Research A Briefing on WIDA Research Activities Tim Boals, Ph.D. H Gary Cook, Ph.D. Mariana Castro

Research WIDA Research Agenda

Research Research Process 3   Sources for Research Agenda Members & Partners Member Federal Requests Research Trends RT Findings & Expertise

Research Ongoing Projects Professional Learning NSF Grant – Teacher’s Guide to ELPDF Academic literacy in the classroom Academic language proficiency and mathematics proficiency Academic Language DLLP project analyses Maximizing language development through group work Academic language in mathematics Length of time to English proficiency Native American Alliance Policy / Psychometrics Federal Grant – Title III Peer Review Guidance Smarter Balanced Special Study Classification of SWD ELs High Flying Districts EL accountability models Standards / Technical Assistance CEFR/ACTFL Alignment ELPD Framework WIDA’s data dashboard Accountability support for member states (IN, MS, NV, TN, UT, VA)

Research Selected Projects

Research Academic Language in Mathematics Research Question – What underlying structural relationship between academic language proficiency and mathematics proficiency can be identified on state ELP and content assessments? Findings – Productive language skills (writing/speaking) influence receptive language (reading/listening) skills and ultimately mathematics achievement

Research Academic Language in Mathematics: Operational Model

Research High Flying Districts Research Questions – How can districts with with consistently high performing EL’s be identified? – What characterizes differences between high growing (High Flying Districts) and low growing (Low Cruising Districts)? Findings – Fixed-effect, mixed linear model used to identify districts – Poverty has substantial effects

Research FRL and Academic Content Performance: HFD vs. LCD

Research Toward a Common Definition of English Learners Objective – Support local, state and national policymakers in moving toward a common definition for English learners – Collaborative work with Counsel of Chief State Schools Officers (CCSSO) with funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York Products – Several papers (published by CCSSO) providing guidance

Research Model of Teacher’s Guide Structure

Research American Indian Initiative Objective – To facilitate collaboration among native peoples and state education agencies (SEAs), researchers, and others committed to frame and implement a research agenda that leads to advancing the academic and linguistic needs of American Indian English Language Learners (ELLs)

Research American Indian Initiative Products – Phase 1: Convening a Kick-off Meeting Multi-state an national meeting occurred in Albuquerque, NM on October 8, 9, 2014 – Phase 2: Establishing the Alliance Summarizing feedback from October meeting and move to forming alliance Begin forming research objectives

Research Teacher’s Guide to the ELPD Framework Objective – Development materials for mathematics and science teachers to support English learners in the development of academic language – Validate the use of developed materials to identify research-based practices

Research Academic Literacy in the Classroom Research questions – What features of the professional development program foster desirable changes in teacher practice? How does the process of change occur? How can it be sustained? – What is the relationship between teacher learning and teacher practice? Preliminary findings – Successes: Positive discourse about language learners; Implementation of research-based practices for teaching ELLs – Central tension: Predominant focus on content in discussions of classroom practice and student learning

Research Language Development of Language Learners Early Years: Dual language development – 300+ samples of language – Communicative competence and discourse analysis Spanish Language in the US- pilot study – 60+ samples of expressive language (oral and written) – Communicative competence and discourse analysis

Research Participatory Development of Resources for Educators of Language Learners Purpose: Document the process by which teachers participate in the development of a tool for teachers who work with leaners. Of particular interest are the views and experiences of teachers participating in this development.

Research Assessment-Related Research Cognitive Labs for Early Years Assessments – Home Language Survey – Parent/ Caregiver Questionnaire – Observation Protocol Shared Cognitive Labs with Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, DC across the WIDA Consortium Dual Language Learners engagement with touchscreen applications

Research Research on Family Engagement Purpose: understand parents' perspectives on their child's language development and language proficiency. Specifically, the study targets parents of children in early care and education and/or students in K-12 whom are identified as English and/or Spanish language learners.

Research ONPAR ACCESS-based method for measuring challenging content Multisemiotic communication theory Seven+ years of research

Research Classroom ONPAR approach Instructionally embedded assessments that thematically relate to one unit topic Can be administered task by task as teachers implement a unit Diagnostic information about what students’ understand as they go through a unit to inform and guide teaching

Research