Building Systems of Support for Classroom Teachers Working With English Language Learners

Abstract

Increasing numbers of English learner (EL) students and corresponding pressures to mainstream them mean that districts around the country are facing new challenges as they adapt to meet the needs of these students. For general education teachers, the challenges stem from a role shift in which they are now primarily responsible for the instructional needs of the EL students in their classrooms. This qualitative case study examined the assistance and support general education teachers received to work with linguistically diverse students. This article addresses the ways these efforts can form a “system of support” for teachers. The analysis focuses on 4 districts that serve different populations and proportions of EL students. Through interviews, classroom observations, and document analyses, this article examines how these districts attempted to provide coherent, sustained support to classroom teachers at all levels and, in doing so, created systems of support.