LTEL Essential Component:
Goal Setting

Goal Setting

Surveys and focus groups with Long Term English Learners in schools throughout California have identified that they often have high hopes and dreams of going to college, but typically lack confidence about their academic abilities and have little information about the degree to which they are "on track" to reach their dreams.  Because they function well socially in English, they consider themselves English fluent, so they do not understand being placed in an English Learner class.  Few have the information or knowledge of the academic system that would help them plan and pursue academic goals or the dream of attending college.  For all of these reasons, the Long Term English Learners class needs to include a component of academic and language goal setting.  Students need the information to understand why they are considered English Learners, what it means to be an English Learner, the levels of English needed for academic engagement and success, where they are along the spectrum of progress towards English proficiency, the California English Language Development Test (formally CELDT, now ELPAC), test's role, reclassification requirements, and their own personal progress.  Goal setting involves explaining to students why they are in the class, and it also involves a process of getting to know students, learning about their background, and dialoguing with them about their future and what they want.  This process helps students clarify their own thinking, and helps them commit to a path.  It also creates a sense of community.  For each student, teachers identify goals and timelines with benchmarks to help the student track and measure success at meeting goals throughout the year.   This process takes time, and teachers have discovered it easily can take two to three weeks to develop goals and reflect with and interview students to get to know them and their needs.  This is also an ongoing process, revisited regularly throughout the school year.  This time is not wasted time; it is an essential part of a Long Term English Learners class.