Language matters: Exploring teachers’ conceptualization of linguistically informed common core state standards-aligned writing instruction as a means of determining equitable education

Equity has been conceptualized in several ways, but it could be said that for English Language Learners (ELLs), equity is realized by focusing on inputs which means providing access to highquality teachers and instruction that utilizes students’ assets to support meaningful access to content. Since trends indicate that policies have shifted ELL education to an inclusion model, and now the general educator will most likely provide the majority of academic support for ELLs (Harper & de Jong, 2009), and since recent reforms in K12 education specifically the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) intensified the need to understand the language requirements of schooling (Brisk & Zhang-Wu, 2016), exploring the knowledge and skills of mainstream teachers who work with ELLs are crucial to ensuring equity for ELLs. The WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework (2020) which promotes a functional approach to language development, emphasizing language as a purposeful, meaning-making resource supports states in increasing the consistency between standards and assessments for English language proficiency and general education, with the goal of ensuring that instruction offered by ELL teachers prepares students to engage in the language demands of mainstream classrooms (Desimone et al., 2019). The focus of this study is on the writing requirements specified in the Common Core State Standards, and it investigates how teachers' views of language influence their approach to CCSS-aligned writing teaching. Furthermore, instructors' practices will be investigated to see if their lessons reflect a WIDA-suggested Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) informed genre-based approach to language.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2022

Author dc:creator

• Haller-Gryc, Isabel Erin

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hood, Denice W
• Dávila, Liv
• Kang, Hyun
• Salsbury, Thomas

• Equity
• Common Core
• Multilingual Learners
• Mlls
• Writing

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2022 Isabel Haller-Gryc

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/117740

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F117740