San Diego Area International Language Network (SAILN)
The Southern Area International Languages Network (Region 9A/B) has served the world language teacher population of the San Diego County area since 1990. Currently SAILN is housed at San Diego State University and an interdisciplinary unit shared by the School of Education’s Policy Studies Department and the Language Acquisition Resource Center. The project has acquired and now serves the Imperial and Orange County areas. The project offers Regionally-Based Workshops and Institutes that are multi-tiered, high quality (Tier I-IV, Foundational to Leadership Workshops, ranging from 40-120 hours) professional development programs designed to enable world language teachers, grades 7-12 to further develop their instructional teaching competencies in the essentials of language learning which enable them to take on leadership roles in the classroom as well as at their school site and district level. Upon completion of 120 hours of professional development in the SAILN Project Tiered Program teachers become CFLP Fellows, which empowers them to become SAILN Project Trainers, and future state level advocates. All SAILN’s programs are informed by recently published research results on foreign language learning that support the intensive communication experience and effective instructional practice, methodologies for teaching English Learners and students with low skills in reading and writing, practices to enhance the competence of beginning teachers, and effective professional development to build leadership within teachers. Additionally, the site provides upon request a customized 40-hour institute and technical assistance to “high priority” or “program improvement” schools and districts that are attempting to meet their annual goals as defined in the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act. Annually, English Learner Academic Literacy Development Institute is offered to assist partnership districts to meet their “adequate yearly progress” targets, their “annual measurable objectives,” and to ensure that teachers attain “highly qualified status.” Other subject-specific institutes include a 40-hour Heritage/Native Spanish Speaker Institute and a six-hour Annual CSMP ELD Institute offered since 1992.
Core Programs
Tiered Workshops: Foundational: Level I, Novice Teachers, Tier II, Experienced, Tier III, Leadership and Tier IV, Advanced Leadership Level.
Tier One Foundation Level:
Participants Master the organizing principles of the Language Learning Continuum (LLC) includes; a) Building a working knowledge of the Foreign Language Continuum and the sequential development of language acquisition; b) examine current lesson plans and pacing with the goal of linking, modifying or recreating lesson plans to reflect the specific stages of the Language Learning Continuum (LLC); c) engage in collaborative discussions on issues of classroom management and develop strategies for actualizing LLC goals; d) understand the key principles of communication- based instruction; and e) organize instructional activities that keep students in the target language and that motivate students to continue language studies. Participants become knowledgeable in, 1) Defining the effective classroom, 2) Using the Classroom Writing Competency Assessment and 3) Understanding how students learn and teachers teach in an effective foreign language classroom.
Tier Two Foundational Level:
Participants engage in major topics such as, 1) Effective lesson planning, implementation of lesson plans, and pacing, 2) Preparation of a culminating lesson of at least fifty minutes, implementing instructional strategies learned in Tier One, 3) Implementation of the lesson plan and reflection upon the process and student performance, 4) Maintenance of a portfolio of sample lesson plans and student work to present to a panel of CFLP Fellows for evaluation as an end of series activity.
Tier Three Leadership Level:
Major tasks will be, 1) Study of and application of the ACTFL Reading Proficiency Guidelines, 2) Development of a technology-infused reading unit that develops literacy skills while following the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Participants develop an integrated reading packet that will provide evidence of carefully organized and academically challenging content that allow students to function comfortably in the target language while increasing their proficiency in the four language skills, listening, speaking, reading and writing. Participants submit four copies of the reading unit in the target language, two in a CD-Rom or DVD format and a two in hard copy for archiving of their reading unit in their professional portfolio and for use of future SAILN Tier Three participants. Participants present a Power Point or Keynote reading unit in English, on the last day of the series, to demonstrate an understanding of the stages of the ACTFL Reading Proficiency Guidelines and an ability to use technologically related support materials. This presentation is reviewed, critiqued, and evaluated by SAILN Fellows.
Tier Four Advanced Leadership Development Level:
SAILN recognizes the need to prepare future leaders and professional development providers as the leadership team is nearing retirement. To this end, we are targeting CFLP Fellows with specific skills to co-present during our current professional development series in preparation for their assuming the roles of the current leadership team. In addition, they will be required to enroll in an extensive leadership training that will include the following, 1) Current research trends in World Language Education, 2) Training on the Teaching of Adults -- Characteristics of Adult Learners (possible resource book: Handbook of Peggy A. Sharp, 3) Validating Attitudes Supportive of Adult Learners, 4) Building a Learning Community, 5) Creating a Workshop/ Institute Syllabus, 6) Workshop Facilitation, 7) Effective Presentation Skills and 8) Development of Power Point Presentations and Multi-Media Support.
English Learner Academic Literacy Development Institute:
SAILN offers three institutes that support English language learners and that assist in meeting technical assistance needs per NCLB, and which provide leadership opportunities and leadership training. These include: (a) The joint sponsored countywide California Subject Matter Project ELD Institute, (b) The English Learner Academic Literacy Institute customized for SDUSD ELD teachers, K-12 and (C) Imperial County Office of Education low-performing schools, K-6.
Heritage/Native Spanish Speaker Institute:
The goal of the Heritage/Native Spanish Speaker institute is to build the capacity of teachers to improve their delivery of rigorous standards-based instruction. The institute will revolve around the principles and practices of accountability, leadership and advocacy for high levels of academic proficiency.
The SAILN Heritage/Native Spanish Speakers Institute will incorporate the use of the English language Arts Framework, Spanish Language Arts Framework, the California Foreign Language Framework, and Language Learning Continuum.
Partnership Showcase:
Goal: to enable the 7th – 12th grades to successfully complete the “E” requirement, earn a high school diploma, and be “E” eligible to enter the University of California.
Goal: to develop course of studies for Heritage/Native Spanish Speaker Program, grade 7-12th.
District Priority 1
Provide Foundational and Leadership professional development for world language teachers, grades 7-12th.
District Priority 2
Provide professional development for Heritage/Native Spanish Speaker Program and technical assistance in the development of course of studies, grades 7-12.
District Priority 3
Provide English Learner Academic Literacy Institute to ELD teachers in low-performing schools.
District Priority 4
Provide technical assistance to partnership school sites in the development of FLAP Grants.
