Abstract
The study setting is one elementary school located in a remote rural county school district in a mountain western state. Implementing a specific set of procedures, ESL Instructional Improvement Process, educators examined and increased use of research-based ESL instructional practices in the education of English learners (ELs). A key feature of the piloted process is educator self-assessment of instructional practices, resulting in the development of workshop sessions and action items, and completion of classroom observations. Researchers found that the process proved effective in increasing rural educators’ knowledge and application of ESL best practices. Self-assessment was highly effective in helping educators examine existing instructional practices, leading to relevant workshop sessions and classroom implementation of ESL action items. Numerous examples of the use of research-based ESL instructional practices as a result of this project are provided, along with suggestions for further research to improve the education of ELs in rural county schools.
Highlights
The study setting is one elementary school located in a remote rural county school district in a mountain western state
Mean Core ESL Instructional Practices (CEIP) scores of self-assessment ratings were calculated and rank-ordered from lowest to highest to determine which English as a second language (ESL) themes are perceived by participants to be most and least emphasized in classroom instruction, thereby guiding the order of coverage in workshop sessions and associated supports
To further illustrate essential features of the CEIP, we describe two ESL instructional items per theme
Summary
The study setting is one elementary school located in a remote rural county school district in a mountain western state. Self-assessment was highly effective in helping educators examine existing instructional practices, leading to relevant workshop sessions and classroom implementation of ESL action items. The intersection of increased numbers of English learners (ELs) and the challenge of providing contemporary professional development to acquire needed instructional practices to educate these learners characterizes a significant need in rural county schools. This article summarizes research designed to increase teacher use of ESL instructional practices with ELs in a K-5 elementary school in a remote rural county school district. The researchers in this project are university faculty with extensive experiences in educator preparation for work with English learners, with and without learning disabilities
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