Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe the perceived effectiveness of components of elementary school English Language Development programs such as instructional materials, minutes taught, consistency of implementation, differentiation of instruction, assessments, and teacher qualifications and training within schools in the Inland Empire region consisting of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties with high redesignation rates as determined by the California English Language Development Test. Methodology. This research used the descriptive ex-post facto design. Fifty schools in the San Bernardino and Riverside Counties were identified as having an English language learner demographic of over 20 percent and a language redesignation rate of over 9 percent, which was above the state average. Forty-one interviews were conducted. The data were collected and analyzed through both quantitative and qualitative measures. Findings. Data showed a gap in currently available materials and the instructional needs of English language learners. Although most schools felt their program was consistently implementing ELD, the amount of monitoring from the administration was identified as a factor in keeping consistency. Responses revealed that schools felt able to differentiate the instruction for student language acquisition needs, yet some felt that more training was needed in this area. They also wanted an ELD assessment that was given frequently and provided relevant information. Finally, the attitude and knowledge of the teacher emerged as significant factors in ELD instruction. Conclusions. Schools need to revise, adapt, and supplement their existing available ELD materials. Staff development needs to be improved especially in training teachers how to differentiate instruction for each student's language acquisition level. In addition, assessment data needs to be valid and timely. Finally, it is recommended that schools create professional learning communities where teachers collaborate, share best practices, and unite around a common purpose. Recommendations. Providing a high quality ELD program is a challenge to public elementary schools. It is recommended that schools meet this challenge by finding the right materials, ensuring consistency in the program, providing appropriate instruction, getting usable data from assessments, and effectively training teachers.