Strategies and Tools for Teaching English Language Learners

Strategies and Tools for Teaching English Language Learners with Disabilities NCEO April 9, 2005 Kristi Liu and Ann Clapper National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

Session Overview • Who we are • Research on strategies for ELLs with disabilities ØIn general NCEO ØOur own • Research to practice National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

NCEO National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) NCEO provides national leadership in the participation of students with disabilities in national and state assessments, standards-setting efforts, and graduation requirements National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

NCLB State Assessments NCEO State assessments must provide for the participation of all students, including students with disabilities or limited English proficiency National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

NCLB State Assessment Systems NCEO State assessment systems must produce results disaggregated by gender, major racial and ethnic groups, English proficiency, migrant status, and disability. National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

NCEO NCLB Adequate Yearly Progress States must specify annual objectives to measure progress of schools and district to ensure that all groups of students-including low-income students, students from major racial and ethnic groups, students with disabilities, and students with limited English proficiencyreach proficiency within 12 years. National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

NCEO No mention of English language learners with disabilities! National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

NCEO Why are we concerned about this group? • Population 357, 325 in 2002 -2003 (9% of ELLs) • Statewide test scores lower than either ELLs or Students with disabilities • More ELLs instructed in mainstream courses taught in English -- tendency increased for students with disabilities National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

Link to Learning NCEO “If you said to me what is the most important thing about standards and testing, I would say the information it gives us about informing instruction. ” --Minnesota teacher National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

NCEO We have to find better ways to teach these students in mainstream settings “You can’t pull out when you’ve got 50% of your students are ELL students, you can’t pull them out anymore because you’re pulling out half your class. ” -- Minnesota teacher National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

RESEARCH ON STRATEGIES NCEO • Gersten, R. , Baker, S. , and Marks, S. (1998). Teaching English language learners with learning difficulties: Guiding principles and examples from researchbased practice. ERIC Document 427 448. National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

Our research LEP/IEP Strategies Project NCEO PROJECT PURPOSE To provide research-based knowledge to educators on the topic of instructional strategies that help middle school ELLs with disabilities achieve in standardsbased content classrooms National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

Research Questions NCEO • What strategies are specified in state middle school documents that support instruction of ELLs with disabilities? • In schools throughout the U. S. that are making greater than average progress with ELLs, what instructional strategies do teachers recommend for improving the academic achievement of middle school and junior high ELLs with disabilities in standards-based content instruction? • How, and to what degree, are state standards that specify instructional strategies translated into practice by educational leaders at the school level? National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

Our Research LEP/IEP Instructional Project PROJECT PURPOSE NCEO • To investigate ways that ELLs with disabilities can participate meaningfully in, and benefit from, standards based instruction. • To promote effective practice for successful participation of ELLs with disabilities by improving the alignment of instructional interventions for these students. National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

Research Questions What instructional practices do educators (ESL/Bilingual education teachers, special education teachers and general teachers) recommend for delivering grade-level, standardsbased instruction to ELLs with disabilities in general settings? 2. What are the effects of recommended instructional practices on the performance of ELLs with disabilities in general education settings? NCEO 1. National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

Definition of a strategy NCEO A purposeful activity to engage learners in acquiring new behaviors or knowledge. To be useful for our purposes, an instructional strategy should have clearly defined steps or a clear description of what the teacher does. National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

Phase 1: Math results NCEO Top 5 strategies in weighting: – Tactile, concrete experiences of math – Daily re-looping of previously learned materials – Problem solving instruction and task analysis strategies – Teacher think-alouds – Student think-alouds National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

Math Results cont. Most feasible and most used NCEO • Adjusted speech • Daily re-looping of previously learned materials. National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

Some overall findings • No common understanding of what a strategy is. NCEO • In general teachers were neutral or positive about all strategies. • Use of the native language was not mentioned frequently National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

• The top three strategies varied little across types of teachers. NCEO • Curriculum-based probes or Curriculum based measurement was the most variable • Teachers were influenced by a variety of factors in weighting : Research Data, Setting, Content Area, Individual Student Variables, Personal Experience, and Study Design. National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

Current Phase (2005) NCEO 1 -1 (teacher to student) studies of recommended strategies • Think alouds • Problem solving instruction • Student developed glossary National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

NCEO What does the research mean for me? National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

NCEO Tools for teachers • Training modules on strategies • Videoclips of strategy use • Posters of strategy steps • Innovation Configuration Maps National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

Innovation Configuration Map Definition A description of how a program, practice, or innovation looks in actual practice. NCEO National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

NCEO Innovation Configuration Map Elements • Component • Role • Levels • Variations National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

Links to Standards for School Mathematics Communication Instructional programs from prekindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to: • Organize and consolidate their mathematical thinking through communication NCEO • Communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others • Analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others • Use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020

www. nceo. info Kristi Liu, (612. 626. 9061) NCEO kline 010@umn. edu Ann Clapper, (612. 625. 6032) clapp 013@umn. edu National Center on Educational Outcomes 10/31/2020