ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Education for Adult English Language Learners in the United States: Trends, Research, and Promising Practices
Author: Schaetzel, Kirsten
Date: 2010-03-02
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,English Language Learners,Adult Learning,Adult Students,Adult Basic Education,Lifelong Learning,Immigrants,Faculty Development,School Statistics,Educational Practices,Futures (of Society)

Adult English language learners comprise a substantial proportion of the adult education population in the United States. In program year 2006-2007, 46% of participants enrolled in state-administered adult education programs were in English as a second language (ESL) classes. This percentage does not include English language learners enrolled in other types of programs, such as adult basic education (ABE) and adult secondary education (ASE). To meet the increasing demand for English language instruction, existing adult education programs are expanding and new ones are being established. In addition to federally funded programs, services are offered by volunteer and faith-based organizations, museums, libraries and other community centers, private language schools, and academic institutions. This paper describes education for adult English language learners in the United States, focusing on the following topics: (1) Characteristics of the foreign-born population; (2) Foreign-born adults enrolled in adult ESL programs, their access to and participation in programs, and factors that affect their participation and success; (3) The types of instructional programs that serve adult English language learners; (4) Professional development for teachers of this population; (5) The U.S. adult education assessment and accountability system; and (6) Future directions in English literacy education and lifelong learning. As a comprehensive discussion of the trends, research, and promising practices in the field of adult education, this paper is an important resource for any practitioner interested in improving education for adult English language learners. NRS Functioning Level Table is appended. (Miriam Burt and Joy Kreeft Peyton helped to define and shape the paper, and Sharon McKay and Lynda Terrill provided valuable content expertise. Lynda Terrill designed the document for publication on the Web. Contains 4 tables.)
Evaluation of Green Dot's Locke Transformation Project: From the Perspective of Teachers and Administrators. CRESST Report 824
Author: Herman, Joan L.
Date: 2013-01-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Educational Change,High Schools,Charter Schools,Secondary School Teachers,Principals,Assistant Principals,Teacher Attitudes,Administrator Attitudes,Teacher Characteristics,Teacher Evaluation,Faculty Mobility,Teacher Recruitment,Teacher Persistence,Teacher Effectiveness,Academic Achievement,High School Students,Interviews,Comparative Analysis,Student Surveys

With funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, CRESST researchers conducted a multi-year evaluation of a major school reform project at Alain Leroy Locke High School, historically one of California's lowest performing secondary schools. We found the one-year teacher retention rate at GDL in 2010-2011 was 79%; Green Dot Locke teachers, overall, were more highly educated than their LAUSD counterpart (including their peers at neighboring high schools) in 2010-2011; and GDL teachers were more likely to be non-White and teacher staff were more racially diverse than LAUSD teachers. Comparing the teachers who stayed (i.e., &quot;stayers&quot;) and those who left (&quot;movers&quot;) as of 2010-2011 school year, we did not detect any significant differences in age, gender, years of teaching at GDPS, student growth percentile scores or student course pass rates between movers and stayers. We did find a difference in the percentage of teachers meeting or exceeding the evaluation standards, in favor of stayers, and White and English teachers were more likely to be movers. Exploring the relationship between available multiple measures of teacher quality, we found small correlations, between three evaluation scores and student growth percentile (SGP) scores. We also found small to medium positive relationships between teacher evaluation scores with Tripod measures, and the majority of these were statistically significant. While these correlations are not surprising, they are also not robust. Additionally, there was considerable variation across academies on numerous measures (e.g., teacher survey results, interview accounts). While the purpose of this report was not to investigate or compare professional capacity across academies, this appears to be an important part of the Green Dot Locke story to be examined more closely in the future. Appended are: (1) Teacher Interview Protocol; (2) Principal Interview Protocol; (3) 2010-2011 End Of Year Survey Results; and (4) Interview Comments on Green Dot Core Tenets. (Contains 22 tables, 7 figures and 33 footnotes.)
Promoting Learner Transitions to Postsecondary Education and Work: Developing Academic Readiness Skills from the Beginning. CAELA Network Brief
Author: Parrish, Betsy
Date: 2010-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: English (Second Language),English Language Learners,Second Language Learning,Adult Education,Adult Programs,Skills,Student Needs,Career Readiness,College Readiness,Teacher Attitudes,Literacy Education,Language Skills,Postsecondary Education,Academic Achievement

It has been estimated that of the nearly two million immigrants who enter the United States every year, nearly half have limited access to citizenship, job training, other postsecondary education, and jobs due to low literacy levels, limited formal schooling, and limited English language skills. Adult education programs serving this population can play an important role in helping learners develop the skills they need to succeed in postsecondary education and to obtain, retain, and advance in employment. Given the skills needed for the high-demand occupations of the future, it is increasingly important that adult education programs expand the scope of opportunities offered so that adults learning English are prepared with the language, knowledge, and skills they need to be successful, whether their immediate goals include gaining a vocational training certificate, an associate's degree, a bachelor's degree, or a specific job. This brief reviews the literature on the skills needed for adult English language learners to transition to academic study and employment and the time it takes to develop those skills. It then focuses on the results of a recent survey completed by the authors, which revealed instructors' perceptions of skills needed by learners in order to be successful in academic programs. Finally, the brief offers examples of activities and strategies that can be used at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of English as a second language (ESL) instruction to help learners develop these skills. This brief is written for state adult education staff, program administrators, professional development staff and teacher trainers, teachers, education researchers, and policy makers. It describes a process for adult education staff to use data to plan professional development for practitioners who work with adults learning English. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)
Using Oral Language Skills to Build on the Emerging Literacy of Adult English Learners. CAELA Network Brief
Author: Vinogradov, Patsy
Date: 2010-08-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Literacy Education,Adult Learning,Adult Students,Literacy,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Language Skills,English Language Learners,Language Proficiency,Adults,Oral Language,Emergent Literacy

In addition to learning to read and write for the first time, adult English language learners with limited or emerging literacy skills must acquire oral English. Often, learners with limited print literacy in their first language have oral skills in English that exceed their English literacy skills (Geva & Zadeh, 2006). While this mismatch of oral and written skills can be misleading to teachers, a limited but growing body of research explores the ways in which adults with emerging literacy acquire second language and literacy skills and the ways in which their oral language proficiency affects their literacy learning (e.g., Condelli, Wrigley, & Yoon, 2009; Tarone & Bigelow, 2005, 2007; Tarone, Bigelow, & Hansen, 2009). In this research, learners' oral language proficiency is shown to be a resource that can have a positive impact on literacy development. This brief reviews the research, describes ways to capitalize on adult learners' oral skills to create successful literacy learning experiences, and suggests areas for further research to bolster the knowledge base in working with adult second language learners who are in the process of becoming literate. This brief is written for teachers, program administrators, and teacher trainers seeking ways to work effectively with adult and adolescent English language learners with emerging literacy skills.
Teaching Pronunciation to Adult English Language Learners. CAELA Network Brief
Author: Schaetzel, Kirsten
Date: 2009-07-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Pronunciation,Pronunciation Instruction,Administrators,Adult Learning,Adult Students,Native Speakers,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,English Language Learners,Language Proficiency,Learning Motivation,Standards,Intonation,Phonology,Language Rhythm,Language Patterns,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods

Adult English language learners in the United States approach the learning of English pronunciation from a wide variety of native language backgrounds. They may speak languages with sound systems that vary a great deal from that of English. The pronunciation goals and needs of adult English language learners are diverse. These goals and needs depend on a variety of factors, which may include the learners' uses of English (in what settings and for what purposes), their motivation to identify with specific English-speaking groups, the degree to which they want to sound like native speakers, and the frequency with which they speak English. Although pronunciation is part of the curriculum in many adult education programs, it is often not included in state language proficiency standards or addressed systematically in instruction. In addition, some English as a second language (ESL) teachers working with adult learners do not have training in teaching pronunciation. As a result, teachers may not be able to identify the patterns of or reasons for learners' pronunciation problems or have a systematic way to teach the sound, stress, intonation, and rhythm patterns of English. This brief reviews features of languages (particularly English) that can have an impact on the teaching and learning of English pronunciation, discusses the research on learner acquisition of pronunciation, and describes how teachers can teach pronunciation in their classes. This brief is written for teachers, program administrators, education researchers, and policy makers to provide information about evidence-based strategies for teaching pronunciation to adult English language learners. (Contains 2 tables.)
The Impact of Short-Term Science Teacher Professional Development on the Evaluation of Student Understanding and Errors Related to Natural Selection. CRESST Report 822
Author: Buschang, Rebecca E.
Date: 2012-10-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Science Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Biology,Scientific Concepts,Faculty Development,Student Evaluation,Pretests Posttests,Formative Evaluation,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Program Effectiveness

This study evaluated the effects of a short-term professional development session. Forty volunteer high school biology teachers were randomly assigned to one of two professional development conditions: (a) developing deep content knowledge (i.e., control condition) or (b) evaluating student errors and understanding in writing samples (i.e., experimental condition). A pretest of content knowledge was administered, and then the participants in both conditions watched two hours of online videos about natural selection and attended different types of professional development sessions lasting four hours. Significant differences between conditions in favor of the experimental condition were found on participant identification of critical elements of student understanding of natural selection and content knowledge related to natural selection. Results suggest that short-term professional development sessions focused on evaluating student errors and understanding can be effective at focusing a participant's evaluation of student work on particularly important elements of student understanding. Results have implications for understanding the types of knowledge necessary to effectively evaluate student work and for the design of professional development. Appended are: (1) ASR Task; (2) Natural Selection Pretest; (3) Content Knowledge Open-Ended Questions Scoring Guide; (4) Natural Selection Posttest; (5) Background Survey; (6) Professional Development Survey; (7) Video Quiz and Survey; (8) Item-Level Descriptive Statistics; and (9) Item-Level Inferential Statistics. (Contains 26 tables.)
The ABCs of School Choice: The Comprehensive Guide to Every Private School Choice Program in America. 2013 Edition
Author: Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: School Choice,Personal Narratives,Private Schools,Tax Credits,Guides,Comprehensive Guidance,Educational Vouchers,Scholarships,Funding Formulas,Eligibility,Student Participation,Participant Characteristics,Student Characteristics,State Programs,State Surveys,Educational Practices,Information Sources

"The ABCs of School Choice" is the most comprehensive guide to every private school choice program in America, showcasing the voucher, tax-credit scholarship, education savings accounts, and individual tax credit/deduction programs currently operating in 21 states and Washington, D.C. "The ABCs of School Choice" provides policymakers, advocates, researchers, and reporters data on each program's funding levels, eligibility rates, and participation numbers. The 2013 edition also features personal stories of the students, parents, and schools that benefit from school choice along with "Friedman Feedback" on ways states can expand each program to eventually fund all children, a vision first established by the late Milton Friedman. [For the 2012 edition of this report, see ED528821.]
Evaluation of Green Dot's Locke Transformation Project: Supplemental Report on Cohort 2 Student Outcomes. CRESST Report 825
Author: Rickles, Jordan
Date: 2013-02-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Educational Change,High Schools,Charter Schools,Outcomes of Education,High School Students,Academic Persistence,Attendance,Graduation,Academic Achievement,College Preparation

With funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, CRESST conducted a multi-year evaluation of a major school reform project at Alain Leroy Locke High School, historically one of California's lowest performing secondary schools. Beginning in 2007, Locke High School transitioned into a set of smaller, Green Dot Charter High Schools, subsequently referred to as Green Dot Locke (GDL) in this supplemental report. This report extended the previous report, which tracked the first and second cohorts of 9th-graders who entered GDL in fall 2007 and 2008 respectively thru the 2010-11 school year, by bringing the second cohort of students to graduation. The CRESST evaluation, employing a rigorous quasi-experimental design with propensity score matching, found statistically significant, positive effects for the GDL transformation including improved achievement, school persistence, graduation, and completion of college preparatory courses. Classification of key college-prep courses based on Green Dot and LAUSD course titles is appended. (Contains 7 tables, 8 figures and 10 footnotes.)
On the Road to Assessing Deeper Learning: The Status of Smarter Balanced and PARCC Assessment Consortia. CRESST Report 823
Author: Herman, Joan
Date: 2013-01-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Consortia,Student Evaluation,Educational Testing,Academic Standards,State Standards,Evidence,Test Construction,Summative Evaluation,Test Content,Test Items,Critical Thinking,Problem Solving

Two consortia, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced) and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), are currently developing comprehensive, technology-based assessment systems to measure students' attainment of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The consequences of the consortia assessments, slated for full operation in the 2014/15 school year, will be significant. The assessments themselves and their results will send powerful signals to schools about the meaning of the CCSS and what students know and are able to do. If history is a guide, educators will align curriculum and teaching to what is tested, and what is not assessed largely will be ignored. Those interested in promoting students' deeper learning and development of 21st century skills thus have a large stake in trying to assure that consortium assessments represent these goals. Funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, UCLA's National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) is monitoring the extent to which the two consortia's assessment development efforts are likely to produce tests that measure and support goals for deeper learning. This report summarizes CRESST findings thus far, describing the evidence-centered design framework guiding assessment development for both Smarter Balanced and PARCC as well as each consortia's plans for system development and validation. This report also provides an initial evaluation of the status of deeper learning represented in both consortia's plans. Study results indicate that PARCC and Smarter Balanced summative assessments are likely to represent important goals for deeper learning, particularly those related to mastering and being able to apply core academic content and cognitive strategies related to complex thinking, communication, and problem solving. At the same time, the report points to the technical, fiscal, and political challenges that the consortia face in bringing their plans to fruition. (Contains 5 tables, 5 figures and 1 footnote.)
Professional Development for Experienced Teachers Working with Adult English Language Learners. CAELA Network Brief
Author: Rodriguez, Amber Gallup
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Adult Education,Adult Educators,Teaching Experience,Experienced Teachers,Beginning Teachers,Comparative Analysis,Faculty Development,English,Native Speakers,Adult Basic Education,Teacher Attitudes,Careers,English Language Learners,English (Second Language),Action Research,Teacher Researchers,Reflective Teaching

Despite high staff turnover and a predominance of part-time positions in the field of adult education some adult education teachers create careers for themselves that span many years--even decades. According to the U.S. Department of Education (2007), teachers are the most important factor in improving student achievement. Knapp (2003) points out that professional development is a critical link to improved teaching. Experienced teachers differ from novice teachers in important ways. They are likely to need professional development that affirms the knowledge, experience, and intuitive judgment they have cultivated during their careers. At the same time, teaching experience does not necessarily result in expertise. Some experienced teachers are not as receptive to professional development as are new teachers. Administrators and professional developers must recognize and address this potential resistance while remaining mindful of experienced teachers' characteristics and needs. This brief begins with an overview of the definitions and characteristics of experienced and expert teachers and of the ways that these teachers differ from novice, or beginning, teachers. It continues with a discussion of considerations involved in providing high-quality professional development for experienced teachers. Models of professional development that have been suggested for meeting the unique needs of experienced teachers are presented, and areas for future research are identified. This brief is written for experienced teachers working with adult English language learners and for program administrators and trainers seeking to implement high-quality professional development for these teachers.
Evidence-Based, Student-Centered Instructional Practices. CAELA Network Brief
Author: Peyton, Joy Kreeft
Date: 2010-04-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Adult Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Evidence,Decision Making,Educational Practices,Student Centered Curriculum,English (Second Language),English Language Learners,Classroom Communication,Teaching Methods,Literacy Education

The field of adult education has a longstanding tradition of student-centered approaches to learning. More recently, there has been an increased emphasis in K-12 and adult education on using evidence-based instructional practices. While there has been some tendency to dichotomize these two approaches, instruction of any kind is more effective when it is supported by evidence of its success. The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, which is Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, requires that local education providers funded under the Act use instructional practices that are based on a strong research foundation. Therefore, it is critical that instructional developers in states, regions, and programs know the research base for specific instructional practices. This brief describes evidence-based and student-centered instruction and gives examples of instructional approaches that are supported by evidence. It also describes how teachers of adults learning English as a second language can work together in learning communities to increase their knowledge of and skills with student-centered instructional practices that are evidence-based. This brief is written for teachers and program administrators seeking to implement evidence-based, student-centered instruction in programs and classes that include adults learning English as a second language. It will also be of use to professional developers who support teachers in this work.