Data-Driven Planning for English Language Learners: Utilizing ELD (English Language Development) Data to Support Classroom Instructional Decisions

• In Event: Teacher Leader Research: Urban English Language Learner Facilitators Inquire Into Their Leadership Practice

Abstract

Teachers at my elementary school have been teaching English Language Learners (ELLs) for years, but still doubt their abilities to meet these students’ language-specific needs. Despite the growth of ELL students in public schools in the United States, teachers continue to receive minimal training on ELL issues (Echevarria, Powers, & Short, 2006). As a result, elementary teachers are often not equipped with the knowledge and strategies necessary to meet the needs of the linguistically and culturally diverse students in their classes.

This study was designed to focus on this issue and to support classroom teachers at my elementary school to learn about the abilities of ELLs, not only their academic abilities, but their language abilities as well. The focus questions of this project were:

• In what ways does knowledge of English Language Development (ELD) stages and students-specific ELD data help teachers to set reasonable goals and expectations for ELL students?
• How does the knowledge and data inform teachers’ instructional decisions?
• What support from the ELL facilitator aids this process?

Teachers took part in my study at varying levels. All teachers participated in professional development around the stages of second language acquisition. Classroom teachers completed ELD checklists regarding the ELD students in their classrooms. I conducted more focused planning and collaboration about the ELD data and its use with the kindergarten team (N=5). In order to gain insight into how the work impacted student achievement, I spent addition time in one kindergarten classroom, supporting the teacher to address her ELL students’ learning needs. Data analyzed included teacher surveys, teacher interviews, field notes from grade level meetings and classroom observations, and relevant artifacts.

Findings occurred at multiple levels. School-wide, data suggested that the ELD training increased teachers’ knowledge and awareness of ELD stages and the needs of their ELL students. Over time, considerations about ELL student needs increased through my participation in the kindergarten team meetings and some teachers tried out new instructional strategies. When I worked daily with an individual teacher in instructional planning and classroom teaching, I found that her consideration of the individual needs of each ELL student increased. It seemed that regular, ongoing facilitation led to a high level of implementation of new strategies.

My findings carried important implications for my role as the school-level ELL facilitator. Most helpfully, they provided me with a framework for designing and structuring my work. As many ELL facilitators find, my position is loosely defined. The study gave me a way of organizing my work across whole staff activities (such as trainings, consultation, and resource management); grade-level activities (analysis of data, goal-setting, instructional planning, and facilitation of peer-observations); and work with individual teachers (analyzing data for individual students, classroom demonstrations, and individual consultation). My hope is that as I work with other individual teachers, they will share their learning within their grade levels—encouraging other teachers to seek my support as well as building capacity within their teams.

Author

• Shawnda Fukano, Mount View Elementary