Project ELLA was a five-year longitudinal research study funded in 2003 by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Educational Science (IES), and represented a collaborative project between researchers at Texas A & M University, Sam Houston State University, and the Institute for Evidence-Based Education. The primary objective of Project ELLA was to implement a scientifically rigorous evaluation of alternative instructional models for primary grade students whose first language is Spanish.
Purpose
This study compared Structured English Immersion and Transitional Bilingual Models when delivered with the highest level of instructional quality and in a fashion reflecting current best practices. We sought out to determine which instructional delivery model would be more effective in helping native Spanish-speaking children acquire English language and literacy. We also sought to know if certain children respond more favorably in one model while others respond more favorably in the other. Ultimately, we determined not just which model is “best,” but under what circumstances and for whom each model is best.
Procedures
This study was a four-year longitudinal investigation of approximately 1200 Spanish-speaking students beginning in their kindergarten year and ending in their third-grade year.