Researching English Language and Literacy Development in Schools

• Published in: Educational researcher Vol. 33; no. 3; pp. 14 - 25
• Main Author: Hawkins, Margaret R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thousand Oaks, CA American Educational Research Association 01.04.2004; Sage Publications
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Academic learning; Academic Standards; Children; Classroom interaction; Communities; Education; Educational Policy; Educational Research; Educational Researchers; English (Second Language); English as a second language; English as a second language learning; English language learners; Federal Legislation; Immigrant students; Immigrants; Language; Language Acquisition; Language Skills; Literacy; Minority Group Children; Native language acquisition; No Child Left Behind Act 2001; Rhetoric; Schools; Second Language Learning; Social interaction; Student Participation; Teachers; Teaching Methods; England; New York; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US
• ISSN: 0013-189X; 1935-102X
• DOI: 10.3102/0013189X033003014

There is a curious disjuncture in the current discourse(s) on the schooling of immigrant and minority students. The official discourse, as has been communicated through the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 rhetoric and the concomitant focus on standards and assessment, says that minority children, especially English language learners (ELLs) must gain "standard" English language skills in an unreasonably short time frame, while achieving on par with native English speaking students in academic content areas. Policy decisions at federal, state, and local levels are being made without input from educational researchers and professionals who have expertise in these areas. However, even within educational circles there is heated debate about how best to educate ELLs, and what "best practices" and "best programs" look like.