Learning Forward
Equity and excellence in teaching and learning.
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Multilingual students benefit when grade-level and specialist teachers collaborate
By Leslie M. Babinski, Steven J. Amendum, Steven E. Knotek and Jennifer C. Mann
Categories: Collaboration, English learners, Teacher leadershipDecember 2024
Most teachers in public schools (67.3%) will have at least one multilingual learner in their class, yet many have no preparation for supporting these students (NCES, 2022; Johnson & Wells, 2017). For example, less than half of teachers (47.9%) have taken a course on how to provide effective instruction for multilingual learners (NCES, 2022). Recognizing this gap, school district administrators have called for more professional learning about instructional strategies for students who are learning English and academic content simultaneously (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2009). A promising approach is professional learning that provides opportunities for meaningful collaboration between grade-level classroom teachers and ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers. This can be especially impactful in the early elementary grades because oral language and literacy development in
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References
Babinski, L., Amendum, S., Carrig, M., Knotek, S., Mann, J., & Sánchez, M. (2024a). Professional learning for ESL teachers: A randomized controlled trial to examine the impact on instruction, collaboration, and cultural wealth. Education Sciences, 14(7), 690. doi.org/10.3390/educsci14070690
Babinski, L.M., Amendum, S., Carrig, M., Knotek, S., & Sánchez, M. (2024b). Teaching young multilingual learners: Impacts of a professional learning program on teachers’ practices and students’ language and literacy skills [Manuscript under review].
Babinski, L.M., Amendum, S., Knotek, S., Sánchez, M., & Malone, P. (2018). Improving young English learners’ language and literacy skills through teacher professional development: A randomized controlled trial. American Educational Research Journal, 55(1), 117-143.
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Leslie Babinski is a Research Professor in the Center for Child and Family Policy in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. She received her doctorate in Educational and School Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Babinski’s research focuses on teacher professional learning and school-based interventions to improve student outcomes.
Steven J. Amendum is Professor and Director of the School of Education at the University of Delaware. He received his doctorate in literacy education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Amendum’s research areas include early reading intervention, literacy development and instruction for multilingual learners, and evidence-based classroom instruction, as well as teacher professional development.
Steven E. Knotek is an Associate Research Professor in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his doctorate in school psychology at the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Knotek’s research focuses on the design and implementation of social innovations that promote child and youth development.
Jennifer C. Mann is a Research Scientist in the Center for Child and Family Policy in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. She received her doctorate in Teacher Education and Learning Sciences from North Carolina State University. Dr. Mann’s research interests include education for multilingual learners, culturally sustaining critical pedagogies, and the social-emotional well-being of marginalized students.
Categories: Collaboration, English learners, Teacher leadership
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