Research
Years 5-6
Research Years 5-6: School-wide CREATE Intervention
During Years 5 and 6, CREATE researchers integrated the interventions tested in previous years of the Center into a school-wide study with an overarching framework of SIOP Model professional development and weekly coaching sessions.
The purpose of this program of study was to determine whether a school-wide model at the middle school level will yield improved outcomes for English learners in content area knowledge and academic language development.
Participants
The program targeted 7th grade English learners in the critical academic areas of social studies, science, English language arts, and math. Teachers implemented the interventions in randomized controlled trials with ongoing researcher support in the form of modeling, coaching, conferencing, and professional development.
Instructional Design
While each of the individual studies conducted during the first phase of research had a unique focus, the school-wide intervention integrated these strategies into a common instructional design that included the following features:
- Focus on grade-level content concepts
- Content and language objectives
- Student engagement through high-interest topics and interactive activities
- High-interest mediums of communicating concepts (technology, debates, etc.)
- Partner and group work
- Making content comprehensible (graphic organizers, hands-on activities, modeling, etc.)
- Cross-curricular direct vocabulary instruction (content specific terms, general academic words, and word learning strategies)
- Vocabulary practice embedded in reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities
- Interactive shared reading
- Oral language development
- Integration of the SIOP Model across all content areas
Teacher Support and Professional Development
- SIOP Professional Development: SIOP professional development was delivered to all treatment teachers prior to the implementation of the content area interventions. ( Echevarría and Short)
- Coaching: Support for content area teachers’ effective implementation of the researcher-created interventions was provided by educational professionals (Reutebuch).
Content Area Interventions
The intervention included enhancements to instructional practices and literacy materials that have proven to be effective with English learners in content area instruction:
- Project QuEST (Quality English and Science Teaching): Teacher guided methods to enhance vocabulary and reading comprehension in science (August)
- Adaptations of Peer-Assisted Learning for ELLs: Application to Middle School Social Studies Classes: Peer collaborative work to enhance social studies vocabulary and content comprehension (Vaughn and Thompson)
- Word Generation for English Language Learners Enhanced vocabulary instruction focused on academic language and oral language development in English language arts (Snow)
- Math: SIOP Model training and coaching for math teachers to infuse best practices for teaching English learners ( Echevarría and Short)