Graduate Research Papers

Availability

Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Keywords

Hydrologic cycle--Study and teaching (Secondary); English language--Study and teaching--Foreign speakers;

Abstract

Students with limited English-proficiency present many unique challenges for educators and schools. These challenges multiply as both the number of students requiring services and the diversity of languages spoken increases. In Iowa’s 335 public school districts, the number of students classified as English-language learners (ELL) has nearly tripled in the last 15 years, jumping from 2.1% of the student population during the 1999-2000 school year to 5.7% in 2015- 2016 (Iowa Department of Education (IDOE), 2013; IDOE, 2015). Individual districts currently range from 0 to 57.4% of students requiring ELL services, with 25 of Iowa’s districts identifying more than 10% of their students as English-language learners (IDOE, 2015). In Iowa, Spanish is the most common language amongst ELL students with about 67% of students reporting that Spanish is the primary language spoken at home (IDOE, 2016). However, the IDOE recognizes 32 other languages that are spoken by at least 50 students within the state of Iowa with 1,700 students speaking languages categorized as ‘other’ (IDOE, 2016). Because of this diversity, it is impossible to meet every student’s needs by simply providing translations, interpreters, and bilingual teachers.

English-language learners represent a significant yet often overlooked portion of Iowa students. The ‘mainstreaming’ of low-level ELL students who may speak little or no English places enormous pressure on classroom teachers, yet many schools lack resources to implement sheltered instruction. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate how evidence-based strategies can be used to develop science curriculum for ELL students that leads to mastery and understanding.

Year of Submission

2020

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Science Education Program

First Advisor

Kyle Gray

Date Original

7-2020

Object Description

1 PDF file (62 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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