General Information Fylers

Your child’s participation in this important research study can help us improve the quality of teaching in the U.S.

DEAR PARENTS,

We are inviting your child to participate in the Evaluation of the Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) program, a training program for middle school teachers. Your child’s school is interested in participating in the study.

What is the Evaluation of the Quality Teaching for English Learners program?

This evaluation study is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The purpose of the study is to improve our understanding of how the QTEL program helps teachers and their students. At least fifty schools and over 600 teachers in San Diego County will participate in the study. Half of these schools will receive the QTEL training in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 school years. The other half will have priority to receive the training in 2010. Assignment of the schools to these two groups will be random, as in a lottery. Researchers will be visiting all of the schools in both groups to observe classroom activities.

If I agree to participate, what will my child and I be asked to do?

Your child will be present during two one-period classroom observations by a trained researcher. These observations will take place in 6^th grade classrooms in the 2007-2008 school year, 7^th grade classrooms in the 2008-2009 school year, and 8^th grade classrooms in the 2009-2010 school year. The observations will focus on classroom activities, interactions and participation patterns. Your child will be observed as part of the classroom group, but will not be singled out or identified in study reports. The standardized test scores, GPAs and attendance records will be also collected for all middle school students at the school. Student names and ID numbers will be removed from these records by the school district.

Information gathered about your child will be kept confidential and disclosed only with your permission or as required by law. Information about individual students in the study will be combined for reporting the study results in the form of statistics. These results will be used to improve teaching for students throughout the state and the nation.

What must my child do to participate in the study?

Your child does not need to do anything except attend school and participate as usual. Participation in the study is completely voluntary. If you do not want your child to participate, please contact your school principal to request that your child attend another classroom on the days that observations are scheduled.

Thank you!

Sponsored by:

U.S. Department of Education

REL West

Conducted by:

Berkeley Policy Associates

In partnership with:

WestEd

For more information, questions, or concerns, please call:

Berkeley Policy Associates

1-800-897-0272