Education 330
Teaching English Language Learners: Issues in Policy, Leadership, and Instruction
Fall Quarter, 2015
Monday and Wednesday, 3:00-4:20
Bldg 160 (Wallenberg), Rm. 315
Instructor: Kenji Hakuta
The issue of addressing the needs of English Language Learners has come to the forefront of education reform in the United States primarily as a function of demographic change and a categorical focus on the student population in the current ESEA law, known as No Child Left Behind. In addition, in the past year, as the re-authorization of ESEA became unlikely (and still faces uncertainty in Congress as the Senate and House passed vastly different approaches to reauthorization), the regulatory waiver process initiated by the administration has increasingly taken on the force of law. Furthermore, the new context of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (or more generally, College- and Career-Ready Standards), adopted by 45 states, has added increasing urgency to the issue of inclusion of ELLs. This course will explore key issues that arise as educators consider key problems in this area. They include the constraints and incentives in federal laws and policies (particularly ESEA and Civil Rights laws), the Common Core State Standards, content and language proficiency standards assessment and accountability, on-going student assessment, school improvement models, school culture, community engagement, addressing issues of long-term English learners, programming for newcomer ELLs, early childhood education, and promoting bilingualism. The course will cover basic background readings on these topics as well as those specific to English Language Learners. Discussions will be grounded in the real-time context of networks of school district and state-level educators addressing issues of instructional reform. Students will have the opportunity to participate in some of these discussions and to conduct case studies of how theory plays out in real time in the context of California school districts.
The course requirements are active contribution to class discussions and projects such as the crafting of policy memos and analyses, and a final paper. The final paper should be an analysis of a specific problem of policy, leadership or instruction pertaining to the education of ELLs. It may take the form of a traditional research/term paper, a research proposal, or a policy analysis that identifies the key issues and develops recommendations. An optional format other than a paper is a well-annotated powerpoint presentation on any of these topics. Projects are due on December 11 at 5:00 PM.
Course Books:
Jennings, Jack (2015). Presidents, Congress, and the Public Schools: The Politics of Education Reform. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Order here.
Bryk, A., Sebring, P., Allensworth, E., Luppescu, S. & Easton, J. (2010), Organizing schools for improvement: Lessons from Chicago. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. Order here.
Sept. 23 (W) - Introduction
Hakuta, K. Educating Language Minority Students and Affirming their Equal Rights:
Research and Practical Perspectives (AERA Brown Lecture). Click here.
Assignment for Monday: Come up with 3 questions that you have about educating English Language Learners.
Sept. 28 (M) - The Hammer - Lau and Civil Rights Laws
Lau v. Nichols (1974) Click here
Three OCR memoranda (5/25/70, 4/6/90, 9/27/91) Alternatives: (May 25, April 6, September 27)
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights and U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Dear Colleagues Letter (DCL) dated Jan. 7, 2015. Click here.
Question: What are the Castaneda standards, and how do they come into play at the local district level?
Additional assignment: Shop around the Fall offerings of Understanding Language MOOCs
Sept. 30 (W) - Carrots - Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Jennings, Jack (2015). Presidents, Congress, and the Public Schools: The Politics of Education Reform. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Order here.
Ramsey, A. & O'Day, J. (March, 2010) Title III Policy: State of the States. ESEA Evaluation Brief: The Englis h Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act. American Insitutes for Research. Click here.
Boyle, A., Taylor, J., Hurlbut, S & Soga, K. (March, 2010). Title III Accountability: Behind the Numbers. ESEA Evaluation Brief: The English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act. American Insitutes for Research. Click here.
Tanenbaum, C. & Anderson, L. (March, 2010). Title III Accountability and District Improvement Efforts: A Closer Look. ESEA Evaluation Brief: The English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act. American Insitutes for Research. Click here.
Oct. 5 (M) - The Legacy of the Bilingual Wars
Crawford, J. Bilingual Education Click here.
Lau Remedies (Task-Force Findings Specifying Remedies Available for Eliminating Past Educational Practices Ruled Unlawful under Lau v. Nichols).Click here.
Proposition 227 Evaluation Reports http://www.air.org/project/evaluation-proposition-227
The Monster Awakens? Education Week article: Calif. Bill Would Repeal Bilingual-Education Restrictions (March 4, 2014). Click here.
Oct. 12 (M) - Time Course to English Language Proficiency?
Hakuta et al (2000). How long does it take English Learners to attain proficiency? Click here.
Umansky, I. & Reardon, S. (2014). Reclassification patterns among Latino English Learner Students in Bilingual, Dual Immersion, and English Immersion Classrooms. American Educational Resaerch Journal. DOI: 10.3102/0002831214545110 Click here.
Oct. 21 (W) - Advantages of Bilingualism?
Historical document: Hakuta (1986) review of literature in Mirror of Language. Click here.
Bialystok, E. Cognitive and lingusitic processing in the bilingual mind. Psychological Science. Click here.
Seal of Biliteracy Click here
Oct. 26 (M, W) - Serving the Needs of Newcomers and SIFEs
Documentary: I Learn America
Internationals Network for Public Schools - Review materials under "Resources" on their website.
Nov. 2 (M) - Standards-based Movement
25th Anniversary of the 1989 National Education Summit. Education Week Report. Click here.
Historical document: Stanford Working Group (1993). Federal Education Programs for Limited-English-Proficient Students: A Blueprint for the Second Generation. Click here.
Center for K-12 Assessment & Performance Management, ETS (2012). Coming Together to Raise Achievement: New Assessments for the Common Core State Standards. April, 2012. http://www.k12center.org/rsc/pdf/Coming_Together_April_2012_Final.PDF
Darling-Hammond, L., Wilhoit, G., & Pittenger, L. (2014). Accountability for college and career readiness: Developing a new paradigm. Stanford, CA: Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education. https://edpolicy.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/publications/accountability-college-and-career-readiness-developing-new-paradigm.pdf
Nov. 4 (W) - English Language Proficiency standards
Council of Chief State Schools Officers (2012). Framework for English Language Proficiency Development Standards Corresponding to the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. Click here.
California Department of Education (Sept. 2015). Executive Summary: English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework for California Public Schools. Click here.
Nov. 9 (M) - Whither ELD (English Language Development)?
Valdes, G., Kibler, A. & Walqui, A. (2014). Changes in the Expertise of ESL Professionals: Knowledge and Action in an Era of New Standards. TESOL. Click here.
Dutro, S. & Kinsella, K. (2010). English Language Development: Issues and Implementation at Grades Six through Twelve. In Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches. In Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches. California Department of Education.
Nov. 16 (M) - State Initiatives - New York
New York State Blueprint for ELLs. Click here.
New York State Commissioner's Regulation Part 154. Click here.
NY State Leadership Institute. Click here for materials for the institute. Click here.
Nov. 18 (W) - State Initiatives - California
California ELA/ELD Framework. Click here.
Local Control Funding Formula: Humphrey et al: Toward a Grand Vision: Early Implementation of California's Local Control Funding Formula. Research Brief: Stuart Foundation. Click here.
Nov. 30 (M) - Student Presentations
Dec. 2 (W) - Local - Oakland Unified School District
Understanding Language (2015). The Review of Services for English Language Learners in the Oakland Unified School District. Stanford Graduate School of Education. Click here.
David, J. & Talbert, J. (2013). Turning around a High-Poverty District. San Francisco: S. H. Cowell Foundation. Click here.