Improving the Quality of Integrated Settings

Abstract

This capstone project discusses the challenges of providing accessible, high-quality, and equitable education for English language learners (ELLs) specific to teacher collaboration practices for integrated learning settings. The basis of this project centered on four major barriers to effective teacher collaboration such as erroneous assumptions about individual teacher roles and shared responsibilities for English learner (EL) academic learning; developing capacities of content-area teachers and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) specialists; unbalanced teacher positionality; and restrictive time structures. These identified issues engender ineffective collaboration dynamics which then result in an implementation gap. The implementation gap occurs between necessary and new models for high-quality integrated settings and the actual, and often inadequate practices in schools. Ultimately, these four major barriers stifle quality integrated learning settings for ELs’ education. Therefore, it is critical to enable and equip content-area and ESOL teachers to engage in effective, functional, and systemic modes of collaboration to improve the quality of education that ELs are receiving. The proposed solutions in this project are grounded in improving collaborative practices between content-area and ESOL teachers through functional modes of collaboration, building a relevant tool kit, and systemic teacher collaboration. Equally important solutions are positioning ELs as anchors for instructional design, two-way professional learning, Two-Way Content-Based Instruction (TWBCI), and instructional alignment.