Rubric Description

There are 3 separate rubrics:

  1. a preservice rubric for teacher candidates preparing to teach in DLI programs
  2. an inservice rubric for licensed teachers already practicing in DLI programs
  3. a less detailed self-assessment rubric to facilitate inservice DLI teacher reflection

The language used in the rubrics is intended to refer to all students in these programs – minority- and majority-language learners, learners with different ethnic backgrounds, and third language (L3) learners (i.e., learners whose home language is different from the languages of the program).

The comprehensive categories and descriptions in these rubrics focus on pedagogical skills and knowledge that are specific to DLI contexts and necessary for promoting high levels of academic achievement and language development. There is a notable focus on content and language integration throughout many of the rubric strands. Note that the term target language is used throughout the rubrics to refer to the expected language of instruction at any given time.

A workbook was also developed to accompany the rubrics. It provides detailed examples of classroom practices corresponding to rubric descriptors. It was designed specifically to support use of the preservice rubric but may also be a valuable resource to support use of the inservice and self-assessment rubrics.

The rubrics are comprised of eight categories or strands that describe effective DLI teaching practices (each having several sub-strands).

The strands are: 

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1. Planning for the Integration of Language, Content and Culture

The teacher understands the underlying principles behind language, content, and culture integration, and designs curricula, lessons, and assessments that reflect those principles.

1A. Language and content integration in curricular planning
1B. Language objectives – discourse level (phrase, sentence, paragraph) or type (e.g., dialogue, report) + function + grammatical feature + vocabulary
1C. Classroom assessment – performance (e.g., real-life tasks) and other assessments that require students to demonstrate their content knowledge and their ability to use the language to express their understandings
1D. Culture integration throughout the curriculum

2. Teaching for biliteracy development

The teacher understands the fundamental principles of biliteracy development and uses a variety of effective instructional strategies that promote vocabulary and biliteracy development across a range of genres/text types.

2A. Biliteracy instruction
2B. Vocabulary development, word knowledge, and text types
2C. Cross-lingual connections
2D. Biliteracy assessment

3. Maintaining a linguistically-rich learning environment

The teacher maintains a linguistically-rich learning environment and uses that environment to enhance students’ language development and content learning.

3A. Visual language scaffolds
3B. Target language use

4. Scaffolding for student comprehension

The teacher understands and uses a variety of techniques to promote student comprehension in the target language.

4A. Verbal and non-verbal scaffolding – focus on how teachers use language and non-verbal cues to support comprehension
4B. Procedural scaffolding – focus on how teachers organize activities and routines to support comprehension
4C. Instructional scaffolding – focus on how the teacher makes use of tools within instructional activities to support comprehension

5. Scaffolding for student production

The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to promote extended student discourse and academic language production.

5A. Verbal scaffolding – questioning techniques and follow-up moves to support student language use and development
5B. Procedural scaffolding – grouping strategies and classroom activities and routines to support student language use and development
5C. Instructional scaffolding – use of print and multimedia resources to support student language use and development

6. Teaching for language and content integration

The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional practices to attend to students’ language development and improve proficiency.

6A. Language alertness – instructional practices that intentionally bring attention to language during content instruction
6B.
Corrective feedback – strategies include recasts or prompts like metalinguistic clues or clarification requests

7. Supporting diverse learners

The teacher effectively and appropriately supports diverse learners by differentiating instruction, maintaining high expectations, and promoting equitable classroom dynamics.

7A. Differentiated instruction and assessment
7B. Maintaining rigor and high expectations for students of all language backgrounds
7C. Equitable classroom dynamics

8. Serving as an advocate for students and programs

The teacher is an active advocate for dual language and immersion education in general and as a potential educational option for any and all learners.

8A. Serving as an advocate for exceptional learners
8B. Serving as an advocate for programs