Can Do Booklet9-12
Can Do Booklet9-12
Can Do Booklet9-12
Includes:
Performance Definitions
CAN DO Descriptors
For use in conjunction with the
WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards
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Copyright Notice
© 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. The WIDA English Language Learner CAN DO Booklet, Grades 9-12, may
not be reproduced, modified, or distributed without prior written permission from the WIDA Consortium. The WIDA ELL CAN DO
Booklet is for your personal, noncommercial use only. Fair use of the WIDA ELL CAN DO Booklet includes reproduction for the purpose of
teaching (including multiple copies for lesson planning).
To order more copies of this booklet, please visit www.wida.us or contact the WIDA Help Desk at toll free 1-866-276-7735 or e-mail
help@wida.us.
© 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, on behalf of the WIDA Consortium—www.wida.us.
Foreword: The WIDA English Language Learner CAN DO Booklet
The WIDA Consortium, from its conception, envisioned a system of standards and assessments that would assist
schools in teaching academic language to English Language Learners (ELLs). This dream, now a reality, includes
the development of practical tools to guide teachers when designing and implementing lessons, monitoring student
progress, determining student language proficiency levels, collaborating across programs, and conveying results to
ELLs and their parents.
The WIDA English Language Learner CAN DO Booklet is a very important contribution to meeting these goals.
The booklet complements the WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards and provides a valuable set of resources
aligned to the Performance Definitions for the levels of English language proficiency. WIDA’s professional
development program works with these resources to assist teachers in embedding academic English into content
lessons and working school-wide to ensure the academic success of our culturally and linguistically diverse learners.
The WIDA Consortium recognizes that as a teacher of ELLs, you have a challenging but crucial job within your
school. We sincerely hope that this booklet and other WIDA resources help to make your work more effective and
your students more successful both in learning English and mastering challenging academic content.
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Introduction
The resources contained in this booklet are intended to support classroom instruction. As with all WIDA products and services, they
address language proficiency in relation to five English language proficiency (ELP) standards:
The following table displays the major components of WIDA’s standards-based system. The bold-faced components are included in this
booklet and listed in the order in which they appear.
Strands of Model Performance Indicators as Illustrate how English language learners process and use language for each English
representative of the WIDA English Language language proficiency standard, language domain, and language proficiency level
Proficiency Standards by grade level cluster
Performance Definitions Outline how English language learners process and use language for each level of
language proficiency in grades K-12
CAN DO Descriptors Describe how English language learners process and use language for each language
domain and level of language proficiency by grade level cluster
Speaking and Writing Rubrics Document how English language learners process and use language in the domain
of speaking or writing for each level of language proficiency based on three criteria:
linguistic complexity, vocabulary usage, and language control in grades K-12
The resources contained in this booklet are intended to support length. It is important to recognize that the Performance Definitions
classroom instruction. The Performance Definitions (see page 4) are the basis for use of other standards-based resources such as the
provide criteria that shape each of the six levels of English language CAN DO Descriptors.
proficiency. The three bullets within each proficiency level in the
Performance Definitions represent: The CAN DO Descriptors (see pages 6-7) are the centerpiece
of this booklet, designed to support teachers by providing them
• Linguistic Complexity—the amount and quality of speech with information on the language students are able to understand
or writing for a given situation and produce in the classroom. What is unique about the CAN
• Vocabulary Usage—the specificity of words or phrases for a DO Descriptors is that they apply to all five English language
given context proficiency standards, which means they provide an opportunity to
• Language Control—the comprehensibility of the link language development across all academic content areas. The
communication based on the amount and types of errors Descriptors are intended to be used in tandem with the Performance
Definitions. This is because the quantity and quality of language
The Performance Definitions provide a concise, global overview of expected at a particular level of language proficiency may not be
language expectations for each level of English language proficiency. fully indicated within the CAN DO Descriptor for each language
They span the spectrum of grade levels which means that educators domain and proficiency level.
must interpret the meaning of the Definitions according to students’
cognitive development due to age, their grade level, their diversity of For example, the CAN DO Descriptors show that students may
educational experiences, and any diagnosed learning disabilities (if be able to “identify” at various levels of language proficiency,
applicable). For example, in level 5, “extended oral or written but the language (linguistic complexity, vocabulary usage, and
discourse” would probably be indicated by a 1st grade student’s language control) they use will vary tremendously. At one end of
ability to orally retell a story in a series of sentences using simple the spectrum, beginning English language learners may identify by
transition words. However, a middle school student might be pointing or using short words or phrases, whereas at the end of the
expected to exhibit linguistic complexity at level 5 by incorporating language development continuum, students will begin to identify
a variety of sentence structures in an essay several paragraphs in complex themes and ideas described in detailed technical language.
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• Match everyday oral statements according to • Use learning strategies on oral discourse • Identify and react to subtle
information to pictures, time frames described orally • Categorize examples of differences in speech and
diagrams, or photographs • Sequence visuals according genres read aloud register (e.g., hyperbole,
• Categorize content-based
• Group visuals by common to oral directions examples described orally • Compare traits based on satire, comedy)
traits named orally (e.g.,
Level 6 - Reaching
visuals and oral descriptions • Evaluate intent of speech
“These are polygons.”) using specific and some and act accordingly
• Identify resources, places, technical language
products, figures from oral
statements, and visuals
• Answer yes/no or choice • Describe persons, places, • Suggest ways to resolve • Take a stance and use • Give multimedia oral
questions within context events, or objects issues or pose solutions evidence to defend it presentations on grade-level
of lessons or personal • Ask WH- questions to • Compare/contrast features, • Explain content-related material
experiences clarify meaning traits, characteristics using issues and concepts • Engage in debates on
• Provide identifying • Give features of content- general and some specific • Compare and contrast content-related issues using
Speaking
information about self based material (e.g., time language points of view technical language
• Name everyday objects and periods) • Sequence processes, cycles, • Analyze and share pros and • Explain metacognitive
pre-taught vocabulary • Characterize issues, procedures, or events cons of choices strategies for solving
• Repeat words, short phrases, situations, regions shown in • Conduct interviews or problems (e.g., “Tell me
• Use and respond to gossip, how you know it.”)
memorized chunks of illustrations gather information through slang, and idiomatic
language oral interaction expressions • Negotiate meaning in pairs
• Estimate, make predictions or group discussions
• Use speaking strategies (e.g.,
or pose hypotheses from circumlocution)
models
The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three
criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the
levels of language proficiency.
CAN DO Descriptors: Grade Level Cluster 9-12
For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support through Level 4, English
language learners can process or produce the language needed to:
• Use references (e.g., picture • Follow multi-step explicit information in texts • Match cause to effect • Infer significance of data or
dictionaries, bilingual instructions supported by • Differentiate between fact information in grade-level
• Evaluate usefulness of data
glossaries, technology) visuals or data and opinion in text material
or information supported
Level 6 - Reaching
• Match sentence-level • Order paragraphs or visually or graphically • Identify evidence of bias and
descriptions to visual sequence information within credibility of source
representations paragraphs
• Compare content-related
features in visuals and
graphics
• Locate main ideas in a series
of related sentences
• Label content-related • Make content-related • Complete reports from • Summarize content-related • Produce research reports
diagrams, pictures from lists of words, phrases, or templates notes from lectures or text from multiple sources
word/phrase banks expressions • Compose short narrative and • Revise work based on • Create original pieces that
• Provide personal information • Take notes using graphic expository pieces narrative or oral feedback represent the use of a variety
Writing
on forms read orally organizers or models • Outline ideas and details • Compose narrative and of genres and discourses
• Produce short answer • Formulate yes/no, choice and using graphic organizers expository text for a variety • Critique, peer-edit and make
responses to oral questions WH- questions from models • Compare and reflect on of purposes recommendations on others’
with visual support • Correspond for social performance against criteria • Justify or defend ideas and writing from rubrics
• Supply missing words in purposes (e.g., memos, (e.g., rubrics) opinions • Explain, with details,
short sentences e-mails, notes) • Produce content-related phenomena, processes,
reports procedures
The CAN DO Descriptors work in conjunction with the WIDA Performance Definitions of the English language proficiency standards. The Performance Definitions use three
criteria (1. linguistic complexity; 2. vocabulary usage; and 3. language control) to describe the increasing quality and quantity of students’ language processing and use across the
levels of language proficiency.
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© 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, on behalf of the WIDA Consortium
www.wida.us
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