Overview

This review summarizes the first wave of intervention reports produced in 2005–06. www.whatworks.ed.gov

WWC identified 69 studies of 32 programs and practices

English language learners are students with a primary language other than English who have a limited range of speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills in English. English language learners also include students identified and determined by their school as having limited English proficiency and a language other than English spoken in the home.

This review focuses on programs to improve the English language literacy and/or academic achievement of elementary school students who are English language learners. For a program to be included, the majority of instruction has to be conducted in English (approximately 80%) but teachers might occasionally provide some native language support. The review focuses on programs for English language learners in grades K–6. It also includes studies in which students may no longer be considered to have limited English proficiency by their school but still have limited English language skills.

We looked at 73 studies of 32 programs that qualified for our review. Of these, 16 studies of 12 programs met our evidence standards—8 without reservations, and 8 with reservations.

Twenty programs reviewed had no studies meeting WWC evidence screens, three of which were eligible for inclusion in this topic review but did not have studies. Additionally, 20 studies could not be categorized by an intervention and are not cited in the report. ¹ (The initial identification of eligible programs, practices, and studies ended in March 2006).

The review focused on three outcome domains: reading achievement, mathematics achievement, and English language development.

In looking at the three outcome domains for the 12 interventions, the following produced potentially positive effects on reading achievement and English language development:

• Bilingual Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition
• Instructional Conversations and Literature Logs
• Vocabulary Improvement Program

Eight other programs and practices had potentially positive effects in one domain. One program had no discernible effects in two domains (see the WWC Intervention Rating Scheme).