Exploring teacher awareness and implementation of TELPAS descriptors in rural secondary classrooms: A qualitative study

Elementary ELLs at the beginning and intermediate level of English proficiency tend to be placed in bilingual education (BLE) or English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) when those programs are available. Secondary teachers, therefore, assume that ELLs in junior high and above have achieved the conversational and academic language needed for content areas in elementary school. Therefore, teachers at the secondary level tend to focus more on academic content than pedagogical methods. The data from this study demonstrated that teachers in rural districts in west Texas apply effective strategies for all students, but these teachers have a limited knowledge of federal and state mandates regarding ELLs after the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001). Unless there is a specific need for training due to the enrollment of an ELL of beginning or intermediate English language proficiency (ELP), professional development in this area takes low priority. This was evident in participants’ responses about lax lesson plan policies and their lack of knowledge of TELPAS requirements. This study contributes to a limited body of research on rural districts in Texas by examining limitations common to many of these districts regarding training in state laws. It also adds to research regarding secondary teachers’ perceived competency in teaching ELLs at the intermediate and above levels. The information gleaned from this study may help inform administrators of teacher education programs, administrators in rural districts, coordinators at the education service centers (ESCs), and secondary teachers of ELLs in rural areas of the need for professional development for secondary teachers in the areas of second language acquisition (SLA) and ESL methods.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Curriculum and Instruction

Grantor

Texas Tech University

Year dc:date.issued

2016

Author dc:creator

• Sanders, Jame Dawn

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Price, Margaret A.
• McMillan, Sally

Committee member dc:contributor.committeemember

• Mendez-Morse, Sylvia

• Rural districts
• TELPAS
• Secondary ELLs

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/2346/68063

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ttu-ir.tdl.org:2346/68063