http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification 720 https://escholarship.org/uc/crede_occrpts/rss Recent eScholarship items from Occasional Reports Fri, 15 May 2026 11:14:16 +0000 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/76k3w547 <p>Professional development for teachers is a complex and multifaceted endeavor and is becoming more so as popularity grows for standards-based education. Teachers generally report feeling pressure to cover the curriculum at nearly any cost. For English language learners, the cost is greater than usual as teachers often inadvertently ignore the language needs of these students in content courses. The project described in this digest was designed with the belief that teacher professional growth can best be fostered through sustained collaborative inquiry between teachers and researchers. It has set out to incorporate what is known about quality professional development with the special features necessary for meeting the needs of English language learners. The project has defined a model of sheltered instruction based on the research of best practices, as well as on the experiences of the participating teachers and researchers. They collaborated in developing the observation tool... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/76k3w547 Fri, 28 Feb 2003 00:00:00 +0000 Short, Deborah J. Echevarria, Janna https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9td4m00c <p>The last several years have seen a dramatic increase in the popularity of two-way immersion (TWI) programs around the country, from 30 programs in 1987 to 225 programs in 1998 (McCargo &amp; Christian, 1998). These programs integrate native English speakers and language-minority students for academic instruction and aim to promote bilingual proficiency, high academic achievement, and cross-cultural awareness in all students (Christian, 1994). The expanded popularity of these programs has meant a surge in the demand for and recruitment of TWI teachers. At the same time, there is very little research documenting the teaching experiences or professional development needs of current teachers in this unique teaching environment. Without this type of documentation, it is difficult to know which types of pre-service and in-service professional development activities will best prepare teachers to work effectively in TWI programs.</p><p>One study conducted specifically with TWI teachers... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9td4m00c Mon, 24 Feb 2003 00:00:00 +0000 R. Howard, Elizabeth I. Loeb, Michael https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7kp3r70c <p>This digest is based on a report published by the Center for Research on Education, Diversity &amp; Excellence: <em>Pedagogy Matters: Standards for Effective Teaching Practice,</em> by Stephanie Stoll Dalton.</p><p>The Center for Research on Education, Diversity &amp; Excellence (CREDE) has developed the following five pedagogy standards for effective teaching and learning for all students, including students placed at risk for academic achievement: (1) teachers and students producing together, (2) developing language and literacy across the curriculum, (3) connecting school to students' lives (4) teaching complex thinking, and (5) teaching through conversation. These standards emerge from principles of practice that have proven successful with majority and minority at-risk students in numerous classrooms in several states. They incorporate the broadest base of knowledge available and reflect the emerging professional consensus about the most effective ways to educate linguistically... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7kp3r70c Mon, 24 Feb 2003 00:00:00 +0000 (CREDE), Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6z68j0g2 <p>The first TWI program in the United States began in 1963. For the next 20 years, the growth of TWI programs was minimal, with fewer than 10 documented programs in operation before 1981. The majority of programs in existence today were established during the past two decades. The 2000 Directory includes 248 TWI programs in 23 states and the District of Columbia. There has also been considerable expansion within existing programs: Many have reported adding new grade levels each year, and 40 programs now extend into middle or high school.</p><p><strong>Program location.</strong> The majority of TWI programs are in public schools; only four are operated by private schools. Nearly a quarter of the public school programs operate in specialized environments: 11 are housed in charter schools and 53 in magnet schools. California has the most programs operating in specialized environments, with eight charter school programs and 22 magnet school programs. Relatively few TWI programs (32)... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6z68j0g2 Mon, 24 Feb 2003 00:00:00 +0000 R.Howard, Elizabeth Sugarman, Julie https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6xd919c2 <p>Many school districts are facing increasing numbers of secondary immigrant students who have low level English or native language skills and, in many cases, have had limited formal education in heir native countries. These students must learn English, take the required content courses, and catch up to heir native-English-speaking peers before high school graduation. How are schools meeting the needs of these students, many of whom are placed below the expected grade level for their age?</p><p>Some districts have developed newcomer programs that serve these students through a program of intensive language development and academic and cultural orientation, for a limited period of time (usually from 6-18 months), before placing them in the regular school language support and academic programs. The rationale for establishing these programs differs across sites, but many programs were set up for one or more of the following reasons:</p><p>• Students were at risk of educational failure... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6xd919c2 Mon, 24 Feb 2003 00:00:00 +0000 J. Short, Deborah https://escholarship.org/uc/item/58n560k4 <p>There has been a longstanding interest among second and foreign language educators in research on language and the brain. Language learning is a natural phenomenon; it occurs even without intervention. By understanding how the brain learns naturally, language teachers may be better able to enhance their effectiveness in the classroom.</p> https://escholarship.org/uc/item/58n560k4 Mon, 24 Feb 2003 00:00:00 +0000 Genesee, Fred https://escholarship.org/uc/item/58n1t94j <p>One program model that has shown positive outcomes for Hispanic students is two-way immersion (Lindholm-Leary, 2001), also known as two-way bilingual or dual language education. Two-way programs integrate native English speakers and English language learners in the same classroom and provide content instruction in both English and the native language of the English language learners. These programs aim to provide high quality educational experiences for all students and promote higher levels of academic achievement.</p><p>This digest reports on a study that examined the impact of participation in a two-way immersion program on the language and achievement outcomes of former program participants and on their current schooling path and college plans. The study explored outcomes for three groups of students: 1) Hispanic students who began the two-way program as English language learners; 2) Hispanic students who began the program as English- only or English-dominant speakers;... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/58n1t94j Mon, 24 Feb 2003 00:00:00 +0000 J. Lindholm-Leary, Kathryn Borsato, Graciela https://escholarship.org/uc/item/49v3p55m <p>Although research on learning styles has found variation between cultural groups in styles of learning (e.g., Park, 2001; Zhang &amp; Sternberg, 2001), great variation has also been found within groups (e.g., Nuby &amp; Oxford, 1998). These findings suggest that even in classrooms consisting exclusively of a single cultural group, as is the case in many reservation schools, teachers must use a variety of instructional strategies. Effective teaching requires teaching individuals.</p><p>This Digest begins with a brief discussion of two prominent definitions of learning styles and then describes studies that have found differences between the learning styles of American Indian students and students of other cultural groups. The Digest then presents instructional interventions stemming from learning styles research.</p> https://escholarship.org/uc/item/49v3p55m Mon, 24 Feb 2003 00:00:00 +0000 Hilberg, R. Soleste G. Tharp, Roland https://escholarship.org/uc/item/49n4r8v6 <p>This Digest describes a research and development program being carried out in transitional bilingual education (TBE) programs at five elementary schools in the Los Angeles area. The majority of the students in these schools are Latino, and more than 80% are classified as limited English proficient (LEP) at the time of enrollment. Since the early 1990s, researchers have been collaborating with teachers and project advisors to develop, implement, and describe instructional strategies that significantly improve the chances of these students to make a successful transition to mainstream English instruction. The transition program they have developed optimally spans Grades 3 through 5. Grade 3 is considered a pre-transition year, Grade 4 is Transition I, and Grade 5 is Transition II. The pre-transition component is designed to emphasize the importance of developing literacy skills in Spanish and oral language skills in English. The goal is to have all students performing at grade... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/49n4r8v6 Mon, 24 Feb 2003 00:00:00 +0000 (CREDE), Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3147c2kc <p>Sociocultural theory emphasizes the social nature of learning and the cultural–historical contexts in which interactions take place. Thus, teacher-student interactions and the relationships that are fostered through these interactions play a vital role in student learning. This digest discusses a study that examined the impact of sociocultural factors on the interactions between Latino language minority students and Latino paraeducators and the relationships that result from these interactions. The study explored whether a knowledge of students' culture and communities, primary language, and interaction styles helps paraeducators and their cooperating teachers meet the students' academic and social needs.</p> https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3147c2kc Mon, 24 Feb 2003 00:00:00 +0000 (CREDE), Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2v49171c <p>Innovative programs of school reform and research for diverse students have tended to concentrate on specific cultural, linguistic, or ethnic populations and on specific local communities. Research has been conducted on a variety of at-risk populations, including Native Americans; Korean, Chinese, and South-east Asian Americans; Haitian Americans; Native Hawaiians; economically disadvantaged and geographically isolated European Americans; rural and inner city African Americans; and Latinos of many national origins. Continued energy has also been devoted to the study and development of model school programs for a variety of mixed racial, linguistic, and cultural groups.</p><p>For many years, researchers have attempted to integrate studies of these groups into literature reviews encompassing thousands of studies conducted worldwide. These reviews have un-covered a core list of "generic" findings that transcend specific groups, localities, and risk factors (see, e.g., Collier,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2v49171c Sun, 23 Feb 2003 00:00:00 +0000 (CREDE), Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence