Patti Schank

Newcomer Wellness Initiative 2019-20 Evaluation Report

Authors : Patti Schank

This report shares findings from a survey conducted with Newcomer students, defined as individuals attending schools in the United States for three years or less and who speak a language other than English at home, in Oakland Unified School District. The survey was designed to inform the work of the Newcomer Wellness Initiative, a program … Continue reading Newcomer Wellness Initiative 2019-20 Evaluation Report

Think Forward New England: Profiles of Innovation | Margarita Muñiz Academy

Authors : Patti Schank

Margarita Muñiz Academy in Boston, MA, was founded in 2012 with the mission of providing full cultural and linguistic fluency in Spanish and English for all of its students. The school’s development of its “Portrait of a Scholar” project led to a number of changes focused on providing greater opportunities for student voice and participation. … Continue reading Think Forward New England: Profiles of Innovation | Margarita Muñiz Academy

How empowered do multilingual students with disabilities feel to make their own choices?

Authors : Patti Schank

In a recent descriptive study of high school students who are multilingual learners (MLs) with disabilities, SRI researchers found that these students attribute fewer self-determination behaviors to themselves than MLs without disabilities or students who are not MLs.

Bilingual/Biliterate Instruction for Bilingual Youth (BBILY) Evaluation

Authors : Patti Schank

SRI Education is leading an external evaluation of bilingual professional development developed by faculty from Santa Clara University and San Jose State University. The National Professional Development Program of the Office of English Language Acquisition has funded this 5-year project to develop bilingual professional development for in-service teachers, pre-service teachers, and student caregivers. The project … Continue reading Bilingual/Biliterate Instruction for Bilingual Youth (BBILY) Evaluation

Think Forward New England: New England’s Education Systems Navigate COVID-19 and Map a New Way Forward

Authors : Patti Schank

The Adapting and Innovating Project examined the experiences of students, teachers and administrators across New England districts during the 2020-2021 school year to better understand how they responded to COVID. The work included an Innovation Profile of the Maria Muniz Academy, the only dual language high school in Boston, as well as a blog summarizing … Continue reading Think Forward New England: New England’s Education Systems Navigate COVID-19 and Map a New Way Forward

Educators talk about identifying disabilities among multilingual learners

Authors : Patti Schank

Many teachers struggle with identifying disabilities among multilingual learners. How can they determine whether a particular child’s learning difficulties stem from typical English language development or a diagnosable learning disability?

Introducing the SRI Education Multilingual Learner Program

Authors : Patti Schank

Welcome! We are excited to present our work focused on expanding educational opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse learners.

Pathway for Academic Success

Authors : Patti Schank

The evaluation of the Pathway to Academic Success expansion grant is a 2-year RCT designed to meet WWC group standards without reservations that assesses the impact of this reading and writing intervention for teachers who serve secondary English Learners. It also includes a 1-year implementation study, which focuses specifically on how Pathway instructional strategies and … Continue reading Pathway for Academic Success

REL Northeast & Islands Virgin Islands English Learner Project

Authors : Patti Schank

For the last two years, a team of educators from the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) has collaborated with REL Northeast & Islands researchers on a project designed to ensure equitable access to high-quality instruction for USVI English learners. The team—composed of two administrators from the Virgin Islands Department of Education (VIDE), two district English as … Continue reading REL Northeast & Islands Virgin Islands English Learner Project

Mixed-Methods Exploration of Factors Associated with Postsecondary Success English Language Learners with Disabilities

Authors : Patti Schank

The purpose of this study is to explore factors associated with positive transition outcomes from high school to postsecondary life for students who are both English learners (ELs) and have a disability. Research suggests these students face multiple barriers to postsecondary success, but few studies have identified the challenges or successes these students experience during … Continue reading Mixed-Methods Exploration of Factors Associated with Postsecondary Success English Language Learners with Disabilities

Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center Bilingual Teacher Project

Authors : Patti Schank

The purpose of this Region 4 Comprehensive Center project was to support the New Jersey Department of Education to expand their preparation pipeline for certified bilingual teachers. The project culminated in a series of publically available briefs focused on bilingual education programs across the country, including when and how they are implemented, strategies to address … Continue reading Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center Bilingual Teacher Project

REL Northeast & Islands Identifying Disabilities among English Learners

Authors : Patti Schank

From 2017 to 2020, REL Northeast & Islands staff worked with state and local partners in the region to learn about the policies and practices they use to identify disabilities among English learners and to provide resources to implement key policies and practices at the district, school, and classroom levels.  » Learn more Project Leaders: … Continue reading REL Northeast & Islands Identifying Disabilities among English Learners

Taking Away Excuses to Quit: The Role of Supports in Completion and Learning in Online Professional Development for Teachers

Authors : Patti Schank

Extending prior research that explores the relationship between contextual factors, engagement, and learning in online settings, this mixed-methods study examines outcomes in a MOOC designed for teachers of English learners (ELs). The study identifies structural and social supports available to some course participants (release time, stipends, participating with colleagues, and having a facilitator who convened … Continue reading Taking Away Excuses to Quit: The Role of Supports in Completion and Learning in Online Professional Development for Teachers

Resources for Determining Special Education Eligibility of English Learners 

Authors : Patti Schank

From 2017 to 2020, REL Northeast & Islands staff worked with state and local partners in the region to learn about the policies and practices they use to identify disabilities among English learners and to provide resources to implement key policies and practices at the district, school, and classroom levels. The resulting resources can be … Continue reading Resources for Determining Special Education Eligibility of English Learners 

Examining Bilingual Programs and Policies

Authors : Patti Schank

This blog introduces a series of policy briefs that were developed in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Education to better understand the state of bilingual education across the country, potential strategies to address the shortage of bilingual educators, and approaches to bilingual education policy and programming. View Resource Citation: Rutherford-Quach, S., Kelly, H., … Continue reading Examining Bilingual Programs and Policies