tomorrow Policy Research Report. ... Record Details - ED295779. Title: Crossing the Schoolhouse Border: Immigrant Students and the California Public Schools. ...

... Title: Crossing the Schoolhouse Border: Immigrant Children in California. Authors: Olsen, Lau... more ... Title: Crossing the Schoolhouse Border: Immigrant Children in California. Authors: Olsen, Laurie. ... Schools are largely overwhelmed by demographic changes, war-traumatized and undocumented children, tremendous academic gaps, and cultural and language diversity. ...

Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design, 2019

Although there is general consensus among educators of English learners (ELs) regarding the need ... more Although there is general consensus among educators of English learners (ELs) regarding the need for contextualized language development, it is not widely implemented. This chapter explains the theory behind this shift in teaching English language development and for teaching ELs in general. The chapter also discusses the kind of professional development teachers need to make this shift, and the importance of meaningful engagement of families in their children's learning. The chapter situates this discussion within the Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) model's work with schools across California. SEAL is a PK-Grade 3 comprehensive reform focused on the needs of English learners, and is designed to create a language-rich, joyful, and rigorous education. California is an important context given the state's large EL population and recent favorable shifts in educational policy, which provide a unique opportunity for laying a foundation for improved practices and outcomes for numerous English learners.

Despite decades of public investment in school improvement, a persistent achievement gap between ... more Despite decades of public investment in school improvement, a persistent achievement gap between English Learners (ELs) and English proficient students demonstrates the inadequacy of school improvement models to ensure ELs receive meaningful access to education (Datnow, Stringfield, & Castellano, 2002). This ethnographic study documented a school change model, the PROMISE Initiative, that posited to address this achievement gap for ELs, preschool through twelfth grade. From January 2006 through June 2009, the PROMISE model was piloted in 15 schools, preschool through twelfth grade, in six districts across southern California through a collaborative of six county offices of education. This education and policy brief reports on one of several studies conducted on the PROMISE Initiative. The present study (1) analyzed the power and efficacy of the PROMISE model to facilitate the implementation of research-based practices for ELs and (2) identified lessons learned for equity-focused sch...