0 CASE STUDY PAPER Arlene Burnett

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO Doctoral Program Arlene Burnett Webit31@aol.com 144-36 223rd Street Day Telephone: Evening Telephone: 718-712-4464 718-712-4464 (EST)

Student:

Assignment Title: Date of Submission: Assignment Due Date:

Assignment 3- Research Case Study December 11, 2011 December 11,, 2011

Course: Section Number: Semester: Course Instructor:

EDL 7120 K11 Fall 2011 Margret Trybus

Certification of Authorship: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I also have cited any sources from which I used data, ideas, or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for the purpose of this assignment, as directed.

Student s Signature:

Arlene Burnett [Digital signature]

1 CASE STUDY PAPER Arlene Burnett

Introduction and Problem Statement In the United States of America (USA), the demographics are constantly changing because of the diverse ethnic groups migrating to the country. Calderon, Slavin and Sanchez (2011) state that the fastest growing student population in the U.S. schools today is children of immigrants, half of whom do not speak English fluently and are thus labeled English Learners (p. 103). The authors further noted that 10.6 percent of the nations K-12 public school enrollment was classified English Language Learners (ELLs). What Works Clearing House (WWC, 2007) defines English language Learners as students with a primary language other than English who have a limited range of speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills in English. ELLs also include students identified and determined by their school as having limited English proficiency and a language other than English spoken at home. Consequently, the federal government requires school districts to take affirmative steps to help students overcome language barriers, so that they can participate meaningfully in school programs. Participation in school programs will help the ELLs acquire the skills necessary to function in society and experience academic success. The implication for educators is that there are many non-English-speaking students at the middle school level who need to acquire the English language. This was substantiated by Slavin and Cheung (2004) when they say that English language learners--students who come from homes in which a language is spoken other than English--are among one of the fastest growing student populations in United States schools (p. 52). According to the Office of English Language Learners, in the fall of 2002, New York City unveiled the Children First Reform agenda aimed at improving education for ELLs by (a) aligning ELL programs to the new ELA
Comment [TMA1]: I would put this in italics.

2 CASE STUDY PAPER Arlene Burnett

curriculum standards, and (b) building capacity of teachers to deliver highly qualified instruction for ELL students. As per the mandate from the New York City Department of Education, after one year in school, ELLs are expected to not only sit the New York State English Language Arts (ELA) exam, but they are expected to perform as well as their native English-speaking peers. Calderon, Slavin and Sanchez posit that ELLs in middle and high school presents the most problem as they are expected to master complex content often with minimal background knowledge and preparation. In spite of their striking diversity, ELLs in middle schools continue to be lumped into the same English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom, with one teacher attempting to address the needs of students with varied English proficiency reading skills. This presents a problem worth investigating because very often teachers are unprepared to address the varied needs of these students resulting in the need for increased teacher preparation. The purpose of the study was to investigate what middle schools can do to improve the reading comprehension skills of ELLs. This purpose came about because a review of middle school Xs scholarship data revealed there is a need to fix an existing and growing problem in the school. Middle School X is a six through eight school located in an academically disadvantaged neighborhood in Brooklyn. The student enrollment for the school year 2011-2012 is 436. Fifty six of those students are classified ELL and are enrolled in the ESL program. The ELL students come from families that speak Haitian Creole, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Bengali. Middle School X provides free standing ESL services with native language support in Arabic, Spanish, Haitian Creole and French. Twenty of the ELL students are beginners, 14 are intermediate and 20 are at the advanced level of proficiency on the New York State English as a Second Language Assessment Test (NYSESLAT). Middle School X continues to struggle with making its Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) because the ELL students are not able to achieve
Comment [TMA2]: is

3 CASE STUDY PAPER Arlene Burnett

proficiency on the States ELA exam. It is important that interventions be introduced at the school level in an effort to assist the ELLs population in improving their performances on the ELA examination. Research Questions To assist the needs of the ELL students in middle school X, a review of literature was conducted to address the major question. The main question that will be addressed in the review of the literature is: How can Middle Schools help English Language Learners become proficient in English? By addressing this question there will be other research that will be relevant to the main topic. Additional research will attempt to address the following questions: What skills are needed to help the ELLs build English Proficiency? What strategies and teaching practices are suited for the teaching of ELLs? What programs and interventions are available for helping ELLs learn to read? and, What professional development do teachers need to teach the ELLs? Review of the Literature English Language Learners (ELLs) According to Slavin & and Cheung (2004) say that ELL students come from homes in which a language is spoken other than English. The authors also say that this group present one of the fastest growing student populations in American schools. These students are categorized as bilingual. They are expected by family members to retain their native language in order to communicate with the family and acquire the English language all at the same time. Fitzgerald (2002) noted that the success of the ELL student population in the United States (U.S.A.) hinges on their acquisition of English and the speed at which they acquire literacy skills. In a carefully documented study, Bifuh-Ambe (2009) examined how a foreign-born

4 CASE STUDY PAPER Arlene Burnett

English language Learner with limited English proficiency acquired literacy skills as well as the strategies that the student used to comprehend the subject matter in a mainstream curriculum. The recency of the study caught my attention and what I learned from this study confirmed information read in other studies and articles. The study reports that as ELLs transition into mainstream curriculum, they encounter difficulties in the areas of (a) receptive and expressive language, (b) writing, (c) comprehension of content area material, and (d) teaching, learning, and assessment models. The findings suggest that ELLs could benefit from detailed instruction in the areas of basic interpersonal communicative language skills, study skills, and vocabulary building. Mastery of these skills will help to minimize some of the frustrations faced by ELLs in mainstream curricula. What skills are needed to help the ELLs build English Proficiency? Reading is said to be a complex act of communication in which a number of variable interact to aid comprehension (Roe, Smith, & Burns, 2005). Much of the materials reviewed established that word recognition, vocabulary, sentence difficulty, and text awareness of text, are important determinants of comprehension. In addition, it is said that reading comprehension is heavily influenced by the readers schema, sensory and perceptual abilities, and motivation. As a result, the study conducted by Roe, Smith, & Burns, noted that when teaching reading, it is important to use instructional approaches that will help readers develop the requisite decoding skills, and vocabulary necessary for proficient reading. A study conducted by Slavin and Madden (1999) demonstrated that the development of word reading skills through phonics instruction combined with activities to build meaning helps to improve the reading skills in ELLs.

5 CASE STUDY PAPER Arlene Burnett

Genishi, Stires, and Yung-Chan (2001), in a study on Asian immigrant children in New York City, focused on children learning English as a Second Language (ESL) and also the teachers role in helping the children expand their vocabularies through experience with common objects. The study concluded that it is necessary to provide children with multiple ways of gaining entry into literacy in a meaningful social context. In a balanced child-centered and curriculum-oriented environment, children can thrive and develop to be effective communicators. The findings of this study on Asian children are useful to middle school X
because the students in the subject school study were also ELLs and therefore some of the

strategies used by Genishi et al. are applicable and could be used by middle school X teachers to help ELL students form a bridge between their native language and English. According to research further research conducted by Williams (2001) in the area of language development, there is a continuum of language development beginning with basic conversational skills and continuing toward academic language proficiency. Further, Williams define language development as a distinction between interpersonal communications skills and cognitive academic language proficiency (p. 751). The beginning level usually takes an ELL student two to three years to develop proficiency in communicative language. The beginning level of language development includes such skills as comparing, classifying, inferring, problem solving, and evaluating. Success in school depends on proficiency at this beginning level, and that could take between five to ten years to achieve (Collier, 1989; Collier & Thomas, 1989; Krashen & Biber, 1988). According to Williams (2001), the reason ELL students take so long to develop language skills are based on the following: Sixty percent of the English words used in text come from Greek and Latin sources, while the bulk of conversational vocabulary originates from Anglo-Saxon lexicon. The Greco-Latin vocabulary tends to have multiple syllables and low frequency; the Anglo-

6 CASE STUDY PAPER Arlene Burnett

Saxon words tend to be one to two syllables and of high frequency. Because most of the language that students encounter in the books is from the multisyllabic Greco-Latin origin, the reason that academic language ability takes longer to develop becomes more understandable. Furthermore, Spanish-speaking students may more easily understand the connections between English and Latin because Spanish is rooted in Latin. (p. 751) double space the quote. As many studies attest, vocabulary is the first important step towards school success for ELLs. Vocabulary instruction contributes to the overall effective instruction by developing students phonological awareness and reading comprehension. Vocabulary must be taught explicitly in all subject areas before, during and after reading. Students benefit when teachers provide rich, language experiences; teach individual words, noun phrases, teach word-learning strategies such as prefix and suffix, and provide examples of word use (Calderon, Slavin, and Sanchez, 2011). What Strategies and Teaching practices are suited for teaching the ELLs? The increased diversity in City classrooms have prompted much attention to the challenges associated with educating this student population. Allison and Rehm (2007) states that meeting the needs of diverse students will continue to be even more challenging for middle school teachers because they must deal with the unique developmental changes that occur during this time (p. 1). The authors went on to say that in order to adequately service this population, middle school teachers must become educated about and skilled in using pedagogy that is sensitive and responsive to the academic and developmental needs of these students. Wallace (2007), states that it is necessary for ELLs to know the meaning of basic words. These basic words are referred to as Tier1 words. A lack of Tier1 words will inevitable impede comprehension for the ELL students. One means of providing this assistance is through readalouds, followed by teacher-directed language development activities.

7 CASE STUDY PAPER Arlene Burnett

Stahl and Kuhn (2002) conducted a study on early reading achievement to find out which approach, repeated reading or assisted reading, was more effective with ELLs. They concluded that repeated reading and assisted reading had impacted the students reading achievement differently. Examination revealed that there were clear differences in favor of assisted reading. Repeated reading did not seem to make an impact on childrens oral reading and comprehension skills. Stahl and Kuhn further found that modeling, as well as teacher monitoring, was helpful in promoting oral reading and comprehension skills. Administrators and teachers at middle school X could learn from the findings of Stahl and Kuhns study that modeling is helpful in promoting oral reading. Studies conducted by Hammadou, 2000; Jenkins et al., 2003; Stahl & Kuhn, 2002 demonstrated assisted reading, modeling, and teacher monitoring as effective ways of improving reading comprehension skills. Therefore, the same strategies revealed could be incorporated in the ELL instruction to help raise the oral reading and comprehension skill levels of the ELL students at middle school X. Solari and Gerber (2008), referenced (Beck, Perfetti, & McKeown, 1982) highlighting the importance of English oral language and English decoding skills as predictors for later English reading comprehension of ELLs. In the same study, Solari also referenced (Ulanoff & Pucci, 1999) and agrees that research with bilingual children found that building background knowledge of children in their native language before having them read an English passage helped with vocabulary development. Building on studies conducted by (Droop & Verhoeven, 2003; Hoover & Gough, 1990; Proctor et.al., 2005), Martinez and Lesaux, (2010) conducted a longitudinal study to examine the influence of word reading and vocabulary skills students English comprehension achievement. Consistent with previous work, the authors hypothesized that word reading and vocabulary skills would be a predictor of reading comprehension.

8 CASE STUDY PAPER Arlene Burnett

Childrens vocabulary and word reading skills were assessed six times between pre-school and the fifth grade. Results of the study showed that both vocabulary and word reading were predictors of reading comprehension. However, vocabulary showed a slightly stronger influence on reading comprehension than word reading. Martinez and Lesaux emphasized that because the exposure to English for an ELL may be largely confined to the regular school day, and because it is not possible to teach these students all the words needed for text comprehension, explicit instruction in word knowledge coupled with instruction to promote word learning must be provided to ELLs on a daily basis. The use of visual aids, peer tutoring, cooperative learning, bilingual dictionaries and glossaries, and alternative modes of assessment were also noted as successful strategies for use with ELLs (Allison & Rehm, 2007; Bauer & Arazi, 2011). If these strategies are adopted and used with fidelity by the teachers in middle school X, they should help Ells break through the language barriers. Although these suggestions can be used in any English classroom, with ELL students, it takes on new significance or added meaning (Stahl & Kuhn, 2002). The following suggestions were made to teachers as ways of alleviating some of the roadblocks faced by ELLs in the mainstream classroom on a daily basis (Williams, 2001; Fitzgerald, 2002; Garcia and Tyler, 2010). 1. Structure learning activities to be context rich in order to scaffold both languages and academic development; activate and build background knowledge; use pictures, objects, demonstrations, and graphic organizers; and use language for meaningful purposes. 2. Encourage students to substitute words from their native language in Spanish, French, or Haitian Creole for unknown English words.

9 CASE STUDY PAPER Arlene Burnett

3. 4.

Establish a risk-free classroom environment that respects diversity. Check for reading comprehension often and use caution when interpreting a students skill in decoding.

5.

Realize that language proficiency refers to listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and that children vary in the rate and manner in which they develop proficiency in each of these areas.

6. 7. 8.

Immerse ELLs in reading and writing. Speak clearly, provide plenty of wait time, and give clear directions. Avoid the assumption that students understand almost everything that goes on in the classroom based on their conversational level.

9. 10. 11.

Read aloud to students every day. Use teacher-directed mini-lessons to review/reinforce word meanings. Teach students content-specific language and symbols as well as strategies to comprehend technical language and increase engagement with text (e.g., paraphrasing).

12.

Provide opportunities for oral language development (e.g., interactions with peers and native English speakers). Need a page number for direct quote.

What programs and interventions are available for helping ELLs? Slavin and Cheung (2004), posits that the debate continues about how English Language Learners should be taught to read. There is a controversy among educators regarding the optimal education for ELLs regarding whether they should be taught to read in their native language first and then in the English language or whether they should be taught to read in English from the outset with appropriate support. The authors suggest that three alternatives have been proposed:

10 CASE STUDY PAPER Arlene Burnett

Structured English Immersion (SEI), Traditional Bilingual Education (TBE), and Two-Way Bilingual Education (TWB). In a longitudinal randomized study aimed at comparing the alternative approaches, 390 Spanish dominant students were assigned to be taught reading using either SEI or TBE. Another 285 students were assigned to be taught using SEI and TWB. All the students were taught using the program Success for All. The study was well documented and the results indicated that students who were taught using SEI scored much better in English while those who were taught in TBE scored better in Spanish. Students in TWB classes scored much better in Spanish than those in SEI, but the two groups were identical in English measures. U.S. public schools have relied on a number of approaches and programs to educate ELLs. Consistent and reliable research findings point to the superiority of bilingual education over all English instruction ( Slavin and Cheung, 2003; Rolstad, Mahoney and Glass 2005). Advocates of native language or bilingual instruction argues that schools must first teach reading in students native language, and only when the student has developed substantial proficiency in spoken English should he or she be introduced to English-only reading instruction. In addition, Slavin and Cheung (2004) states that some opponents of bilingual education advocated delaying reading instruction in English as counter-productive and that Englishonly instruction, with such supports as instruction in vocabulary, is a more effective approach. These findings were also corroborated by other studies (Gersten, 1985; Rossell & Baker, 1996). Linan-Thompson et al. (2003) conducted a study of 26 ELL students considered at risk for reading difficulties. These students were identified by their teachers and provided with intensive reading intervention in English for 13 weeks for a total of 58 sessions. LinanThompson et al. incorporated supplemental reading instruction daily for 30 minutes per day individually or in groups of two or three students. According to Linan-Thompson et al.,

11 CASE STUDY PAPER Arlene Burnett

Students oral reading fluency, phonemic segmentation, fluency, nonsense word reading, and reading comprehension were assessed prior to, immediately after, and on two subsequent occasions, following intervention 4 weeks and 4 months (p. 221). In addition, the students made significant gains from pre- to posttest on the outcome measures of word attack, passage comprehension, phonemic segmentation fluency, and oral reading fluency. In 2007, What Works Clearing house (WWC) conducted a review of 12 English intervention programs and practices to determine their potential effect on English Language Learners in grades K-6. The review focused on three outcome domains: reading achievement, mathematic achievement, and English language development The 12 programs reviewed are:

(1) Arthur, (2) Bilingual Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition, (3) Enhanced Proactive Reading, (4) Fast ForWord Language, (5) Instructional Conversations and Literature Logs, (6) Peer Tutoring and Response Groups, (7) Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies, (8) Read naturally, (9) Read Well, (10) Reading Mastery, (11) Success for All, and (12) Vocabulary Improvement Program. Of the 12, Bilingual Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition, Instructional Conversations and Literature Logs, and Vocabulary Improvement Program produced potentially positive effects on reading achievement and English language development. Eight other programs and practices had potentially positive effects on one domain and one had no recognizable effects in two domains. What professional development do teachers need to teach the ELLs? ONeil, Ringler and Rodriguez, (2007) reminds readers that the effectiveness of who delivers the instruction to Ells is often ignored. Cummins (1997) states, teacher education institutions...have sent teachers into the classroom with minimal information regarding patterns

12 CASE STUDY PAPER Arlene Burnett

of language and social development among such pupils and few pedagogical strategies for helping pupils learn (p. 110). There is a call for a coherent approach to educating teachers so that they are culturally responsive to the academic and social needs of the ELLs. King, Fagan, Bratt, and Baer (1987) states that even though the decision made regarding curriculum development and program implementation is important, the key to successful learning on the students part is the teacher. The authors point out that teachers of ESL students should have knowledge of second language acquisition and ESL methodology. According to reviews of professional development studies, teachers who work with ELLs felt inadequately prepared to address the linguistic needs of the learners. They also found that professional development most helpful when it provided hands-on practice, in class demonstrations, and personalized coaching. Calderon, Slavin, and Sanchez, document that teachers became more effective in the classroom after receiving training in eight strategies: instruction via planning, student engagement, vocabulary building and fluency, oral language development, literacy development, reading comprehension, parental support and involvement, and reflective practice through portfolio development. Experts on teacher education agree that effective teaching is critical to student learning. Consequently, teachers of ELLs must be adequately trained in hands-on pedagogy to help foster cultural and linguistic awareness so that the needs of the ELL population can be met.

Arlene. This is a very good paper. You typically do not have headings that are questions..so you might consider changing them to statements.

13 CASE STUDY PAPER Arlene Burnett

You could use a conclusion at the end that goes back to addressing the questions and summarizes the main points.

Be sure all the references are in the body of the paper or dont include them. References Allison, B. N., & Rehm, M. L. (2007). Effective teaching strategies for middle school learners in multicultural, multilingual classrooms. Middle School Journal, 39(2), 12-18. Bailey, A.L., & Haung, B. H. (2011). Do current English language development/proficiency standards reflect the English needed for success in school? Language Testing, 28(3), 343-365. Bauer, E. B., & Arazi, J. (2011). Promoting literacy development for beginning English Learners. The Reading Teacher, 64(5), 383-386. Bifuh-Ambe, E. (2009). Literacy skills acquisition and use: A study of an English language learner in a U.S. university context. Adult Basic Education and Literacy Journal, 31(1), 24-33. Retrieved November 18, 2011 from ERIC database Calderon, M., Slavin, R., & Sanchez, M. (2011). Effective instruction for English language learners. Future of Children, 21(1), 103-127. Collier, V. P. (1989). How long? A synthesis of research on academic achievement in second language. TESOL Quarterly, 23, 509-531.

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Collier, V. P., & Thomas, W. P. (1989). How quickly can immigrants become proficient in school English? Journal of Educational Issues of Language Minority Students, 5, 26-38. Cunnins, J. (1997). Cultural and linguistic diversity in education: A mainstream issue. Education Review, 49(2), 105-114. Fitzgerald, J. (2002). Reading instruction in the elementary school: A book of readings (3rd Ed.). Acton, MA: Copley Custom. Genishi, C., Stires, S. E., & Yung-Chan, D. (2001). Writing in an integrated curriculum: Prekindergarten English language learners as symbols makers. Elementary School Journal, 101, 399-417. Hammadou, J. (2000). The impact of analogy and content knowledge on reading comprehension: What helps, what hurts? Modern Language Journal, 84, 38-50. Garcia, S. B., Tyler, B. J. (2010). Meeting the needs of English language learners with learning disabilities in the general curriculum. Theory Into Practice, 49:113-120. Gersten, R. (1985). Structured immersion for language minority students results of a longitudinal evaluation. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 7, 87-196. Hammadou, J. (2000). The impact of analogy and content knowledge on reading comprehension: What helps, what hurts? Modern Language Journal, 84, 38-50. Jenkins, J. R., Fuchs, L. S., Van Den Broek, P., Espin, C., & Deno, S. L. (2003). Sources of individual differences in reading comprehension and reading fluency. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 719-729.

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King, M., Fagan, B., Bratt, T., & Bare, R. (1987). ESL through content- area instruction. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Krashen, S., & Biber, D. (1988). On course: Bilingual educations success in California. Sacramento, CA: California Association for Bilingual Education. Linan-Thompson, S., Vaughn, S., Hickman-Davis, P., & Kouzekanani, K. (2003). Effictiveness of supplemental reading instruction for second-grade English learners with reading difficulties. Elementary School Journal, 103, 221-228. Martinez, J. M., & Lesaux, N. K. (2010). Predictors of reading comprehension for struggling readers: The case of Spanish-speaking language minority learners. Journal of Educational Psychology. 102(3), 701-711. Proctor, C., Carlos, M., August, D., & Snow, C. (2005). Native Spanish-speaking children reading English: toward a model of comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97(2), 246-256. Rodriguez, D., Ringler, M. C., & ONeal, D. (2007). Factors that influence academic performance of English language learners and implications for instructional leaders. The Rural Educator. (Manuscript submitted for publication). Roe, B. D., Smith, S. H., & Burns, P. C. (2005). Teaching reading in todays elementary schools. (9th Ed.). Boston: Houston Mifflin. Rolstad, K., Mahoney, K., & Glass, G. V. (2005). The big picture: A meta-analysis of

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program effectiveness research on English language learners. Educational Policy. 19(4), 572-594. Roshell, H., & Baker, K. (1996). The effectiveness of bilingual education. Research in Teaching of English. 30(10), 7-74. Santos, M. & Infante, A. (2009). The Performance of New York Citys English language learners. Office of English Language Learners: N.Y. Slavin, R. E., & Madden, N. A. (1999). Effects of bilingual and English as a second language adaptation of Success For All on the reading achievement of students acquiring English. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 4(4), 393-416. Slavin, R. E., & Cheung, A. (2003). Effective reading programs for English Language Learners: A best- Evidenced Synthesis. Baltimore, MD: Center for Research on the Education of Studnets Placed At Risk, John Hopkins University: Retrieved Nov. 11, 2011 from http://www.cscoc.jhu.edu/crespar/techReports/Report66.pdf Slavin, E., & Cheung, A. (2004). How do English language learners learn to read? Educational Leadership, 61(6), 52-57. Solari, E. J., & Gerber, M. M. (2008). Early comprehensioninstruction for Spanish-speaking English language learners: Teaching text-level reading skills while maintaining effects on word-level skills. Learning disabilities Research & Practice, 23(4), 155-168.

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Stahl, S. A., & Kuhn, M. R. (2002). Center for the improvement of early reading achievements. The Reading Teacher, 55, 582-584. Varela, Elizabeth. (2010). Mainstreaming ELLs into grade-level classes. Teaching Tolerance, 37, 49-52. Wallace, C. (2007). Vocabulary: The key to teaching English language learners to read. Reading Improvement. 44(4), 189-193. What Works Clearinghouse (2007). English Language Learners. Retrieved November 11, 2011 from www.whatworks.ed.gov. Williams, J. A. (2001). Classrooms conversations: Opportunities to learn for ESL students in mainstream classrooms. The Reading Teacher, 54, 750-75.