ST. LOUIS - May 20, 2008 - In Missouri, more than 18,670 English learners (ELs) are enrolled in 245 school districts - and that number is rapidly growing. Since 2000, the number of ELs in Missouri schools has jumped 82 percent. To succeed in school, these students must master not only English vocabulary and grammar, but also the way English is used in core content classes. Common academic words like microscope, for example, might be familiar to native English speakers, but not to many EL students.

To address this need, the Missouri Migrant Education and English Language Learning (MELL) Program is offering teachers a professional development program that provides training in a new framework to deliver appropriate and effective content instruction for their English learners. From May 29 to May 31, educators from across Missouri and beyond are invited to participate in the SIOP I Institute, hosted by Pearson in St. Louis. The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model is a scientifically-based program that helps educators teach academic content to English learners while promoting their English language development.

Through the three-day SIOP Institute, educators will develop an understanding of the research-based framework of this sheltered instruction approach, become familiar with the eight components and 30 features that make up the SIOP Model of effective sheltered instruction lessons, and practice observing and evaluating sheltered instruction lessons. In addition, the SIOP I Institute will provide the foundation needed for additional SIOP component enrichment training offered through the MELL Program.

"About 90 languages are spoken by students in Missouri schools," said Shawn Cockrum, director of the MELL Program. "To address students' diverse needs, we continually encourage districts to choose solutions that are proven to work. That's why we direct them toward Pearson's SIOP training. The SIOP Model emphasizes both language objectives and content objectives, which is something we don't see with other programs. The SIOP Model takes the best initiatives and teaching strategies, and brings them together in a way that benefits not only English learners but all students. I've been impressed with the observation protocol, the trainers, and the results we've seen here and across the country."

The Missouri SIOP Initiative
In 2006, the MELL Program launched the Missouri SIOP Initiative to bring the SIOP Model to schools across the state. Through the initiative, four schools, including Bayless Junior High in south St. Louis County, received training in the SIOP Model over a two-year period.

Bayless Junior High worked with Pearson and a MELL Program coach to implement the SIOP model to address its needs and improve student achievement. As a result, Bayless Junior High has improved the quality of instruction, strengthened the connections between teachers and students, and increased its Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) scores in Communication Arts and Mathematics.

"We felt SIOP would help not only our EL students, but all students across all subgroups - and it has over the past two years," said Ronald Tucker, principal of Bayless Junior High. "The SIOP Model works great. It is the most effective way I've seen to address the issues of diverse student subgroups. Our teachers say, of all the professional development they've had in the district, SIOP has been the most meaningful in terms of helping them professionally. In addition, teachers like that SIOP is based on best practices and that it works so well with what we're already doing. I would highly recommend it to other educators."

About the SIOP I Institute in St. Louis
The SIOP I Institute will be held at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, located at One South Broadway in St. Louis. The institute runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on May 29 and 30, and 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on May 31. The SIOP I Institute fee is $700 and advance registration is required.

About the SIOP Model
SIOP is used as a model for lesson planning and implementation of high quality sheltered instruction for all educators across content areas. SIOP goes beyond instruction for ELs and has been shown to be effective in addressing the needs of all students.

The SIOP Model was developed by Dr. Jana Echevarria, a Professor of Education at California State University, Long Beach; MaryEllen Vogt, Ed.D., Professor Emerita of Education at California State University, Long Beach; and Deborah J. Short, Ph.D., former director of Academic Language Research & Training and senior research associate at the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) in Washington, D.C. The model is the outcome of a seven-year research project (1996-2003) conducted with grant funding from the Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE), a national research center funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement (now the Institute of Education Sciences). Its purpose was to identify key practices for sheltered instruction and develop a professional development model for teachers to effectively use sheltered instruction.

About Pearson
Pearson (NYSE: PSO) is the global leader in educational publishing, assessment, information and services, helping people of all ages to learn at their own pace, in their own way. For students preK-12, Pearson provides effective and innovative curriculum products in all available media, educational assessment and measurement for students and teachers, student information systems, and teacher professional development and certification programs. The company's respected brands include Scott Foresman, Prentice Hall, AGS, PowerSchool, SuccessMaker, TeacherVision and many others. Pearson's comprehensive offerings help inform targeted instruction and intervention so that success is within reach of every student. Pearson's other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group.

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