Exploring quality programs for English language learners in charter schools: A framework to guide future research

Abstract

Although there has been a great deal of debate about the effectiveness of charter schools in the research literature, there has been surprisingly little attention paid to English language learners (ELLs) in charter schools. Moreover, the charter school research has predominantly focused on whether or not charter schools are effective rather than how or why high-performing charter schools work, particularly for ELLs. We contend that researchers must expand their focus beyond access and achievement and begin to grapple with questions related to the quality of programs for ELLs in charter schools. To meet an emerging need in the field, we synthesize several strands of existing research—related to charter schools, school improvement, and ELLs in traditional public schools—to propose a five-component framework that describes essential elements of quality programs for ELLs in charter schools. We conclude with a discussion of implications of our framework for research, policy, and practice.

Mapping choice: A critical GIS analysis of English learner enrollment

“…In their mixed-method study of Latinx and non-Latinx parents whose children were enrolled in a diverse charter school in Indianapolis, Indiana, Mavrogordato and Stein (2016) found that while both sets of parents conducted a multi-stage search process and had similar criteria for evaluating schools, Latinx parents relied more heavily on social networks for obtaining school information, and rarely used additional tools-either because of linguistic or technological barriers, or because they were unaware of their existence. The use of all-English printed marketing, digital materials, and monolingual English staff has (perhaps unsurprisingly) been cited as a significant and widespread exclusionary measure that prevents ELs from enrolling in charter schools (ACLU, 2017;Ayscue et al, 2017;Garcia & Morales, 2016;Mommandi & Welner, 2018). It is also possible that there are differences in English proficiency between ELs enrolled in charters and those in district schools (Buckley & Sattin-Bajaj, 2011).…”

Pursuing Diversity: The Context, Practices, and Diversity Outcomes of Intentionally Diverse Charter Schools

“…Other studies focused on diverse charter schools have found that many use similar practices to promote diversity (Jabbar & Wilson, 2018; Villavicencio, 2016). Other charter school practices that support diversity include forging connections with community organizations, using multilingual messaging, and providing culturally responsive information to families (Garcia & Morales, 2016; Villavicencio, 2016). At the same time, some diverse districts and schools have used messaging and made programmatic changes that cater to White families, in effect commodifying families of color and/or linguistically diverse families rather than centering the needs and experiences of these families (Cucchiara, 2013; Palmer, 2010; Posey-Maddox, 2014; Turner, 2020; Woody, 2020).…”

State English learner education policy: A conceptual framework to guide comprehensive policy action

“…Scholars have developed frameworks examining the roles of different levels of government in education broadly (Mitra, 2018;Spillane, 1998;Wirt & Kirst, 2009). With regard to EL education, some have focused on specific policy elements, such as assessment (Lacelle-Peterson & Rivera, 1994), charter schools (Garcia & Morales, 2016), or language development programs (Mitchell, Destino, Karam, & Colón-Muñiz, 1999). In this paper we draw upon theoretical state education policy frameworks (Mitra, 2018;Wirt & Kirst, 2009) as well as en situ state English learner education frameworks in select states (California Department of Education [CDE], 2017; New York State Department of Education [NYSDE], 2014) to create a conceptual framework for state EL education policy.…”