development were created:not yet evident(i.e., not used by a student),emergent
(i.e., intermittent use, inaccurate),developing (i.e., greater frequency of use,
broadening repertoire of forms but could still be used inaccurately), andcontrolled
(i.e., broad repertoire of forms and accurately used most of the time).
Our theory of action (see Fig.47.1) hypothesizes that with the information
generated by placing students on a progression based on evidence obtained during
teaching and learning, teachers can engage in contingent pedagogy, building on
individual student’s current language to advance language learning within whatever
pedagogical tradition or theoretical perspective a teacher prefers to adopt (Bailey
and Heritage 2014 ). As a result, teachers will be more able to effectively meet the
ongoing language learning needs as students engage in content learning.
Six teachers were recruited from a university elementary school serving 4–
12 year olds with diversity in language backgrounds. The teachers ranged in
teaching experience from 4 to 21 years. All reported that they had participated in a
university-level language or linguistics courses, and four teachers reported having
professional development training related to language. Three teachers taught in a
Spanish–English dual-language program, and three taught in English-medium
classrooms.
The teachers participated in focus groups, intended to support professional
learning, nine times during an 18-month period of implementation. The teachers
werefirst introduced to the DLLP and the high-leverage features, and in subsequent
focus groups they shared their experience of implementation. Verbatim transcripts
of the video-recorded meetings were coded to generate organizing themes for
teachers’perspectives on professional learning related to using the DLLP.
47.5.5 Initial Challenges
Initially, the teachers found it very difficult to observe language while simultane-
ously attending to content learning. Eventually, they found a way to manage this;
they decided to focus on one language function of their choice, in one specific
Fig. 47.1 Theory of action for the DLLP
708 A.L. Bailey and M. Heritage