A Delphi study of best practices for the achievement of English language learners

Educators must deliver instruction to English language learners (ELLs) in secondary schools with greater accountability than ever before. Current literature lacks comprehensive, accepted strategies for ELL success. Nationally, ELL students underperformed in making adequate yearly progress. Further understanding of the elements necessary for ELL success was necessary. The study participants were members of the organization, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the most important factors for ELL achievement. The theoretical framework was that language and content are best learned simultaneously and that ELLs could acquire both. The guiding research question involved understanding the necessary elements for the academic achievement of ELLs. Data analysis procedures included forming a Delphi panel of TESOL experts who completed two rounds of consensus-seeking through a web-based survey developed from the literature. The panelists ranked the practices, contributed strategies, and edited positions. The data were disaggregated using qualitative descriptions of the panelists' top rankings of 50 ELL practices. The key results were an agreed upon list of six categories for school initiatives that included support for teachers, modifying instruction, content relevance, leadership, culture, and parental involvement. There were seven top instructional strategies for ELLs that included multiple modalities, vocabulary, collaboration, professional learning, building background knowledge, content linking, and student engagement. There were 37 remaining ELL strategies that merited consideration in future studies. The implications for social change included the development of a list of 13 best practices to positively impact ELL academic achievement.