Education 205X
The Impact of Social and Behavioral Science Research on Educational Issues:
Focus on English Language Learners and Issues of Policy and Practice
Spring Quarter, 2010
Tuesday 6:15-8:05 PM
Instructor: Kenji Hakuta
This course will focus on issues of instruction, school leadership, and education policy aimed at improving schooling for English Language Learners in U.S. schools. The course will draw upon research in school leadership, English language development, content area strategies for ELLs, and state and federal policy for addressing the education of ELLs. Emphasis will be on current policy and practice trends as they affect ELLs. A focal activity for the course will be a real-world case analysis of proposals for new schools submitted under the recent Los Angeles Unified School District Public School Choice program. An additional focus will be on provisions that affect ELLs in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (currently No Child Left Behind). The key course objective is to provide students with background knowledge to understand current trends at the local and federal levels that impact ELLs.
The final project for the course can either be (1) a detailed cross-proposal analysis of at least three proposals from the LAUSD Public School Choice program, or (2) a detailed analysis of the implications of how the Common Core Standards would impact ELL education at the school site or district level; or (3) a detailed critique of the ELL Working Group proposal for ESEA reauthorization.
March 30
Introduction to the Course, and Overview of Educational Policy Issues on English Language Learners - Slides
April 6 - April 13
School Organization, Leadership, Relational Trust and English Language Learners - Slides
Reading: Bryk, A., Sebring, P., Allensworth, E., Luppescu, S. & Easton, J. (2010), Organizing schools for improvement: Lessons from Chicago. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Williams, T., Hakuta, K., Haertel, E., et al. (2007). Similar English Learner Students, Different Results: Why Do Some Schools Do Better? A follow-up analysis, based on a large-scale survey of California elementary schools serving low-income and EL students. Mountain View, CA: EdSource. Click here.
Council of Great City Schools (2009). Succeeding with English Language Learners: Lessons Learned from the Great City Schools. Washington, DC: Council of Great City Schools. Click here.
April 20
Federal Legislation: The Case of Title III
Ramsey, A. & O'Day, J. (March, 2010) Title III Policy: State of the States. ESEA Evaluation Brief: The English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act. American Insitutes for Research.
Boyle, A., Taylor, J., Hurlbut, S & Soga, K. (March, 2010). Title III Accountability: Behind the Numbers. ESEA Evaluation Brief: The English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act. American Insitutes for Research.
Tanenbaum, C. & Anderson, L. (March, 2010). Title III Accountability and District Improvement Efforts: A Closer Look. ESEA Evaluation Brief: The English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act. American Insitutes for Research.
April 27
Instructional Practices to Address English Language Development.
Snow, M. A. & Katz, A. (2010). English Language Development: Issues and Implementation in Kindergarten through Grade Five. In Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches. In Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches. California Department of Education.
Dutro, S. & Kinsella, K. (2010). English Language Development: Issues and Implementation at Grades Six through Twelve. In Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches. In Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches. California Department of Education.
Goldenberg, C. (2008). Teaching English Language Learners: What the Research Does – and Does Not – Say. American Educator. Click here.
Saunders, W. & Goldenberg, C. (2009). Research to Guide English Language Development Instruction. In Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches. In Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches. California Department of Education.
Gersten, R., Baker, S., Shanahan, T., Linan-Thompson, S., Collins, P. & Scarcella, R. (2007) Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades. IES Practice Guide. Click here.
May 4
Instructional Practices in Academic Content Development.
Echevarria, J. & Short, D. (2010). Programs and Practicies for Effective Sheltered Content Instruction. In Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches. In Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches. California Department of Education.
Common Core Standards - see draft of standards posted at http://www.corestandards.org/
May 11
Charter Schools and Alternative Programs for ELLs.
META, Inc. (2009). Charter Schools and English Language Learners in Massachusetts: Policy Push without the Data. Issue Brief - September, 2009. Multicultural Education, Training & Advocacy, Inc. Click here.
Frankenberg, E., Siegel-Hawley, G., Wang, J. (2010). Choice without Equity: Charter School Segregation and the Need for Civil Rights Standards. Los Angeles, CA: The Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at UCLA. Click here.
Fine, M., Stoudt, B. & Futch, V. (2005).. The Internationals Network for Public Schools: A Quantitative and Qualitative Cohort Analysis of Graduation and Dropout Rates. The Graduate Center: CUNY. Click here.
May 18 - 25
School Plans: the challenges of incorporating ELLs: the case of LA Unified.
The Los Angeles Unified School District recently went through a process of inviting applicants to submit proposals to run a number of its low-performing schools and new schools in low-performing areas, and this created a melange of proposals from charter management organizations, other partners, as well as teams from the district union. The proposals present an excellent case study on how school plans incorporate ELLs, since most of the schools serve predominantly ELL populations. We will spend these two weeks reviewing some of the proposals and engaging in "mock presentations" of the plans.
LAUSD Public School Choice - see webpage with basic information.
Applicant Team Proposals - see webpage with specific proposals.
June 1
Reauthorization Issues for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (currently No Child Left Behind)
Recommendations from the Working Group on ELL Policy.
Review background studies of No Child Left Behind at CEP website: http://www.cep-dc.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=558&parentID=481