Research

A Briefing on WIDA Research Activities

Tim Boals, Ph.D.H Gary Cook, Ph.D.

Mariana Castro

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WIDA Research Agenda

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Research Process

3

Sources for Research Agenda

Members & Partners

Member

Federal Requests

Research Trends

RT Findings & Expertise

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Ongoing ProjectsProfessional 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)

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Selected Projects

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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

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Academic Language in Mathematics: Operational

Model

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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

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FRL and Academic Content Performance: HFD vs. LCD

-50

050

-50

050

0 .5 1 0 .5 1

2008-2009 2009-2010

2010-2011 2011-2012

LCD HFD

Per

form

ace

on S

tate

Ass

essm

ent (

Com

posi

te)

Proportion of FRL students

* difference from state-average

%FRL and Content Performace*

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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

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Model of Teacher’s Guide Structure

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Participatory Development of Resources for Educators of

Language LearnersPurpose: 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.

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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

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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.

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ONPAR

• ACCESS-based method for measuring challenging content

• Multisemiotic communication theory

• Seven+ years of research

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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

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