Abstract

This study examined a model of instruction for English language learners (ELLs) who are learning academic English at the same time they are trying to meet content standards as required by the educational reform movement in the United States. In previous work, the authors developed and validated a model of sheltered instruction for these learners, known as the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol or SIOP Model. The current study tested the model for its effects on student achievement. The findings reveal that the students with teachers who implemented the SIOP Model performed significantly better than the comparison group on a writing assessment, a task closely approximating academic tasks ELLs must perform in standards-based classrooms, namely writing expository essays.