REL Central at McREL study examines general education teaching standards for teaching English language learners


March 7, 2012

Denver —Researchers at Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) examined professional teaching standards in Central Region states to determine what K–8 general education teachers are expected to know and be able to do in order to teach English-language learner (ELL) students.

The study, Teaching English Language Learner Students: Professional Standards in Elementary Education in Central Region States, reviewed teaching standards against six topics that the literature suggests are important for teaching ELLs: (1) recognizing and supporting diverse language backgrounds, (2) differentiating instruction, (3) selecting materials or curricula, (4) knowing theories of second-language acquisition and related strategies of support, (5) communicating with students and families, and (6) assessing students’ language status and development.

The study found that:

  • All Central Region states (Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming) include specific knowledge and skills for teaching ELLs in their professional teaching standards, addressing between two and five of the six topics identified in the literature.
  • All seven states’ standards include information on communicating with students and families and differentiating instruction for ELLs in their professional teaching standards.
  • Teaching standards in five states include information on recognizing and supporting diverse language backgrounds, and four states’ teaching standards include a focus on knowing theories of second- language acquisition.
  • Only one state’s teaching standards referenced assessing students’ language status and development.
  • Finally, none of the states’ professional teaching standards referenced selecting materials and curricula to accommodate ELLs’ learning needs.

The full report, conducted under the REL Central at McREL 2006–2011 contract and published by the Institute of Education Sciences, is available here.

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