<p> This study researched the preparedness of English as a Second Language directors in school corporations in Indiana to determine their background experiences, awareness of second language acquisition research, levels of qualification, attitudes towards English learners (ELs), efficacy for leading ESL programs, and to gain an understanding of how to provide guidance and support to this group of individuals. Furthermore, the study investigated relationships between these factors to gain insight into how they impact each other and program implementation. The study endeavored to provide useful information towards policy making and support of ESL leaders. The research was quantitative and utilized a tailored design Internet survey to collect data. Descriptive data was analyzed using analysis of frequency (distribution, central tendency and dispersion of individual variables), while relationships between elements were analyzed using a combination of ANOVA, and Pearson's Product Moment correlational analysis, followed by post hoc analysis and regression analysis. Findings indicated that having experience with English learners and teaching certification for working with English learners were significant factors in the areas of knowledge, attitude, and efficacy. An exploratory model of ESL program leadership, developed by the researcher, concluded that when EL directors are certified and bring experience of working with ELs to their positions, it is more likely that their programs will be successfully implemented. Finally, the interplay of variables showed that these directors' levels of knowledge of second language acquisition principles and efficacy for leading the ESL program had highly significant effects on attitude, program implementation and each other. The implications of this study include directions for policy, training programs, and further research.</p>

<p> This study investigated whether use of the Achieve 3000 differentiated reading internet program correlated with increased incidence of ELL students achieving proficiency and/or with improvement in reading and literacy scores. It also examined attitudes among district ELL teachers. Results supported DI and CALL methods as instructional approaches. Achieve 3000 was most strongly related to improved literacy among students who completed 80 activities or more. Number of activities scoring at least 75% was the strongest predictor of improvement. Lexile score was related, but Lexile growth was not. When not used according to company recommendations, correlations were much weaker. Only 4.2% of district ELL students followed those recommendations. Relationships did not hold true for the lowest, beginning English proficiency students. </p><p>

<p> This qualitative single-case study examined the experiences of a post-secondary first-year English composition instructor teaching long-term English learners at an urban, public university in the northeast United States by exploring the instructor&rsquo;s literacy ideologies and the effects of those ideologies on the instructional practices of the instructor within the English learners&rsquo; classroom. The study used in-depth phenomenological interviews, classroom observations, a student diversity survey, and artifacts to achieve its purpose. The results of this study support three thematic findings: (a) Although the instructor was unsure as to what qualifies students to be classified as English learners, she teaches them in the same way she does native English-speaking students; (b) The instructor felt that her job was to help students learn &ldquo;the game&rdquo; of how to write academic text; and (c) The instructor used a variety of instructional practices but lacked professional training and resources.</p><p>

<p> This mixed methods study examined the responses of four administrators and three English learner (EL) teachers in a rural Indiana school corporation to the mandates of the state's accountability system. In addition, the study investigated the performance of ELs from the participating school corporation on the state's standardized test, the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress Plus (ISTEP+). The constant comparative method was used to analyze interview data, and descriptive statistics were generated to analyze four years of student test scores. Findings indicate that school corporation personnel have implemented a number of programmatic and instructional changes in response to the state's accountability system. Results from both the qualitative and quantitative analyses elucidate the level of English proficiency required for ELs to pass the ISTEP+. This study provides a starting point for reassessing Indiana's EL achievement objectives.</p>

<p> Federal Program Monitoring (FPM) is California&rsquo;s current education compliance monitoring process. Roughly 120 local educational agencies (LEAs) each year are selected to receive a FPM review&mdash;half on-site and half online. Through FPM, the California Department of Education (CDE) reviews a variety of categorical programs, including the English learner (EL) program, for compliance with state and federal mandates. LEAs found to be non-compliant (NC) in one or more categorical programs are required to resolve the NC findings within certain timelines or, potentially, face state fiscal sanctions. </p><p> This comparative case study explored the responses to FPM by district leaders from two urban school districts selected via a purposive sampling approach. In particular, this study investigated whether LEAs leverage FPM to improve the provision of services to English learners and, in particular, English language development (ELD) instruction. </p><p> My conceptual framework posits that the different responses by district leaders to the various forms of education accountability regimes I identify can be explained, in part, to their position on various conceptions that, ultimately, influence their willingness and their capacity&mdash;integrity serving as a mitigating factor. These responses that can be grouped into three categories: leveraged compliance, contrived compliance, or non-compliance. </p><p> As predicted by my conceptual framework, I found contrasting findings across the two districts for predictable reasons, or, theoretical replication. The Puente Verde USD had a high level of willingness to be responsive to FPM. In comparison, Windy Hills USD&rsquo;s ideological stance on ELD&mdash;incongruent with the CDE&rsquo;s&mdash;coupled with their integrity to do what they felt was the right thing, inhibited their willingness to be as responsive to FPM. Additionally, whilst both LEAs had relatively high levels of capacity to implement EL programs, Windy Hills&rsquo; lower absorptive capacity constrained further capacity building. </p><p> Although compliance monitoring, like FPM, is often seen as a bureaucratic exercise, some LEAs are able to seize the opportunity to leverage it to improve services, while others, even when possessing relatively high levels of capacity may not. Oftentimes, compliance with FPM is seen as a simple bimodal response. What this study found is that it is much more nuanced.</p>

<p> Learning English as a foreign language (EFL), a highly valued skill in the Chilean marketplace, is an arduous and complex personal endeavor requiring high student motivation. Reflecting this challenge is the heightened anxiety among EFL students, whose work has been associated with historically meager results. Blended learning, the fusion of face-to-face and online content delivery and assessment, offers a promising solution to EFL learner reticence. Evidence suggests that an active online teacher presence in a blended EFL course can enhance student engagement. The purpose of this study was to discover the perceptions of EFL instructional specialists concerning (a) student involvement and engagement in online portions of blended courses, (b) marginal teacher presence in the online portions of blended courses, and (c) ways to improve student involvement in the online portions of the blended courses. Results of a systematic qualitative analysis, employing constant comparative data analysis of individual interviews with a sample of 10 voluntary EFL instructional specialists, indicated teachers need to take part in design of blended EFL courses to address these issues. The findings, coupled with theoretical frameworks of social-constructivism, transactional distance, diffusion of innovation, and universal design for instruction, served as the background for a proposed teacher training project resulting from this study. The study can contribute to positive social change by inviting EFL teachers to become more involved in blended course design, increasing their sense of ownership, sharing best practices for blended EFL teaching and learning, and creating conditions for more successful upward social mobility opportunities for Chilean university students who have acquired certifiable English language skills.</p>

<p> The English Language Learners (ELL) student population continues to increase in American schools. Schools have the obligation and privilege to serve this population, but challenges exist to help ELLs become proficient in all subjects. The need for educators to use research-based best practices is critical to help best serve ELLs and to increase academic achievement. The researchers conducted a mixed-methods study in order to identify the research-based practices proven to increase the academic achievement of ELLs. The researchers found that Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) was a research-based framework proven to help ELLs academically. ELL Directors of middle Tennessee districts having statistically significant gains with ELLs believed that the top best practices to use with ELLs were activating prior knowledge and building background, comprehensible input, academic vocabulary, explicit instruction and differentiated instruction. Teachers within Southeastern School District (SSD) believed the top five practices to use with ELLs were activating prior knowledge and building background, differentiated instruction, scaffolding instruction, teaching academic vocabulary, and continual review of vocabulary and content. The study also found the instructional models that work best with the varying levels of ELLs. The instructional model best used with newcomers was pullout, and for active ELLs, either pullout or push-in. Push-in or Structured English Immersion was most effective with Transitional 1 and Structured English Immersion for Transitional 2 ELL students. Educational stakeholders can use the findings of this study in order to promote the academic achievement of ELLs.</p>

<p> Current population trends have revealed a huge influx of non-native English speaking students in the mainstream classroom across the United States. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore what mainstream teachers are doing to meet the academic needs of English Learners (ELs) in their classrooms on a daily basis. The researcher used semi-structured open-ended interview questions in order to gather data to answer five research questions; 1) How do teachers use data to plan for differentiated instruction? 2) How do teachers describe their experiences with differentiated instruction methods in planning reading lessons? 3) What processes do teachers go through when differentiating process, content and product during differentiated instruction? 4) What training do teachers receive to help them become effective at teaching EL students? 5) What challenges do teachers have when using differentiated instruction? Participants of the study were purposefully selected from a title one school in the Southeastern, United States with a high population of ELs. In order to be eligible to participate within the study teachers were required to teach either the third, fourth or fifth grade and have had at least 80% of their EL students meet expectations on the state mandated test in reading. The data analysis revealed six themes; 1) Collaboration 2) A huge inventory of research bases instructional strategies 3) Data-driven instruction 4) Well trained 5) Rigor 6) Learning community (7) Courage and Resilience Findings also suggested that differentiation of choice as well as interest is essential for creating an environment to meet the academic needs of ELs. Further perceptions included; using differentiation in the mainstream classroom was time- consuming, difficult to plan for, and often was met with a lack of resources. Even though, participants identified these challenges they felt that differentiated instruction was the only way to meet the academic needs of ELs. Recommendations for further study included broadening the research study to include classroom observations as well as teachers who are new to teaching ELs in the mainstream classroom setting. Further recommendations for qualitative studies included EL student perceptions of their successes and failures when participating differentiated instruction in the mainstream classroom.</p>

<p> This qualitative study aims to attain a practical understanding of L2 English speakers' perceptions and understanding of their own English accents and to explore the relationship between their perceptions of accents and their perceived social identities. </p><p> Data were collected through interviews with 14 participants. The individual analysis on each participant was reported as a form of narrative. The group analysis across all the participants' narratives demonstrated the complexity of their perceptions and understanding of accents, and the complex and context-dependent nature of the relationship between accents and perceived social identities. Five themes that respond to the research questions emerged from the results and findings. From the discussion of the themes, a heuristic model of identity construction was developed. The model is grounded in three cases of the participants as an explanatory tool for identity construction. </p><p> The study provides pedagogical implications for language teachers, and provides some suggestions for future research.</p>

<p> This study defines and analyzes the successful leadership practice of a principal of an urban K-8 school serving English Language Learners in the western United States during the 2012-2013 academic year. Focusing on the self-identified leadership practice of a school leader evidenced to positively affect student learning, this study seeks to extend knowledge about what principals actually do to within the context of their schools to improve academic achievement for students. A definition of an applied leadership practice is constructed based on a review of relevant literature and evidence gathered in this study. The successful principal was measured via the VAL-ED Assessment in Education in order to validate the strongest components and processes of that leader's leadership practice. Then, two principal interviews were conducted and coded to show alignments of the described leadership practices with two evidenced based frameworks; the VAL-ED Matrix and the Essential Supports and Indicators Framework. The first interview detailed the principal's leadership practice as they conceived it and experienced it. The second interview was a narrative reflection of how critical work and life incidents were perceived to have shaped the principal's leadership practices, and why these leadership practices emerged and flourished within their particular school and community context. Findings from other schools involved in this research were investigated to ascertain which Essential Supports and Indicators specifically connected to success or failure in mathematics are found in other schools conducting this research. The results of this research provide a more complete description of a successful leadership practice as it exists in practice in the described context.</p>