The role of school districts in the selection and support of English language development programs and approaches

With the emergence of standards-based reform, there are increased demands to ensure success for all students, leading to high-stakes accountability systems for school, teacher, and pupil performance. Districts are playing an increasing role in interpreting and mediating school responses to state and federal policy interventions and promoting coherence of instruction through the adoption of district-wide programs.;Districts do not have research-based guidelines to follow in selecting programs to improve English proficiency outcomes for English Learners (ELs). This is because research has not clearly shown which programs or approaches are most effective in helping ELs to accelerate their access to grade-level curriculum. Although there is a need for research on which of the various approaches is better suited to promoting English language proficiency, there is also a need for research on how districts support the implementation of English Language Development (ELD) programs, given the scarcity of data to guide decisions about program selection and implementation. This study documented and analyzed how three district offices made decisions about selecting ELD programs and the actions that they took to support these decisions district wide.;The following overarching question was addressed: How do districts select and support programs/approaches to promote English Language Development among English Learners? The following subquestions guided the research: (1) How has the district selected ELD programs/approaches for EL students? (2) What is the role of the district as a supporter of ELD programs and approaches? (3) What is the relationship between district support and effective implementation as perceived by teachers, principals and district administrators? The multicase, qualitative, exploratory, theory-building study used multiple data sources, including semistructured interviews of district and site personnel, program observation and documents.;Synthesis of the findings at the three sites identified five themes: (a) districts are responding to concerns about test scores for EL subgroups by making most decisions affecting ELs district wide; (b) the theoretical orientation of influential stakeholders affects selection and implementation; (c) accountability at district and site levels influences implementation; (d) ease of implementation influences implementation; and (e) amount and kinds of district support influence ease of implementation.