Equal educational opportunity for English language learners (ELLs) has been a goal of the public educational system in the United States. Language policy reforms have increasedaccountability in order for schools to improve student achievement and measure the progress of ELLs. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires assessment and accountability. In this study, the number of ELLs has increased significantly at the high school level and school district as a whole.
Along with the changing demographics, the findings reveal a district-wide policy of equalizing educational opportunity through equal treatment. Language policies provide critical decisions about how to measure what students know in all subjects. The assimilation model limited access to mainstream course content, produced inaccurate assessment results and grades. The science curriculum was only accessible through English and the use of the students' native languages was discouraged. The voices of the students were silenced and their academic achievement continues to lag behind their English-speaking peers.
","abstract_html":"<p>Equal educational opportunity for English language learners (ELLs) has been a goal of the public educational system in the United States. Language policy reforms have increasedaccountability in order for schools to improve student achievement and measure the progress of ELLs. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires assessment and accountability. In this study, the number of ELLs has increased significantly at the high school level and school district as a whole.</p> <p>Along with the changing demographics, the findings reveal a district-wide policy of equalizing educational opportunity through equal treatment. Language policies provide critical decisions about how to measure what students know in all subjects. The assimilation model limited access to mainstream course content, produced inaccurate assessment results and grades. The science curriculum was only accessible through English and the use of the students' native languages was discouraged. The voices of the students were silenced and their academic achievement continues to lag behind their English-speaking peers.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Schroeder, Carlotta Dorothy"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Open Access Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Curriculum and Instruction","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Karen L. Tonso"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:58:49Z","subjects":["Diversity","ELL","English","ESL","Opportunity","Science","Other Education","Science and Mathematics Education","Secondary Education and Teaching"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/258","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Karen L. Tonso"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Schroeder, Carlotta Dorothy"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2011-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Curriculum and Instruction"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph.D."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Diversity","ELL","English","ESL","Opportunity","Science","Other Education","Science and Mathematics Education","Secondary Education and Teaching"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/258"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Equal educational opportunity for English language learners (ELLs) has been a goal of the public educational system in the United States. Language policy reforms have increasedaccountability in order for schools to improve student achievement and measure the progress of ELLs. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires assessment and accountability. In this study, the number of ELLs has increased significantly at the high school level and school district as a whole.
Along with the changing demographics, the findings reveal a district-wide policy of equalizing educational opportunity through equal treatment. Language policies provide critical decisions about how to measure what students know in all subjects. The assimilation model limited access to mainstream course content, produced inaccurate assessment results and grades. The science curriculum was only accessible through English and the use of the students' native languages was discouraged. The voices of the students were silenced and their academic achievement continues to lag behind their English-speaking peers.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Teaching english language learners in mainstream science classrooms: teacher practice and educational opportunity"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Karen L. Tonso"],"dc:creator":["Schroeder, Carlotta Dorothy"],"dc:date.available":["2011-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Equal educational opportunity for English language learners (ELLs) has been a goal of the public educational system in the United States. Language policy reforms have increasedaccountability in order for schools to improve student achievement and measure the progress of ELLs. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires assessment and accountability. In this study, the number of ELLs has increased significantly at the high school level and school district as a whole.
Along with the changing demographics, the findings reveal a district-wide policy of equalizing educational opportunity through equal treatment. Language policies provide critical decisions about how to measure what students know in all subjects. The assimilation model limited access to mainstream course content, produced inaccurate assessment results and grades. The science curriculum was only accessible through English and the use of the students' native languages was discouraged. The voices of the students were silenced and their academic achievement continues to lag behind their English-speaking peers.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/258"],"dc:subject":["Diversity","ELL","English","ESL","Opportunity","Science","Other Education","Science and Mathematics Education","Secondary Education and Teaching"],"dc:title":["Teaching english language learners in mainstream science classrooms: teacher practice and educational opportunity"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Curriculum and Instruction"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph.D."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:58:49Z"}