Assessing the Language of Instruction and Language Content in a Bilingual Classroom

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Policies and Assessment Mechanisms Affecting Bi- and Multilingual Learners

Abstract

Across U.S. public schools, educators and stakeholders struggle with reaching decisions on how to provide effective instruction to English learners (ELs) that promotes positive academic outcomes. Researchers have also reiterated the importance of increasing the knowledge base on the evaluation of classroom pedagogical occurrences for ELs, the quality of instruction by language of instruction, and classroom interactions that may produce quality outcomes for these at-risk student populations. The purpose of the study was to analyze the relationships among variables associated with language of instruction and language of content from teacher observations conducted in 22 second-grade bilingual education classrooms in a Texas school district. Treatment teachers and students were observed spending more time in English and on dense-cognitive language content.

Authors

• David Daniel Jimenez, Texas A&M University

• Kara Sutton-Jones, Texas A&M University - College Station

• Shifang Tang, East Texas A&M University

• Rafael Lara-Alecio, Texas A&M University - College Station

• Beverly J. Irby, Texas A&M University - College Station

• Fuhui Tong, Texas A&M University - College Station