For a course to be approved portable, it must include the following as required by the State:
- Evidence that the process and content competencies are met.
- Evidence that integration of content competencies is used.
- Evidence that the statewide policies are met.
Required Documents
To receive approval for a transitional English, local partners must prepare the following documents for submission:
A. Memo of Understanding (MOU)
Purpose
- Provides the SPP and LAP with information to determine if the MOU addresses all required statewide policies and includes all of the components as required by the State.
- Provides the high schools and colleges a contract with agreed upon responsibilities by each party.
Criteria for Approval
An MOU must be agreed upon by the partner high schools and the community college district. Include a signed copy of the MOU from one of the high schools in the partnership.
The MOU must address all required statewide policies. Use of the statewide MOU template will simplify this process; however, the statewide MOU template is not required. MOUs must address the following components as required by the State:
- Course offerings and locations
- Transitional English outcome courses
- College enrollment
- Teacher qualifications
- Professional development
- Student qualifications
- Advising supports
- Rigor and standards including grading and assessment
- Transcripted placement
- Portability information
If the statewide MOU template is not used, the local MOU should match the ordering and numbering of the statewide MOU template. Any additional items that are not in the statewide MOU template must be placed at the end of the MOU document, prior to the signatures.
B. Transitional English Syllabus
Purpose
- Provides the SPP and LAP with information needed to determine the following:
- Appropriate course name and portability code are used.
- Process competencies are incorporated throughout the course.
- Integration of content competencies is incorporated throughout the course.
- Appropriate course materials are used.
- Evaluation, including grading and assessment of students, is used that meets the MOU and statewide requirements.
- Provides the classroom teacher with information on course requirements, units of instruction, pedagogical approach, evaluation, and materials.
Criteria
Each high school should complete a course syllabus for each course offered. A template is provided with the following information. If the statewide syllabus template is not used, the content of the syllabus should match the ordering and numbering of the content of the statewide syllabus template. Any additional items that are not in the statewide syllabus template should be placed after the required items in the document.
Course Information
State the course name chosen by the high school that aligns with the ISBE SIS code naming. Additionally, state the ISBE SIS code (01004A001), portability code, and course duration.
Contact Information
State the teacher’s name and email and the high school phone number. Include the names of the high school and partner community college.
Course Description
Include the course description from the ISBE course catalog.
Evaluation
Course evaluation methods must meet the agreed-upon grading structure in the MOU.
Include specific information on grading and assessment.
Course Materials
Course materials must support the competencies of a transitional English course.
Include information on learning resources that are required and most frequently used, such as textbooks, statewide resources, open educational resources (include links when feasible), etc.
Course Units of Study
Units of study describe the organization of all the competencies and key performance indicators for the course as well as the required emphasis on integration of content competencies.
Include a detailed topical outline for each unit of instruction.
Process Competencies
Transitional courses are intended to help students develop conceptual understanding and problem-solving ability as well as college and career readiness. To that end, the courses include process competencies related to metacognition and essential skills. While these competencies are not assessed directly, they should be a part of instruction and assessed indirectly. See pages 9-10 in the Competencies and Policies Document for more information.
Provide evidence illustrating how this criterion is being met. Evidence should address how the process competencies are included throughout the course. Include a narrative describing how this criterion is met in your own words.
Integration of Content Competencies
Transitional English courses cover content competencies in the areas of reading, critical thinking and analysis, and writing. The course and instructional delivery methods must fully integrate across these three competency areas and avoid teaching the reading and writing competencies in an isolated, sub-skills fashion. The course pedagogy and related text selections must be organized around themes, critical issues, or concepts that direct student focus toward larger ideas that foster critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. Contexts used should be authentic whenever possible and apply to the student’s college or career path.
Provide evidence illustrating how this criterion is being met. Evidence should also address how the process competencies are included throughout the course. Include a narrative describing how this criterion is met in your own words. Also, include a sample problem or project.
C. Content Competencies Spreadsheet
Purpose
- Provides the SPP and LAP a quick way to check that all competencies and key performance indicators are included in the course.
- Provides the classroom teacher a cross reference of the competencies and key performance indicators.
Criteria
Each high school should complete a content competencies spreadsheet for each pathway offered. A template is provided.
Every content competency and key performance indicator should be addressed in the course.
Provide a completed content competencies spreadsheet illustrating where each competency and key performance indicator is met in the course.
D. Portability Course Submission Worksheet
Purpose
- Provides the SPP with information on portability codes that a school is seeking and/or has gained in between SPP review after approval from the LAP.
- Provides the college’s submitter needed information to input school-specific portability code requests and updates in the iPlacement system.
- Provides the college with information to update their records of portability codes within their partnership.
E. Portability Modification Form
A template is provided.
Purpose
Required as applicable (see processes).
- Provides ISBE and ICCB with information necessary to update the portability database with portability code additions for schools and/or courses between submission years.
- Provides the college with information to update its records of portability codes within its partnership.
Portability Panel Outcomes
The following guides the Portability Panel’s determinations for course submissions.
Approved
- The course meets all the criteria in the course descriptor and additional requirements, such as metacognition and essential skills.
- Schools are notified that the course was approved, and no further action is necessary. The course goes into the iPlacement database.
Conditional Approval
- A course is very close, and virtually everything matches the course descriptor and additional requirements. However, there are one or more minor but important items to be fixed, which can be done quickly.
- The panel will provide specific and detailed information on what needs to be changed, and the course will be returned with a resubmission deadline.
- After revision, the school resubmits the course, and the panel co-chairs review it. If the co-chairs are satisfied with the revision, the course is approved and enters the iPlacement database.
- If the co-chairs are not satisfied, the course is returned, and the school can resubmit the course for full panel review at the next panel meeting.
Not Enough Information
- A course has one or more omission(s) or some items which are not clear, and the panel cannot determine if it matches the course descriptor and related requirements or not.
- The panel returns the course to the submitting school along with detailed information on why it is being returned.
- Schools can then revise and resubmit the course for a future panel meeting.
Returned
- A course does not show alignment with the course descriptor and/or additional requirements, and the panel determines it does not have the potential to be fixed quickly.
- The course is returned with detailed information on why it is being returned.
- Schools can then revise and resubmit the course for a future panel meeting.