Summary Report: Similar English Learner Students, Different Results:
September 2007 16 pages
Free download
This 16-page report summarizes a research analysis examining which instructional practices had a positive relationship with the achievement of low-income, English learner students as measured by the English Learner Academic Performance Index (EL-API) and other achievement tests. The report also provides additional information to help make sense of the findings.
Based on a research study that surveyed teachers and principals in 237 California elementary schools, four broad, interrelated school practices proved significant when looking through the lens of California’s EL–API:
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Use of assessments and data to inform efforts to improve student achievement;
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Sufficient resources, in particular adequate and appropriate textbooks for every student, well-maintained facilities, and the principal’s perception that the school’s teaching staff has strong teaching skills, academic content knowledge, enthusiasm about teaching, and the ability to raise student achievement;
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Coherent curriculum and instruction that is aligned with state standards; and
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Prioritizing of student achievement by both principals and teachers.
The study also analyzed a small subset of questions about specific EL instructional practices and teacher qualifications. Although not a comprehensive look, the results raise some intriguing questions about what matters most when it comes to improving the achievement of English learners. Some of the findings support oft cited recommendations for EL instruction, and some don’t.
EdSource thanks the S.H.Cowell Foundation for its support of this study and summary report.
See the complete original study report for more information on the Similar English Learner Students, Different Results study.
See the two-page parent guide, Successful Approaches to Helping Students - Including English Learners - Succeed in Elementary School, which discusses some instructional practices common in high-performing elementary schools serving large numbers of low-income and English Learner students. It also suggests ways parents can learn more about how their school approaches teaching and learning. This report is also available in Spanish.