promising research-based practices in instruction and assessment for english language learners ani...
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Promising Research-based Practices in Instruction and Assessment for English Language Learners
Ani C. Moughamian, PhDAssistant Research Professor
University of HoustonCenter on Instruction, ELL Strand
The Center on Instruction is operated by RMC Research Corporation in partnership with the Florida Center for Reading Research at Florida State
University; Instructional Research Group; the Texas Institute for Measurement,Evaluation, and Statistics at the University of Houston; and
The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at the University of Texas at Austin.
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2009
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Audience Poll I: What RCC (or area) are you Audience Poll I: What RCC (or area) are you from?from?
Alaska Appalachia (Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia) California Florida and the Islands (Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands) Great Lakes East (Indiana, Michigan, Ohio) Great Lakes West (Illinois, Wisconsin) Mid-Atlantic (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, DC) Mid-Continent (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma) New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont) New York North Central (Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota) Northwest (Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming) Pacific (Hawaii, American Samoa, Mariana Islands, Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands,
Palau) Southeast (Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina) Southwest (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah) Texas
Audience Poll II: What is your role?Audience Poll II: What is your role?
RCC staff member SEA staff member LEA staff member Teacher/paraprofessional State director Administrator Professional development staff Other
POLL I and II ResultsPOLL I and II Results
Where are you from? What are your roles?
OverviewOverview
Part I Instructional Issues
Part II Assessment Issues
PrefacePreface
The research we present here is where the field currently stands
Research on ELLs is limited Particularly research that is “scientifically-based” or
“experimental”
Emerging research exists (e.g. Francis, Lesaux, Vaughn, CREATE etc.), but may not have been published yet
Why we need good informationWhy we need good information Over five million ELLs in US schools Over the past 10 years, the number of ELLs has grown
by 57% (NCELA, 2007) 59% of ELLs qualify for free/reduced lunch 8th grade ELLs score lower than English speaking peers
in reading and mathematics Students who speak another language at home lag 20
points behind in high school completion
(NCELA, 2008)
Audience Poll IIIAudience Poll III
Are you currently working with your state(s), district(s), and/or school(s) to make decisions about instructional programming for ELL students? Yes No
POLL III ResultsPOLL III Results
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PART I: Instructional TopicsPART I: Instructional Topics
Language of instruction Reviews that discuss effective instructional
practices for ELLs Additional promising instructional practices Questions/Discussion
Language of InstructionLanguage of Instruction
Current debate about efficacy of bilingual versus English only instruction
Political issue: laws in four states (CA, MA, AZ, FL) that have mandated English only instruction for all ELLs
Generally, reviews have found that bilingual programs seem to be more effective for ELLs
Good Instructional Practices (Goldenberg, 2008)Good Instructional Practices (Goldenberg, 2008)
Good instruction and good curriculum holds for ALL students, including ELLs (in general)
Clear goals and learning objectives Meaningful, challenging, and motivating
contexts Content-rich curriculum Well-designed, clearly structured, well-paced Active engagement and participation
Good Instructional Practices, con’tGood Instructional Practices, con’t Opportunities to practice, apply, and transfer
new learning Feedback Review and practice Assessment to monitor progress (then re-
teaching if necessary) Opportunities to interact with peers in
motivating and structured contexts
Instructional Modifications (Goldenberg, 2008)Instructional Modifications (Goldenberg, 2008) Use text with familiar content Build English vocabulary knowledge Primary language support Scaffold ELLs in an English-only environment Promote productive interaction between ELLs and
fluent English speakers Give ELLs more time to learn Assess ELLs content knowledge separately from
language development knowledge
National Literacy Panel, 2006National Literacy Panel, 2006 Few experimental and rigorous studies of
literacy instruction for ELL students Small numbers make it difficult to make conclusive
recommendations
Effective literacy instruction for ELLs looks similar to instruction for native speakers Some modifications are necessary
Developing ELLs English proficiency is important
NLP Instructional PracticesNLP Instructional Practices
Appropriate use of native language Modify curriculum based on students’
knowledge of native language Connections between languages
Provide support and practice in English Identify and clarify difficult text Summarize text Provide extra practice time to read
NLP Instructional Practices, con’tNLP Instructional Practices, con’t
Focus on vocabulary Check for reading comprehension Provide ideas clearly across multiple domains
(e.g. both verbally and in writing) Paraphrase students’ talk Provide opportunities to practice oral
language
Systemic efforts (NLP, 2006)Systemic efforts (NLP, 2006) Effective practices for native English speakers
also seem to work for ELL students Implicit and explicit challenges Active involvement Activities in which students can be successful Scaffolding instruction Teacher feedback Collaborative/cooperative learning Sheltered instruction Respect for diversity
Effective Literacy Instruction (NLP)Effective Literacy Instruction (NLP)
Explicit instruction in literacy components (i.e. phonemic awareness, phonics, oral reading, fluency, reading comprehension, vocabulary, writing, and spelling)
Complex approaches to teaching literacy Address multiple literacy components
simultaneously Few experimental studies
Genessee, et. al., 2005Genessee, et. al., 2005
Oral language development Literacy Academic achievement Program factors
Oral Language DevelopmentOral Language Development Daily oral English language instruction until
ELLs achieve minimum proficiency level Developing oral language in English is
essential to ELLs school achievement ELLs need time to develop English oral proficiency
4-7 years (e.g. Hakuta, Butler, & Witt, 2000)
ELLs need structured, well-designed tasks and opportunities to use oral English in the classroom
LiteracyLiteracy
ELLs with literacy knowledge in L1 acquire L2 literacy more readily
Direct instruction Interactive instruction Combination of the two
Academic AchievementAcademic Achievement
ELLs need sustained instruction in L1 However, bilingual proficiency and biliteracy
have a positive impact on achievement Instruction should focus on utilizing the relationship
between development of L1 and L2 Developing students proficiency in both languages can be
beneficial
Program FactorsProgram Factors
Positive school environment Meaningful & challenging curriculum (higher
order thinking) Cooperative learning and interaction Staff who knowledgeable about bilingualism
and second language development
Effective Literacy and Language Instruction for Effective Literacy and Language Instruction for ELLs (IES Guide)ELLs (IES Guide)
Five recommendations1. Screen for reading problems and monitor progress
2. Provide intensive small-group reading interventions
3. Provide extensive and varied vocabulary instruction
4. Develop academic English
5. Schedule regular peer-assisted learning opportunities
What the reviews have in commonWhat the reviews have in common
Importance of oral language development in English
Academic language and vocabulary development Opportunities for classroom conversation—
collaborative/peer-assisted learning strategies Use of students’ native language in instruction is
beneficial Use of assessment to guide instruction
Additional Instructional PracticesAdditional Instructional Practices
Sheltered instruction Relationship between oral and written
language Narrative
Academic language
Sheltered InstructionSheltered Instruction
Language development through content SIOP is one example, particularly good for older
ELLs (e.g. Short & Echevarria, 2004; Echevarria, Short, & Powers, 2006) Careful lesson preparation Build background knowledge, provide comprehensible input,
incorporate strategies, interaction, applications and practice, and assessment
Teacher scaffolds materials by drawing on background knowledge, creating shared experiences
Oral and Written LanguageOral and Written Language
Strength of relationship Narrative (e.g. Dickenson & Tabors, 2001; Bailey
& Moughamian, 2007; Moughamian, in prep.)
Need opportunities for oral language development Peer assisted learning has some demonstrated
success in this area
Academic LanguageAcademic Language Crucial for comprehension and analysis of texts
(esp. in secondary) Teach vocabulary in context
See it, say it, use it in a sentence, notice something about it (e.g. prefix, cognate, part of speech, etc.)
Teach both content and academic vocabulary explicitly (Calderon, 2007)
Teach strategies Guessing a word from context Use prefixes, suffixes, and roots
QuestionsQuestions
I’d like to spend about 5-10 minutes if you have questions about the instructional section
POLL IVPOLL IV
Are you currently working with your state(s), district(s), and/or school(s) on issues of assessment and accountability for ELL students? Yes No
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Part II: Assessment TopicsPart II: Assessment Topics
Importance and purpose of assessment for ELLs
Assessment and NCLB LEP Framework Additional recommendations for assessment
of ELLs Questions/Discussion
Importance of Assessment for ELLsImportance of Assessment for ELLs
Fair and valid assessment is a priority of the national educational agenda (Francis, Rivera, Lesaux, Kieffer, & Rivera, 2006)
Assessment impacts ELLs in significant ways Classroom curriculum and instruction classification and grouping
Purpose of Language Proficiency and Literacy Purpose of Language Proficiency and Literacy
AssessmentsAssessments Determine language program placement Monitor student progress/performance Inform instruction Guide student exit decisions Identify students eligible for special services
(e.g. Title I, speech and hearing, special education, accelerated/gifted programs) August & Hakuta, 1997; Kato et. al., 2004)
Assessment and NCLBAssessment and NCLB
Language proficiency and content standards must be aligned to each other and achievement targets
Links language proficiency to language necessary for academic success in content
The law calls for ELL students to be accurately and validly assessed
Abedi, 2007
Post-NCLB AssessmentsPost-NCLB Assessments
Four consortia developed assessments under NCLB requirements Mountain West Assessment English Language Development Assessment (ELDA) Comprehensive English Language Learner Assessment
(CELLA) Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English
State to State for English Language Learners (ACCESS for ELLs)
Post-NCLB Assessments con’tPost-NCLB Assessments con’t
Include items across four domains of reading, writing, listening, and speaking
Also include comprehension in listening and reading and overall performance
Assessments were tested on representative samples of students
LEP Framework (AACC, 2008)LEP Framework (AACC, 2008)
Designed to help states “ensure that their ELL students achieve English language proficiency and also, achieve at high levels academically
Provides criteria for high quality English language proficiency standards aligned to assessments Use for evaluating existing standards and assessments Also can be used to develop and implement new
standards and assessments
RECOMMENDATIONSRECOMMENDATIONS
And now for some further
RTI Framework for AssessmentRTI Framework for Assessment
Addresses (mis)placement of ELLs in special education
Used for determining/identifying whether an ELL has a true disability or if it is a language barrier
Requires effective, on-going assessment beginning in kindergarten Include measures of print awareness, phonological
awareness, letter-word identification, vocabulary knowledge, and oral language proficiency
Native Language AssessmentNative Language Assessment
Comprehensive assessment in both languages gives a more complete picture of language skills and ability Listening, speaking, reading, and writing
Interpret results with caution Not all ELLs receive native language instruction
May want to give instructions in native language
Progress MonitoringProgress Monitoring
Conduct formative assessments with ELLs using English language measures of phonological processing, letter knowledge, and word/text reading
Use this data to identify ELLs who need instructional support
Use this data to monitor reading progress over time (Gersten, Baker, Shanahan, Linan-Thompson, Collins, &
Scarcella, 2007)
AccommodationsAccommodations
Linguistic accommodations Can be effective, especially for those students at
intermediate proficiency in English
Other kinds of accommodations include Native language use
Instructions, student responses, translate test items, side-by side dual language test
More time Dictionaries Customized glossary
Multiple Data sourcesMultiple Data sources
Use multiple sources of data Ensure that students are assessed in different
ways for placement Data should be consistent across those
multiple sources Comprehensive language and literacy
screening and assessment system for ELLs
Assessment QuestionsAssessment Questions
Do you have any questions about the assessment portion of this presentation?
Do you have any remaining questions about the entire presentation?
ReferencesReferences Abedi, J. (2007). English language proficiency assessment in the nation: Current status and future practice. Davis, CA: UC
Davis School of Education. Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center. (2009). Framework for High-Quality English Language
Proficiency Standards and Assessment. San Francisco, CA: WestEd. August, D. & Hakuta, K. (1997). Improving schooling for language minority children: A Research Agenda. Washington,
DC: National Academy Press. Bailey, A. L. & Moughamian, A. C. (2007). Telling stories their way: Narrative scaffolding with emergent readers and
readers. Narrative Inquiry, 17(2), 203-231. Ballantyne, K. G., Sanderman, A. R., Levy, J. (2008). Education English language learners: Building teacher capacity.
Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition. Retrieved from http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/practice/mainstream_teachers.htm.
Calderón, M. E. (2007). Teaching reading to English language learners, Grades 6-12: A framework for improving achievement in the content areas. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Dickinson, D. K., & Tabors, P. (Eds.). (2001). Beginning literacy with language: Young children learning at home and school. Baltimore: Paul Brooks Publishing.
Echevarria, J., Short, D. J., & Powers, K. (2006). School reform and standards-based education: A model for English language learners. Journal of Educational Research, 99(4), 195-210.
Francis, D. J., Rivera, M., Lesaux, N., Kieffer, M., & Rivera, H. (2006). Practical guidelines for the education of English language learners: Research-based recommendations for instruction and academic interventions. Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction. Retrieved from http://www.centeroninstruction.org/files/ELL1-Interventions.pdf.
References, con’tReferences, con’t Genessee, F., Lindholm-Leary, K., Saunders, W., & Christian, D. (2005). English language learners in U.S. schools: An
overview of research findings. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 10(4), 363-385. Gersten, R., Baker, S. K., Shanahan, T., Linan-Thompson, S., Collins, P., & Scarcella, R. (2007). Effective literacy and
English language instruction for English learners in the elementary grades: A practice guide (NCEE 2007-4011). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/publications/practiceguides.
Goldenberg, C. (2008). Teaching English language learners: What the research does and does not say. American Educator, 8-44.
Kato, K., Albus, D., Liu, K., Guven, K., & Thurlow, M. (2004). Relationships between a statewide language proficiency test and academic achievement assessments: LEP projects report 4. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes.
Moughamian, A. C. (in preparation). The stories we tell: Narrative skill and literacy outcomes in 4 th, 5th, and 6th grade Armenian American English learner students. Unpublished manuscript, UCLA.
Shanahan, T. & Beck, I. L. (2006). Effective literacy teaching for English language learners. In D. L. August and T. Shanahan (Eds.). Developing literacy in a second language: Report of the National Literacy Panel, (415-488). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum
Short, D. J. & Echevarria, J. (2004). Using multiple perspectives in observations of diverse classrooms: The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP). In H. C. Waxman, R. G. Tharp, & R. S. Hilberg (Eds.). Observational research in US classrooms: New approaches for understanding cultural and linguistic diversity, (21-47). New York, NY: Cambridge, UP.
ResourcesResources
COI Website http://www.centeroninstruction.org/
National Center on RTI website http://www.rti4success.org/
Assessment and Accountability Center http://www.aacompcenter.org/cs/aacc/print/
htdocs/aacc/home.htm
Resources, con’tResources, con’t
Center for Applied Linguistics http://www.cal.org
NCELA http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/
IES http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ies/index.html
What Works website (through IES) http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/
Resources, con’tResources, con’t
Colorin Colorado www.ColorinColorado.org
National Literacy Panel http://www.cal.org/projects/archive/natlitpanel.html
