Achievement Of English Language Learners Research Articles

Achievement Difference Between LEP Students Versus Non- LEP Students

This paper examines if there is a significant difference in academic achievement for English language learners in Reading and Mathematics in three different school districts in Illinois and what programs are needed for Limited English Proficient (LEP ) students to close the achievement gap to be college ready. Data for this study was obtained from the archived Illinois Standards Achievement Test( ISAT) results data on the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) website. The electronic data was retrieved from three district achievements records in the subject areas of reading, and mathematics from 2012 to 2014 for 4 th and 7 th grades. The districts researched were City of Chicago SD 299, North Chicago SD 187, and Chicago Ridge SD 127. The aggregated nature of this data allows only a descriptive comparison of LEP versus Non-LEP ISAT performance. The findings of this study show that LEP students are far behind Non-LEP students in meeting the standards of the ISAT and therefore in their readiness for college. To remediate this gap, a variety of programs are provided, by law, in public schools to assist LEP students to learn English and to be more successful in meeting classroom requirements. Keywords: Limited English Proficient (LEP), Non- Limited English Proficient (Non-LEP), Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT), Universal Design for Learning (UDL). DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-3-11 Publication date: January 31 st 2021

Exploration of Lived Experiences of Science Teachers of English Language Learners: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study

English language learners (ELLs) are a talented pool of culturally and linguistically diverse students who are persistently increasing both in absolute size and percentage in the U.S. school population; however, they are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in college as well as in the workforce (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2018). Education and scientific communities have found it challenging to improve students’ participation in STEM fields (Martinez et al., 2011). Exploring science teachers’ experiences could aid in improving academic achievement of ELLs and promoting educational equity. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to explore and describe the extrinsic and intrinsic aspects, support systems, and challenges that science teachers of ELLs experience at a public high school in a large Midwestern city in the United States. Data collection methods include individual in-depth, semi-structured and focus group interviews to analyze and search for dominant themes. The anticipated findings and discussion describe dominant themes, i.e., the overall essence of the phenomenon of teaching science to ELLs. Insights into teachers’ experiences will help educators, educational leaders, policy makers, and researchers to better understand methods to improve ELLs’ science outcomes. Potential limitations, implications, and possible areas for future research that could pave ways for increasing participation of ELLs in STEM fields and related careers are addressed

The functions of consonance and dissonance in the dialogue of secondary-level literacy coaching

ABSTRACTThis multiple case study of literacy coaching with two secondary-level teachers of English language learners (ELLs) explored dialogical factors leading to changes in teachers’ thinking and practices. During coaching sessions, the coach and teacher engaged in video self-reflection and planning. Analysis centred on dialogue in one focal session for each teacher that led to changes associated with improved achievement for ELLs. By the end of the study, teachers included increased opportunities for student talk, relied more on evidence of student learning to inform instructional decisions and showed more nuanced self-evaluation. Two responsive conversational moves by the coach, revoicing and reconceptualising, led most directly to changes. Analysis showed that revoicing built consonance while reconceptualising introduced dissonance. These moves, informed by listening and context, capitalised upon the tension between consonance and dissonance and encouraged teachers to listen to themselves and make changes in thinking and practices.

Is Inquiry Science Instruction Effective for English Language Learners? A Meta-Analytic Review.

Despite being among the fastest growing segments of the student population, English Language Learners (ELLs) have yet to attain the same academic success as their English-proficient peers, particularly in science. In an effort to support the pedagogical needs of this group, educators have been urged to adopt inquiry approaches to science instruction. Whereas inquiry instruction has been shown to improve science outcomes for non-ELLs, systematic evidence in support of its effectiveness with ELLs has yet to be established. The current meta-analysis summarizes the effect of inquiry instruction on the science achievement of ELLs in elementary school. Although an analysis of 26 articles confirmed that inquiry instruction produced significantly greater impacts on measures of science achievement for ELLs compared to direct instruction, there was still a differential learning effect suggesting greater efficacy for non-ELLs compared to ELLs. Contextual factors that moderate these effects are identified and discussed.

Opportunity to Teach: Push-In and Pull-Out Models of English Learner Instruction

<p><em>As the number of US English Language Learners (ELLs) increases, elementary educators struggle to make decisions related to curriculum and instruction. This research fills an important gap in the research on program models for ELLs by presenting a two-part investigation of push-in and pull-out English Language Development (ELD) instruction from the vantage point of English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers. The first part of the investigation uses nationally administered surveys to capture the practices, beliefs, and challenges of ESL professionals working in these models. The second part highlights the concerns raised by those ESL teachers regarding the extent to which a cohort of 175 ELL students received their ELD instruction. We explore the implications for the academic achievement of ELLs in the primary grades when their access to consistent ELD instruction is curtailed. We illuminate the problematic aspects of both models and call for greater attention to the implementation and monitoring of services for young ELLs.</em></p>

Efficacy of Peer-Mediated Incremental Rehearsal for English Language Learners

Abstract School psychologists will likely become more involved in supporting the reading achievement of English language learners (ELLs). This requires evidence-based interventions that are validat...

Efficacy of Peer-Mediated Incremental Rehearsal for English Language Learners

.School psychologists will likely become more involved in supporting the reading achievement of English language learners (ELLs). This requires evidence-based interventions that are validated for ELL students. Incremental rehearsal (IR) is an evidence-based intervention for teaching words, but the resource intensity often precludes its use. Using peers as interventionists may increase the contextual validity of IR while maintaining the benefits when compared with other drill techniques. This efficacy study examined if (a) peer-mediated IR (PMIR) was effective for teaching ELL students high-frequency words and (b) improvements in word reading generalized to changes in students' oral reading fluency. Five ELL students participated in a randomized multiple-baseline design across participants. Results indicated that PMIR was functionally related to an increase in word reading for all 5 participants. Effect sizes estimated using TauU and multilevel modeling indicated that PMIR had a large effect on sight-word reading. No functional relationship between PMIR and oral reading fluency was observed. PMIR was generally acceptable to target students and peer tutors. Limitations and potential implications of the results are discussed.

Improving Outcomes for English Language Learners by Integrating Social Studies and Literacy with OCDE Project GLAD Strategies

ABSTRACTElementary teachers are challenged to maximize instructional time to cover standards in all content areas and to meet a wide variety of student needs including students who are not proficient in English. This action research looks at how one fourth-grade teacher improved achievement for English Language Learners by integrating social studies into the literacy block using a Project GLAD® unit and the school district Literacy Comprehension Frameworks. It describes the changes to the literacy instruction and examines the benefits to students, families, the teacher, and the school.

Effect of a Multiyear Intervention on Science Achievement of All Students including English Language Learners

AbstractThis study was part of the Promoting Science among English Language Learners (P-SELL) efficacy study, a research and development project that implemented a curricular and professional development intervention to improve science achievement of English Language Learners (ELLs) in urban elementary schools. The study used a cluster randomized control trial (RCT) design with 31 treatment schools and 32 control schools over a 3-year period. This study used a series of hierarchical generalized linear models (HGLMs) to examine science proficiency as measured by state high-stakes science assessment. The results indicated differences in science proficiency between the treatment and control groups in Years 2 and 3, but not in Year 1. The results demonstrate that an educational intervention based on the synergy of science and English language and literacy for ELLs is effective at increasing students’ science achievement. However, there may be a lag in improved student achievement as teachers gain familiarity ...

Benefits of Dual Language Immersion on the Academic Achievement of English Language Learners

Benefits of Dual Language Immersion on the Academic Achievement of English Language Learners

Language Modeling and Reading Achievement: Variations Across Different Types of Language Instruction Programs

This study investigated the degree to which the quality of teachers’ language modeling contributed to reading achievement for 995 students, both English language learners and native English speakers, across developmental bilingual, dual language, and monolingual English classrooms. Covariates included prior reading achievement, gender, eligibility for free lunch, and ethnicity. A 2-level hierarchical linear modeling analysis revealed that (a) prior achievement, Latino ethnicity, and eligibility for free lunch contributed significantly to the model but gender did not; (b) students gained 3 points for each unit increase in the quality of language modeling across classrooms; and (c) reading achievement for English language learners was not significantly different than that for native English-speaking students. In addition, cross-level interactions revealed that the slope of the quality of language modeling and reading achievement for students in monolingual English classrooms and developmental bilingual classrooms was stronger than that for students in dual language classrooms. We discuss classroom implications of bilingualism and language modeling in improving reading outcomes.

A Study on the Relationship between Learners’ Listening Comprehension Achievements and their Multiple Intelligence Groups

Abstract This research aims to find out whether Nero linguistic Programming (NLP)-based listening activities have any effects on listening comprehension achievement of English language learners with regard to Multiple Intelligence (MI) groups. 32 students (21 female, 11 male) took part in this experimental study, all from the department of English Language Teaching of a university in the Spring Term of the 2010-2011 Academic Year. A standardized test was given to the subjects to measure their listening comprehension achievements. The alpha coefficient of the test was found to be .89. To measure the learners MI groups, a multiple intelligence inventory developed by the researcher was used. Cronbach Alpha coefficient reliability of the inventory was found to be .83. In the analysis of the data, valid statistical software was used utilizing such techniques as arithmetic mean, standard deviation, percentage, t-test and single-factor covariance. The significance level of the tests was taken as .05. As a result of the analysis of the research, differences were observed between the students in compliance with certain MI groups though some of them were not statistically significant.

Reader’s Commentary: The Changing Demographics of the United States: Rethinking the Academic Experience of English Language Learners

Pimentel argues that changes are needed to better support the academic achievement of English language learners, and cites the success of practices such as including the students’ cultural and language experiences as core materials for the class.

Teacher Professional Development to Improve Science and Literacy Achievement of English Language Learners

The school-aged population in the United States is becoming more culturally and linguistically diverse, while achievement gaps across content areas persist. At the same time, more rigorous academic demands are being placed on all students, including English language learners (ELLs). Teachers of ELLs face the double challenge of promoting English language and literacy development, as well as academic achievement across subject areas. This article addresses effective professional development to support the teaching of science and English language and literacy to ELLs. First, it highlights what the literature says about teachers' knowledge and practices in teaching science to ELLs. Second, it highlights what the literature says about teacher professional development more broadly, and then specifically in terms of science instruction with ELLs. Finally, it discusses emerging educational policies and their potential implications for professional development of science teachers of ELLs.

Language Anxiety among Gifted Learners in Malaysia

Language anxiety has significantly sparked great concern in the second and foreign language learning world. Researches have found negative correlation between language anxiety and academic achievement of English language learners; and, most of the studies focus on average school students and tertiary level students. This paper, however, explores gifted learners’ English language anxiety in ESL setting, by surveying 119 gifted learners of PERMATApintar National Gifted Center (PpNGC), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia. The result shows that gifted learners have certain level of language anxiety in English language setting; that language anxiety negatively correlates withgifted learnes’ English language performance; and that female gifted learners indicate higher language anxiety than males. Finally, this paper provides some insights towards minimizing gifted learners’ language anxiety in English language environment.

Integrating Science And English Proficiency For English Language Learners

Despite the expectation that all students should achieve high academic standards, content area instruction and English for speakers of other languages instruction for English language learners (ELLs) have traditionally been conceptualized as separate domains, resulting in educational inequities for ELLs. This is because effective instruction to promote academic achievement for ELLs requires integration of content and language. Such inequities are more pronounced in urban schools where ELLs are disproportionately represented. In science education, research on instructional interventions to simultaneously promote science and English proficiency of ELLs has begun to emerge in recent years. Grounded in this emerging research literature, we offer specific instructional strategies to integrate science and English proficiency for ELLs in five domains: (a) literacy strategies with all students, (b) language support strategies with ELLs, (c) discourse strategies with ELLs, (d) home language support, and (e) home culture connections.

Contributions of Individual Differences and Contextual Variables to Reading Achievement of English Language Learners: An Empirical Investigation Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling

This nonexperimental study explored the relationships among individual differences, contextual variables, and reading achievement of English language learners (ELLs) in one large urban school district in the United States. The sample comprised 840 students in Grades 3–8 and 10 nested within 37 schools. Hierarchical linear modeling results indicate that English proficiency, metacognitive strategies, native language literacy, and school‐quality indicators—four variables potentially under the control of the educational system—positively contributed to student reading achievement. The final model explained 36% of the within‐school and 79% of the between‐school variance in reading achievement. Controlling for other variables, ELLs with disadvantaged educational backgrounds appeared to perform on par with their more educationally advantaged counterparts. These results suggest that schools may play a greater role in supporting ELLs with disadvantaged educational backgrounds.

English Language Learners in Canadian Schools: Emerging Directions for School-Based Policies

This article attempts to provide ESL teachers, school administrators, and policymakers with a concise overview of what matters in promoting academic success among learners of English in Canadian schools. We review research focused on bilingual and biliteracy development, the nature of academic language, and the roles of societal power relations and identity negotiation in determining the academic achievement of English language learners (ELL). On the basis of this research, we propose the Literacy Engagement framework that identifies literacy engagement as a major determinant of literacy achievement for ELL and non-ELL students. In order to enable ELL students to engage with literacy, the framework highlights the importance of teachers scaffolding meaning, connecting with students’ lives, affirming student identities, and extending their awareness and knowledge of language across the curriculum. The application of the framework is illustrated with reference to the literacy and academic learning experiences of two ELL students in the Toronto area.

Using computer-assisted instruction to enhance achievement of English language learners

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in English-Language environments offer practice time, motivates students, enhance student learning, increase authentic materials that students can study, and has...

Charting New Waters: Collaborating for School Improvement in U.S. High Schools

When professional learning communities (PLCs) are developed to promote the academic achievement of English language learners (ELLs), the results can benefit not only ELLs but the whole school. This article examines the ventures of three high schools that implemented PLCs as part of a Title III National Professional Development Project. The authors highlight the research on the effectiveness of PLCs and offer an operational definition for envisioning PLCs. Case studies of the three high school teams illustrate different cycles of inquiry and help readers understand how the emergence and development of professional teams improve the instruction and learning of ELLs. Using principles of effective PLCs as a framework, the authors share the challenges and successes of each team. The article concludes that effective PLCs are focused by a commitment to improve learning, informed by recognized principles, structured by the norms and inquiry processes that team members establish, and guided by school leaders who support teams and help them envision goals worth pursuing.