(Editor's note: For an explanation of the benchmarks numbering system used throughout this article, please refer to page 24 in the ESOL Framework, found at: www.doe.mass.edu/acls/frameworks)

When the 1999 draft of the ABE ESOL Curriculum Framework was published, many practitioners had problems understanding the concept of a curriculum framework. Indeed, the terms, strands, and standards were new and confusing. Many practitioners were used to working with a looser structure, or they used a structure designed at the program level, to develop curriculum and lesson plans. It has taken some time to gain understanding of the statewide frameworks and to use them consistently at the program and classroom level. Many practitioners are having similarly strong reactions to the newly revised edition, but not all the responses are similar. For example, one teacher asked:

"Why change a document that is familiar and useful? What's up with the numbering system? Why add benchmarks to only some of the strands?" Another responded by commenting:

Adding Benchmarks
The ESOL curriculum framework revisions include benchmarks for learner levels in the reading, writing, listening, and speaking strands. The other three strands were intentionally not leveled or benchmarked. However, these strands: intercultural knowledge and skills, navigating systems, and developing strategies and resources for learning, do include vitally important standards for learners to master. They provide the context for teaching oral and literacy skills. In the chart on this page, these strands can be visualized at the center of teaching language skills. A class can work on developing skills within the navigating systems strand at the same time they develop reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.

Intent of the Benchmarks
The intent of the benchmarks is to clarify the reading, writing, listening and speaking strands and their standards. For example, in the speaking strand, standard 1 states, "English language learners will express themselves orally in English for a variety of purposes." Without the benchmarks, the intent of the standard might mean different things to different people. The benchmarks help to explain what learners at the different proficiency levels should be able to do in order to show that they have met that standard. At the beginning literacy level, learners should be able to "Produce simple statements about familiar topics" (S1.1c) and at the low intermediate level, learners should be able to "Summarize a series of events" (S1.4c). The benchmarks are not a checklist, however. Depending on the individual goals and strengths they bring to the classroom, learners do not need to master all the benchmarks at a given proficiency level before moving to the next proficiency level.

The benchmarks can provide guidance for teachers, especially for those new to the field or for those who do not have a strong background in ESOL. The levels help learners and teachers to see a progression of skills. Within a program, teachers can work together, using the benchmarks to connect the skills they teach at the different class levels. They can note how to build on each other's teaching to strengthen the learner's transition from one class level to another. The specificity of the benchmarks also helps ensure that teachers and learners are aware of the various ways they can meet a particular standard. While specific, the benchmarks do not constitute a curriculum; they allow for flexibility in how a teacher decides to use learner goals to create a lesson plan around one or more benchmarks.

Whether teachers have an initial positive or negative reaction to the revisions, they do need to become familiar with the content and purpose of the benchmarks to understand them. There are several approaches toward gaining that familiarity that will lead to easily incorporating them into planning and teaching.

What You Are Already Doing: Looking at a Previously Taught Lesson
One way to start using the benchmarks is to think about a unit or lesson you have previously taught that included activities that built on skills in reading, writing, listening, or speaking. For example, an integrated unit on completing job readiness skills may integrate all seven strands of the ESOL Curriculum Framework: listening, speaking, reading, writing, navigating systems, intercultural knowledge and skills, and developing strategies and resources for learning. Specific lessons within that unit may focus on the development of different skills.

Looking at a Sample Lesson
If you look at the objectives in sample Lsson A, you can see that the teacher's intent is to help students learn how to fill out a job application as part of a unit on job readiness. In this lesson, students would also be using their reading skills as they read the form, their listening skills as the teacher presents the materials, and their speaking skills as they participate in classroom discussion of past work experiences. The main objective, however, is for students to develop their writing skills to complete an application.

Once a teacher has determined the main focus of a lesson, she can look at the appropriate strand in the Framework to narrow the focus. For this lesson, the teacher looked at the writing strand to decide whether to focus on the purpose of the written expression (Standard 1), the application of English language structure and mechanics (Standard 2), or the use of strategies (Standard 3). In this lesson, it was the purpose of the writing (to complete a job application) that was the teacher's objective, so she chose Standard 1 as the focus.)

The teacher can then look at the benchmarks for the class level-in this case, low beginning, to determine which benchmark to choose as the main focus. In Lesson A, "Fill out simplified forms with expanded personal identification information" (W1.2b) is the appropriate benchmark.

Though they are not the main focus of Lesson A, other benchmarks are also covered, including, "Use capitalization and end punctuation" (W2.2e),"Scan and extract relevant information for a simplified or adapted text" (R1.2b), and "Read and follow simple, familiar one-step written directions" (R1.2c). Even more benchmarks are touched upon in this lesson as well as standards from the other strands that are not benchmarked. Just because benchmarks may fit your lesson doesn't mean you have to include them; the important point is to focus on the learners' goals and your intention as the teacher.

Which Benchmarks Should I Cover?
After completing Lesson A, the learners have completed a job application and are familiar with the related vocabulary. The teacher can then look at the benchmarks to see what other skills the learners should be developing. After looking over the benchmarks for the low beginning level, the teacher decided to create a lesson (Lesson B) focused on one of the benchmarks in the speaking strand, "Ask and respond to simple questions and affirmative and negative statements, working towards correct word order" (S2.2a). Focusing on this benchmark should help the learners develop interviewing skills. A lesson developed around this benchmark will fit into the unit on job readiness. This time, learners will still be using their writing skills, but it will not be the main focus of the lesson.

The benchmarks reflect experienced teachers' knowledge about what is important for learners to know and be able to do at specific levels. Through the benchmarks, teachers across the state can share a common language and understanding of how oral and literacy skills development progress from beginning literacy to advanced levels. While teachers don't need to note every possible benchmark connection to their lesson plans and curriculum, using the benchmarks when teaching helps purposefully target the main focus and identify the related skills embedded in any lesson. Benchmarks can also help teachers identify areas in which they may tend to concentrate more and the areas where they can extend lessons.

We hope teachers will explore and begin experimenting with using the benchmarks as they plan their lessons and teach. Let us know what you think!

Andrea O'Brien is the staff developer at the Adult Learning Center, Lawrence Public Schools. She has received her Massachusetts teacher's licenses for ABE, ESL, and English. She can be reached at: aobrien@lawrence.k12.ma.us