National Center on Educational Outcomes N C E O Strategies and Tools for Teaching English Language Learners with Disabilities April 9, 2005 Kristi Liu.

National Center on Educational Outcomes

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Strategies and Tools for Teaching English Language

Learners with Disabilities

April 9, 2005Kristi Liu and Ann Clapper


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Session Overview

• Who we are

•Research on strategies for ELLs with disabilities

In general

Our own

• Research to practice


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E ONational Center on Educational

Outcomes (NCEO)NCEO provides national leadership in the participation of students with disabilities in national and state assessments,

standards-setting efforts,

and graduation requirements


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NCLB State Assessments

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


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NCLB State 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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NCLB Adequate Yearly Progress

States must specify annual objectives to measure progress of schools and district 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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No mention of English language learners with disabilities!


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Why are we concerned about this group?

• Population 357,325 in 2002-2003 (9% of ELLs)

• Statewide test scores lower than either ELLs or Students with disabilities

• More ELLs instructed in mainstream courses taught in English -- tendency increased for students with disabilities


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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.”

--Minnesota teacher


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We have to find better ways to teach these students in mainstream settings

“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.” -- Minnesota teacher


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RESEARCH ON STRATEGIES

• Gersten, R., Baker, S., and Marks, S. (1998). Teaching English language learners with learning difficulties: Guiding principles and examples from research-based practice. ERIC Document 427 448.


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Our researchLEP/IEP Strategies Project

PROJECT PURPOSE

To provide research-based knowledge to educators on the topic of instructional strategies that help middle school ELLs with disabilities achieve in standards-based content classrooms


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Research Questions

• What strategies are specified in state middle school documents that support instruction of ELLs with disabilities?

• In schools throughout the U.S. that are making greater than average progress with ELLs, what instructional strategies do teachers recommend for improving the academic achievement of middle school and junior high ELLs with disabilities in standards-based content instruction?

• How, and to what degree, are state standards that specify instructional strategies translated into practice by educational leaders at the school level?


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Our Research LEP/IEP Instructional Project

PROJECT PURPOSE

•To investigate ways that ELLs with disabilities can participate meaningfully in, and benefit from, standards based instruction.

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


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Research Questions

1. What instructional practices do educators (ESL/Bilingual education teachers, special education teachers and general teachers) 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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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 OPhase 1: Math results

Top 5 strategies in weighting: – Tactile, concrete experiences of math– Daily re-looping of previously learned

materials– Problem solving instruction and task analysis

strategies– Teacher think-alouds– Student think-alouds


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Math Results cont.

Most feasible and most used

• Adjusted speech

• Daily re-looping of previously learned materials.


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Some overall findings

• No common understanding of what a strategy is.

• In general teachers were neutral or positive about all strategies.

• Use of the native language was not mentioned frequently


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• The top three strategies varied little across types of teachers.

• Curriculum-based probes or Curriculum based measurement was the most variable

• Teachers were influenced by a variety of factors in weighting : Research Data, Setting, Content Area, Individual Student Variables, Personal Experience, and Study Design.


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E OCurrent Phase (2005)

1-1 (teacher to student) studies of recommended strategies

• Think alouds• Problem solving

instruction• Student developed

glossary


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What does the research mean for me?


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Tools for teachers

• Training modules on strategies

• Videoclips of strategy use

• Posters of strategy steps

• Innovation

Configuration Maps


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Innovation Configuration MapDefinition

A description of how

a program, practice,

or innovation looks

in actual practice.


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Innovation Configuration MapElements

• Component

• Role

• Levels

• Variations


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Links to Standards for School Mathematics

Communication

Instructional programs from prekindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to:

• Organize and consolidate their mathematical thinking through communication

• Communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others

• Analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others

• Use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely


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www.nceo.info

Kristi Liu, (612.626.9061)

[email protected]

Ann Clapper, (612.625.6032)

[email protected]

National Center on Educational Outcomes N C E O Strategies and Tools for Teaching English Language Learners with Disabilities April 9, 2005 Kristi Liu.

Documents

disabilities slide

national leadership

educational outcomes

ann clapper national

groups of students

participation of students

practice slide

lowincome students