Targeting ELLs with science - American Educational Research Journal

Targeting ELLs with science
 

A recent large-scale randomized controlled trial, published in the American Educational Research Journal, has examined the impact of a science curriculum with a focus on English language learners (ELLs).
 
The study was implemented in 66 schools (33 treatment and 33 control) across three school districts in one southeastern US state. During the 2012-2013 school year, the project involved 258 teachers (123 treatment and 135 control) and a total of 6,673 students. The trial evaluated P-SELL, a science curricular and professional development intervention for fifth-grade students with a focus on English language learners (ELLs).
 
The P-SELL curriculum's approach aligns with state science standards and high-stakes science assessments administered at fifth grade. It is based on an inquiry-oriented approach and addresses the learning needs of ELLs by providing guidance and scaffolding for English language development. Teachers are supported with a teacher's guide and professional development workshops. The workshops incorporated critical features of effective professional development: content focus, active learning, coherence, sufficient duration, and collective participation.
 
The study used both the high-stakes state science assessment as an outcome measure and a researcher-developed science assessment that was administered at the beginning and end of the year and allowed for a pre-measure of science achievement. The study examined the effect of the intervention on science achievement for all students and for students of varying levels of English proficiency (ELL, recently reclassified ELL, former ELL, and non-ELL).
 
The results found significant and meaningfully sized average intervention effects on the researcher-developed science assessment scores (effect size = +0.25) and the state science assessment scale scores (+0.15). The P-SELL intervention had significant and meaningfully sized effects for ELLs (+0.35) on the researcher-developed assessment. The intervention effects were positive but not statistically significant for ELLs (+0.12) on the state science assessment, although other subcategories (non-ELLs and former ELLs) were positive and significant.
 
This is the first year of a three year study, and future years will provide information on the long-term impact of the teachers' professional development.

Johns Hopkins University 

Research in Brief

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