Science achievement of english language learners in urban elementary schools: Results of a first‐year professional development intervention

Abstract

This study is part of a 5-year professional development intervention aimed at improving science and literacy achievement of English language learners (or ELL students) in urban elementary schools within an environment increasingly driven by high-stakes testing and accountability. Specifically, the study examined science achievement at the end of the first-year implementation of the professional development intervention that consisted of curriculum units and teacher workshops. The study involved 1,134 third-grade students at seven treatment schools and 966 third-grade students at eight comparison schools. The results led to three main findings. First, treatment students displayed a statistically significant increase in science achievement. Second, there was no statistically significant difference in achievement gains between students at English to Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) levels 1 to 4 and students who had exited from ESOL or never been in ESOL. Similarly, there was no significant difference in achievement gains between students who had been retained on the basis of statewide reading test scores and students who had never been retained. Third, treatment students showed a higher score on a statewide mathematics test, particularly on the measurement strand emphasized in the intervention, than comparison students. The results indicate that through our professional development intervention, ELL students and others in the intervention learned to think and reason scientifically while also performing well on high-stakes testing. ß

Assessing Conceptual Understanding via Literacy-Infused, Inquiry-Based Science among Middle School English Learners and Economically-Challenged Students

“…In addition to language, science involves a certain set of practices referred to as science and engineering practices [9] and new ways of thinking about the natural world [7]. Therefore, to facilitate students' learning, researchers have advocated the integration of literacy and science and determined that this integration can promote improved English literacy skills and scientific thinking for EL and EC students (e.g., [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]). Engaging in inquiry-based instruction has resulted in or promoted improved student learning for the general student population and has been noted by several researchers and scholars for over 50 years (e.g., [20][21][22][23][24][25]).…”

“…Despite this, the research is scant specifically regarding EL and EC students and the exploration of the relationship between academic language and overarching conceptual understanding in science. However, a few researchers (e.g., [12,13,[26][27][28][29][30]) have provided solid evidence that inquiry-based instructions increase, in particular, ELs' and ECs' conceptual understanding of science, particularly when literacy is connected to science instruction. The inquiry-based instruction referred to in our study includes engaging ELs and ECs in practices such as asking questions, planning investigations, developing models, and interpreting data, all while promoting language and literacy skills.…”

Large‐scale science education intervention research we can use

“…In science education, a number of studies in the past decade have analyzed the effectiveness of programs when implemented across a large number and wide variety of settings (Borman, Gamoran, & Bowdon, 2008;Buckley et al, 2004;Lee, Maerten-Rivera, Penfield, LeRoy, & Secada, 2008;Penuel, Gallagher, & Moorthy, 2011;Rethinam, Pyke, & Lynch, 2008;Songer, Kelcey, & Gotwals, 2009;Vanosdall, Klentschy, Hedges, & Weisbaum, 2007). Many of these interventions are grounded in decades of basic research on learning and are intended to instantiate principles derived from that research for organizing coherent sequences of instruction for students (Pea & Collins, 2008).…”

Large‐scale interventions in science education for diverse student groups in varied educational settings

“…For example, this cycle of research and development is seen in the intervention designed to improve middle school students' understanding of science through curriculum materials that engage students in finding solutions to real world questions through investigations, collaboration, and use of cognitive tools Geier et al, 2008;Marx et al, 2004) or the intervention designed to promote science learning and language development of English language learners in urban elementary schools (Lee & Maerten-Rivera, in press;Lee, Maerten-Rivera, Penfield, LeRoy, & Secada, 2008). In both lines of work, researchers first worked closely with a small number of teachers and classrooms to develop an intervention.…”