The Oregon Research Institute (ORI) is seeking middle schools for a research study funded by the US Department of Education on the practices of teaching English Learners (EL) how to speak English. The project is designed to learn more about what middle school teachers are doing to teach EL students in the 6th and 7th grades and to find out what's working for their students, within the context of an evaluation of Direct Instruction Spoken English (DISE). Sites will partner with ORI for the two-year duration of the project. The National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI) will provide professional development and coaching for DISE.
Participating districts and teachers will be provided with incentives including stipends, curriculum, and professional development.
Potential districts will have the following characteristics:
- The district and school administration has an interest in using an evidence-based curriculum that teaches oral English language for ELs.
- There must be at least 2 schools in the district with grades 6-8.
- Schools must be willing to be chosen by lottery to teach the program for two years. Schools not chosen will simply teach ELD as usual but will agree to have instruction observed three times per year.
- Schools chosen by lottery must deliver ELD DISE instruction for 90 minutes daily (this can be broken up into smaller instructional chunks distributed throughout the day or after school).
- Each school must have at least 15 EL students in grades 6-7 with limited oral English proficiency.
Interested districts will need to provide a letter of support for the project no later than April 15, 2015.
For more information or to indicate your interest in participation, contact Erin Chaparro (541-514-2398, echaparr@uoregon.edu) or Barb Gunn (541-484-2123, barbarag@ori.org).
