Reading, Mathematics, and Science Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners with Disabilities: Insights from Educators Nationwide. ELLs with Disabilities Report 19

This study, conducted in 2005-06, identified teacher-initiated instructional strategies currently preferred by practitioners who daily work with English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities. The findings generated in this study could potentially confirm strategies identified in the authors...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNational Center on Educational Outcomes, University of Minnesota
Main Authors Barrera, Manuel, Shyyan, Vitaliy, Liu, Kristi K, Thurlow, Martha L
Format Report
LanguageEnglish
Published National Center on Educational Outcomes 01.09.2008
Subjects
Academic Standards
Best Practices
Disabilities
Educational Improvement
Educational Indicators
Educational Strategies
English (Second Language)
Federal Legislation
Federal Programs
Junior High Schools
Mathematics Instruction
Middle Schools
No Child Left Behind Act 2001
Reading Instruction
Science Instruction
Second Language Learning
Special Education
Teacher Attitudes
Teaching Methods
Theory Practice Relationship
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Summary:This study, conducted in 2005-06, identified teacher-initiated instructional strategies currently preferred by practitioners who daily work with English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities. The findings generated in this study could potentially confirm strategies identified in the authors' earlier work (Thurlow et al., 2004) through the perspective of educators who have had observed success in meeting grade-level academic standards and adequate yearly progress demonstrated through statewide academic assessments. Second, new strategies specific to these hypothesized successful settings could be identified, thereby providing a wider range of potential methods. Third, the compiled strategies might provide a way to examine congruities and incongruities between established research and the perceptions of successful practice by those who actually work with these students every day. Finally, the identified strategies might provide a way to operationalize what researchers in this field are finding through their systematic examinations. This study focused on the instructional strategies employed at the middle and junior high school level. Teaching and learning at the middle school level have been found particularly challenging, perhaps because the curriculum places greater cognitive demands on emerging adolescents at a developmental stage when students, especially those who have already been struggling, can be at higher risk for academic failure. ELLs with disabilities could be at particular risk given the combination of learning challenges they may encounter during the middle school years. Appended to this report are glossaries of all reading, science, and mathematics strategies. (Contains 7 tables and 6 figures.) [The "Building and Verifying Effective Instruction through Consensus for English Language Learners with Disabilities" project is supported by a grant from the Research to Practice Division, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education.]