The purpose of this study was to explore ESL teachers’ perceptions and use of classroom-based reading assessments. The research questions underpinning this study were: 1) What types of classroom-based reading assessments are used in ESL classrooms and how are they used? 2) What are ESL teachers’ perceptions regarding the function and effectiveness of classroom-based reading assessments? 3) What and how do external factors influence ESL teachers’ use of classroom-based reading assessments? 4) What and how do internal factors influence ESL teachers’ use of classroom-based reading assessments? The participants of this study were six middle school ESL teachers and seven elementary school ESL teachers. Data consisted of interviews with the participating ESL teachers, classroom observations, and assessment materials. The finding of this study indicated that there were three kinds of classroombased reading assessments commonly used by ESL teachers in the classrooms: tests, observation, and using writing to assess reading. These classroom-based reading assessments served ESL teachers in two ways: helping teachers make decisions about individual students and helping teachers make decisions about instruction. In addition, classroom-based reading assessments were viewed as effective instructional instruments. ESL teachers highly valued classroom-based reading assessments, considered them accurate and valuable, and thought these assessments could provide great help to the daily teaching of reading. Students, statewide mandated standardized tests, and districts were three major forces that influenced this assessment process. Four conclusions can be drawn from this study. First, classroom-based reading assessments played a central role in ESL teachers’ teaching and assessing of reading. Second, ESL teachers highly valued classroom-based reading assessments, considering them valuable, accurate, and efficient. Compared to statewide mandated standardized testing, ESL teachers preferred classroom-based reading assessments. Third, ESL teachers’ use of classroom-based reading assessments was largely under the control of districts or school authorities and there were many disagreements on the ways of assessing reading of ESL students between teachers and the districts or schools. Finally, statewide mandated standardized testing had distorted ESL teachers’ use of classroom-based reading assessments in practice.

This study examined the rapid rise of the number of ELL/ Hispanic learners who are enrolling in the public school systems of Northeast Tennessee. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect that the rapid rise of ELL/Hispanic learners was having on these school systems. The approach to the study was a mixed-methods approach. Data were collected from respondents using a survey instrument that included both Likert-type responses and short answer questions. The population of this study were the 132 building-level principals of the 17 public school districts located in the First Congressional District of Northeast Tennessee. There were 81 survey responses received from the participants for a percentage of 61.4. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were used to analyze the quantitative portion of the survey using the Statistical Package of the Social Sciences program designed to analyze and display data. Qualitative data were analyzed using the "cut-and-put-in-the-folder method" suggested by Bogdan and Biklen (1998, p. 186). The findings of the qualitative section of the study revealed that principals were concerned about cultural differences and ways to encourage parental involvement at their children's school. The communication barrier was mentioned as the most common barrier at their particular schools. Principals were concerned with the increasing pressure concerning standardized testing and adequate yearly progress. They also stated that the testing process was unfair to ELL/Hispanic students. Attendance and discipline were issues that principals stated that ELL/Hispanic students required no more of their time than did non-ELL/Hispanic students. The quantitative data revealed that principals with a substantial enrollment of 5% or more ELL/Hispanic students in their building reported they do not have an adequate number of translators and they prefer a pull-out program versus a replacement program. The findings also revealed a large neutral response from principals to the Likert-type items. This may be because these principals had few or no ELL/Hispanic students enrolled at their school.

The aim of this study was to investigate teachers’ perspectives on how they want to be supervised with a view to critiquing existing practices in light of teacher experience, viewpoint and professional aspirations. Documents used in the supervisory cycle in the setting of the study were analyzed to develop a broader understanding regarding the issues that comprise the supervisory activities and the supervisory criteria as documented by the educational organization that was the setting of this study. In addition, a total of eleven preparatory year EFL teachers in a university in Saudi Arabia were interviewed. The study used qualitative methods, with the data subjected to rigorous analysis that employed an analytical approach informed by the principles of grounded theory. The ideas gathered from the qualitative analysis of the interview data - complemented by the insights developed from document analysis - led to the emergence of two themes under which teachers’ expectations and ideas were grouped: 1) the professional aspect and 2) the social aspect. Under the professional aspect, teachers discussed their ideas regarding activities and concepts directly related to teaching practice and professional activities of teachers. The second theme, the social aspect, covers concepts which are related to the way the organization deals with teachers. Analysis of teachers’ interview data showed that there was some level of commonality between the ideas and expectations of teachers regarding some of the general points related to how they want to be supervised. However, there was considerable disparity in their priorities and their expectations regarding the overall approach of the supervisory system, to the extent that at times the expectations and priorities of some teachers were incompatible with and mutually exclusive of the expectations of the other teachers. This led to the conclusion that a multi-streamed supervisory system would provide for the needs of teachers with different expectations, priorities and needs. Such a system would have different streams with different activities for beginning and veteran teachers, with one or two more streams in between for teachers who do not fit in either stream. A multi-streamed system could allow the teachers the opportunity to articulate their needs and expectations and it does not impose a ‘one-size-fits-all’ system on all the teachers. Furthermore, it was recommended that supervisors should draw on the literature on professional life cycles and consider variables related to the workplace (regulations, management style, social expectations etc.) and to teachers’ personal lives (family, cumulative life experiences, individual disposition etc.) so that they can make informed decisions when assigning teachers to different streams within a multi-streamed supervisory system.