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From http://news.psu.edu/story/334805/2014/11/14/research/faculty-research-schools-struggle-adapt-english-language-learner

Faculty research: schools struggle to adapt to English-language learner needs
by Kevin Sliman
November 14, 2014

A College of Education faculty member presented a research report that explores the relationship between school-district infrastructure in new-immigrant destinations and the marginalization of English-language learners (ELLs) in those districts. Megan Hopkins, assistant professor of education, and her colleague, Rebecca Lowenhaupt of Boston College, reported that in many schools, the teaching of English as a second language (ESL) and the teaching of academic subjects are separated and disconnected, which can cause ELLs to fall behind academically.

“This does not represent current thinking in the field,” said Hopkins. “While a separate ESL instructional block can be beneficial, ELL educators also advocate for content-based language learning that requires all teachers to have training related to ELL instruction, and that necessitates meaningful, ongoing collaboration between ESL and general-education teachers.”

Hopkins added that school districts that separate ESL and content require ELLs to become proficient in English before learning content. This often places them far behind in their learning of content and of content-based academic language.

Read the full article at http://news.psu.edu/story/334805/2014/11/14/research/faculty-research-schools-struggle-adapt-english-language-learner