Toolkit for Examining English Learner Supports
To better understand the relationship between English learners’ (EL) annual progress towards attaining English proficiency and aspects of EL programs, instruction and service implementation, the research team collaborated with states, districts and schools, and the EL technical advisory group to develop a series of instruments for use as a Toolkit for Examining English Learner Supports.
The Toolkit for Examining English Learner Supports provides research-informed questionnaires, protocols, templates, and an implementation guide for use by states, districts and schools as they delve into understanding the quality and effectiveness of their policies, programs and practices to support English Learners. The toolkit helps educators gather qualitative and quantitative information from diverse constituencies related to support EL students and their educators. This information can be used to evaluate the system’s program implementation in tandem with EL data already collected by state education agencies (e.g., English Language Proficiency Indicator, performance results on Math and English Language Arts assessments, attendance or chronic absence, graduation rates, etc.).
Toolkit development: 2022-23 Implementation Survey rollout and additional district pilot testing of tools
An initial version of the English Learner Program Implementation Survey was pilot tested between October 2021 – January 2022 to groups who have roles in implementing and/or participating in EL instruction programs. Results from the pilot study were used to revise the survey instruments. A large-scale administration of the survey was then conducted in Fall 2022. Data collection was performed via web-based questionnaires. In addition to conducting the implementation survey in all seven participating states, the research team partnered with school districts in Mississippi and Michigan between 2023-24 to gather feedback and pilot tested the other tools included in the toolkit. These tools included classroom observation, interview, and focus group protocols. The research team in collaboration with district and state partners visited 217 classrooms between the two states.
Click here to access frequently asked questions for more information about the Toolkit for Examining English Learner Supports.
For questions about the toolkit, please email communications@ccsso.org.
The contents of this webpage were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.