and daily lessons that are responsive to needs, that have clearly articulated learning learners’ outcomes, and that demonstrate learning. The three basic steps in backward design are: 1. Identify desired results. (What specific communicative task should students be able to do in English as a result of classroom instruction?) 2. Determine acceptable evidence. (How will I know that students can use English effectively for this communicative purpose?) 3. Plan learning experiences and instruction. (What individual and group activities will provide students with enough information, modeling, and practice to be able to eventually complete this task? In what order should these activities occur? What materials will help support their learning?) The process can be used for curriculum planning as well as daily instructional backward design planning. For long-term instructional planning, practitioners in Massachusetts created a set of standards for learning that articulate what adult English language learners should know and be able to do as a result of ESOL instruction. These long-term standards can be found in the Massachusetts ABE (available at ), which adult ESOL professionals consult when planning ESOL Curriculum Framework instruction. Adult ESOL programs should use the as a guide for ESOL Curriculum Framework developing a curriculum that meets their daily communication and English language students’ learning needs. With the leveled benchmarks found in each standard, the identifies ESOL Curriculum Framework sample goals for language skills at each level that can help sequence instructional activities to gradually meet those goals. Using the the adult ESOL program can ESOL Curriculum Framework, establish direct connections between short-term learning objectives (addressed in an individual class within the program) and long-term learning goals (addressed across levels within the program). Consulting the and related benchmarks helps teachers to communicate ESOL Curriculum Framework clearer expectations for their students, and establishes a common language that teachers can use with one another to discuss curriculum and instruction. Putting It Into Practice Some programs may begin the curriculum development and alignment process by choosing ESOL Curriculum language learning goals and benchmarks directly from the Framework that match the content and themes relevant for their learners, and build their
and daily lessons that are responsive to learners’ needs, that have clearly articulated learning outcomes, and that demonstrate learning. The three basic steps in backward design are: 1. Identify desired results. (What specific communicative task should students be able to do in English as a result of classroom instruction?) 2. Determine acceptable evidence. (How will I know that students can use English effectively for this communicative purpose?) 3. Plan learning experiences and instruction. (What individual and group activities will provide students with enough information, modeling, and practice to be able to eventually complete this task? In what order should these activities occur? What materials will help support their learning?) The backward design process can be used for curriculum planning as well as daily instructional planning. For long-term instructional planning, practitioners in Massachusetts created a set of standards for learning that articulate what adult English language learners should know and be able to do as a result of ESOL instruction. These long-term standards can be found in the Massachusetts ABE ESOL Curriculum Framework (available at ), which adult ESOL professionals consult when planning instruction. Adult ESOL programs should use the ESOL Curriculum Framework as a guide for developing a curriculum that meets their students’ daily communication and English language learning needs. With the leveled benchmarks found in each standard, the ESOL Curriculum Framework identifies sample goals for language skills at each level that can help sequence instructional activities to gradually meet those goals. Using the ESOL Curriculum Framework, the adult ESOL program can establish direct connections between short-term learning objectives (addressed in an individual class within the program) and long-term learning goals (addressed across levels within the program). Consulting the ESOL Curriculum Framework and related benchmarks helps teachers to communicate clearer expectations for their students, and establishes a common language that teachers can use with one another to discuss curriculum and instruction. Putting It Into Practice Some programs may begin the curriculum development and alignment process by choosing language learning goals and benchmarks directly from the ESOL Curriculum Framework that match the content and themes relevant for their learners, and build their