Running head: BENEFITS OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT

The Benefits of Professional Staff Development for Teachers of English Language Learners
Tabita Rudder
University of St. Thomas

BENEFITS OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Abstract
This study seeks to persuade readers of the benefits of professional staff development for
teachers of English language learners. Professional staff development for ESL teachers that
reflect new standards, promote effective teaching strategies and close achievement gaps is
necessary to meet the needs of the growing number of ELLs in the United States. Given the
nature of the increasing ELL population in the U.S., there is a need for preparing teachers to
work effectively with every student.

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:11 PM

Comment [1]: Your abstract clearly
outlines the central focus of your paper on
English Language Learners (ELLs) and ESL
teachers.

BENEFITS OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT

The Benefits of Professional Staff Development for Teachers of English Language Learners
President Barrack Obama said it best when he said, "From the moment students enter a
school, the most important factor in their success is not the color of their skin or the income of
their parents, it's the person standing at the front of the classroom... America's future depends on
its teachers." Across the United States, classroom teachers, ESL/Bilingual specialists and
bilingual paraprofessionals share responsibility for teaching English language learners or ELLs.

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:12 PM

Comment [2]: Cite the reference please.

These English as a second language or ESL teachers play a critical role in the successful second
language acquisition of ELL students. However, the education reforms created by legislators in
Texas have made it difficult to effectively teach ELLs, because of the many factors, such as
family and health, which contribute to the low achievement scores that are common with ELLs.

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:12 PM

A recent Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages or TESOL report examined the

Deleted: With this in mind,

concerns for ESL teaching profession in the United States. The role of ESL teachers in different

Comment [3]: Cite the report please as

per APA.

settings and the limited number of ESL-specialized teachers were some of the key topics of

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:13 PM

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:12 PM

Deleted: a

concern (Valds, Kibler &Walqui, 2014, p. 2). This report emphasizes the need for consistency
in training teachers. Therefore, professional staff development for ESL teachers that reflect new
standards, promote effective teaching strategies and close achievement gaps is necessary to meet
the needs of the growing number of ELLs in the United States.
Impact of education reform
With the implementation of new standards, teachers who are supported by schools and
districts will possess the necessary resources and expertise to meet the needs of ELLs. While the
No Child Left Behind law (NCLB), signed in 2001, highlights achievement gaps among
traditionally underserved and vulnerable students, there is no new legislature to expand
opportunity for all English Language Learners (ELLs) or provide support for educators and

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:53 PM

Comment [4]: You establish the
importance of training for ESL teachers and
outlined the need for effective teaching
strategies but you have not fully addressed
what your actual thesis is or fully signaled the
direction of your argument. What are the
consequences of not addressing the needs of
ESL students? You need to draw attention to
the importance of the SIOP model. How can a
reader be persuaded that your approach will
benefit these students? Why is specialized
teacher training so important? Which
authorities validate these strategies? How will
the school community benefit from the
strategies that you propose? What are the
consequences of not taking any action?

BENEFITS OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT

schools. As such, states are required to adopt or implement a series of reforms to their academic
standards, student assessments, and accountability systems for schools and educators. Texas
adoption of English Language Proficiency Standards or ELPS, reflect practices that students are
expected to engage to complete the new state standards for Math and Reading. Accordingly,
ESL instructors face many implications from the shift in standards. The differences in ways that
the ELPs standards conceptualize and measure language growth influence the approach to
instruction. Teachers now have to be somewhat re-educated on what to teach, how to teach and
how much time to spend teaching. To demonstrate, Aldine Independent School District in

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:20 PM

Comment [5]: Can you give an example?

Houston, Texas uses a method of sheltered instruction known as SIOP or Sheltered Instruction
Observation Protocol. SIOP includes building on students experiences and familiar content,
providing hands-on interactive learning opportunities, and providing instruction differentiated by

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:21 PM

Comment [6]: Good you provide a
example here regarding SIOP.

students English language proficiency (Goldenberg, 2013, p. 6-7). Are teachers becoming
robots? The answer is unclear but additional training is definitely required. Teachers who
demonstrate these practices and show the desired student growth may be considered highly
qualified hence the need for additional training.
Instructional Strategies
Highly effective teachers promote student success using differentiated instructional
strategies. According to Kim (2010), ELLs experience success in learning English as a second
language when they have teachers, peers and community members, who support their cognitive
and linguistic capacities and provide support, (p. 110). Students respond well to the use of visual
vocabulary, storytelling, audio and technology. Researchers have further identified that
multimedia-enhanced instruction (videos used as part of lessons) and use of graphic displays
and organizers facilitate and support learning for ELLs. Students are like sponges. They soak up

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:23 PM

Comment [7]: I am not sure how these
sentences connect? How is interactive learning
robotic? In what way can training assist?

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:24 PM

Comment [8]: This sentence does not
make grammatical sense. Please revise. How
does it relate to the previous sentence?

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:51 PM

Comment [9]: Relate your topic sentence
back to your argument regarding: The Benefits
of Professional Staff Development for
Teachers of English Language Learners

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:27 PM

Comment [10]: Effective use of the
literature to support your case.

BENEFITS OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT

anything and learn from things that appeals to them. After surveying countries where there were
small differences between achievement of second language learners and other students,

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:28 PM

Deleted: everything

Christensen & Stanat recommended teacher training that is aligned with the approaches
implemented in practice (2007, p. 11). Effective teaching training involves implicit and explicit
language support. In order to provide explicit language support, teachers need to have strong
linguistic knowledge, so that they can effectively teach grammatical structures. An awareness of
the language structures that hinder second-language acquisition is important as well as
knowledge on how they can be overcome (Christensen & Stanat, 2007, p. 11). Despite the
importance of teachers having quality instruction and acquiring innovative techniques, what is

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:29 PM

Comment [11]: Are these the practices
you mentioned earlier? If so please make your
connections stronger and be specific.

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:31 PM

Comment [12]: Please explain what this
means. If there is language awareness then
why is there hindrance?

significant is how it translates in the classroom. Incorporating the new teaching styles and
strategies in the classroom will encourage student engagement, learning and eventual
understanding.
The achievement gap
The third benefit of improved professional staff development programs is the positive
impact of closing the achievement gap among ELLs. Cross collaboration between general
education teacher, ESL teacher and content area teachers is key to bridging the learning gaps
between ELLs and other students. In fact, providing professional development for content
teachers in the theories of second language acquisition and best practices for supporting ELLs
enhances the quality of instruction these teachers provide to their students. Students are taught
the same information but benefit from language that is simplified and concepts that are presented
in a manner that makes it easier to understand and retain. In Broward County, Florida, one
district has created an online professional staff development digital resource in addition to face to
face learning. Teachers in school-based professional learning communities engaged in watching

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:32 PM

Comment [13]: Please write in a more
persuasive style and connect your point back
to your topic.

BENEFITS OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT

the webinars together and discussing strategies and supports they can use for all students
(Maxwell, 2013). All teachers need an opportunity to develop mutual understandings of ELLs
learning needs, learn techniques for effective teacher collaboration, and attempt various forms of

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:33 PM

Comment [14]: Good use of examples
to support your case.

collaboration in a supportive environment. Cultural awareness workshops for teachers within a

district may further assist teachers by exposing them to different cultures. Training of new
teachers (pre-service) by effective collaboration with university professors and mentor teachers
help to develop best practices and enables teachers to understand ELLs and what they need from
the beginning.
Resistance
The implementation of teacher accountability standards has impacted considerably on
ESL instruction. A recent study by Whitenack & Swanson (on pre-service teacher education and
in-service professional development initiatives in a school district facing tensions related to the
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) indicated that teachers struggled to implement all the
strategies and content present in the new curriculum and were not consistent in the use of pacing
guides (how much time to teach) (2013, p. 9). While it was a difficult transition, some teachers
recognized that compromise and consistency were beneficial. Many teachers believe that the
new standards are considerable and it is difficult to proceed at the same rate of instruction for
ELLs who are not at the same level as other students. One study highlighted that teachers need
strong organizational support at the school level, in addition to strong efficacy beliefs, to
effectively implement their knowledge and skills, (Eun & Heining-Boynton, 2007, p. 43). One
part cannot exist without the other.

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 3:29 PM

Comment [15]: You highlight resistance
to the model and the teaching strategies that
align with it. However you need to sound more
convincing in a persuasive essay that the SIOP
approach is highly effective in promoting
English language acquisition. What are the
implications if SLOP is not implemented?

BENEFITS OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT

What will work?

As Seymour Sarason (1990) warned: Teachers cannot create and sustain the conditions
for the productive development of children if those conditions do not exist for teachers. English
language learners may exhibit a decline in low achievement scores and perform better on state
assessments with highly qualified effective teachers.

As indicated in this study, a greater

emphasis on quality training during pre-service and professional staff development may
eliminate any questions or concerns about the role and responsibility of ESL teachers and

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:39 PM

Comment [16]: This sentence sound
contradictory, how can students be declining
and improving at the same time? Please
elaborate.

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:40 PM

promote student growth and achievement. Given the nature of the increasing ELL population in
the U.S., there is a need for preparing teachers to work effectively with every student. To put it

Comment [17]: You are using absolute

terms here and this is not encouraged in
academic writing.

briefly, the educational future of the children of current and new immigrants is in the hands of
the school administrators, districts and most importantly, ESL teachers who provide support in
acquiring English.

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:55 PM

Comment [18]: Good to highlight the
important role of ESL teachers but you really
needed to affirm this point throughout the
essay.

BENEFITS OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT

References
Christensen, G., & Stanat, P. (2007). Language policies and practices for helping immigrants and
second-generation students succeed. The Transatlantic Taskforce on Immigration and
Integration, Migration Policy Institute (MPI) and Bertelsmann Stiftung. Retrieved from
http://www.naldic.org.uk/Resources/NALDIC/Research%20and%20Information/Docume
nts/ChristensenEducation091907.pdf
Eun, B., & Heining-Boynton, A.L. (2007). Impacting of an English-as-a-Second-Language
Professional Development Program. Journal of Educational Research, 101(1), 36-49.
Goldenberg, C. (2013). Unlocking the Research on English Learners: What We Knowand
Don't Yet Knowabout Effective Instruction. American Educator, 37(2), 4-11.
Kim, Y. (2010). Scaffolding through questions in upper elementary ELL learning. Literacy
Teaching And Learning, 1(1-2), 109-136.
Maxwell, L. (2013, October 28). ESL and classroom teachers team up to teach Common Core.
Education Week. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/ articles/2013/10/30/10cceslteachers.h33.html
Sarason, S.B. (1990) The Predictable Failure of Educational Reform. San Francisco: JosseyBass.
Valds, G., Kibler, A., & Walqui, A. (2014, March). Changes in the expertise of ESL
professionals: Knowledge and action in an era of new standards. Alexandria, VA:
TESOL International Association.
Whitenack, D.A., & Swanson, P.E. (2013). The Transformative Potential of Boundary Spanners:
A Narrative Inquiry into Preservice Teacher Education and Professional Development in
an NCLB-Impacted Context. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 21(57)

Tara Tuchaai 25/2/15 2:46 PM

Comment [19]: Good to see current
research, however it would have assisted your
case if you drew upon the findings of these
studies and showed how this data supported or
challenged your position. What were the
implications of these studies? What can be
learnt from this research within the context of
your research study? What is your call to
action?