Bridging the Gap: How Specialized Teacher Education Helps English Learners Succeed
When any
student walks into a classroom, they deserve an equal opportunity to learn and
thrive. Yet for millions of English learners (ELs) in American schools, this
fundamental right has remained elusive. Our research at the University of
Central Florida shows that specially prepared teachers can make a significant
difference in closing this persistent achievement gap.
The
Challenge English Learners Face
In
classrooms across America, English learners consistently score lower on
academic assessments compared to their native English-speaking peers. This
isn't because these students lack ability or potential—it's a complex
educational challenge that requires innovative solutions.
For years,
the standard approach was to remove ELs from their regular classrooms for
specialized English instruction. While well-intentioned, this approach had an
unintended consequence: it often led regular classroom teachers to feel less
responsible for ELs' learning, creating a disconnect in these students'
educational journey.
A New
Approach to Teacher Preparation
Our study
examined an innovative teacher preparation program called the "One-Plus
model." Unlike traditional approaches, this model prepares ALL future
teachers—not just language specialists—to effectively teach English learners.
The
One-Plus model "infuses" EL-focused training throughout the entire
teacher preparation curriculum. This means future teachers learn how to support
language development while teaching their content, whether it's math, science,
or social studies.
What We
Found
We
collected data from 768 pre-service teachers (student teachers) who taught more
than 20,800 K-12 students during their final internships. Using sophisticated
statistical analysis, we compared students' test scores before and after being
taught by these specially prepared teachers.
The
results were striking:
- English learners made dramatic
gains after
being taught by One-Plus trained teachers, narrowing the achievement gap
with native English speakers by approximately 50%
- Low-income students, students
with disabilities, and students from different ethnic backgrounds also
showed significant improvement
- The positive effects were
consistent across five semesters of data
Why
This Matters
When
teachers understand how to support English learners, everyone benefits. Our
research found that while achievement gaps still existed at the beginning of
instruction (pre-test), by the end of instruction (post-test):
- The gap between low-income and
higher-income students decreased by about 40%
- The gap between students with
disabilities and those without narrowed by about 38%
- The gap between Black and
White students decreased by approximately 48%
- The gap between Hispanic and
White students decreased by about 26%
The most
dramatic improvement was for English learners—with the achievement gap cut in
half.
What
Makes the One-Plus Approach Different?
Traditional
teacher education often treats teaching English learners as a specialized skill
needed only by language teachers. The One-Plus model recognizes that all
teachers need these skills in today's diverse classrooms.
The
program provides:
- Hands-on training with English
learners
- Practical experience adapting
lessons for different language proficiency levels
- Strategies to make content
comprehensible while developing language skills
- Culturally responsive teaching
techniques
The
Bottom Line
Our
research suggests that how we prepare teachers matters enormously for student
success. When teachers learn how to effectively teach content while supporting
language development, English learners can make dramatic academic gains.
This
doesn't mean the achievement gap disappears entirely. Our research showed gaps
still exist, but they can be significantly reduced when teachers have the right
preparation.
What's
Next?
The
persistent achievement gaps in our educational system won't be solved by any
single approach. However, our findings suggest that changing how we prepare
teachers can be a powerful part of the solution.
For
schools and districts with growing English learner populations, investing in
professional development that helps all teachers better serve ELs could yield
significant benefits. For universities preparing future teachers, infusing
EL-focused strategies throughout the curriculum could help produce educators
better equipped for diverse classrooms.
Citation:
Ghimire, N., & Nutta, J. W.
(2021). Focus on teacher education for closing English learner achievement gap:
A study of the One-Plus model. Paper presented at the 2021 annual meeting of
the American Educational Research Association. https://doi.org/10.3102/1685427
Pull
Quotes
"The
achievement gap between English learners and native English speakers was cut in
half when students were taught by teachers prepared through the One-Plus
model."
"How
we prepare teachers matters enormously for student success, especially for
historically underserved populations like English learners."
"When teachers learn to support language development while teaching content, all students benefit—not just English learners."
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