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The academic growth of English language learners depends largely on these students’ ability to learn content as well as develop increasingly effective language skills in English. This section provides access to and briefly describes major research documents and instructional strategies on the relationship between English learner status and academic achievement.
Key Documents
"Accountability" Versus Science in the Bilingual Education Debate (2002)
Examines how the media and the general public view bilingual education, structured English immersion, and other programs for English language learners in terms of academic outcomes and school accountability. Gives an overview of the controversy between bilingual education proponents and those in favor of Proposition 227, which implemented the sheltered English or structured immersion programs.Achievement Effects of Bilingual Education vs. English Immersion: Evidence from California's Proposition 227
National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper, 2002
Examines the effect of bilingual education, as opposed to English immersion, on the achievement of limited English-proficient(LEP) and English-proficient (non-LEP) students. On the one hand, students enrolled in bilingual education may learn better when taught at least partly in their mother tongue. On the other hand, students in bilingual classes may lose valuable spillovers associated with English-proficient classmates and may learn English less adequately because they do not need English to meet their immediate needs.Assessing English Language Learners in the Great City Schools
Council of the Great City Schools, 2003
This document serves as a reference to the provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind Act that pertain to the assessment of English Language Learners (ELL), provides profiles of available English language proficiency assessments and information on native language assessments and the accommodations available for ELLs taking academic achievement tests in English. It concludes by summarizing current concerns about the validity and reliability of current ELL assessments.Critical Issue: Using Technology to Enhance Literacy Instruction
North Central Regional Education Laboratory, 2001
Noting that technology has contributed to an expanded understanding of literacy, this guide offers research, best practices, and resources that support the integration of new technologies into literacy instruction. It begins with brief definitions of information literacy, digital literacy, new literacy, computer literacy, computer-technology literacy, critical literacy, and media literacy. It discusses research on technology and literacy, and outlines technologies that support students' reading development and research and collaboration skills.Dismantling Bilingual Education Implementing English Immersion: The California Initiative
Christine Rossell
This study explored bilingual education in California, analyzing California law on instruction for English Learners before and after Proposition 227. Proposition 227 required that all English Learners (EL) participate in a sheltered English immersion program in which most instruction was in English with curriculum and presentation designed for children learning the language for a transition period not normally intended to exceed one year. Findings indicate that Proposition 227 may have a positive effect on the academic achievement of EL students, but it is not going to turn them into high scoring students. Bilingual education may not be an effective way of teaching EL students, but it was not the primary cause of their low achievement.Effects of Bilingual and English as a Second Language Adaptations of Success for All on the Reading Achievement of Students Acquiring English
Johns Hopkins University and Success for All Foundation for the U.S. Department of Education, 1999
Two adaptations of Success for All, a comprehensive instructional reform program for elementary schools, have been used with students acquiring English as a second language. One is a Spanish bilingual version called "Exito para Todos," in which students are taught to read in Spanish and then transitioned to English reading, usually in the third or fourth grade. The other integrates English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) strategies with English reading instruction. This report summarizes the results of both of these adaptations for students acquiring English.English Language Learners and High-Stakes Tests: An Overview of the Issues. ERIC Digest
ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics, 2002
Recent legislation and education initiatives in the United States have emphasized the role of high-stakes testing in reform movements designed to increase accountability for schools and improve student achievement. This digest suggests that because English language learners (ELLs) represent an increasing percentage of students enrolled in U.S. public schools, this group of learners must be considered when such initiatives are implemented. Factors to consider include the selection of appropriate testing accommodations and the accurate interpretation of test results.English Language Learners in the Great City Schools: Survey Results on Students, Languages and Programs
Council of the Great City Schools, 2003
This report examines the characteristics of English Language Learners (ELL) in large urban school districts and documents how many ELLs are enrolled; what languages are most commonly spoken; how ELL enrollments have changed; what instructional programs are used with ELLs; how ELLs are being assessed in language proficiency; and what accommodations are available to ELLs taking academic achievement tests in English.Generation 1.5 Students and College Writing. ERIC Digest
ERIC Clearinghouse on Languagesand Linguistics, 2003
Referred to as generation 1.5 students because they share characteristics of both first- and second-generation immigrants, they do not fit into any of the traditional categories of non-native English speakers enrolled in college writing courses, nor have they been the focus of much research on students learning to write in English as a second language. This digest discusses some of the special needs of generation 1.5 students in the area of writing instruction and explores issues faced by English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and college writing programs in providing these students with appropriate writing instruction at the college level.Hispanic Youth Dropping Out of U.S. Schools: Measuring the Challenge
Pew Hispanic Center, 2003
This report presents new evidence on the number and characteristics of Hispanic high school dropouts in comparison to other high school dropouts. Examining trends over the 1990s based on the latest available Census data, it documents how the aggregate published Hispanic high school status dropout rate overstates the number of Hispanics leaving U.S. secondary schools without graduating. This results from lumping together three subgroups of Hispanic youths: the native-born, foreign-born who attend U.S. schools, and foreign-born who emigrate primarily for employment and do not enroll in U.S. schools. Among the characteristics identified in the report is English-language ability. Lack of English-language ability is a major trait of Latino high school dropouts; almost 40 percent do not speak English well.Impact of Two-Way Bilingual Elementary Programs on Students’ Attitudes Toward School and College
Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence, 2001
The purpose of this study was to examine the influence that participation in a two-way bilingual elementary program has had on former program participants' language and achievement outcomes; current schooling path and college plans; and attitudes toward school, self, and others. Study participants were current high school students who were enrolled in a two-way immersion program during elementary school.The Improving Educational Profile of Latino Immigrants
Pew Hispanic Center, 2002
This study tabulated U.S. Census Bureau survey data to track changes in the educational profile of the adult foreign-born population from 1970-2000. The data measured completed education for individuals over the age of 24 years. A comparison of native-born Americans of any race or ethnicity to Hispanic foreign-born adults from 1970-2000 showed a narrowing gap in the percentage of adults who completed high school and a large but declining percentage of adults in both groups with no more than a primary education. This group with no more than a primary education tended to be older adults. The percentage of native-born college graduates surged in the 1990s. The percentage of adults with high school education grew faster among the foreign-born than among natives. The educational profile of female immigrants improved markedly during the study period.Lessons from Research: What Is the Length of Time it Takes Limited English Proficient Students To Acquire English and Succeed in an All-English Classroom?
National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, 2000
This document provides a brief overview of the results of the recent research and data synthesis funded by the U.S. Department of Education on effective educational approaches that promote the acquisition of English language arts and skills and grade-appropriate content for limited-English-proficient (LEP) students.A National Study of School Effectiveness for Language Minority Students' Long-Term Academic Achievement
Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence, 2002
This longitudinal study examined the education of language minority students in five school districts nationwide. Qualitative data included interviews, school visits, surveys, and source documents. Quantitative data included information from registration centers, language minority student databases, student information systems databases, testing databases, and other federal and state reporting databases.Participation and Performance of English Language Learners Reported in Public State Documents and Web Sites, 1999-2000. LEP Projects Report
National Center on Educational Outcomes, 2002
This report analyzes information from a study that described how data on English language learners (ELLs) were reported nationwide, investigating ELLs' participation rates in and performance on state assessments. Data are reported for state reading and math tests; state writing, science, and social studies tests; and native language and other state tests.Public Education: Meeting the Needs of Students with Limited English Proficiency. Report to Congressional Requesters
U.S. General Accounting Office, 2001
This report examines: how long children with limited English proficiency need to become proficient, what approaches are used to teach them, and what requirements the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) expects school districts to meet. Researchers reviewed available studies; talked to experts; reviewed Department of Education survey data; contacted 12 states with substantial concentrations of limited English proficiency students; conducted site visits in 10 school districts; interviewed OCR officials; reviewed case law and OCR memos; reviewed specific cases for each of five states; and surveyed all 293 districts that had entered into corrective action agreements with OCR to provide services to these students.Research-Supported Accommodation for English Language Learners in NAEP. CSE Technical Report
UCLA/Center for the Study of Evaluation, 2003
Both English language learners (ELLs) and non-ELL students in grades 4 and 8 were tested in mathematics using one of several accommodations during winter 2002. This study compared computer-, customized dictionary-, and extra-time-accommodates test results of ELL and non-ELL students. Test and questionnaire results were examined for 607 students in grade 4 and 542 in grade 8. A reading composite score were used as a covariate, and adjusted scores were obtained.Successful Bilingual Education Programs: Development and the Dissemination of Criteria to Identify Promising and Exemplary Practices in Bilingual Education at the National Level
Intercultural Development Research Association, 2002
A study examined 10 exemplary bilingual educational programs to identify characteristics that contributed to the high academic performance of their students. Twenty-five indicators of success were identified in the areas of school leadership, support, and instructional practices.Topical Summary: Practices for English-Language Learners: An Overview of Instructional Practices for English-Language Learners
Education Development Center, 2000
A realistic appraisal of the empirical database indicates that research findings have failed to provide answers to questions about the importance of native language instruction and the best age and best methods for introducing academic instruction in English. The review suggests that good bilingual programs anchor curriculum goals to vocabulary development; good bilingual programs also use small-group cooperative learning and peer tutoring to enhance learning. They develop the skills of bilingual teachers to use students' native language strategically to reinforce academic content learning. The review concludes that it is beneficial to use students' native language, but it should be done in a strategic manner.What Teachers Need To Know about Language
ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics, 2000
Today's teachers need a thorough understanding of how language figures in education, and for that reason they must receive systematic and intensive preparation in educational linguistics. A thorough grounding in linguistics would support teachers' undertakings overall, and in particular in teaching literacy skills and working with English language learners. If approached coherently, such preparation would also cover many of the desired teacher competencies, relating to skills in assessing children, in individualizing instruction, and in respecting diversity. This paper lays out a rationale for why current and prospective teachers need to know more about language, and what specific sorts of knowledge they need.What Works for the Children? What We Know and Don't Know About Bilingual Education
Civil Rights Project, Harvard University, 2002
Currently, there is no overall strategy for comprehensively addressing the academic needs of English Language Learners (ELLs). Their right to equal opportunities to participate and learn has been recognized by federal law. There is limited evidence regarding bilingual education and effective strategies for educating ELLs. Research indicates that 1 year of English instruction is generally inadequate to prepare ELLs to succeed in general education classes taught only in English. Results from implementing California's 1-year English immersion programs show that these programs are not the success claimed by Unz Initiative proponents. Research indicates that achievement gaps between native English speakers and ELLs are widening, and teachers are seriously demoralized.
The work of the Institute for Urban and Minority Education is supported by Teachers College, government agencies, and private foundations. The staff consists of researchers and educators from many disciplines and fields.
Institute for Urban and Minority Education
Box 75, Teachers College
Columbia University
New York, NY 10027-6696
Telephone: (212)678-3780
Fax: (212)678-4137
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