123 results on '"Francis, David"'
Search Results
2. Early Detection of Dyslexia Risk: Development of Brief, Teacher-Administered Screens
- Author
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Fletcher, Jack M., Francis, David J., Foorman, Barbara R., and Schatschneider, Christopher
- Abstract
Many states now mandate early screening for dyslexia, but vary in how they address these mandates. There is confusion about the nature of screening versus diagnostic assessments, risk versus diagnosis, concurrent versus predictive validity, and inattention to indices of classification accuracy as the basis for determining risk. To help define what constitutes a screening assessment, we summarize efforts to develop short (3-5 min), teacher-administered screens that used multivariate strategies for variable selection, item response theory to select items that are most discriminating at a threshold for predicting risk, and statistical decision theory. These methods optimize prediction and lower the burden on teachers by reducing the number of items needed to evaluate risk. A specific goal of these efforts was to minimize decision errors that would result in the failure to identify a child as at risk of dyslexia/reading problems (false negatives) despite the inevitable increase in identifications of children who eventually perform in the typical range (false positives). Five screens, developed for different periods during kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2, predicted outcomes measured later in the same school year (Grade 2) or in the subsequent year (Grade 1). The results of this approach to development are applicable to other screening methods, especially those that attempt to predict those children at risk of dyslexia prior to the onset of reading instruction. Without reliable and valid early predictive screening measures that reduce the burden on teachers, early intervention and prevention of dyslexia and related reading problems will be difficult.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Longitudinal Examination of Morphosyntactic Skills in Bilingual Children: Spanish and English Standardized Scores
- Author
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Castilla-Earls, Anny, Ronderos, Juliana, and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to examine changes in English and Spanish morphosyntactic standardized scores over time in bilingual children. Method: One hundred bilingual children participated in this longitudinal study. The average age of the children at the beginning of the study was 5;11 (years; months). A subset of the participants was identified as children with developmental language disorder (DLD, n = 43). Children completed behavioral testing in Spanish and English at three time points over a period of 2 years. Growth curve modeling was employed to analyze longitudinal data. Results: Distinct patterns of Spanish and English language growth were observed. While the average standard score in English increased, the average score in Spanish decreased over time for both groups. Children with DLD showed persistent language difficulties in both Spanish and English over time in comparison to their peers. Conclusions: The results of this study provide evidence of a shift in language proficiency from Spanish to English for bilingual children with and without language disorders. This study also shows that bilingual children with DLD show a protracted but parallel growth in morphosyntactic skills in comparison to children without DLD
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. The Reading Profiles of Late Elementary English Learners with and without Risk for Dyslexia
- Author
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Miciak, Jeremy, Ahmed, Yusra, Capin, Phil, and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
Few studies have systematically investigated the reading skill profiles of English learners (ELs) in late elementary school, a critical developmental period for language and literacy and the most common grades for initial identification with specific learning disabilities (O'Connor et al., "Learning Disabilities Research & Practice," 28(3), 98-112, 2013). We investigated the reading skill profiles of 331 ELs in 3rd and 4th grades, including ELs with and without risk for dyslexia due to significant deficits in word and pseudo-word reading accuracy and fluency. We utilized latent profile analysis and factor mixture modeling to investigate (1) the nature and distribution of reading skill profiles; (2) whether these profiles were associated with differences in reading comprehension growth across one academic year; and (3) the stability of reading profiles across an academic year. We selected a two-class solution (reading disabled and typically developing) based on model fit indices, theoretical considerations, pattern of results across profile-solutions and time-points, and parameterizations, making the approach stronger and more generalizable. These classes demonstrated clear, consistent differences in performance across reading component skills, with the RD class scoring consistently below the TD class across code-based and meaning-based domains of reading. Across the year, the TD class demonstrated significantly higher patterns of growth in reading comprehension (X[subscript 2] (1) = 206.21, p < 0.001). Class membership was largely stable (97% of participants maintain class membership). These results suggest that ELs with risk for dyslexia demonstrate multiple component skill deficits that may require long-term, comprehensive, intensive interventions to remediate.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. IQ-Achievement Discrepancy for Identification of Disabilities in Spanish-Speaking English Learners
- Author
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Santi, Kristi L., Khalaf, Shiva, Bunta, Ferenc, Rojas, Raúl, and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
This article examines the validity of IQ-achievement discrepancy and low-achievement as criteria for the identification of disabilities in Spanish-speaking ELs and the factors that moderate the validity of these approaches as bases for identification. While there has been a long history of examining the validity of different approaches to disability identification in monolinguals, there are no systematic approaches taken for ELs. Data from Grades 1 and 2 of a large longitudinal data set consisting of young Spanish-speaking students attending schools in the U.S. were used to empirically examine criteria for disability identification among language minority children - one of the first large-scale attempts. Findings indicated significant overidentification when the language of assessment was not matched to the language of the instruction, although effects varied predictably over time and by language of instruction. Validation of classifications using measures external to the classification found that low achieving and discrepant children differ from typically developing children, and from one another in predictable ways based on differences in IQ. The study highlights the importance of taking into account the language of instruction and the severity of the cut-off to reduce misidentification of typically developing children. [This paper was published in "New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development" n166 p111-143 2019 (EJ1221827).]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Moving Forward by Looking Back: Understanding Why Some Spanish-Speaking English Learners Fall Behind
- Author
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Rojas, Raúl, Hiebert, Lindsey, Gusewski, Svenja, and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
This study investigated early indicators of Spanish-speaking English learners (ELs) at risk for reading difficulties at the end of Grade 2 by examining their early bilingual oral language development, taking into account language of academic instruction. Standardized measures of reading and narrative samples were collected in English and Spanish from kindergarten to Grade 2 from 1,243 ELs primarily instructed in English or Spanish. Conditional growth curve models yielded four primary findings of reading and oral language development. First, ELs with low reading achievement at end of Grade 2 demonstrated early reading difficulties during kindergarten. Second, although ELs demonstrated overall higher reading achievement in their instructed language, this difference decreased over time. Third, ELs with low reading achievement at end of Grade 2 demonstrated lower oral language skills in each language over time. Fourth, ELs demonstrated overall higher oral language skills in their instructed language, yet these differences varied over time. The study provided a detailed description of the longitudinal relations among the bilingual reading and oral language skills of Spanish-speaking ELs during the early school years. These findings help to inform the processes of early identification and intervention for Spanish-speaking ELs who are likely to demonstrate reading achievement difficulties. [This paper was published in "New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development" n166 p43-77 2019 (EJ1221828).]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Speaking and Reading in Two Languages: On the Identification of Reading and Language Disabilities in Spanish-Speaking English Learners
- Author
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Francis, David J., Rojas, Raúl, Gusewski, Svenja, Santi, Kristi L., Khalaf, Shiva, Hiebert, Lindsey, and Bunta, Ferenc
- Abstract
Articles in this issue examine (1) the primary sources of variability in reading and language achievement among Spanish-speaking English learners (ELs) in the United States, (2) the extent to which poor performance at the end of grade 2 is identifiable in developmental trajectories beginning in kindergarten, (3) the relations among core reading constructs of phonological awareness and decoding in both English and Spanish and the factors that affect their relationship, (4) the performance of different approaches to identification and the factors that influence how well they work, as well as (5) the growing literature focused on intervention for reading problems in this population. This article examines the literature on language minority students and disability identification and analyzes a large-scale longitudinal dataset (>4,000 ELs; > 15,000 observations) to systematically characterize and describe the oral language and reading development of Spanish-speaking children designated as ELs from kindergarten to second grade, considering a range of factors that may potentially contribute to that characterization and its relation to academic performance. This systematic characterization should facilitate the development of an empirical basis for a theoretically grounded framework of typical development in ELs in order to more precisely identify those children with language and learning disabilities. [This paper was published in "New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development" n166 p15-41 2019 (EJ1221829).]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Bilingual Phonological Awareness: Construct Validation in Grade 1 Spanish-Speaking English Learners
- Author
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Khalaf, Shiva, Santi, Kristi L., Kulesz, Paulina A., Bunta, Ferenc, and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
This study investigated the dimensionality of bilingual phonological awareness (PA) in English and Spanish by replicating a kindergarten model in Grade 1, and presents alternatives to modeling clustered data. English and Spanish tasks were analyzed from previously collected samples totaling 1,586 first grade Spanish-speaking English learners. Four distinct approaches to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models were examined: (a) uncentered student-level data, (b) student-level data centered at the classroom means, (c) classroom-level data, and (d) multilevel CFA. Results indicated that while the multilevel CFA provided the most comprehensive view of the data, the multi-level student-level estimates were not appreciably different from estimates based on student-level data centered at the classroom means, and multi-level classroom-level estimates were comparable to estimates based on the analysis of classroom means. Importantly, English and Spanish PA were statistically separable at the student-level, but minimally distinct (r= 0.86) and slightly less correlated than what has been reported for kindergarten (r=0.93). At the classroom level, the correlation was moderate (r=0.51), and substantially reduced compared to kindergarten (r=0.83). The distinction at the classroom-level between kindergarten and Grade 1 imply that instruction differentiates the abilities across languages at the classroom-level, but less so at the student-level. [This paper was published in "New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development" n166 p79-110 2019 (EJ1221842).]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. Developmental Trajectories for Literacy and Math Skills from Primary to Secondary School
- Author
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Little, Callie W., Erbeli, Florina, Francis, David J., and Tynan, John
- Abstract
Background: Research on academic development has mainly focused on early time periods with less attention on individual differences in development in the later school years. Methods: To improve our knowledge of how students develop academically during later school years, this study used a multivariate growth model to investigate the developmental trajectories of literacy and math skills in a sample of Australian students in fifth through ninth grades (n = 114). Results: Students progressed at greater average rates in math from primary to secondary school than in literacy. Both literacy and math skills showed significant individual differences in growth rate at Grade 9. There was no evidence of an association between change in math and change in literacy. Primary school socioeconomic status was not a statistically significant predictor of inter-individual differences in the development of either literacy or math. Conclusions: These results, taken together, suggest that both domain-general and domain-specific influences act on the development of these academic skills.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. Structure Altering Effects of a Multicomponent Reading Intervention: An Application of the Direct and Inferential Mediation (DIME) Model of Reading Comprehension in Upper Elementary Grades
- Author
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Ahmed, Yusra, Miciak, Jeremy, Taylor, W. Pat, and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
We evaluate the direct and inferential mediation (DIME) model for reading comprehension with a sample of struggling readers in Grades 3 to 5 (N = 364) in the context of a large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating two theoretically distinct reading interventions (text processing + foundational skills [n = 117] or text processing only [n = 120]) and a control condition (n = 127). We investigate whether the intervention affects not just reading comprehension levels, but also how variables within the reading system interrelate. This approach allows the focus to shift from intervention as influencing a change in reading comprehension status to a complex set of processes. We fit structural equation models (SEMs) to evaluate the DIME model at baseline and a change model that included reading comprehension and word reading at posttest. There were no significant mean differences between groups in reading comprehension. However, significant differences emerged on the direct and indirect effects of background knowledge, vocabulary, word reading, strategies, and inferencing on comprehension across grade levels and treatment conditions. Related to treatment groups, background knowledge, vocabulary, and inferencing were significantly related to comprehension at posttest for students who received text processing and/or foundational skills interventions. The results have implications for the direct instruction of higher-order reading skills in the context of multicomponent interventions.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. The Complex Role of Utterance Length on Grammaticality: Multivariate Multilevel Analysis of English and Spanish Utterances of First-Grade English Learners
- Author
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Castilla-Earls, Anny, Francis, David J., and Iglesias, Aquiles
- Abstract
Purpose: This study examined the relationship between utterance length, syntactic complexity, and the probability of making an error at the utterance level. Method: The participants in this study included 830 Spanish-speaking first graders who were learning English at school. Story retells in both Spanish and English were collected from all children. Generalized mixed linear models were used to examine within-child and between-children effects of utterance length and subordination on the probability of making an error at the utterance level. Results: The relationship between utterance length and grammaticality was found to differ by error type (omission vs. commission), language (Spanish vs. English), and level of analysis (within-child vs. between-children). For errors of commission, the probability of making an error increased as a child produced utterances that were longer relative to their average utterance length (within-child effect). Contrastively, for errors of omission, the probability of making an error decreased when a child produced utterances that were longer relative to their average utterance length (within-child effect). In English, a child who produced utterances that were, on average, longer than the average utterance length for all children produced more errors of commission and fewer errors of omission (between-children effect). This between-children effect was similar in Spanish for errors of commission but nonsignificant for errors of omission. For both error types, the within-child effects of utterance length were moderated by the use of subordination. Conclusion: The relationship between utterance length and grammaticality is complex and varies by error type, language, and whether the frame of reference is the child's own language (within-child effect) or the language of other children (between-children effect).
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. Reading Comprehension and Academic Vocabulary: Exploring Relations of Item Features and Reading Proficiency
- Author
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Lawrence, Joshua F., Knoph, Rebecca, McIlraith, Autumn, Kulesz, Paulina A., and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
General academic words are those which are typically learned through exposure to school texts and occur across disciplines. We examined academic vocabulary assessment data from a group of English-speaking middle school students (N = 1,747). We tested how word frequency, complexity, proximity, polysemy, and diversity related to students' knowledge of target words across ability levels. Our results affirm the strong relation between vocabulary and reading at the individual level. Strong readers were more likely to know the meanings of words than struggling readers were, regardless of the features of the academic words tested. Words with more meanings were easier for all students, on average. The relation between word frequency and item difficulty was stronger among better readers, whereas the relation between word complexity and item difficulty was stronger among less proficient readers. Our examination of academic words' characteristics and how these characteristics relate to word difficulty across reading performance has implications for instruction.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. The Reading Profiles of Late Elementary English Learners with and without Risk for Dyslexia
- Author
-
Miciak, Jeremy, Ahmed, Yusra, Capin, Phil, and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
Few studies have systematically investigated the reading skill profiles of English Learners (ELs) in late elementary school, a critical developmental period for language and literacy and the most common grades for initial identification with specific learning disabilities (O'Connor et al., "Learning Disabilities Research & Practice," 28(3), 98-112, 2013). We investigated the reading skill profiles of 331 ELs in 3rd and 4th grades, including ELs with and without risk for dyslexia due to significant deficits in word and pseudo-word reading accuracy and fluency. We utilized latent profile analysis and factor mixture modeling to investigate: (1) the nature and distribution of reading skill profiles; (2) whether these profiles were associated with differences in reading comprehension growth across one academic year; and (3) the stability of reading profiles across an academic year. We selected a two class solution (reading disabled and typically developing) based on model fit indices, theoretical considerations, pattern of results across profile-solutions and time-points, and parameterizations, making the approach stronger and more generalizable. These classes demonstrated clear, consistent differences in performance across reading component skills, with the RD class scoring consistently below the TD class across code-based and meaning-based domains of reading. Across the year, the TD class demonstrated significantly higher patterns of growth in reading comprehension (X[superscript 2] (1) = 206.21, p < 0.001). Class membership was largely stable (97% of participants maintain class membership). These results suggest that ELs with risk for dyslexia demonstrate multiple component skill deficits that may require long-term, comprehensive, intensive interventions to remediate. [This article was published in "Annals of Dyslexia" (EJ1338377).]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Is the Treatment Weak or the Test Insensitive: Interrogating Item Difficulties to Elucidate the Nature of Reading Intervention Effects
- Author
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Francis, David J., Kulesz, Paulina A., Khalaf, Shiva, Walczak, Martin, and Vaughn, Sharon R.
- Abstract
Intervention research in education is sometimes criticized for the use of experimenter developed assessments, especially when these are over aligned with treatment. At the same time, intervention researchers sometimes prefer locally developed assessments because they appear to be more sensitive to treatment effects even when the test is not subject to the criticism of over alignment. This paper examines the question of test sensitivity to treatment effects for experimenter developed and standardized tests for the specific case of reading in grade 8. We examine similarities and differences between a specific experimenter developed test and widely used standardized reading assessment. Analyses show these particular tests to be quite comparable. The paper concludes with an examination of test sensitivity by simulating treatment effects of different magnitudes. These analyses highlight some potential limitations of the standardized test for detecting small to moderate effects depending on the ability range of the students participating in intervention. The implications for intervention research and identification of students under response to intervention are discussed. [This paper was published in "Learning and Individual Differences" v97 2022.]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Extending the Simple View of Reading to Account for Variation within Readers and across Texts: The Complete View of Reading (CVR'i')
- Author
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Francis, David J., Kulesz, Paulina A., and Benoit, Julia S.
- Abstract
This study leverages advances in multivariate cross-classified random effects models to extend the Simple View of Reading to account for variation within readers and across texts, allowing for both the personalization of the reading function and the integration of the component skills and text and discourse frameworks for reading research. We illustrate the Complete View of Reading (CVR"i") using data from an intensive longitudinal design study with a large sample of typical (N = 648) and struggling readers (N = 865) in middle school and using oral reading fluency as a proxy for comprehension. To illustrate the utility of the CVR"i", we present a model with cross-classified random intercepts for students and passages and random slopes for growth, Lexile difficulty, and expository text type at the student level. We highlight differences between typical and struggling readers and differences across students in different grades. The model illustrates that readers develop differently and approach the reading task differently, showing differential impact of text features on their fluency. To be complete, a model of reading must be able to reflect this heterogeneity at the person and passage level, and the CVR"i" is a step in that direction. Implications for reading interventions and 21st century reading research in the era of "Big Data" and interest in phenotypic characterization are discussed.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Academic Literacy Instruction for Adolescents: A Guidance Document from the Center on Instruction
- Author
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Center on Instruction, Torgesen, Joseph K., Houston, Debra D., Rissman, Lila M., Decker, Susan M., Roberts, Greg, Vaughn, Sharon, Wexler, Jade, Francis, David J., Rivera, Mabel O., and Lesaux, Nonie
- Abstract
This document was prepared to assist literacy specialists in the national Regional Comprehensive Center network as they work with states to improve educational policy and practice in the area of adolescent literacy. It comprises three major parts: Part One: "Improving academic literacy instruction for students in grades 4-12." Based on current research in adolescent literacy, this part discusses recommendations to improve literacy instruction in the content areas (e.g., science, social studies, history, literature), instructional recommendations for English language learners, and critical elements of instruction for special reading classes with struggling readers. It addresses three critical goals for academic literacy instruction with adolescents: (1) to improve overall levels of reading proficiency; (2) to (at least) maintain grade level reading skills from the end of third grade through high school; and (3) to accelerate the reading development of students reading below grade level. Part Two: "Advice from experts about improving academic literacy instruction for adolescents." Eight experts with extensive experience conducting research on adolescent literacy were asked to respond to four questions about methods for improving adolescent literacy from the perspective of school- and state-level policy recommendations. They were asked to address both literacy instruction in the content areas and recommendations for struggling readers; they were also asked to recommend additional readings related to these questions. An annotated bibliography of their responses is included. Part Three: "Examples of state activities in support of improved adolescent literacy instruction." This part describes specific activities four states have adopted to improve adolescent literacy, placing the targeted activities in the broader context of each state's efforts to support improved reading instruction. Contact information for each state is included.
- Published
- 2017
17. English Learners' Acquisition of Academic Vocabulary: Instruction Matters, but so Do Word Characteristics
- Author
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August, Diane, Uccelli, Paola, Artzi, Lauren, Barr, Christopher, and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
In this cluster randomized control trial study, the authors explored the efficacy of an intervention designed to improve second-grade English learners' knowledge of challenging, high-utility English vocabulary. The authors also examined whether the intervention had a differential effect on content words that differ on two attributes (cognate status and abstractness designation) and whether the effects lasted across time. Within schools, teachers were randomly assigned to treatment or control conditions, resulting in 12 treatment classrooms and 10 control classrooms. Teachers in the treatment condition developed vocabulary using six methods: interactive shared reading, direct instruction of individual words, instruction in cognate use, activities to foster word consciousness and reinforce instructed words, and use of visual and linguistic supports. Teachers in the control condition read the same books with the target vocabulary inserted into the stories. Findings on the curriculum-based and standardized measure of vocabulary indicated that the intervention implemented for four 50-minute lessons per week for 18 weeks was effective in helping English learners acquire challenging high-utility school-relevant vocabulary (Cohen's d = 1.88 for content words; d = 0.41 for connecting words; d = 0.47 for the Test of Oral Language Development). The effects differed by word characteristics, with higher effect sizes for words that are noncognates (d = 1.57 for both concrete and abstract noncognates; d = 1.02 concrete cognates; d = 0.81 for abstract cognates). Ten months after the intervention, treatment students still outperformed control students on content vocabulary learned during the intervention (d = 1.31). This study helps validate a multifaceted approach to vocabulary intervention and research.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. How Do We Match Instructional Effectiveness with Learning Curves?
- Author
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Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE), Branum-Martin, Lee, Mehta, Paras D., Taylor, W. Patrick, Carlson, Coleen D., Lei, Xiaoxuan, Hunter, C. Vincent, and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
In order to examine the effectiveness of instruction, the authors confront formidable statistical problems, including multivariate structure of classroom observations, longitudinal dependence of both classroom observations and student outcomes. As the authors begin to examine instruction, classroom observations involve multiple variables for which they need valid measurement models. These classrooms, however, involve students who are not only growing, but typically switching classrooms each year. While measurement models for multiple variables are commonplace as confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and individual student growth can be modeled under switching classrooms with multilevel analysis software, connecting these two types of models is currently challenging and limited. Consequently, it becomes difficult to jointly examine two types of important substantive questions. First, the authors are interested in the nature of instruction: to what extent can they fit a measurement model which is consistent over time and what might that say about teachers and classrooms with respect to the stability of instructional quality? Second, how might instructional quality relate to student growth, given changing classrooms essentially every year? In order to answer these two substantive questions, the authors can fit a model of instructional observations, a model of student growth, and then join these two models. The authors present an empirical example involving a cohort sequential design of 13,236 students over three years (grades 1-3), nested in 974 classrooms, 762 teachers, in 146 schools. The measurement properties of the classroom observations were strong, with good fit and high validity coefficients (loadings). The instructional factors suggest an increase in quality and homogeneity across grades. Issues for future investigation include missing data, clustering due to teachers, and instructional carryover effects across years. Figures are appended.
- Published
- 2015
19. Lean and the Learning Organization in Higher Education
- Author
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Francis, David E.
- Abstract
Canadian post-secondary institutions are seeking enhanced efficiencies due to ongoing funding shortfalls and expanding teaching, research, and service mandates. These institutions have considered or enacted Lean methodology based on results reported by public service and healthcare organizations worldwide. Lean requires a high level of organizational investment, including an investment in culture, to ensure success. This literature survey highlights linkages between Lean and organizational learning and presents recommendations about how institutions can plan and assess Lean improvement initiatives.
- Published
- 2014
20. Bilingual Phonological Awareness: Construct Validation in Grade 1 Spanish-Speaking English Learners
- Author
-
Khalaf, Shiva, Santi, Kristi L., Kulesz, Paulina A., Bunta, Ferenc, and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
This study investigated the dimensionality of bilingual phonological awareness (PA) in English and Spanish by replicating a kindergarten model in Grade 1, and presents alternatives to modeling clustered data. English and Spanish tasks were analyzed from previously collected samples totaling 1,586 first grade Spanish-speaking English learners. Four distinct approaches to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models were examined: (a) uncentered student-level data, (b) student-level data centered at the classroom means, (c) classroom-level data, and (d) multilevel CFA. Results indicated that while the multilevel CFA provided the most comprehensive view of the data, the multi-level student-level estimates were not appreciably different from estimates based on student-level data centered at the classroom means, and multi-level classroom-level estimates were comparable to estimates based on the analysis of classroom means. Importantly, English and Spanish PA were statistically separable at the student-level, but minimally distinct (r = 0.86) and slightly less correlated than what has been reported for kindergarten (r = 0.93). At the classroom level, the correlation was moderate (r = 0.51), and substantially reduced compared to kindergarten (r = 0.83). The distinction at the classroom-level between kindergarten and Grade 1 implies that instruction differentiates the abilities across languages at the classroom-level, but less so at the student-level.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. Speaking and Reading in Two Languages: On the Identification of Reading and Language Disabilities in Spanish-Speaking English Learners
- Author
-
Francis, David J., Rojas, Raúl, Gusewski, Svenja, Santi, Kristi L., Khalaf, Shiva, Hiebert, Lindsey, and Bunta, Ferenc
- Abstract
Articles in this issue examine (1) the primary sources of variability in reading and language achievement among Spanish-speaking English learners (ELs) in the United States, (2) the extent to which poor performance at the end of grade 2 is identifiable in developmental trajectories beginning in kindergarten, (3) the relations among core reading constructs of phonological awareness and decoding in both English and Spanish and the factors that affect their relationship, (4) the performance of different approaches to identification and the factors that influence how well they work, as well as (5) the growing literature focused on intervention for reading problems in this population. This article examines the literature on language minority students and disability identification and analyzes a large-scale longitudinal dataset (>4,000 ELs; >15,000 observations) to systematically characterize and describe the oral language and reading development of Spanish-speaking children designated as ELs from kindergarten to second grade, considering a range of factors that may potentially contribute to that characterization and its relation to academic performance. This systematic characterization should facilitate the development of an empirical basis for a theoretically grounded framework of typical development in ELs in order to more precisely identify those children with language and learning disabilities.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Moving Forward by Looking Back: Understanding Why Some Spanish-Speaking English Learners Fall Behind
- Author
-
Rojas, Raúl, Hiebert, Lindsey, Gusewski, Svenja, and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
This study investigated early indicators of Spanish-speaking English learners (ELs) at risk for reading difficulties at the end of Grade 2 by examining their early bilingual oral language development, taking into account language of academic instruction. Standardized measures of reading and narrative samples were collected in English and Spanish from kindergarten to Grade 2 from 1,243 ELs primarily instructed in English or Spanish. Conditional growth curve models yielded four primary findings of reading and oral language development. First, ELs with low reading achievement at the end of Grade 2 demonstrated early reading difficulties during kindergarten. Second, although ELs demonstrated overall higher reading achievement in their instructed language, this difference decreased over time. Third, ELs with low reading achievement at the end of Grade 2 demonstrated lower oral language skills in each language over time. Fourth, ELs demonstrated overall higher oral language skills in their instructed language, yet these differences varied over time. The study provided a detailed description of the longitudinal relations among the bilingual reading and oral language skills of Spanish-speaking ELs during the early school years. These findings help to inform the processes of early identification and intervention for Spanish-speaking ELs who are likely to demonstrate reading achievement difficulties.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. IQ-Achievement Discrepancy for Identification of Disabilities in Spanish-Speaking English Learners
- Author
-
Santi, Kristi L., Khalaf, Shiva, Bunta, Ferenc, Rojas, Raúl, and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
This article examines the validity of IQ-achievement discrepancy and low achievement as criteria for the identification of disabilities in Spanish-speaking English-language learners (ELs) and the factors that moderate the validity of these approaches as bases for identification. While there has been a long history of examining the validity of different approaches to disability identification in monolinguals, there are no systematic approaches taken for ELs. Data from Grades 1 and 2 of a large longitudinal data set consisting of young Spanish-speaking students attending schools in the United States were used to empirically examine criteria for disability identification among language minority children--one of the first large-scale attempts. Findings indicated significant overidentification when the language of assessment was not matched to the language of the instruction, although the effects varied predictably over time and by language of instruction. Validation of classifications using measures external to the classification found that low achieving and discrepant children differ from typically developing children, and from one another in predictable ways based on differences in IQ. The study highlights the importance of taking into account the language of instruction and the severity of the cut-off to reduce misidentification of typically developing children.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. The Impact of the Spanish-to-English Proficiency Shift on the Grammaticality of English Learners
- Author
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Castilla-Earls, Anny, Francis, David, Iglesias, Aquiles, and Davidson, Kevin
- Abstract
Purpose: The general aim of this study is to enhance our understanding of the patterns of language growth in Spanish and English during the school years. In this study, we used a longitudinal retrospective approach to explore the growth of the percentage of grammatical utterances (PGU) in both Spanish and English in 2 groups of English learners (ELs): ELs attending English-only instruction and ELs attending Spanish-English bilingual instruction. Method: The participants included 1,080 ELs. ELs produced at least 3 story retells in both Spanish and English between kindergarten and 2nd grade. All stories were transcribed and coded for errors, and PGU was calculated for each story. Results: At the onset of the study, children showed higher PGU in Spanish and lower PGU in English. Growth curve analysis indicated that PGU in English improved over time, whereas PGU in Spanish declined in both instructional groups. However, those children who were in bilingual programs showed a slower rate of decline in Spanish PGU and a slower rate of improvement in English PGU. By the age of 9 years, children in English-only programs had approximately a Spanish PGU of 65% in Spanish, whereas children in bilingual instruction had an average Spanish PGU of 80%. The improvement in English PGU was steady with a small difference in the rate of growth benefiting children in English-only programs. Conclusion: The results of this study document a shift in language proficiency from Spanish to English during the school years. This study offers evidence of a temporary period of relatively low grammaticality in both languages that seems to be the result of a shift in proficiency from Spanish to English.
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- 2019
- Full Text
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25. Explaining Variation in Findings from Efficacy and Effectiveness Studies for English Reading Interventions for English Learners
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Barr, Christopher D., Reutebuch, Colleen K., Carlson, Coleen D., Vaughn, Sharon, and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
Beginning in 2002, researchers developed, implemented, and evaluated the efficacy of an English reading intervention for first-grade English learners using multiple randomized control trials (RCTs). As a result of this efficacy work, researchers successfully competed for an IES Goal 4 effectiveness study using the same intervention. Unlike the efficacy studies, the findings from the effectiveness study begun in 2011 did not yield significant differences in favor of the treatment. We investigated the identification and pre-intervention performance levels of students in efficacy and effectiveness RCT studies and provide data and compare samples from these studies as one means of explaining variation in findings. Findings indicate that pre-intervention performance levels are higher for students in effectiveness RCT studies. This article serves as an exemplar for other effectiveness studies that may not replicate findings from previous efficacy trials.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
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26. Research-Based Recommendations for the Use of Accommodations in Large-Scale Assessments: 2012 Update. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. Book 4
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Center on Instruction, Kieffer, Michael J., Rivera, Mabel, Francis, David J., Kieffer, Michael J., Rivera, Mabel, Francis, David J., and Center on Instruction
- Abstract
This report presents results from a new quantitative synthesis of research on the effectiveness and validity of test accommodations for English language learners (ELLs) taking large-scale assessments. In 2006, the Center on Instruction published a review of the literature on test accommodations for ELLs titled "Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners: Research-based Recommendations for the Use of Accommodations in Large-Scale Assessments" (Francis, Rivera, Lesaux, Kieffer, & Rivera, 2006). This new publication provides an update to the 2006 report, incorporating evidence from nine studies not previously included and providing updated recommendations for educators and policy-makers. Results drawn from 20 studies (including, in total, more than 33,000 students, of whom more than 9,400 were ELLs) were aggregated using meta-analysis. The studies were primarily conducted using researcher-created tests of mathematics and science with items drawn from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in grades 4 and 8. Drawing on the existing evidence, the authors suggest the following recommendations, ordered by the strength of the available evidence: (1) Use simplified English in test design, eliminating irrelevant language demands for all students; (2) Provide English dictionaries/glossaries to ELLs; (3) Match the language of tests and accommodations to the language of instruction; and (4) Provide extended time to ELLs or use untimed tests for all students. Appended are: (1) Characteristics of studies included in the meta-analysis on effectiveness of accommodations; (2) Comparisons of included studies to those included in Francis et al. (2006) and Pennock-Roman (2011) with reasons for inclusion for newly added studies since Francis et al. (2006); (3) Discussion of the choice of unit of analysis; and (4) Reporting of technical results. (Contains 3 tables and 3 footnotes.) [For related reports, see "Research-Based Recommendations for Instruction and Academic Interventions. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. Book 1 of 3" (ED517790); "Research-Based Recommendations for Serving Adolescent Newcomers. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. Book 2 of 3" (ED517791); and "Research-Based Recommendations for the Use of Accommodations in Large-Scale Assessments. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. Book 3 of 3" (ED517792).]
- Published
- 2012
27. Instructional Variability in Bilingual Education Programs: Time of Year, Raters, and Content
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Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE), Branum-Martin, Lee, Mehta, Paras D., Carlson, Coleen D., Francis, David J., and Foorman, Barbara R.
- Abstract
There are many types of programs for Spanish speaking students in the US, with varying methods and goals. Some preliminary work suggests that bilingual classrooms may differ widely in instruction, even under the same program labels. However, there are few studies which have compared the extent to which various bilingual program models differ in actual instruction delivered. Directly measuring instructional practice however, is difficult and costly, involving the influence of time, raters, content, and programs (Raudenbush, 2008). The purpose of the current paper is to estimate the relative influence of these important sources of variance in classroom observations completed in a large quasi-experiment of bilingual education. (Contains 6 tables.)
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- 2012
28. Immersion versus Primary Language Effects for Growth in Spanish and English Letter-Word Identification among Children, Classrooms, and Schools
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Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE), Branum-Martin, Lee, Mehta, Paras D., and Francis, David J.
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This study estimates program effects (English immersion versus primary language instruction using varying degrees of Spanish) upon English and Spanish word identification in the context of changing classrooms (cross-classification) from kindergarten through second grade. Letter-word identification is an important predictor of early reading achievement (Scarborough, 2001, 2005). In particular, the authors are interested in classroom and school differences not merely as noise to be removed, but as indicators of substantively important differences in implementation and practice. The student participants were 1,991 children (49% female) taught by 421 teachers across the 3 years of the longitudinal project, kindergarten to second grade. Seventy-five percent of the families reported earning less than $30,000 per year, and 79% had foreign-born fathers. Results suggest that in English, Spanish language instruction may facilitate the learning of English over time, as evidenced by the maintenance programs catching up to the English performance of the immersion programs. In Spanish letter-word identification, immersion programs show improving performance over time, but at a slower pace than the Spanish maintenance programs. These program-by-time interactions, however, are not completely correct and will require further verification. (Contains 4 figures and 3 tables.)
- Published
- 2011
29. Effective Practices for English Language Learners: Principals from Five States Speak
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Center on Instruction, University of Houston, Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, Rivera, Mabel O., Francis, David J., Fernandez, Magdalena, Moughamian, Ani C., Jergensen, Julia, and Lesaux, Nonie K.
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From classroom teachers to researchers, education professionals have raised questions about how best to assist students who face the significant dual challenge of acquiring the content knowledge necessary for academic success and simultaneously developing their English language competency. This document addresses these questions by looking at key practices in schools with high populations of non-native speakers of English that have achieved exemplary academic success in their second, acquired language. The authors begin with a brief look at some research on language of instruction and literacy programs for English language learners (ELLs). Most of the document describes practices and programs in schools where English language learners have done exceptionally well. It details findings from 49 school principals on nine factors, including school and student characteristics, instructional supports and strategies for ELLs, and barriers to effective instruction for ELLs. The document ends with a consideration of its limitations and implications. Appendices include: (1) School Selection by State; and (2) Survey. (Contains 16 tables and 3 footnotes.)
- Published
- 2010
30. The Impact of an Instructional Intervention on the Science and Language Learning of Middle Grade English Language Learners
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Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE), August, Diane, Branum-Martin, Lee, Cardenas-Hagan, Elsa, and Francis, David
- Abstract
The goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an intervention--Quality English and Science Teaching (QuEST)--designed to develop the science knowledge and academic language of middle grades English language learners studying science in their second language and their English-proficient classmates. Both English language learners and English-proficient students are incorporated in this study design, and the authors have tested explicitly for interactions of language status with experimental and traditional forms of instruction. Overall, it appears that the implementation of QuEST improves the quality of teachers' science instruction and raises student performance on curriculum based measures of Vocabulary and Science. Project QuEST differed from the practices in the control classrooms by making alterations to accommodate the needs of ELLs and build on their strengths. Consistent with the literature on effective L2 instruction, the content was made clear to students through the use of visuals, modeling, and ongoing discussion. Additionally, students' English oral proficiency was developed in the context of science instruction through explicit vocabulary instruction, guided reading, and partnering with classmates who were more English proficient. (Contains 2 footnotes.)
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- 2010
31. Instructional Models and Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners
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Center on Instruction, University of Houston, Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, Moughamian, Ani C., Rivera, Mabel O., and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
This publication seeks to offer educators and policy-makers guidance on strategies that have been effective in instructing English language learners (ELLs). The authors begin by outlining key contextual factors that decision-makers should take into account when making instructional choices for English language learners, then follow with a brief overview of bilingual and English-only instructional models. Finally, they consider the influence of the language of instruction on academic outcomes for English language learners. Regardless of the model that school districts select, teachers must use the most effective strategies to accelerate student learning and maximize instructional time; this publication suggests research-based instructional strategies appropriate for a range of ELL instructional models. Appendices include: (1) Instructional Methods and Strategies; and (2) Bilingual Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (BCIRC) Activities. (Contains 1 table and 5 footnotes.)
- Published
- 2009
32. Language Development for English Language Learners. Facilitator's Guide
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Center on Instruction, University of Houston, Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, Rivera, Mabel O., Moughamian, Ani, and Francis, David J.
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This Facilitator's Guide has been prepared for presenters of the "Language Development for English Language Learners" professional development module. It accompanies the 67-slide PowerPoint presentation with speaker's notes and contains materials to help prepare for a professional development session, including activity instructions, handouts, agendas, references, and templates for contacting participants. Intended for audiences of state and district leaders, the "Language Development for English Language Learners" professional development module provides background knowledge on language development, language assessment of English Language Learners, academic language instruction, and vocabulary in grades K through 12. It is expected that technical assistance providers or states will use the module to train department of education and school district personnel involved in professional development for principals, coaches, and teachers of English Language Learners. Through this professional development, it is hoped that: Participants will: collaborate in activities that clarify the meanings of key questions and terms about language development for ELLs; and apply the content as they plan to deliver instruction to ELLs. Facilitators will learn about additional resources to adapt, modify, enrich, and further explain content to meet participants' needs. A glossary and templates are included.
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- 2009
33. The Moderating Influence of Instructional Intensity and Word Type on the Acquisition of Academic Vocabulary in Young English Language Learners
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August, Diane, Artzi, Lauren, Barr, Christopher, and Francis, David
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This study used a within-subjects design to explore two instructional conditions for developing vocabulary in second-grade Spanish-speaking English learners (ELs)--extended instruction and embedded instruction implemented during shared interactive reading. Words assigned to the extended condition were directly taught using a multifaceted approach that included visuals, bilingual definitions, examples, spelling, and partner-talk about the words' meaning. Words assigned to the embedded condition were taught solely through brief definitions to embedded text, writing activities, and songs. In the control condition students heard the target words read aloud during shared interactive reading but without definitions or direct instruction. The study also explored the interaction between instructional condition and word type. Four types of words--abstract cognates, abstract noncognates, concrete cognates, and concrete noncognates--were randomly assigned to each condition. Nine teachers in four schools and 187 second-grade ELs participated in this within-subjects intervention, which took place in transitional bilingual classrooms. Findings indicated that across all word types, both extended and embedded instruction were more effective than the control condition in helping ELs acquire vocabulary. Findings also indicated that extended instruction was more effective then embedded instruction for all word types except concrete cognates suggesting that these young Spanish-speaking ELs were advantaged by word knowledge in their home language. Finally, while embedded instruction was less effective than extended instruction, it was much more effective than a control condition. Embedded instruction takes significantly less preparation and instructional time than extended instruction, offering teachers a practical way to teach more vocabulary to ELs.
- Published
- 2018
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34. English Learners in STEM Subjects: Transforming Classrooms, Schools, and Lives. Consensus Study Report
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National Academies, National Academy of Engineering, National Academies, National Academy of Medicine, National Academies, National Academy of Sciences, Francis, David, and Stephens, Amy
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The imperative that all students, including English learners (ELs), achieve high academic standards and have opportunities to participate in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning has become even more urgent and complex given shifts in science and mathematics standards. As a group, these students are underrepresented in STEM fields in college and in the workforce at a time when the demand for workers and professionals in STEM fields is unmet and increasing. However, English learners bring a wealth of resources to STEM learning, including knowledge and interest in STEM-related content that is born out of their experiences in their homes and communities, home languages, variation in discourse practices, and, in some cases, experiences with schooling in other countries. "English Learners in STEM Subjects: Transforming Classrooms, Schools, and Lives" examines the research on ELs' learning, teaching, and assessment in STEM subjects and provides guidance on how to improve learning outcomes in STEM for these students. This report considers the complex social and academic use of language delineated in the new mathematics and science standards, the diversity of the population of ELs, and the integration of English as a second language instruction with core instructional programs in STEM. [Individual chapters contain references. Contributors include the Committee on Supporting English Learners in STEM Subjects; Board on Science Education; Board on Children, Youth, and Families; and the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.]
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- 2018
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35. Educator Stress: An Occupational Health Perspective. Aligning Perspectives on Health, Safety and Well-Being
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McIntyre, Teresa Mendonça, McIntyre, Scott E., Francis, David J., McIntyre, Teresa Mendonça, McIntyre, Scott E., and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
This book brings together the most current thinking and research on educator stress and how education systems can support quality teachers and quality education. It adopts an occupational health perspective to examine the problem of educator stress and presents theory-driven intervention strategies to reduce stress load and support educator resilience and healthy school organizations. The book provides an international perspective on key challenges facing educators such as teacher stress, teacher retention, training effective teachers, teacher accountability, cyber-bullying in schools, and developing healthy school systems. Divided into four parts, the book starts out by introducing and defining the problem of educator stress internationally and examining educator stress in the context of school, education system, and education policy factors. Part I includes chapters on educator mental health and well-being, stress-related biological vulnerabilities, the relation of stress to teaching self-efficacy, turnover in charter schools, and the role of culture in educator stress. Part II reviews the main conceptual models that explain educator stress while applying an occupational health framework to education contexts which stresses the role of organizational factors, including work organization and work practices. It ends with a proposal of a dynamic integrative theory of educator stress, which highlights the changing nature of educator stress with time and context. Part III starts with the definition of what constitute healthy school organizations as a backdrop to the following chapters which review the application of occupational health psychology theories and intervention approaches to reducing educator stress, promoting teacher resources and developing healthy school systems. Chapters include interventions at the individual, individual-organizational interface and organizational levels. Part III ends with a chapter addressing cyber-bullying, a new challenge affecting schools and teachers. Part IV discusses the implications for research, practice and policy in education, including teacher training and development. In addition, it presents a review of methodological issues facing researchers on educator stress and identifies future trends for research on this topic, including the use of ecological momentary assessment in educator stress research. The editors' concluding comments reflect upon the application of an occupational health perspective to advance research, practice and policy directed at reducing stress in educators, and promoting teacher and school well-being.
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- 2017
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36. Research-Based Recommendations for Serving Adolescent Newcomers. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. Book 2 of 3
- Author
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Center on Instruction, University of Houston, Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, Francis, David J., Rivera, Mabel, Lesaux, Nonie, Kieffer, Michael, Rivera, Hector, Francis, David J., Rivera, Mabel, Lesaux, Nonie, Kieffer, Michael, Rivera, Hector, Center on Instruction, and University of Houston, Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics
- Abstract
The fundamental principles underlying the "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) Act of 2001" focus on high standards of learning and instruction with the goal of increasing academic achievement--reading and math in particular--within all identified subgroups in the K-12 population. One of these subgroups is the growing population of English Language Learners (ELLs). NCLB has increased awareness of the academic needs and achievement of ELLs as schools, districts, and states are held accountable for teaching English and content knowledge to this special and heterogeneous group of learners. However, ELLs present a unique set of challenges to educators because of the central role played by academic language proficiency in the acquisition and assessment of content-area knowledge. Educators have raised multiple questions about effective practices and programs to support the academic achievement of all ELLs, including questions about classroom instruction and targeted interventions in reading and math, the special needs of adolescent newcomers, and the inclusion of ELLs in large-scale assessments. While ELLs vary in their academic outcomes and many thrive in U.S. schools, there is indeed a significant proportion--whether or not formally designated Limited English Proficient (LEP) or English Language Learner (ELL) and thus receiving support services for language development--who struggle considerably in developing English proficiency and academic skills, as well as meeting grade-level standards. This document was written primarily with this latter group in mind, and, in particular, the group of ELLs who are adolescent newcomers. This group of ELLs has a relatively short period of time in which to simultaneously develop academic language skills and master grade-level content. This document provides evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, administrators, and teachers in middle and high schools who seek to make informed decisions about effectively serving adolescent newcomers. (Contains 42 endnotes.) [For related reports, see "Research-Based Recommendations for Instruction and Academic Interventions. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. Book 1 of 3" (ED517790) and "Research-Based Recommendations for the Use of Accommodations in Large-Scale Assessments. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. Book 3 of 3" (ED517792).]
- Published
- 2006
37. Research-Based Recommendations for the Use of Accommodations in Large-Scale Assessments. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. Book 3 of 3
- Author
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Center on Instruction, University of Houston, Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, Francis, David J., Rivera, Mabel, Lesaux, Nonie, Kieffer, Michael, Rivera, Hector, Francis, David J., Rivera, Mabel, Lesaux, Nonie, Kieffer, Michael, Rivera, Hector, Center on Instruction, and University of Houston, Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics
- Abstract
The fundamental principles underlying the "No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001" focus on high standards of learning and instruction with the goal of increasing academic achievement--reading and math in particular--within all identified subgroups in the K-12 population. One of these subgroups is the growing population of English Language Learners (ELLs). NCLB has increased awareness of the academic needs and achievement of ELLs as schools, districts, and states are held accountable for teaching English and content knowledge to this special and heterogeneous group of learners. However, ELLs present a unique set of challenges to educators because of the central role played by academic language proficiency in the acquisition and assessment of content-area knowledge. Educators have raised multiple questions about effective practices and programs to support the academic achievement of all ELLs, including questions about classroom instruction and targeted interventions in reading and math, the special needs of adolescent newcomers, and the inclusion of ELLs in large-scale assessments. This document focuses explicitly on this last issue and in particular on research-based recommendations on the use of accommodations to increase the valid participation of ELLs in large-scale assessments. This document is organized into three sections. The first section provides an overview with important background information on the inclusion of ELLs in large-scale assessments and the role of language in content-area assessments. This background information lays the groundwork for understanding and selecting the types of accommodations that are likely to benefit ELLs. In the second section, the authors provide background information on accommodations, including the complementary concepts of "effectiveness" and "validity", as they relate to proposed accommodations. They also review relevant research on state policies regarding accommodations for ELLs. In the final section, they provide descriptions of the most common accommodations that have been studied in the empirical research and conduct a quantitative synthesis (i.e., "meta-analysis") of this research in order to determine those accommodations that are currently known to be most effective. Also, in this final section, the authors offer recommendations and conclusions for the use of accommodations in order to increase the valid participation of ELLs in state assessments. Appendices include: (1) Literature Search Strategy; (2) Studies Excluded from Meta-Analysis; (3) Overview of Meta-Analysis Methods; (4) Descriptive Information and Effect Size Calculations for 11 Studies Used in Meta-Analysis; and (5) Forrest Plot of Effect Sizes and 95% Confidence Intervals from Random Effects Model. (Contains 2 tables and 27 endnotes.) [For related reports see, "Research-Based Recommendations for Instruction and Academic Interventions. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. Book 1 of 3" (ED517790) and "Research-Based Recommendations for Serving Adolescent Newcomers. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. Book 2 of 3" (ED517791).]
- Published
- 2006
38. Research-Based Recommendations for Instruction and Academic Interventions. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. Book 1 of 3
- Author
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Center on Instruction, University of Houston, Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, Francis, David J., Rivera, Mabel, Lesaux, Nonie, Kieffer, Michael, Rivera, Hector, Francis, David J., Rivera, Mabel, Lesaux, Nonie, Kieffer, Michael, Rivera, Hector, Center on Instruction, and University of Houston, Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics
- Abstract
The fundamental principles underlying the "No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001" focus on high standards of learning and instruction with the goal of increasing academic achievement--reading and math in particular--within all identified subgroups in the K-12 population. One of these subgroups is the growing population of English Language Learners (ELLs). NCLB has increased awareness of the academic needs and achievement of ELLs as schools, districts, and states are held accountable for teaching English and content knowledge to this special and heterogeneous group of learners. However, ELLs present a unique set of challenges to educators because of the central role played by academic language proficiency in the acquisition and assessment of content-area knowledge. Educators have raised multiple questions about effective practices and programs to support the academic achievement of all ELLs, including questions about classroom instruction and targeted interventions in reading and math, the special needs of adolescent newcomers, and the inclusion of ELLs in large-scale assessments. While ELLs vary in their academic outcomes and many thrive in U.S. schools, there is indeed a significant proportion--whether or not formally designated Limited English Proficient (LEP) or English Language Learner (ELL) and thus receiving support services for language development--who struggle considerably in developing English proficiency, academic skills, and meeting grade-level standards. This document was written primarily with this latter group in mind. Like any other population of learners with academic difficulties, struggling ELLs require effective instructional approaches and interventions to prevent further difficulties and to augment and support their academic development. When designing an instructional approach or intervention, educators must consider several factors in addition to the content, such as the format for delivery, the match between the learner's difficulty and the approach or intervention, and whether it is meant to be a class-wide approach or targeted for small-group or one-on-one settings. For ELLs, it is especially important to consider the role of second language proficiency in their difficulties as well as in their ability to profit from the planned instruction or intervention. This document provides evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, administrators, and teachers in K-12 settings who seek to make informed decisions about instruction and academic interventions for ELLs. The domains of focus include reading and mathematics, and the recommendations apply to both a class-wide instructional format and individualized, targeted interventions, depending on the population and the goals of the instruction. (Contains 58 endnotes.) [For related reports, see "Research-Based Recommendations for Serving Adolescent Newcomers. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. Book 2 of 3" (ED517791) and "Research-Based Recommendations for the Use of Accommodations in Large-Scale Assessments. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. Book 3 of 3" (ED517792).]
- Published
- 2006
39. Multi-Stage Analysis of Sequential Developmental Processes To Study Reading Progress: New Methodological Developments Using General Growth Mixture Modeling. CSE Technical Report 489.
- Author
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California Univ., Los Angeles. Center for the Study of Evaluation., National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing, Los Angeles, CA., Muthen, Bengt, Khoo, Siek-Toon, and Francis, David
- Abstract
Methods for investigating the influence of an early developmental process on a later process are discussed. Conventional growth modeling is found inadequate but a general growth mixture model is sufficiently flexible. The growth mixture model allows prediction of the later process using different trajectory classes for the early process. The growth mixture model is applied to the study of progress in reading skills among first-grade students that collected data from about 1,000 children. How the development of phonemic awareness during kindergarten influences the development of word recognition in first grade was the specific focus of the analysis. The approach is found to be a useful tool for studying the relationship between two processes. Instead of predicting growth in the later process by the growth factors of the earlier process, a latent class variable with classes corresponding to the prespecified growth shapes was used to predict growth in the later process. (Contains 2 figures, 3 tables, and 19 references.) (Author/SLD)
- Published
- 1998
40. An Investigation of an Intervention to Promote Inference Generation by Adolescent Poor Comprehenders
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Denton, Carolyn A., York, Mary J., Francis, David J., Haring, Christa, Ahmed, Yusra, and Bidulescu, Adrian
- Abstract
This brief experimental study investigated the initial promise of an intervention designed to promote inference generation in adolescents with reading comprehension difficulties. The intervention, provided for nine sessions, included multisyllable word study, teacher explanation and modeling of inference generation and other comprehension processes, and having students practice by thinking aloud about text. Research questions addressed proximal effects on measures of the intermediate goals of the intervention and effects on reading comprehension. Participants were 48 ninth grade students with reading comprehension difficulties, randomly assigned to experimental or time-on-task control conditions. No significant group differences were detected; however, effect sizes in the moderate range indicated meaningful effects on some proximal measures, suggesting that further study of the approach is warranted.
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- 2017
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41. The Poor Get Richer: Heterogeneity in the Efficacy of a School-Level Intervention for Academic Language
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Lawrence, Joshua F., Francis, David, Paré-Blagoev, Juliana, and Snow, Catherine E.
- Abstract
We investigate the impact of a relatively brief cross-curricular intervention, Word Generation, on middle school students' development of taught academic vocabulary. Students (n = 8382) in forty-four middle schools in three urban districts were randomly assigned to treatment or control conditions. Treatment teachers implemented the program with minimal support and varying levels of commitment. Students in treatment schools scored almost a point higher on the curriculum-based vocabulary posttests than those in control schools (Hedges's g = 0.094, p < 0.05). Though there was no main treatment effect on the standardized measures of students' general vocabulary knowledge or reading comprehension, baseline-by-treatment interactions at the school and student level acted to attenuate the Matthew Effect in reading and vocabulary growth.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
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42. Examining a Motivational Treatment and Its Impact on Adolescents' Reading Comprehension and Fluency
- Author
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Wolters, Christopher A., Barnes, Marcia A., Kulesz, Paulina A., York, Mary, and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
The authors' purpose was to examine adolescents' reading motivation in relation to standardized assessments of reading comprehension and fluency. After a reading pretest, 60 ninth-grade students (M age = 14.9 years) were randomly assigned to two groups. Compared to those in the control condition, those administered brief oral feedback intended to improve motivation indicated an increased focus on mastery goals and greater perceived control during a reading posttest. No differences were found with regard to four other aspects of motivation. Students in the treatment condition, including struggling readers more specifically, did not score better on the posttest measures of reading comprehension or fluency. Hence, results failed to replicate Zentall and Lee's (2012) findings with younger readers. Findings are discussed with regard to the theoretical and practical implications for understanding reading motivation.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
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43. Voice-Related Patient-Reported Outcome Measures: A Systematic Review of Instrument Development and Validation
- Author
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Francis, David O., Daniero, James J., Hovis, Kristen L., Sathe, Nila, Jacobson, Barbara, Penson, David F., Feurer, Irene D., and McPheeters, Melissa L.
- Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to perform a comprehensive systematic review of the literature on voice-related patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures in adults and to evaluate each instrument for the presence of important measurement properties. Method: MEDLINE, the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and the Health and Psychosocial Instrument databases were searched using relevant vocabulary terms and key terms related to PRO measures and voice. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed in consultation with an expert panel. Three independent investigators assessed study methodology using criteria developed a priori. Measurement properties were examined and entered into evidence tables. Results: A total of 3,744 studies assessing voice-related constructs were identified. This list was narrowed to 32 PRO measures on the basis of predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Questionnaire measurement properties varied widely. Important thematic deficiencies were apparent: (a) lack of patient involvement in the item development process, (b) lack of robust construct validity, and (c) lack of clear interpretability and scaling. Conclusions: PRO measures are a principal means of evaluating treatment effectiveness in voice-related conditions. Despite their prominence, available PRO measures have disparate methodological rigor. Care must be taken to understand the psychometric and measurement properties and the applicability of PRO measures before advocating for their use in clinical or research applications.
- Published
- 2017
44. The Influence of Properties of the Test and Their Interactions with Reader Characteristics on Reading Comprehension: An Explanatory Item Response Study
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Kulesz, Paulina A., Francis, David J., Barnes, Marcia A., and Fletcher, Jack M.
- Abstract
Component skills and discourse frameworks of reading have identified characteristics of readers and texts that influence comprehension. However, these 2 frameworks have not previously been integrated in a comprehensive and systematic way to explain performance on any standardized assessment of reading comprehension that is in widespread use across a broad developmental spectrum. The current study undertook such an integration using the reading comprehension subtest of the Gates-McGinitie Reading Tests, investigating characteristics of the test's reading passages and comprehension questions and the component reading skills of students in middle and high school (n = 1,190) in order to determine the extent to which each of these dimensions affect test performance, both on average and through interaction with one another. The component skills of reading included word reading, reading fluency, vocabulary, background knowledge, and working memory. Test questions were coded for their processing demands, specifically the need to recall information from test and to form text-based inferences, while text passages were measured on word frequency, sentence length, text cohesion, and genre. We found that better vocabulary and background knowledge were the most important reader characteristics in accounting for reading comprehension. The processing demands of test questions were not highly predictive of item difficulty. Rather, genre was the most important passage feature in explaining item difficulty. Reader-test interactions were present, but were not pronounced. We discuss the importance of these findings as they relate to the measurement of comprehension and the integration of component skills and text-discourse models of reading.
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- 2016
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45. Community Development and Rural Issues. Community Development Briefing Paper No. 6.
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ACRE: Action with Communities in Rural England, Cirencester., Community Development Foundation, London (England)., Francis, David, and Henderson, Paul
- Abstract
Rural poverty and wide-ranging environmental concerns are some of the problems driving a growing public debate on rural issues across the United Kingdom. This briefing paper assesses the contribution that a community development approach can make to these issues. Rural areas have a long history of collective action, from farm families helping each other at harvest time to communal efforts to provide village services, schools, carnivals, and drama events. Recent decades have seen increasing outside efforts to influence policies, decisions, and trends that threaten local areas, such as school closings, environmental issues, and large new housing developments. The role and challenge of community development is to reinforce local collective action where it is already occurring, and encourage more communities to acquire the confidence and skills to take collective action. Chapters set the rural context; identify broad trends related to rural population, changing employment, declining services, the market economy, and rural-urban conflicts about the environment; provide examples of effective community work around village services, schools, community centers, housing, economic development, village appraisals, and environmental action; and identify the main agencies and programs in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The booklet concludes by recommending consolidation of the community work occupation; promotion of a community approach; appreciation of the Europe-wide perspective; a reappraisal of values; development of political responsibility and citizenship; and adoption of a more strategic approach. Contains 19 references and 29 organizational contacts in the United Kingdom and Europe. (TD)
- Published
- 1994
46. Using Virtual Reality Equipment to Enhance Learning in Extension Youth Programming
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Davis, Elizabeth, Ward, Callie, and Francis, David
- Abstract
This article provides information on how to use virtual reality equipment to increase participant engagement as well as suggestions for incorporating virtual reality activities into Extension youth programming. These are lessons learned through the use of virtual reality by Extension faculty. Virtual reality equipment can increase participant engagement and improve learning.
- Published
- 2020
47. A Review and Perspective on Lean in Higher Education
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Balzer, William K., Francis, David E., and Krehbiel, Timothy C.
- Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the accumulated body of research on Lean in higher education, draw conclusions to help guide successful Lean implementations and propose future research directions to establish a rich base of knowledge that informs both practice and research. Design/methodology/approach This literature review examines the academic literature regarding the use of Lean in higher education across 64 publications. EBSCO definitions were used to assess and present the synthesized results, which are detailed at the department/unit level and at the organizational level. Findings: Overall, Lean appears to have significant and measurable value when used to improve academic and administrative operations in higher education. Such improvements are effective at the department/unit level or throughout the entire institution. However, implementing Lean within an institution is a serious undertaking that is most impactful if it involves long-term, strategic planning. Research limitations/implications: The groundwork has been established for the development of conceptual frameworks to further guide Lean initiatives in higher education. Such frameworks, together with further integration of organizational development and change management literature will define best practices when implementing Lean locally and throughout the institution. Originality/value: At the time of this writing, there has been no systematic review or integration of the published literature about Lean in higher education. This review provides a highly useful starting point for researchers interested in further developing theory about quality in academic institutions.
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- 2016
- Full Text
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48. Cognitive Difficulties in Struggling Comprehenders and Their Relation to Reading Comprehension: A Comparison of Group Selection and Regression-Based Models
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Barnes, Marcia A., Stuebing, Karla K., Fletcher, Jack M., Barth, Amy E., and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
Difficulties suppressing previously encountered but currently irrelevant information from working memory characterize less skilled comprehenders in studies in which they are matched to skilled comprehenders on word decoding and nonverbal IQ. These "extreme" group designs are associated with several methodological issues. When sample size permits, regression approaches permit a more accurate estimation of effects. Using data for students in Grades 6 through 12 (n = 766), regression techniques assessed the significance and size of the relation of suppression to reading comprehension across the distribution of comprehension skill. After accounting for decoding efficiency and nonverbal IQ, suppression, measured by performance on a verbal proactive interference task, accounted for a small amount of significant unique variance in comprehension (less than 1%). A comparison of suppression in less skilled comprehenders matched to more skilled comprehenders (48 per group) on age, word reading efficiency, and nonverbal IQ did not show significant group differences in suppression. The implications of the findings for theories of reading comprehension and for informing comprehension assessment and intervention are discussed.
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- 2016
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49. Inferential Processing among Adequate and Struggling Adolescent Comprehenders and Relations to Reading Comprehension
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Barth, Amy E., Barnes, Marcia, Francis, David, Vaughn, Sharon, and York, Mary
- Abstract
Separate mixed model analyses of variance were conducted to examine the effect of textual distance on the accuracy and speed of text consistency judgments among adequate and struggling comprehenders across grades 6-12 (n = 1,203). Multiple regressions examined whether accuracy in text consistency judgments uniquely accounted for variance in comprehension. Results suggest that there is considerable growth across the middle and high school years, particularly for adequate comprehenders in those text integration processes that maintain local coherence. Accuracy in text consistency judgments accounted for significant unique variance for passage-level, but not sentence-level comprehension, particularly for adequate comprehenders.
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- 2015
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50. The Relation of Knowledge-Text Integration Processes and Reading Comprehension in 7th- to 12th-Grade Students
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Barnes, Marcia A., Ahmed, Yusra, Barth, Amy, and Francis, David J.
- Abstract
The integration of knowledge during reading was tested in 1,109 secondary school students. Reading times for the second sentence in a pair (Jane's headache went away) were compared in conditions where the first sentence was either causally or temporally related to the first sentence (Jane took an aspirin vs. Jane looked for an aspirin). Mixed-effects explanatory item response models revealed that at higher comprehension levels, sentences were read more quickly in the causal condition. There were no condition-related reading time differences at lower comprehension levels. This interaction held with comprehension- and inference-related factors (working memory, word and world knowledge, and word reading efficiency) in the models. Less skilled comprehenders have difficulty in knowledge-text integration processes that facilitate sentence processing during reading.
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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