ESOL INCLUSIVE CLASSES AT THE

ELEMENTARY LEVEL
LAUREN M. HOBBS
STETSON UNIVERSITY
EDUC 499 DR. SHANKAR-BROWN
SPRING 2023
 Acknowledgements
Special thank you to...
Dr. Shankar-Brown
Volusia County Teachers and Staff
Members
Dr. Raisa Ankeny
My family and friends
My brother, Eric
 Research Question
What are the advantages and disadvantages
of ESOL inclusive classes at the Elementary
Level?
Vocabulary Terms
ESOL: English to Speakers of Other
Languages

ELL: English Language Learners

NES: Non-English Speaking

Vocabulary Terms

Elementary: school grades of Kindergarten

through Fifth Grade

Inclusive classes: is a general education

classroom where students with and without
learning differences learn together.
 Rationale
PROFESSIONAL
There are over 265,000 English
Language Learners (ELLs) in our
Florida schools (Florida Dept. of
Education, 2023).
K-12 School Districts are seeing
increasing numbers of ESOL students
and families.
PERSONAL
Seeing it first hand with an NES student
getting placed in a General Education
5th grade class.
As a future educator, I believe in
promoting inclusion and providing
effective support for students so they
may reach their full potential inside
and outside of the classroom.
 Literature Review
BACKGROUND OF ESOL
Matthew Hamel stated, “The first major government effort to
establish ESL programs as part of the public education system
occurred in Dade County, Florida, in 1963. A rapid increase in the
number of Cuban immigrants necessitated the need for an ESL
curriculum, and soon educators and institutions from around the
country began to base their own ESL programs after the Dade
County model” (History of ESL Education in the U.S., 2018).
 Literature Review
ESOL INCLUSIONS IN THE US
Chen states, “This approach in California, titled Proposition 227,
provides ESL kids with $50 million each year for additional English
tutoring support; however, these students are forced to engage in
fluent English classes, even if they have never been exposed to the
language before. This proposition, like many full inclusion programs, is
not solely designed to save school budgets; moreover, all of the
propositions for full inclusion have the backing of experts who assert
that the best way to attain language fluency is through inclusion
instructional methods.” (Chen, 2023).
 Literature Review
Linguistic diversity enriches our schools,
communities, and our students’ lives. Identity,
language, and culture are tightly interwoven, and
the complex interrelationships are to not to be
forgotten” (Shankar-Brown, 2023)
Mixed Methodology: Qualitative & Quantitative

Survey & Interview

Field Experience
Observations
 Data Collection
SURVEY
I was able to get 19 Teachers, 1 Faculty or Administrator, 2 ELL
Teachers, 5 ESE Teachers, 1 Paraprofessional, 1 School Counselor, and
5 Student Interns. This being a total of 34 responses from a variety of
staff members from different elementary schools in Volusia County

INTERVIEW
I interviewed Dr. Raisa Ankeny, my Curriculum and Assessment of
Bilinguals in K-12 professor. Her research centers around
culturally and linguistically responsive teaching and improving
mainstream teachers' instruction of English Learners.
 Findings
1. SEL positively impacts ESOL students in inclusive
classes
2. Data shows placing ESOL students in an exclusive
class for the first year could be beneficial
3. Pull outs/Pull ins have benefits and disadvantages
 Recommendations

Research: Future research should examine how NES

elementary level students can be better supported
academically and socially-emotionally. Additionally, more
research is needed on current ESOL assessments and their
effects on student learning.
 Recommendations
Practice:
Educators should learn and utilize effective strategies to
support ESOL students, and school districts should
actively invest in ESOL professional development to
support educators.
Strong communication between ESOL support staff and
mainstream teachers is critical.
Educators should be committed to learning about ESOL
students’ culture and language.
 Recommendations

Personal: As a teacher, I will create a personal ESOL

Toolbox with promising practices, and my own reflections of
strategies and examine different areas including: What
worked well? What did not work? How can I improve? I will
also remain committed to ongoing learning since the field of
education and ESOL education is constantly evolving and
growing.
 References
Braunsteiner, M.-L., & Mariano-Lapidus, S. (2014). A perspective of inclusion: Challenges for the future - ed. A Perspective of Inclusion: Challenges for the
Future. Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1055217.pdf
Candace A. Harper & Ester J. de Jong (2009) English language teacher expertise: the elephant in the room, Language and Education, 23:2, 137-151, DOI:
10.1080/09500780802152788
Chen, G. (2023, February 14). Inclusion or exclusion? The ESL Education Debate. Public School Review. Retrieved April 28, 2023, from
https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/inclusion-or-exclusion-the-esl-education-debate
Diehl, D. E. (2006). Educational philosophies definitions and Comparison Chart. Educational Philosophies Definitions and Comparison Chart. Retrieved April
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from https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-the-six-most-effective-instructional-strategies-for-ells-according-to-teachers/2021/06
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https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2022/1003.56
Fundamentals of SEL. CASEL. (2023, April 26). Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/
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https://www.in.gov/gwc/cte/files/ncteb-edphil.pdf
History of ESL Education in the U.S. (2018, October 24). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/history-of-esl-education-in-the-us.html.
Mission and History. WIDA. (2023). Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://wida.wisc.edu/about/mission-history
National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). English Learners in Public Schools. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of
Education Sciences. Retrieved [date], from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cgf.
Shankar-Brown, R. (2023). Bilingual Education and Social Justice: Promoting Inclusion, Equity and Excellence.
Student Achievement Through Language Acquisition (Sala). Florida Department of Education Home. (2023). Retrieved April 28, 2023, from
https://www.fldoe.org/academics/eng-language-learners/
Vibas, K. (n.d.). Including newcomers in classroom lessons and activities. A Walk in the Chalk. Retrieved April 28, 2023, from
http://www.awalkinthechalk.com/2021/06/including-newcomers-in-classroom.html
THANK YOU FOR
YOUR TIME!