Helping Teachers Apply State Standards

This report examines two key school supports that could help teachers address state standards in their instruction: curriculum requirements and school leader knowledge of standards.

Key findings highlighted in our report include:

-       The most commonly-required and recommended instructional materials for English language arts and mathematics are not always aligned closely with the major emphases of state standards.

-       Majorities of school leaders could not identify reading approaches that are aligned with most state standards.

-       School leaders had particular difficulty with identifying standards-aligned mathematics topics at higher grade levels in their schools. In addition, school leaders who reported requirements or recommendations for standards-aligned instructional materials were also better able to identify standards-aligned reading approaches.

The findings imply that states and districts should try to do more to ensure that the materials they recommend or require are closely aligned with their standards, as well as provide clear information about the materials that are most closely aligned with their standards.

Kaufman, J. H., & Tsai, T. (2018). School supports for teachers' implementation of state standards: Findings from the American school leader panel. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2318.html

State standards implementation study

New K–12 standards for mathematics and English language arts and literacy adopted recently in most states are more rigorous and far-reaching than most previous state standards. Some evidence suggests that teachers are not prepared to help students meet those standards. However, we have very little concrete information about how state standards are connected to what teachers think and do in their classrooms. This report examines teachers’ implementation of the standards, including use of instructional materials, perceptions about standards-aligned content and approaches, and student engagement. Results are intended to help states or districts reflect upon areas where teachers may benefit from guidance about how to address their state standards.
Opter, V., Kaufman, J., & Thompson, L. (2016). Implementation of K-12 state standards for mathematics and English language arts and literacy. RAND Corporation. 
http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1529.html

Study: Language-Based Intervention assists with Math Skills

Students who struggle with basic math may benefit from language-based interventions, according to a series of recent studies. "The way we conceive of numbers evolves from language," said a co-author of the study. "Children learn this stuff before they learn to read, before word problems become a problem. If you can't understand what [five] means, you can't add, you can't do basic math."
EdWeek, 2011, Studies Find Language Key is Key to Learning Math

Technology and literacy report

Good policy research brief about the impact of technology on students learning, and the conditions for optimal benefits.
National Council of Teachers of English. (2007). 21st century literacies. Urbana, IL: Author.
http://www.ncte.org/library/files/Publications/Newspaper/Chron1107ResearchBrief.pdf

Latino ELL study

English fluency rises dramatically in second-generation Hispanics
Although foreign-born Hispanics may struggle to speak English well, 88% of their children are fluent and 94% of subsequent generations speak English fluently while losing most of their Spanish, according to a four-year series of surveys of more than 14,000 adult Hispanics in the U.S.
Pew Hispanic Center. (2007). English Usage Among Hispanics in the United States. Washington, DC: Pew Hispanic Center.
http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=82

ELL study

Strong English Seen as Key to Immigrants' School Success
English proficiency is the biggest predictor of the academic achievement of immigrant students. The study also found that how well students learn English is also very strongly correlated with the quality of schools they attend. Other predictive factors influencing students’ level of English included:
• School’s percentage of students at (or above) proficiency on the state English/language arts exam
• Parents’ English proficiency
• Parental literacy
• English use in informal settings
• Prior schooling
• School’s average attendance rate
• Time in the United States
Suárez-Orozco, C. & M. (2008). Learning a New Land: Immigrant Students in American Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.