Limited English Proficient Students Research Articles

The Effects of Mathematics Professional Development on Elementary Student Achievement

Using a cluster randomized trial, we investigated the effects of mathematics professional development on student achievement in elementary schools. Pairs of schools were matched on prior mathematics; percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch and percentage of limited English proficient students were randomly assigned to two groups. One received professional development on mathematics that focuses on diagnosing student thinking and the other received professional development on formative assessment. Student-level achievement data (pretest and posttest performance on a standardized test of mathematics) were nested within grades and schools and analyzed using mixed-effects multi-level linear modeling. The results indicate students in schools that were provided the mathematics professional development had greater mathematics achievement than students in schools in a control condition. The effect held across grade levels.

The effect of a middle grades STEM initiative on students’ cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes

This study is an evaluation of a STEM initiative in one school district with five participating middle schools. I used two quasi-experimental methods including instrumental variables and inverse propensity score weights to test the effect of the initiative on students’ cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes. Overall, students at STEM schools demonstrated lower science achievement (p < .05). Subgroup analyses showed that Limited English Proficient students at STEM schools demonstrated increased reading achievement and fewer unexcused absences (p < .001). Black students demonstrated increased grit (p < .01), and Hispanic students demonstrated increased control and relevance in learning (p < .001).

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

The relationship among home language use, parental beliefs, and Spanish-speaking children's vocabulary

ABSTRACT This study investigated the relationship among home language use, parents’ beliefs about dual language development, and Spanish-speaking children's vocabulary knowledge. Parents (n = 162) completed a questionnaire about their home language use and beliefs about dual language development, and elementary-age children (N = 190) – Kindergarten (M age = 5.71, SD = .56), second grade (M age = 7.52, SD = .31), and fourth grade (M age = 9.35, SD = .45) – completed conceptually-scored vocabulary assessments. Principal component analyses revealed that Spanish-speaking parents’ beliefs about dual language development are heterogeneous. Further, parents’ beliefs can be characterized differently according to their children's English proficiency designations and grade levels. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that the Bilingual Facility parental belief factor was associated with home language use practices, which in turn were associated with children's vocabulary. However, this association only applied to limited English proficient students and their parents. These results underscore the importance of attending to Spanish-speaking parents’ beliefs, as they appear to relate to home language use practices and, importantly, they also relate to their children's vocabulary achievement.

Linguistic Simplification: A Promising Test Accommodation for LEP Students?.

In recent years, there has been much discussion about the role of language minority students in state assessments. The vast majority of states surveyed have dealt with the issue by exempting language minority students, with forty-four of forty-eight states exempting limited English proficient (LEP) students from one or more assessments, and more than half (27 of 44) routinely exempting LEP students from state assessments altogether (Rivera et al., 1997). Rivera and Vincent (1997) have questioned the wisdom of this policy. They argue that if LEP students are meant to attain the same high performance standards as their monolingual counterparts, they should be included in state assessments as well. Instead of excluding LEP students from assessments, they argue that states should make judicious use of accommodations that are specially designed with these students' linguistic needs in mind.

Statewide Assessment Programs: Policies and Practices for the Inclusion of Limited English Proficient Students

Statewide Assessment Programs: Policies and Practices for the Inclusion of Limited English Proficient Students

A Framework for Developing an Effective Instructional Program for Limited English Proficient Students with Limited Formal Schooling

A Framework for Developing an Effective Instructional Program for Limited English Proficient Students with Limited Formal Schooling

Excelling in Exam Through Narrative Writing: A Connection of Creative and Descriptive Expressions

This paper discusses the impacts of an action research on how students can excel in writing skills regardless of their level of competency especially for those taking the English Language paper (SPM 1119) in the Malaysian Secondary School Public Exam in 2018. This action research aims to exert the need for realigning our focus to incorporate an approach of teaching and learning at upper secondary level. The research was carried out from January to October in a secondary school in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Two classes of 37 Limited English Proficiency students and 24 High English Proficiency Students who were sitting for SPM 1119 in 2018 were the subjects. The students were exposed to creative expressions under various topics which were then emphasized to be utilized in continuous writing. As a result, the performance of students had improved significantly in their continuous writing where they eventually scored 100 percent pass in SPM1119 in 2018. All 24 Highly Competent students were able to score ranging from “A-” to “A+” with grade A being the median grade. On the other hand, all the students from the Limited English Proficiency students passed with grades ranging from “A”+ to “E” (minimum passing grade) with grade “B” as the median.

The Mathematical Performance of At-Risk First Graders as a Function of Limited English Proficiency Status.

The purpose of this study was to explore interactions between limited English proficiency (LEP) status, as a function of risk status (low math performance at the start of the school year), on computation and word-problem solving performance. Among 260 1st-grade students, classified as at-risk (AR) or not at-risk (NAR) for math disability, we compared the performance of LEP students to native English-speaking peers. A series of 2-way ANOVAs were conducted on computation and word-problem solving skill at 2 time points, fall and spring of 1st-grade. On fall computation measures, there was no main effect for LEP status and no interaction between LEP and risk status. On spring computation, a main effect for LEP status had emerged, but again no interaction. By contrast, on fall word-problem solving, there was an interaction between LEP and risk status; however, this interaction was no longer significant by spring. Results suggest that language proficiency is an important factor in the development of computation and word-problem solving skill. Implications for future research are discussed.

Instructional Methods for Limited English Proficient Students in Subject Area Courses

This paper studies the question of what instructional strategies are most effective for classrooms with limited English proficient (LEP) students when teaching history content courses. Two specific instructional strategies are researched. The first is the ordering of direct instruction and constructivist activities. Is it best to begin with direct instruction, then move to a constructivist activity or is it best to order lessons in reverse order? The results of the study also offer insight into the efficacy of doing only direct instruction vs. constructivist activities. The second question studied is regarding group vs. individual work. Which type of work results in the most and deepest content knowledge for LEP students and what is useful about each type of work?&#x0D; A controlled experimental method was used with pre and post quizzes, teacher/researcher observation, and student surveys and interviews. The study finds that student learning is maximized for LEP students when direct instruction precedes a constructivist activity. Using both instructional strategies, but in this order, was shown to be the most effective instructional strategy. Individual vs. group work showed less clear results, but the student interviews provided insight into why LEP students sometimes prefer group work, even if their knowledge gained is not noticeably increased.

Defying expectations: Vocabulary growth trajectories of high performing language minority students

We investigated general vocabulary and academic vocabulary growth trajectories of adolescent language minority students using an individual growth modeling approach. Our analytical sample included 3161 sixth- to eighth-grade students from an urban school district in California. The language minority students in our sample were classified as initially fluent English proficient (IFEP), redesignated fluent English proficient (RFEP), or limited English proficient (LEP) students. The analytical sample was not a nationally representative sample and included a great number of Asian students and students who receive gifted and talented education. Students were assessed at four time points on a standardized measure of general vocabulary and a researcher-developed academic vocabulary test. On both vocabulary measures, IFEP students slightly outperformed English-only (EO) students on average, and EO students scored higher than RFEP and LEP students at baseline. RFEP and LEP students showed slower rate of growth than their EO peers in general vocabulary. While both EO and language minority students showed summer setback with general vocabulary knowledge on average, the magnitude of summer setback was not as great for LEP students. In academic vocabulary, all subgroups of language minority students showed more rapid rate of growth than their EO peers. Only the REP students experienced a change in the learning trajectory during the summer months. We discuss the implications of these findings for all language groups.

Motivation for Staying in College

The study investigated motivational differences and higher education outcomes between limited English proficiency (LEP) Hispanic students compared with non-LEP Hispanic students. With a sample of 668 Hispanic community college students, we measured various forms of achievement motivation informed by self-determination theory, grade point average (GPA), and first-semester and 1-year persistence outcomes. Using ANCOVA and logistic regression, we found that LEP students had significantly higher retention rates and levels of external regulation, or motivation out of compliance or extrinsic rewards. Moreover, LEP students with moderate levels of external regulation persisted longer in their first semester of community college. Implications for understanding the complex motivations of Hispanic community college students are discussed.

An examination of Melody’s identities, contexts, and learning in a US science classroom: implications for science education of Asian transnational students

This study examines how Melody, a Korean transnational girl in the US, participates in high school AP (Advanced Placement) biology class, engages in identity work, and learns science. Melody was a daughter of a gireogi family (a transnational family separated for educational purposes), living with her mother and brother in the US. The recent increase of transnational educational migration among Asian students and the importance of identity in understanding students’ learning and participation motivated this study. I define identity as a type of personhood and view that it is always performed and negotiated by individuals in their social lives. Drawing on ethnographic data collected in Melody’s AP Biology class, I will show Melody constructed identities as a non-participant, limited English-proficient student and incompetent biology learner. Her identity construction was influenced by the meso level contexts (e.g., school, classroom) and personal contexts (e.g., gireogi family contexts). Yet, Melody constantly negotiated with these contexts to re-figure her identities to be more conducive to her biology learning and to enhance her classroom participation. This study demonstrates how individual students in the US, while coming from a stereotypically successful ethnic group, experience their life contexts and explore possibilities for learning and being in different ways. Implications include how researchers and teachers should pay attention to individual differences and contexts in order to better facilitate their science learning and classroom participation. I will also provide implications for education in countries that send gireogi families and transnational students.

Assessing the 21st Century After-School Program and the Educational Gains of LEP Participants: A Contextual Approach

This study examines math and English standardized test score progress of students who participated in the 21st century program across 2 years of involvement with a focus on the learning trajectories of limited English proficiency (LEP) students. We find that math and English scores are highly associated with the school and program type—even within a single school district. LEP participants are the furthest behind but have the highest gains compared to other participants. Results vary based on the type of outcome (math or reading), the type of activity (academic or enrichment), and the grade level (elementary or middle school).

The Effects of Paper-based Portfolios and Weblog-based Electronic Portfolios on Limited English Proficiency Students in Writing for Service Industry Course

The purposes of this study were to investigate the effects of the use of paper-based and weblog-based electronic portfolios on the writing achievement of limited English proficiency students, to survey the students’ attitudes towards the use of the portfolio assessment, and to compare the viewpoints of the students in the control and experimental groups. The study was conducted with 60 second-year hotel and tourism students enrolled in the Writing for the Service Industry course. They had limited English proficiency, as their previous English grades were C or below in average. The simple random sampling technique was used for subject selection and group assignment. Google’s free weblog website (located at www.blogger.com) was used as a tool for creating and developing the students’ personal electronic portfolios. At the beginning of the course, the students in the control group and the experimental group were trained in the concept of portfolios, and the purposes, content, and criteria used for assessment were discussed with the students. A writing achievement test and a closed-ended questionnaire were used for the quantitative data collection, while the qualitative data were gathered from the open-ended questions, interviews, and reflection. Descriptive statistics and t-tests were employed for the data analysis. It was found that the effects of the use of paper-based portfolios and weblog-based electronic portfolios on the writing achievement were not significantly different, but some promising results of the use of weblog-based electronic portfoliosfor language learning and assessment are indisputable.

Effects of Different-Race Exposure in School and Neighborhood on the Reading Achievement of Hmong Students in the United States

Based on analyses of 1,622 Hmong adolescents in a large urban school district, we illuminate a positive association between school different-race exposure and Hmong limited English proficient students’ reading achievement. However, we also note a negative association of neighborhood different-race exposure with Hmong students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. These findings suggest that even if school different-race exposure opportunities are developed through racially diverse schools, this does not necessarily lead to desirable interracial social ties between Hmong students and mainstream English-speaking students. Rather, Hmong students from low SES backgrounds are more likely to benefit academically when they reside in predominantly Hmong neighborhoods.

The Perceptions of English Teachers to the SIOP® Model and Its Impact on Limited English Proficiency

Limited English proficiency is the difficulty in comprehension and production in English. In this study, the efficiency of the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model was examined to indicate the components that are lesson preparation, building background, comprehensible input, strategies, interaction, practice and application, lesson delivery, review and assessment. The basic purpose of the research was to investigate how teachers improve the student’s language performance for limited English proficiency through using the SIOP® Model. In this paper, a qualitative research approach and semi-structured interview were used to discover the teacher’s perceptions about the SIOP® Model, and the research is to find out the problems in limited English proficiency. 10 participants (3 males and 7 females) aged from 26 to 34 (M = 30.9). The results indicate that the factors of SIOP® model can guide limited English proficient students and suggest some useful strategies for language teachers to handle the students’ difficulties in language comprehension.

The effect of sharing a mother tongue with peers: evidence from North Carolina middle schools

Abstract This paper provides the first analysis of the relationship between the language mix of Limited English Proficient (LEP) peers and student achievement, using detailed panel data from 2006 to 2012. Percent LEP has a negative association with mathematics and reading test scores, more so for non-LEP students than for LEP students. The overall language mix of LEP students has little if any discernable relationship with achievement. For LEP students, having more LEP peers speak their mother tongue is positively associated with reading achievement and negatively associated with mathematics achievement.

Disadvantaged Language Minority Students and Their Teachers: A National Picture

BackgroundEducational outcomes for language minority (LM) children are of great concern across the nation because these students have lower grades, are rated by their teachers as having lower skills, perform worse on standardized tests, and are more likely to drop out than are non-LM students. Given this context of underperformance, there is a need for educators to better understand the factors that are associated with their academic outcomes.PurposeThis national study examines demographic and school contexts of LM students as compared to their non-LM peers to highlight the disparities between them that extend beyond language differences. A nationally representative sample of LM students and their peers participated in this study, along with their parents and teachers, beginning with kindergarten in fall 1998 and continuing in first, third, and fifth grades. In particular, data on key student variables (race, gender, etc.) and the characteristics of their teachers were examined. Teacher characteristics included: years of experience, certification status, highest educational level achieved, and specialized coursework (reading methodology and ESL). By comparing descriptive statistics for LM students and their non-LM peers, the authors hoped to identify possible factors that may contribute to the achievement gap between these two groups.Research DesignFor this descriptive and comparative study using secondary data, the authors analyzed a full sample of kindergarten students, including both LM and non-LM students (n = 15,026), in order to describe key demographic variables (i.e., gender, race, SES, etc.) for the two subgroups. Proportions for each subgroup variable and Fisher's exact test results were reported, in order to determine statistically significant differences between groups for categorical variables. The analytic subsample was then restricted to students from homes in the two lowest SES quintiles to compare mean values, associated t-tests, and histograms for five dimensions of teacher background to identify differences related to LM status.Conclusions/RecommendationsThis study demonstrated some of the great disparities that exist between LM and non-LM students that go beyond language differences including: 70% of LM students come from the lowest SES group versus 37% of their non-LM peers. Also, teachers of LM students had fewer years of experience and lower rates of certification than teachers of non-LM students. Finally, many teachers of LM students (as much as 50% in first grade) reported feeling inadequately prepared to teach LEP (limited English proficient) students. These findings suggest the need for careful attention in the form of educational policies that acknowledge the disproportionate effect of poverty and low SES on LM students. The negative effects of limited resources and inadequate social capital overshadow limited English proficiency and their ability to overcome academic challenges. Furthermore, it is important for education decision-makers to recognize the role that inexperienced, uncertified teachers may play in the educational outcomes of LM students.

The Relationship between English Language Arts Teachers’ Use of Instructional Strategies and Young Adolescents’ Reading Motivation, Engagement, and Preference

Conducted at 10 schools in four communities, this study investigated relationships of young adolescents’ reading motivation, reading preference, and reading engagement as influenced by their English Language Arts teachers’ use of instructional strategies. Students in eight sixth grade (N=196) and nine seventh grade (N=218) classes completed a post Reading Behavior Survey and the Motivation to Read Questionnaire (MRQ) and a Class Strategies Checklist at the beginning and end of the academic year. The 17 teachers also completed a pre/post Strategies Checklist and a Survey. Mean MRQ difference scores were averaged by ELA class group. Scores in nine MRQ dimensions revealed a decline except for Challenge with a slight positive increase for seventh graders. These results confirm prior research findings that as adolescents move along in grade level their reading motivation decreases. However, 11 of the 17 class groups indicated some positive change in one or more MRQ dimensions with five classes revealing positive reading motivation growth in four dimensions. Enjoyable reading activities noted by all students involved receptive and expressive oral language. Such preference may have been due to large class populations of Hispanic, subsidized lunch, and limited English proficient students who found that oral language interaction helped them understand and enjoy the readings. The most preferred reading activity during out-of-school time was that of a social nature involving text messaging. Both this current and prior research suggest that successful teachers motivate their students through classroom interaction, challenging literacy activities and discussion about what was read.