Decentralization, teacher quality, and the education of English learners: Do state education agencies effectively prepare teachers of Els?

Abstract

English learners are entitled to participate meaningfully and equally in educational programs. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) includes provisions to ensure success for all students, including English learners. However, the federal government does not prescribe specifically how states should meet these provisions; instead, it is the responsibility of states to develop respective plans of action. This decentralization means that states play a primary role in setting policy for teacher credentialing. In this paper, we address the following question: Do state education agencies effectively prepare teachers of ELs? We reviewed the teacher credentialing requirements to teach classified English learners in bilingual education, English language development, and sheltered English immersion settings, as well as the professional teaching standards for reference to culturally and linguistically diverse learners across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. We found inconsistencies across the US with regard to the education of classified English learners and document wide variation in teacher certification for working with English learners. We highlight implications for policy and teacher preparation.

Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners: A Content Analysis of Teacher Professional Organizations’ Position Statements

“…Students are entitled to equitable access to rigorous, quality, and contemporary curriculum, and we’re left wondering if and how TPOs contribute to ensuring such access for CLDLs. Indeed, research has documented that CLDLs often experience less rigorous coursework (Callahan & Shifrer, 2016; Thompson, 2017), and teachers are not adequately prepared to best support CLDLs (Kim & Morita-Mullaney, 2020; Leider et al, 2021; Rutt et al, 2021).…”

“…How teachers come to develop the skills, knowledge, and beliefs they need to teach these diverse populations has become an important focus in teacher education research. This development can be described as teacher professionalization, which includes command of core content and pedagogical skills (Darling-Hammond et al, 2005); establishment of “work-based norms, values, beliefs, knowledge, skills, expected roles and the profession’s culture” (Khalili et al, 2013, p. 449); acquisition of pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, 1987); understanding of child/adolescent development and learning (Bronfenbrenner, 1983); and understanding professional standards and legal obligations (Leider et al, 2021). This is especially important given the sociopolitical climate related to language policy, heightened anti-Muslim and anti-immigration discourse (e.g., Gounari, 2020), record numbers of deportations of undocumented immigrants (e.g., Asad, 2020; Kanstroom, 2012), #BlackLivesMatter protests and rallies (Wozolek, 2022), and, more recently, restrictive curriculum policies (e.g., Stop W.O.K.E.…”

Unpacking the Relationship Between Classroom Teacher Characteristics and Time to English Learner Reclassification

“…Similar reports from California find that ELs are more likely to be taught by teachers who lack the appropriate training or credentials to support their unique learning needs (Bunch, 2013; Santibañez & Umansky, 2018). In recent years, researchers and practitioners alike are calling for improvements in teacher preparation to create a teaching force that is better equipped to teach ELs in general education classes (Leider et al, 2021; Loeb et al, 2014; Lucas & Villegas, 2010).…”

Effective Teachers of Multilingual Learners: A Mixed‐Method Study of UK and US Critical Sociocultural Teaching Practices

“…The United States provides Title III federal funding to each state, states annually provide funding to districts, and competitive federal funding supports teacher preparation. Certification for multilingual specialists is required, but these expectations vary considerably across states, with some states (e.g., California, Florida) articulating minimum qualifications for mainstream teachers (Leider, Colombo, & Nerlino, 2021).…”