Delphi Study of Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners with Disabilities: Recommendations from Educators Nationwide. ELLs with Disabilities Report 21

(2008). Delphi study of instructional strategies for English language learners with disabilities: Recommendations from educators nationwide (ELLs with Disabilities Report 21). Minneapolis, The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, Overview The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 emphasizes the importance of effective and accountable education for all students, including English language learners (ELLs) with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). National studies indicate an increase in the population of school-age English language learners throughout the U.S.; even the most modest estimates suggest that 9% of the ELL population is also enrolled in special education programs (Zehler, Fleischman, Hopstock, Pendzick, & Stephenson, 2003). The actual number may be higher due to varying identification and categorization approaches in different school settings. Lower numbers also may reflect the absence of legislation identifying ELLs with disabilities as a separate subgroup. Investigating instructional strategies specifically directed toward the academic achievement of ELL students with disabilities is an important task for educators given that these students are found to exhibit dual and interactive characteristics of emerging English proficiency and disability related educational needs Educators may generate instructional strategies based on their professional experiences and other sources of information. Therefore, they may be valuable resources when it comes to the question of improving instruction for this student category. Research on educators' views of instructional strategies, when obtained through a process that allows refinement and access to recommendations of other educators, may contribute to improving instruction for these students. Reading, mathematics, and science are three content areas in which states are or will be required to show academic progress in grade-level standards for all students including English language learners with disabilities. Academic achievement in science education is now beginning to be considered a potential addition to the accountability requirements of NCLB (Commission on No Child Left Behind, 2007). Middle school is the time when reading, mathematics, and science curricula are most likely to challenge ELLs with and without disabilities through greater academic demands. Indeed, dropout rates among these and other students increase at the middle school level (Mikow-Porto, Humphries, Egelson, O'Connell, & Teague, 2004). Therefore, it seems particularly important to examine how educational practice may generate effective strategies for improving the academic achievement of ELLs with disabilities. This study is part of national research over the past seven years at the National Center on Educational Outcomes …

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