National Center on Educational Outcomes N C E O Research-based Teaching Strategies to Increase LEP/IEP Student Achievement March 20, 2004 Ann Clapper and.

National Center on Educational Outcomes

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Research-based Teaching Strategies to Increase LEP/IEP

Student Achievement

March 20, 2004Ann Clapper and Halee Vang


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Presenters

Ann Clapper, Ed.D. and MS in Educational Administration with emphasis on curriculum and instruction, Research Associate, Area of research is on impact of large scale assessments on teaching and learning

Halee Vang, Ph.D. Student in Educational Policy and Administration, Research Assistant, Bilingual teacher, MA in Special Education with Emphasis on Migrant Education and Students from Linguistically diverse cultures


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What is the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)?


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• A research center at the University of Minnesota

• Established in 1990• Focuses on designing and building

educational assessments and accountability systems, to monitor educational results for all students, including students with disabilities and English Language Learners


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NCEO Goals

• Research

• Technical Assistance and Dissemination

• Collaboration and Other Leadership Activities


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Target Audiences

• Students, Families, Educators

• Local Administrators, Policymakers, Urban Schools

• National Staff/Policymakers

• Researchers


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Current Initiatives

• Universally-Designed Assessments

• Accommodations

• Large-scale Assessments

• LEP/IEP Instruction


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Overview

• Introduce the instructional project

• Share in more details about each phase of the project and its findings

• Share the tool used in phase 5


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No Child Left Behind State Assessments

State assessments must provide for the participation of all students, including students with disabilities or limited English proficiency


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No Child Left BehindState Assessment Systems

State assessment systems must produce results disaggregated by gender, major racial and ethnic groups, English proficiency, migrant status, and disability.


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No Child Left BehindAdequate Yearly Progress

States must specify annual objectives to measure progress of schools and districts to ensure that all groups of students-including low-income students, students from major racial and ethnic groups, students with disabilities, and students with limited English proficiency-reach proficiency within 12 years.


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Link to Learning

“ If you said to me what is the most important thing about standards and testing, I would say the information it gives us about informing instruction.”


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Link to Learning

“ Well I also think there’s a lot of adjustment on the part of the ELL department, meaning the whole body of teachers out there where you’ve had a model that has said it’s OK to disappear for half an hour a day with this little group of students and do your thing. Now you really cannot do that without some accountability.”


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Link to Learning

“ You can’t pull out when you’ve got 50% of your students are ELL students, you can’t pull them out anymore because you’re pulling out half your class.”


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Linking to Learning

“ I think the mainstream focus is also on the ELL learner rather than just have them be a separate entity and have the ELL Director worry about them. Now the principal of the school has to think, these kids are also being tested and their results go into the whole school results for the whole accountability purpose.”


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Who are the LEP/IEP students?

• Special population of Limited English Proficient students who also have disabilities

• Total estimate is 357,325 for 2002-2003

• The project focuses on three language groups of ELLs with disabilities, Spanish, Hmong, and Somalia


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Why do we need to be concerned about them?


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1. They are a growing population in the US


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2. Limited Language Proficient students with disabilities are scoring poorly on state tests

3. Future negative implications for everyone


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LEP/IEP Instructional Project

Pathways for Promoting the Success of English Language Learners with Disabilities in Standards-Based Education


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A team of researchers working together

• Martha Thurlow, Ph.D. –Director of NCEO• Manuel Barrera, Ph.D.—Lead Researcher• Ann Clapper, Ed. D.--Researcher• Kristi Liu—Project Coordinator• Deb Albus—Researcher• Vitaliy Shyyan—Research Assistant• Halee Vang—Research Assistant• Plus other additional researchers as necessary


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Project Purpose

• To investigate ways that English Language Learners with disabilities can participate meaningfully in, and benefit from, standards-based instruction

• To promote effective practice for successful participation of ELL students with disabilities by improving the alignment of instructional interventions for these students


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Main Project Research Questions

1. What instructional practices do educators (ESL/Bilingual education teachers, special education teachers and general teachers), ELLs with disabilities and their parents, recommend for delivering grade-level, standards-based instruction to ELLs with disabilities in general settings?

2. What are the effects of recommended instructional practices on the performance of ELLs with disabilities in general education settings?


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LEP/IEP Instructional Project Study Components

Phase 1: Analyze statewide assessment data for ELLs with disabilities

Phase 2: Conduct focused brainstorming sessions with groups of teachers to determine recommended teaching strategies the most

Phase 3: Conduct parent group interviews to gain their perceptions on recommended strategies

Phase 4: Conduct focused groups with ELLs with disabilities to learn their perceptions

Phase 5: Implement single-case studies of recommended strategies in classrooms


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Phase 1

Analyze Minnesota statewide assessment data for ELLs with disabilities


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How?

Examined two state math and reading tests:

• Minnesota’s Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) 1999-2000

• Minnesota Basic Standards Tests (MBSTs) 2000-2001


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E OFindings of 2 state tests

The majority of LEP students with disabilities performed at the lowest level for both math and reading, and in many cases, many fail them


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Phase 1 Results Confirmed…

The need for this study to continue


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Phase 2

Conduct focused brainstorming sessions with groups of teachers to determine the recommended teaching strategies used the most


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Phase 2

• Focuses on the identification of appropriate instructional strategies for ELLs with disabilities using educators who are currently working with these students as a resource

• Uses the Multi Attribute Consensus Building Process (MACB) to enable teachers to more objectively and neutrally generate and evaluate ideas about instructional strategies they used in educating ELLs with disabilities


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Data Collection Sites

• Within Minnesota’s school districts

• Gathered data only from schools with sufficient number of ELLs with disabilities

• Predominately suburban schools (3 urban—14 educators and 5 suburban—28 educators)


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Participants

• Educators have taught 5-9 graders who are ELLs or special education students

• Included ESL/Bilingual and special education teachers

• Small groups of 4-7 teachers were formed


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E ODefinition of a strategy

A purposeful activity to engage learners in acquiring new behaviors or knowledge. To be useful for our purposes, an instructional strategy should have clearly defined steps or a clear description of what the teacher does.


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E OTwo Stages in Phase 2

Stage one

• Staff researched the literature and selected five recommended instructional strategies as a starting point for teacher to discuss and generate additional strategies they would recommend


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Initial Glossary

• At first, initial glossary was provided about the selected strategies from the literature

• Later, the teachers generated additional strategies that they have used which were added to the list

• Participants were asked to weight all of the strategies by content areas such as math, science, or reading

• Had them do survey about feasibility and use of strategies


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Stage two

42 educators followed the process of weighting and discussing the strategies and answering surveys about the strategies’ feasibility and use as described in stage one


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Results of Phase 2


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Reading Strategies

28 strategies were weighted and the top five were:– Direct teaching of vocabulary– Teaching pre-, during-, post-reading

strategies– Fluency building, high frequency words– Chunking and questioning aloud– Relating to student experiences


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Math Strategies

20 strategies were weighted and top five were: – Tactile, concrete experiences of math– Daily re-looping of previously learned

materials– Problem solving instruction and task analysis

strategies– Teacher think-aloud– Student think-aloud


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Science Strategies

23 strategies were weighted and top five are: – Hands-on, active participation– Using visuals– Using pictures to demonstrate steps– Using pre-reading strategies in content areas– Modeling/teacher demonstration


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Results of phase 2

Most feasible and use

• Reading strategy—teaching pre, during, and post reading strategies

• Math strategy –tie between adjusted speech and daily re-looping of previously learned materials

• Science strategy—visuals


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What do the findings in phase 2 indicate?

This study provides valuable information about current teachers’ thinking about strategy use with this special population of ELLs with disability, and the influence that shape their decisions


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Phase 3

Conduct parent group interviews to gain their perceptions on recommended strategies


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Reminder: Study focuses on three language groups: Hmong, Spanish, Somalia.

For phase 3, the example of how the study was conducted, processes used, and findings will be with the Hmong language group.


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Participants

• A total of 6 interviews

• Interviews lasted 40-60 minutes

• Five interviews took place in the parents’ homes and one at a community center

• Had children with various disabilities such as physical and multiple disabilities, ADHD, etc.

• All are Hmong parents


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Phase 3

Interview preparation process• Developed culturally and linguistically

appropriate interview format • Had interviews reviewed by cultural advisory

panel• Collaborated with parent advocacy organization

for recruitment of parent participants• Employed bilingual interviewers from language

community


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Interview Preparation Process

• Held informal dinner meetings with advocacy organization prior to the interviews to inform and meet parents

• Interviewed parents in the place of their own choosing—provided transportation and childcare when needed

• Allowed parents to choose language of interview• Emphasized parents were experts on their

children and are partners in helping us


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During the Interview…

We asked the parents to describe:

• Their family and home life

• Their child’s school life

• Their own perceptions about the schools where the children attend

• Their own perceptions about the child and the community environment


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E ODuring the Interview …

• Had parents listen to the sample reading and descriptions of activities the teacher will use to teach the hypothetical child

• Asked questions using the hypothetical child what they thought if the child was taught in English and then in Hmong

• Then we asked the parents to comment on their own children if their child was taught in English and then Hmong


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Sample of activities described

The teacher decided to help her improve her reading in English by doing the following activities:

Before reading• Have Mai read from a book other students are reading to see what

words she can read and what words she needs to learn.• Gave Mai a story outline and review the story with her.During reading• Explain the kind of story it is and show how the story looks.• Show Mai how to read the words.After reading• The teacher helps students make a story map including key ideas in

the story. • Teaches students like Mai how to study key words and ideas about

the story.


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Sample Questions

Questions about hypothetical child

• What do you think about the teacher using English to teach the child how to read?

• How well do you think the before learning activities will work for Mai? Really great, okay, not so well? What else should the teacher do? (Repeat same questions for the during and after learning activities.)


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E OSample Questions Cont.

Questions about the parent’s child• What do you think about the teacher using

English to teach your child how to read? • What do you think about the teacher using

Hmong to teach your child?• How well do you think the during learning

activities will work for your child? (Repeat same questions for the before and after activities.)


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What did the Hmong parents say?


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What do you think about the teacher using English to teach the child how to read?

All of the parents responded that using English is good


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How well do you think the activities the teacher used before reading will work?

All of the respondents agreed that the learning activities will work great


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What do you think about the teacher using Hmong to teach the child how to read?

Most of the parents are reluctant about the teacher using only Hmong to teach the child. They prefer that both English and Hmong are used instead of just Hmong.


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Is there anything else you would like to share with us about your child at school?

• My child’s learning seems to be improving.• It’s not okay to plan my child’s IEP without me.• The teacher said my child understands work but

won’t do it. Teacher should make my child do work.

• My child talks a lot, teacher should remind her to stop talking and do work.


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“I want the teachers to help my child read more than anything else, so that she will remember things better. Even if one does not think as well as another, the one that can read is one that will go further in Education.” --Non-English speaking parent


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Phase 3 Results indicated

• The voices of Hmong parents have never been heard before nor have they been successful sought out.

• Hmong parents do share the same concerns about their children’s education as mainstream parents despite cultural and linguistic barriers.

• Hmong parents are in tune and aware of the struggles of seeking an equitable education for their children with disabilities.

• Most importantly, they care deeply for their children’s education despite their children’s disabilities and desire to work with educators to improve their children’s life chances.


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Phase 4

Conduct small focused group sessions with ELLs with disabilities to learn their perceptions


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Phase 4 continues…

Focused brainstorming sessions consist:• Small groups of 4-7 ELLs with disabilities• Last about two hours• Take place in the same school building• Students who participated in study are given a

gift certificate of $20 each• Staff who assisted with study are also given

some gift certificates in same amounts


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Focused brainstorming sessions are conducted for the purpose of getting input from the ELLs with disabilities on teaching strategies that they use when teaching grade level content to them


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Phase 4

Currently, we have conducted two focused groups and are continuing to schedule more study groups with ELLs with disabilities


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Phase 5

Implement single-case studies of recommended strategies in classrooms


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Phase 5

Where are we in the process?


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Phase 5

• The team of researchers got together and decided through group consensus how to best go about selecting the best strategies that could be operationalized for implementation.

• So far, 3 math strategies and 3 reading strategies have been selected and they are being operationalized based on the literature.


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Six Strategies

Math• Problem Solving• Teacher Think Aloud• Student Developed GlossaryReading• Chunking and Questioning• Graphic Organizers• Reciprocal Teaching


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Next…

• Meeting to clearly define those six strategies and begin identifying the possible schools for teachers to implement those strategies

• Making decisions about which school districts would be most feasible in implementing those strategies without difficult bureaucracy


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E OInnovation Configuration

Definition

A description of how a program, practice or innovation looks in actual practice


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E OInnovation Configuration

Elements

• Component

• Role

• Levels

• Variations


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Project Summary

Phase 1: Analyzed statewide assessment data for ELLs with disabilities and found that they scored lowest of all students, indicating the need for this study to continue.

Phase 2: Conducted focused brainstorming sessions with groups of teachers to determine recommended teaching strategies most preferred and used, and created a list of strategies for three content areas, math, science and reading.


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Project Summary

Phase 3: Conducted parent group interviews to gain their perceptions on recommended strategies and found that parents thought the strategies used in the study of phase 3 would work well in teaching their children. This finding reveals that ELL parents have a lot to say about the education of their children and want to share them.


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Project Summary

Phase 4: Conduct focused groups with ELLs with disabilities to learn their perceptions. This phase of study is on-going.

Phase 5: Implement single-case studies of recommended strategies in classrooms and this phase is still in the planning stage.


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Educators face some challenges in trying to educate ELLs with disabilities

• Involving and communicating with parents

• Disconnect between teachers and parents

• Low performance of students

• Low expectations for students with disabilities


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E OThis project attempts to

• Close the disconnect between parents and teachers with the strategies learned

• Encourage educators to examine their roles and determine what they can do to improve the education of ELLs with disabilities

• Identify effective instructional strategies to improve the outcomes for ELLs with disabilities

National Center on Educational Outcomes N C E O Research-based Teaching Strategies to Increase LEP/IEP Student Achievement March 20, 2004 Ann Clapper and.

Documents

educational assessments

educational outcomes

research center

educational administration

educational results

educational policy

halee vang national

groups of students