Marginalizing English as a second language teacher expertise: The exclusionary consequence of No Child Left Behind

Harper, Candace; Jong, Ester J. de; Platt, Elizabeth

doi:10.1007/s10993-008-9102-y

Cited by 62 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…As Harper et al (2008) argue, homogenous instructional policies that are driven by high stakes tests that result in instructional practices developed for monolingual, native English speakers do not address the language and literacy needs of ELs. Furthermore, our findings, which coincide with the views of others (e.g., Smagorinsky 2009), suggest that the institutional authority upholding this standardized approach to instruction has eroded the agency of teachers committed to responsive teaching aligned with students' experiences, needs, and understandings.…”

Section: Discussion and Implications For Language Education Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Instruction must be grounded in pedagogical principles informed by research on bilingualism and second language acquisition and take into account the professional knowledge and agency of teachers who have expertise in working with ELs (e.g., Harper et al 2008). In addition, it is important to also take additional issues into consideration, including teachers (and administrators) having access to effective ongoing staff development and opportunities to engage in collaborative inquiry.…”

Section: Discussion and Implications For Language Education Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Throughout the U.S., teachers working in schools receiving Reading First funding were required to implement prepackaged reading programs developed for native English speakers. These programs rely on standardized or one-size-fits-all approaches to instruction that do not acknowledge differences between the learning and teaching of reading in youngsters' first and second languages (Harper et al 2008). These programs also focus heavily on micro-level, sub-skill instruction (Duncan-Owens 2009).…”

Section: No Child Left Behind (Nclb) and The Schooling Of English Leamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These programs also focus heavily on micro-level, sub-skill instruction (Duncan-Owens 2009). In addition, as Harper et al (2008) point out, these programs do not take into consideration the specific learning needs of ELs and the related specialized pedagogical knowledge that teachers of ELs need in order to be successful. In addition to mandating the use of commercial reading programs throughout the elementary grades, many schools and districts in California insist that teachers adhere to pacing and testing schedules designed to enforce teachers' implementation of these programs with fidelity (Pease-Alvarez and Samway 2008); this further undermines the ability of teachers to teach according to the needs of their EL students.…”

Section: No Child Left Behind (Nclb) and The Schooling Of English Leamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The top-down initiatives often did not take into account individual students' needs or teachers' pedagogical preferences (Harper et al 2008;Hassett 2008), a phenomenon that has been reported on in other countries (e.g., Bloch et al 2010;Hélot and Young 2006;Valdivieso 2010). For example, in a recently-published volume, several researchers in different countries describe how teachers were expected, to varying degrees, to surrender their professional agency to individuals and institutions that oversaw their work (Menken and García 2010b).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Working within the system: teachers of English learners negotiating a literacy instruction mandate

2010

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In an effort to reverse the reading crisis purported to plague public education, schools and districts are mandating prescriptive reading programs and teacher-centered instructional practices in hopes of improving the academic achievement of minority students, including English learners (ELs). The widespread implementation of these programs in schools and classrooms serving ELs is particularly striking in California, where there are large numbers of ELs, as these programs were developed for monolingual, English-speaking children, not ELs. Drawing on interviews with 32 teachers in four Northern California elementary schools serving primarily ELs from Latino backgrounds, we found that most teachers required to use one such program, Open Court Reading (OCR), did not think that it addressed the needs of ELs or tapped into their interests and/or understandings. That is, the top-down, one-size-fits-all policy mandate was not grounded in an understanding of ELs' language and literacy instructional needs. In light of our findings, we support policies that enable teachers to provide quality instruction that addresses the needs, interests, and understandings of all students, particularly ELs, who are often the, most underserved. This includes policies that promote the development of reflective, inquiring, and knowledgeable teachers who, in collaboration with colleagues and other educational stakeholders, play a key role in the policy making process.

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Section: Discussion and Implications For Language Education Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussion and Implications For Language Education Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: No Child Left Behind (Nclb) and The Schooling Of English Leamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: No Child Left Behind (Nclb) and The Schooling Of English Leamentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Working within the system: teachers of English learners negotiating a literacy instruction mandate

2010

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Like Driving From “the Back Seat”: Teaching English as a Second Language in Commodified Curricular Terrains

2017

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Contemporary K-12 standards-based educational reform has emerged as a central focus of scholarship in TESOL, with robust discussions (practical and theoretical) addressing the shift from ESL as a subject matter unto itself to teaching standards-based content in English (and the standardized assessment of students' achievement across those content areas, including literacy and reading). However, relatively few studies have examined how veteran ESL professionals understand themselves and what their work accomplishes in instructional contexts where literacy and literacy test scores have emerged as the gold standard of adequate yearly progress. In this qualitative narrative, the researchers draw from a 7-month study of an ESL teacher and her first-grade colleagues' negotiation of a balanced literacy program. Analysis reveals that for this teacher the schoolwide adoption of "balanced literacy" created tensions between what she was expected to do and who she wanted to be or even was capable of being. It was only with great reluctance and even sadness that she realized that if she were to stay at her school and enact her professional functions with any degree of credibility, she would have to reconsider what teaching ESL could encompass. The authors conclude with implications for TESOL preservice and in-service teacher education.

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Aiming for Equity: Preparing Mainstream Teachers for Inclusion or Inclusive Classrooms?

2015

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Mainstream teachers throughout the world are increasingly expected to differentiate instruction for primary‐grade students with diverse learning needs, including second or English language learners (ELLs). Does teacher preparation translate into instructional practices for English language development? What do graduates of those programs do differently, if anything, for ELLs in their classrooms? This mixed‐methods study examined the beliefs and practices of two focal teacher graduates of a teacher preparation program that included second language training. Findings show that teacher graduates working with ELLs in primary classrooms with low numbers of ELLs used some generic accommodation strategies and just‐in‐time scaffolding techniques, but they rarely instituted specific ELL practices to facilitate the English language development of ELLs. The authors discuss implications for second language educators.

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Marginalizing English as a second language teacher expertise: The exclusionary consequence of No Child Left Behind

Cited by 62 publications

References 18 publications

Working within the system: teachers of English learners negotiating a literacy instruction mandate

Working within the system: teachers of English learners negotiating a literacy instruction mandate

Like Driving From “the Back Seat”: Teaching English as a Second Language in Commodified Curricular Terrains

Aiming for Equity: Preparing Mainstream Teachers for Inclusion or Inclusive Classrooms?

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