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The purpose of the study was to compare the relationship between grade eight English language proficiency as measured by the ACCESS for ELL's assessment (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners) and achievement test outcomes on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, a state mandated test. The ACCESS for ELLs is an annual, large-scale English language proficiency assessment given to kindergarten through grade twelve students who have been identified as English language learners. The ACCESS assessment is administered in English. Data from the Nation's Report Card (US. Department of National Center for Education Statistics, 2007 a & 2007 b) show that ELL students lag behind their English proficient peers on standardized tests of reading. The inclusion of English language learners in state assessments has prompted issues regarding the validity and equity of assessment practices (Abedi, 2004). The data for the study were gathered from an analyses of 8th grade ELL students' scores on the 2011 PSSA standardized assessment test administered in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania public school district. Data were also gathered from the analysis of 8th grade ELL assessments for the 2010-2011 school year. The study also assessed the predictive values of the criterion variables and the moderating effects of categorical variables by school: Ethnicity (Black, White, Hispanic), ELL status (English Language Learner), Students with Disabilities status (SWD), Socioeconomic status (SES), which contribute to Pennsylvania's Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status. The study showed strong evidence that there is a significant relationship between the PSSA and language background as measured by the ACCESS assessment. Assessment. The implications of these data for the testing and assessment of ELL learners was discussed. / Educational Leadership

Teaching English as a second language is widely different depending on what teacher you ask and what methodology they use. The purpose for this study is to look deeper into the visual literacy approach of how primary school teachers choose to incorporate the use of children’s picturebooks in their own teaching practices for L2 acquisition and development. Through semi-structured interviews, the study gathered information with regard to how a visual literacy approach though the use of picturebooks is utilized in practice and in theory among primary school teachers. The results of the study revealed that the majority of the participating teachers are positive towards the use of picturebooks in the ESL classroom but differ in the way they choose to incorporate the visual literacy approach in their teaching. The results showed that the participating teachers are not using children’s picturebooks to the extent that they would like to in theory, due to reasons such as time restraints and inexperience. Finally, the results show that children’s picturebooks has positive implications for L2 development with regards to vocabulary and reading comprehension in the early years. Utilizing literature that pupils are familiar with in L1 further helps to engage in the use of their L2 for overall language development.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of administrators, guidance counselors, and classroom teachers in the high schools of Northeast Tennessee regarding their schools’ academics, climate, culture, parent engagement, and their English Language Learners’ school experiences. The researcher sought to ascertain if significant differences exist between the perceptions of different groups of educational professionals in the school, with those groups to include school administrators, guidance counselors, and classroom teachers. Data were analyzed from 50 survey questions with 42 of those questions measured on a 5-point Likert scale, 5 questions as multiple choice, and 3 questions as open-ended. Data were collected through an online survey program, Survey Monkey. The survey was distributed to 12 school districts consisting of 39 high schools. There was a 23% response rate among administrators, a 29% response rate among counselors, and a nearly 10% response rate among teachers. There were no significant variations of the participants’ perceptions of their schools’ conduciveness to ELLs’ success with regard to classroom practice, student resilience, school climate, school culture, and the strength of home and school partnership.

Rather limited research and few significant field studies have been done on recent immigrant students particularly from the Muslim societies of the Horn of Africa and the Middle East in the American high school context regarding their linguistic, cultural and religious needs. Most research studies suggest that immigrant students receive insufficient provision. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role high schools play in provision addressing the following questions: (1) What kinds of provision have been implemented to support a culturally sensitive education in public high schools in the U.S., and how effective have they been? (2) If any, what was the effect of the reform paper No Child Left Behind? (3) How could the role of teachers as culturally responsive educators be further enhanced regarding first/heritage language and cultural heritage maintenance? (4) Which steps would have to be taken in order to move towards a culturally responsive system? Peterson’s iceberg theory regarding cultures was the guiding theoretical approach which emphasizes the fact that in order to get to know each other’s cultures, one has to closely examine the underlying issues that belong to them as the information available on the surface is simply not sufficient. Qualitative case studies were conducted based on survey questionnaires and interviews among students, parents, ESOL/ELL teachers and mainstream teachers from 6 different high schools. This study has demonstrated that high schools can, in fact, be inviting, well-equipped with adequate ESOL/ELL programs. Findings from field work carried out in Loudoun and Fairfax County public schools in Virginia in 2011, indicate that there is a need to address misconceptions among ESOL/ELL students, their teachers and their parents as to what constitutes as multicultural education environment, and first language maintenance. It is explained how the role of culture-based after school extracurricular clubs like the Muslim Students Association can serve as a bridge between the culture of one’s origin and the host society. While teachers could serve as facilitators, students can become researchers and see relevance of their culture. The result from this investigation through existing literature, stories of individuals and institutions will add to current knowledge on ESOL/ELL provision and offer a deeper understanding of needs from both parties.

There is an increase in Hispanic English Language Learners (ELL). Poverty levels and lack of teacher training can also be stacked against the ELL population. Gesturing is a teaching technique that is used in successful methods such as The Natural Approach (NA) and Total Physical Response (TPR) in helping ELL students in English comprehension and output. This study examined the effects that increased teacher gestures have on the number of words spoken by the child in multiple settings. Data were collected in the context of a multiple baseline design across three settings. The results indicate that there was an effect on the amount of words spoken in two out of three settings. Suggestions are presented to expand on this effect.

This research examines the discourses that impact the teachers of ELL teachers within their instructional practices, their school environment, and a wider educational system. Interviews, observations, and focus groups of twelve teachers at two elementary schools in the Pacific Northwest provide the data for this grounded theory approach that uncovers eleven themes using the tools of situational analysis and discourse analysis. The discourses of congruency, collaboration, trust and awareness are a few that emerged from this study. Although presented as separate, the nature of discourse is that they are interconnected and dependent on each other, highlighting the complexity of teachersʼ worlds. The impact of these discourses impacted both teacher agency and school collaboration for teachers, administrators, and teacher educators. / Graduation date: 2012

Doctor of Philosophy / Secondary Education / Charles E. Heerman / This study is a follow-up to Al-Fadda's (2004) investigation of middle school teacher's perceptions of the importance of reading methods. The primary research question to be addressed in this study was: What are ELL and LD teachers' perceptions of the importance of specific reading strategies for their respective types of students? To address this question the researcher developed a survey with five demographic questions and 44 reading methods based on the framework of the COBRA model developed by Heerman (2002). The researcher administered the survey to public middle and junior high school ELL and LD teachers from Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas and compared the two groups' perceptions of the importance of several reading strategies. Analysis of the results showed that there was a 60% agreement rate between the two teacher groups (no significant differences) for three of the COBRA goals (background knowledge, comprehension, and study and application) and a 40% difference rate between the two teacher groups (significant differences) for two of the COBRA goals (experiential learning and vocabulary). For the 44 survey items, there was an agreement rate of 82.82%, and a difference rate of 17.18%. The researcher concludes that there were more similarities than differences between ELL teachers' and LD teachers' perceptions of the importance of the surveyed reading methods, however, there were also real differences. The researcher found justification for the belief that ELL and LD teachers should be considered specialist teachers when it comes to rating the relative importance of reading methods. ELL teachers appear to be inclined to use reading methods related to language, experience, and vocabulary methods. The results also reveal that LD teachers appear to be inclined to use reading methods related to intervention strategies with conferencing, coaching, compensatory methods, specific skills development and memory processes. In addition, the researcher noted a large number of methods with small mean differences, showing the certain levels of agreement between the two teacher groups. In terms of the five teacher variables, percentage of ELL students, percentage of low-income students and school enrollment proved to be the least active variables but the teacher variables of teachers' education levels and teachers' experience levels were more active.

Language policy reform movements have increased accountability in order for schools to improve student achievement and measure the progress of English language learners. The number of English language learners (ELLs) has grown significantly in the school population, yet the level of academic achievement for this population continues to lag. Language planning and policy provide critical decisions about how to measure what students know in all subjects. In 1999, the 76th Texas Legislature approved the assessment of the state curriculum to account for student learning while nationally the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires assessment and accountability to measure what students know. Long term English language learners (LTELs) in high school are of particular concern because they have not been able to meet standards on the state's assessments. These assessments are used for national NCLB accountability under Annual Yearly progress (AYP) indicators, the state's accountability and the Texas graduation criteria. The purpose of this study has been to examine the impact of educational language planning and policy on LTELs who have lived and attended US schools for more than four school years.

Vårt syfte med denna kunskapsöversikt är att sammanställa vad forskningen säger om hur SO-lärare kan anpassa sin undervisning för elever som inte har svenska som modersmål. Vi har därför använt oss av specifika databaser som är anpassade efter att söka efter vetenskapliga texter och som gav oss betydelsefulla resultat. Det resulterade i att vi främst fann granskade vetenskapliga artiklar, men även några digitala medier som är relevanta för vår frågeställning. Resultatet av vår kunskapsöversikt, tyder på att lärare kan göra mycket för att främja andraspråkselevers utveckling och välbefinnande. Lärarens förhållningssätt och medkänsla är väsentlig för att ha en inkluderande lärmiljö. Det i sin tur leder till förbättrade relationer i klassrummet, vilket också kan kopplas till att läraren enklare kan undersöka elevernas bakgrunder och erfarenheter. Med hänsyn därtill kan läraren anpassa sin SO-undervisning. Det finns en del hinder och problematik, men vi hoppas kunna tillämpa acklimatiseringarna som krävs i vårt framtida yrke, samtidigt som vi hoppas att fler lärare och lärarstudenter överväger sina anpassningar efter andraspråkselevers behov.